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Cardboard cover

X [ze0ro]
X Illustrated Collection

CLAMP

Attributes; Cardboard protective cover - Sexy Blackness :P

Pages: 168
Colour: 152 - Nothing but full colour illustrations!
B&W: 16 - Nothing but the Illustration information!
Text info: There is NO text!
Translation: Non needed
Size: A4
Printed:
Cover: Hard
ISBN: 4-04-853168-9

Review:
Review: Finally an X art book I'm glad of owning! This is like the 'TB Photo' book with nothing but cover to cover illustrations! all full glossy colour! It's also one of the thickest Art books I have!
The only drawbacks with this book is that it's almost been scanned to death on the internet, but if your looking for the real thing then you NEED to find this and keep it! It should come with a brown cardboard protective cover (I couldn't scan it cause it was to big). 
It contains images from 1992 to 1997, so they have a variation on the styles that clamp have changed over the years...
Final word, this book is drool worthy and a defiant must!

  

 

NEW NEWS: 
X Illustrated collection (1)

This book is exactly the same as X [Ze0ro]... 
The only difference is the cover design and that it's got a soft back instead of a hardback like the one above... oww and that it also looks more like it belongs with the new release of volume 2 (below)

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X Illustrated collection (2)

CLAMP

Attributes : Also there is nice mat detail on the cover that
you cant see on my scans >_<

Pages: 160
Colour: 152
B&W: 8 - Image illustrations info
Text info: all in Japanese
Translation: non needed
Size: A4 - Large
Printed: 2005
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 4-04-853895-0

Review:
 This book is stuffed full of all them images I've seen used for promo's, covered in text or just unusable or enjoyable... 
Well NOW IT'S HERE!!!
This book is just a dream, images I've been drooling over for years finally presented in full page, full colour loveliness when I got this book I almost drooled over every page!
Even if your a little fed up of X seen as it's been running for so long it's not even funny anymore... You HAVE to get this book, it's so truly worth it!

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Tokyo Babylon Photographs

CLAMP

Attributes: Full protective see-through thick plastic Dust-Jacket Metallic Silver cover, can be read any way

Pages: 151 - including all pages and both covers.
Colour: 151 - All full page illustrations
B&W: 0
Text info: What text there is it's all in English with Japanese credits and publishing info.
Translation: An alien could understand this. non needed.
Size: A4 - Large
Printed:  
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 4-403-65008-2

Review:
This was my first Art book, and I thank that German woman who said I should buy it cos I wasn't allowed to remove it from the wrappings... So I'm saying to you what that nice German woman said to me at Aya-con 98 in Manchester "I have it, it's beautiful you HAVE to buy it!"... 
This book contains all the full illustrations on the manga covers without text, also the smaller image on the inside of the manga. It also has the double pull out images that were in the manga, my only complaint is that they only have the ones with Subaru and Hokuto together, and not the ones when you pull them out and it's Subaru and Sieshirou >_<... It also has illustrations of the older Subaru and Sieshirou with his blinded eye. There are also some gorgeous Subaru and Sishirou images... infact ALL the pages in this book just have you drooling over ever page... One important thing with any book, it still smells NEW even though I've had it for years! it also doesn't matter which way you look at this book, back to front or what ever.. I think it should be viewed in the Western way, to the middle then the Japanese way, again to the middle... But for the love of gods, NEVER try and scan this book cos it WILL brake, all my binding is buggered now and I seriously regret ruining this wonderful book!
Even my mother likes it and she hates manga and especially hates CLAMP, so that says something!

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Wish
Memorial illust collection

CLAMP

Attributes: A treated Paper Dust-Jacket/dust cover -  
1/3 Dust-Jacket (not shown)

Pages: 87
Colour: 63 - full page illustrations, no text.
B&W: 16 - Special Manga.   8 - illustration info
Text info: Only Special Manga and illustration info in Original Japanese text.
Translation: no
Size: A5
Printed:  
Cover: Hard
ISBN: 4-04-853386-x

Review:
This book comes if a wonderfully matt fly-leaf, and all the pages are a matt-dull finish, it's a bit like looking through some ones colour sketch book. All illustrations are wonderfully bright and eye catching, scanners and the internet does these images no justice, also this book contains images that I have not seen on the internet before... If you love CLAMP and have had the privilege of reading Wish then this is a MUST buy!

