A good conclusion to the last thread left from the original series, but one that fails to really break the mould and make itself worthy of being a movie and not just another episode. With Madhouse still at the helm, it retains the charm and feel of the original series, just with a longer runtime and slightly darker tone than the average episode. The movie budget allowed for some crazy good action sequences that were a step up from the already great sequences seen in the TV show, although this extra detail creates a stark contrast to some lower quality scenes in slower moments, and an overutilization of stills in scenes that wouldn’t have gotten the same treatment previously. The OST does a decent job of matching the tone, with some good orchestral swells and boppy tracks when needed. However, there’s a few pieces sung by the cast that, while being an interesting choice, really failed to grab me.

There’s a strong message around the importance of conveying your emotions physically - something that’s becoming more relevant in our ever-modern society, and The Sealed Card movie does do a good job of providing Sakura with some additional character development – showing that our dear little Cardcaptor is very much growing up, alongside some strong character moments for the wider cast.

It’s hard to deny that I was expecting something a bit more substantial from this movie, but it serves its purpose well as a closing moment for Sakura’s original journey.