Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful!
Review: Clamp has done it again! Clover is set in a dark, futuristic world. Where the people in control, "Wizards", will do anything for power. Even ruin lives. Enter the clovers--a few children with special powers. Higher leaf number for higher powers, 1 through 4. The wizards fear them, so the clovers are either controlled, or destroyed. Clover is serious and requires some thinking. What is happiness? Does it exist? Also worth mentioning is the haunting song lyrics woven in to the story line. But, sadly there is no happy ending. At the end, many characters and clovers are dead. Including main character Kazuhiko's lover, Oruha (or if you must, Ora) the singer of the songs. Of the three three-leaf clovers, one is dead and one is fated to die. Also, most sadly, is Suu (Sue...), the four-leaf that should not exist, who staked her own life for the chance of happiness... This all leaves Kazuhiko and Gingetsu (a two-leaf) to cope with the losses. All in all, I rate this book a five. The artwork is lovely and the story is deep. Audience 9-12? I don't think so.
Rating:
Summary: YES!
Review: Finally, after years of horrible binding, printing, translating, and formatting, Tokyopop redeems itself completely with Clover. The design of the book is virtually identical to the original. The text on the front and back covers is Japanese, and there is a translucent white dust jacket with English translations in silver ink that overlay the Japanese underneath. Inside the front and back covers are full-color spreads on thick, glossy paper, such as have never been seen in the translated manga industry. Even the publishing & copyright info was tastefully moved to the inside of the back cover so as to be unobtrusive. The translation is also excellent! I was really surprised at how little censorship there was, esp. since this is Tokyopop we're talking about. Sexual references are left in, which is vital when you're reading CLAMP.As far as the content itself, well, it's CLAMP, what do you expect? The story is fascinating, the characters are intriguing, and the art is incredible. There aren't so many complicated two-page spreads as there usually are with CLAMP. Instead, they experiment with blank space and unusual angles. It gives the book a clean, austere feel that none of CLAMP's other manga has. Buy this already!
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing & overly spaced.
Review: I dislike these types of manga known as RENGA: A long illustrated poem with more free space than art. This is the only CLAMP thing I don't like. This was as confusing as Juline & Planet Ladder. You don't know where or when your going or comming. I think this was illustrated by CLAMP's Mick Nekoi, if she's the one who did Cardcaptor Sakura. This is one of those book that makes me wish the 11 member CLAMP Cluster circle had never split.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Set-Up
Review: I enjoyed Clover 1 very much, but I feel I must point out that this part of Clover is little more of set-up for the plot. The main fireworks for the characters takes place in Clover 2, which picks up literally from where this book ends. For best reading, be sure to have both 1 and 2 for the whole story. 1 sets the plots up, and 2 rams it home.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: I've always loved CLAMP's works, and Clover is my favorite. The style is minimalist and moving, with each page containing layers of hidden meaning not initially obvious. The most interesting part of Clover for me were the different layers of meaning and plot contained within. In the first two books, you get one story; in the third, a totally different story; and in the fouth, yet another. The different subplots are most moving after reading all four books-- and once you do, you'll want to read them again and again! The moving images of cages, wings, songs, and clovers all blend together into an intricate weaving that tells the simple story of love and freedom. Simple, yet so complicated, and underneath it all, simple yet again.
I often regret buying manga (graphic novels) because they are so expensive, and often only read them once or twice. Clover, on the other hand, I can read over and over and over... and always discover something new! This is one of the best purchases I've ever made, and I encourage everyone to go out and read it! But
Don't tell anyone
Where the clovers
Bloom white flowers
I only want your happiness
But I cannot be yours.