MANGA REVIEW: This is a 16 page special, I cant read it. but if you have read Wish then this is what happened after the Manga finished... Also there is an image were Shuishirou (the reincarnation) grabs Kohaku and kiss's Him/her/it.. So cute.. if anyone could translate this for me let me know ^_^. The only problem with this special manga is that Hisui-sama just looks to darn feminine *cries*

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Front of Box

Back of Box

R G Veda Illustration

Contains 2 Art Books

Artist Mokona Apapa - Presented by CLAMP

Attributes: Thin corrugated Cardboard, solid, Not Laminated. (not shown)
 

Size: A4 Large
Printed:  
Cover: Hard Cardbored Box
ISBN: 4-403-61260-1
REVIEW OVER ALL: This is a must have Art book... It's one of them you get out and show people. I saw this at a con in 1998 and I wanted it but wasn't allowed to open it and was over £50, so I waited to buy it :P...
I'm sure you can still find it, and it's well worth it's pennies ^_^
 

Book 1
Illustration side - 1991
Hiten Muma in RGVeda

Attributes: Tracing paper Dust-Jacket, Metallic Gold finish,
Reads from Left to Right.

Pages: 67
Colour: 61 - All Full page illustrations, plus 2 tracing paper cover pages.
B&W: 6 Full, double page illustrations. 
Text info: Like it's needed, a few Japanese Characters but nothing important
Translation: None (there used to be)
Size: A4 - Large
Cover: Hard
Review:
This is some colour work from the early years of RG Veda and is a little nieve, Contains some of the best RG Veda illustrations though, all in glorious colour. 

 Book with Transparent Dust-Jacket

Book Without Dust-Jacket

 

Book 2
Comic/Basic Data
Art by Mokona Apapa - Story by Nanase Ohkawa

Attributes: Soft back, Leather look/feel Double Cover, Metallic Gold trim.

Pages: 51 - 36 Extra Manga - 4 illust info book 1 - 3 chara design - 4 chara association Tree.
Colour: 10 - 2 Transparent gold trim pages, 8 coloured paper - No colour images
B&W: 40 - 36 Extra Manga - 4 illust info book 1
Text info: All in Japanese, some credits in English
Translation: None now that I know of
Size: A4 Large
Cover: Soft
Review: If you are an Ahsura-ou (that's Ashura's Dad) Fan, then this is the book for you. Full A4 page Extra manga, Some basic Chara Design of the main chara and a social family tree. 

MANGA REVIEW: This manga actually appears in Volume 7, as an extra part... Though in this format it's bigger and lovely to look at... It's about Ashura-ou and the prophesy about his son *Ashura*, Also contains some nice seines of Ashura-ou's death and some outstanding images of a full grown Ashura all tangled up in stuff.

 

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X Perfect Book - The Movie
Artist: CLAMP

Printer: Asuka Comics DX
 

Attributes: Dust-Jacket - double fold out poster

Pages: 144
Colour: 32
B&W: 112
Text info: Japanese with some English.
Translation: No
Size: Hight-26cm -x- Width-21cm
Printed:  
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 4-04-852716-9

Review:This is the 3rd art book I ever bought and boy I wish I had saved my cash, This is full of nothing but the Anime cells. It is nice for those that like the anime. (I don't like the anime movie by the way). *takes a deep breath*... All pages are paper and it's a nice change from glossy images. The colour images are some of the better Cells, also lovely background cells. The black and white images are nice Chara sketches as well as some background sketches with location shots from Japan. No full page illustrations. Again this is the ANIME not the manga, so if you like Clamp's artwork avoid this.
New Info: This book is for the making of the MOVIE and NOT the TV series, ok... AVOID!
PS: The name of this art book has always struck me as ironic, seen as I think it's so crap :P 

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X First Contact
The OVA

Printed by - Asuka (I think) ISBN 4-04-853437-8

Attributes: Dust-Jacket - Metallic Collectors Card in back of the Cover.

Pages: 96
Colour: 80, 2 intro, 6 illust, 45 chara, 12 story, 2 lyrics, 3 misc, 10 voice actors
B&W: 16 - 11 Backgrounds scenery, 5 misc
Text info: Japanese (Titles, names in English)
Translation: Nope
Size: A5
Printed: 2001
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 4-04-853437-8

Review:
After (X the Perfect Book) I wasn't holding much hope for this book, but what can I say I'm a sad Clamp fan... But despite this being almost half the size and having less pages it's better than the book above. 
It has ALL the chara's from the manga and the OVA, including Kakyou and Hokuto. If your looking for a story brake down like with other books of it's like then you will be disappointed, it has all of 12 pages to it that even I don't understand after watching the first 2 DVD's, of which it basically covers the first 4 episodes.
Even though the illustrations over lap in places, there all large and good quality and don't leave you squinting to much, this book is full of colour but not in an nauseating way. The general Illustrations them selves are nothing to really right home about but they are pretty, And if your a Kotori fan then just forget it ^_^ this book concentrates on all the chara equally.
Though I don't hold much for knowing about voice actors, This book has the best pages I've seen. Pictures of the actors and the chara they voice, with some info in Japanese on them, I like this touch, and if you own the English translated DVD's you can switch to Japanese and hear the voices to the faces, it's amusing ^_^
All in all this book is one of the better ones, There are no original Clamp works in this book, but the artists do such a good job that it doesn't impinge on your viewing pleasure.

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Cluster

By - CLAMP / Tamayo Akiyama
 

Attributes: umm, nun?

Pages: 79
Colour: 31 - 19 Beginning illustrations, 5 Colour Manga pages, 7 Back illustrations
B&W: 48 - 32 manga, 16 "on green paper" Chara design/silly skit manga's just plain strange.
Text info: All in Japanese. Basicaly no English to give you a brake
Translation: Not that I know of.
Size: A4
Printed:  
Cover:  
ISBN: 4-915146-27-8

Review:
This style art isn't really my thing, preferring the more detailed or simpler artwork of Clamps... But it looks like it could be an interesting read, though I don't know whether there is more or not... The Illustrations are large and in beautiful colour and large...
Though it is under the Clamp name, it's mostly attributed to Tamayo Akiyama who I think quit Clamp ages ago, (Though I could be wrong). But the style is A typical to Clamps more earlier works. 
This is a nice book but nothing really to right home about, The main female chara seems to be hooked up to (Or should I say 'Lumbered with') the black haired guy who I think is some kind of demon... That's about all I know.
Also the chubby work they normally have at the back of their manga's is of a VERY early style.

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The Art Of Cardcaptor Sakura
English Versions

By Clamp

Publisher: Tokyopop

Attributes: English

Text info: Everything is in English
Translation: English
Size: Small A4
Cover: Soft


 

Book 1

Pages: 117
Colour: 93
B&W: 24 - 8 image info, 16 Manga
Printed: 2002 - July
ISBN: 1-59182-000-6

This book has a bonus manga at the end and a double sided pull out poster at the back.
This is the highest quality book.


 

Book 2

Pages: 114
Colour: 90
B&W: 24 - 8 image info, 16 Manga
Printed: 2002 - September
ISBN: 1-59182-013-8

This also has a double sided poster and a little manga in the back.


 

Book 3

Pages: 111
Colour: 103
B&W: 8 - Image info
Printed: 2002 - November
ISBN: 1-59182-052-9

This book has no pull out poster and no little manga in the back.
Infact, most of the images look like they scraped the bottom of the barrel for anything they could find and not necessarily of good quality.

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North Side
CLAMP Illustration Book
1989-2002

Publisher: Tokyopop

Attributes: English

Pages: 168
Colour: 140
B&W: 28 - 10 Manga, 6 interview, 12 Image info
Text info: All in English
Translation: Is in English
Size: A4
Printed: 2005
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 1-59182-902-X

Review:
This is my favourite of these two manga artbooks.

At the back is also a little manga involving the four women who make up CLAMP having an adventure.

The manga that are sectioned off in this book are:
Clover, Magic Knight Rayearth, Legend of the Dragon Kings, The Legend of Chun Hyang, Clamp in Wonderland, clamp Campus Web Subschool, Others (Others being compilation of chara from different Manga and the only place to see X or Tokyo Babylon references in these two books)

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South Side
CLAMP Illustration Book
1989-2002

Publisher: Tokyopop

Attributes: English - This is one thick book.

Pages: 208
Colour: 193
B&W: 15 - Image info
Text info: All in English
Translation: Is in English
Size: A4
Printed: 2005
Cover: Soft
ISBN: 1-59182-903-8

Review:
This is the thicker of the two books and reads left to right.

There is also a 'How-to' section that covers a few images.

The manga that are sectioned off in this book are:
Man of many faces, Duklyon, Clamp School Detectives, Suki, WISH, Broadcast Club, Paranormal Investigators, Dream Hunter Rem, Rex, Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland, Legal Drug, The one I love, Snow goddess Tales, Others.

 

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The Art of
Magic Knight Rayearth

by CLAMP

Publisher: Tokyopop

Attributes: English

Pages: 75
Colour: 68
B&W: 7 - 4 Image Info, 3 Making of
Text info: English
Translation: English
Size: W-22cm, H-27cm
Printed: 2002 - August
Cover: Hard
ISBN: 1-59182-011-1

Review:
If you like Magic Knight Rayearth... then these are the books for you ^_^
 

Sorry about the quality of the image cover, I had to take a photo of it :S

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The Art of
Magic Knight Rayearth Vol.2

by CLAMP

Publisher: Tokyopop

Attributes: English, Has a double sided pull out poster

Pages: 75
Colour: 68
B&W: 7 - 4 Image Info, 3 Making of
Text info: English
Translation: English
Size: W-22cm, H-27cm
Printed: 2002 October
Cover: Hard
ISBN: 1-59182-012-X

Review:
If you like Magic Knight Rayearth... then these are the books for you ^_^
 

Sorry about the quality of the image cover, I had to take a photo of it :S

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Bane's Are Book Reviews

Bane-Huntress.co.uk

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