Rating:
Summary: Shows what a difference packaging can make
Review: I've never really been a fan of CLAMP's art style, and what manga of theirs that's been translated never caught my interest (I am, however, waiting patiently for the glorious, yet unlikely day when Tokyo Babylon will be brought to us). "Clover" changed that. Before I even thought of what the story would be about, I was totally taken by the design. The art boasts heavy contrast between light and dark, with carefully placed blocks of illustration and text in large fields of black or white. Their use of space and placement leaves nothing of the artists' skill in doubt. Even the text becomes art. The characters and their backdrop are beautifully drawn down to the pickiest detail, from the sun-dappled foliage inside Suu's "cage" to the bolts in the wings of little artificial birds. The CLAMP artists, known for their full-page, super-saturated illustrative spreads, were really taking a bold step here by streamlining in such a manner. It was highly successful, if you ask me. The only problem is the clunkiness of the translated text. If the publisher's intent was to use the best possible equivalent to the font used for the original Japanese, then I could probably overlook the application of that blocky 'Times New Roman' for the dialogue. But either way, they should have been more consistent with the type size, rather than using small type for long dialogue and jumping to HUGE type to fill a one-word balloon. It was jarring against the careful rendering of the artwork. Now, to the packaging, which I usually wouldn't be discussing with ANY book, especially manga, which just shows the loving attention to detail the publisher paid. Each volume comes in a translucent dustjacket (Yes, they actually took the time and effort to design a DUSTJACKET, a nice one at that; 'bout time manga's been taken for the art it can be, and not just as a 'bunch of comics'). The covers are durable stock, so the books will probably last longer than your average graphic novel. The cover art itself is gorgeous; a rich, contrasting palette of dark green, black, and ivory. My favorite is the painting for volume three. At the beginning and end of each volume is a glossy two-page, full color art spread, showcasing what I think is CLAMP's best color work. After rambling on about the design of "Clover," I guess I oughtta mention something about the actual STORY, huh? Well, it's okay. At some places the action jumped so I had to reread a couple of panels (I read more novels than I do manga, so the transition is still a little odd for me sometimes). They left in the trademark shoujo sexual innuendo, which was pleasing (kudos to Tokyopop), since there's nothing I hate more than censorship and bowdlerization. Overall, the story really isn't anything to rave over. The major reason I bought "Clover" was for the design, but I do intend to keep reading. If I do, perhaps I'll eventually find myself doing so for the story as well as the pretty pictures.
Rating:
Summary: If you find a four leaf clover....
Review: If you find a four leaf clover, it will bring happiness. But don't tell anyone where it's white flowers bloom, or how many leaflets from its stem extend. The four leaf clover. I only want you happiness, knowing I can never be yours to share it. That is the opening poem to an amazing manga. This is like nothing you have ever read before. The story centers around Suu (meaning 4), a girl who, for reasons that are unknown, can not be happy. She is joined by Kazuhiko, an ex-black ops soldier. Together, he an Suu journey to Fairy Park, a place that will bring her happiness- they hope. However, people keep trying to stop them left and right. Why? What makes this so wonderful is the way it is told. Clamp designed each page to read like a movie- and it works. Also, as the book progresses, a beautiful song is played, adding to the 2 dimensional cinematography. How ever, this song seems to have a strange connect to both of our main characters... A wonderful story told by the most popular Shoujo artists in Japan! Do yourself a favor and BUY THIS BOOK! I can't wait till I get the second part!
Rating:
Summary: Clover
Review: In my opinion, Clover is simply beautiful. The use of heavy contrasts between black and white, and the songs in the book are just beautiful, and the whole story is deep and sad.
I would recommend buying 1 and 2 together, as they are a story in themselves.
Actually, I bought 4 first, then 3, and finally 1 and 2. Why? Because, 4 is actually the one that happens first, chronologically. 4 is the prequel to 3, and 3 happens before 1. It makes a little more sense to buy it like that, I think. It explains who Ora (Oruha) is before you read 1, so you don't end up wondering. The only thing I can slate it for is the font they used- Times New Roman?! I HATE that font. Also, my colour pages fell out easily.. maybe I shouldnt have stared at them so much ^_^;;
Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: It was a little bit confusing at first and it made me feel like maybe there was an installment before this that I was missing, but overall it was pretty good. I agree with the person who said the repetitive lyrics were annoying, but it didn't really take away from the story. Anyway...I definitely think this will get better as the series goes on because they left so much unaswered. For example, apperently the song that the lyrics belonged to is a girl who the main character knew and loved. She never made it big, and she died. This was mentioned once and had nothing to do with the story (though it might in the future) and they never talked about it again. The relationships between the characters also gets increasingly fuzzy. The main character has to escort a girl to somewhere (he doesn't know where, but she does), and his two friends (who are in a relationship) are helping him somehow. Again, I don't really understand the technology of this world or get a feel for it at all...but they don't actually accompany him, but do something from a distance. Or something. So one of them (his name is Gingetsu) helps the main character escape from a guy he used to work for (I'm pretty sure) who is obsessively stalking the main character (Kazuhiko). Then the main character accuses Gingetsu of not spending time with Ran (the other friend) and tells him the offer he made is still open (??). It ends with the main character and the girl diving out a window while the girl sprouts wings. :) It was good (if I made it sound horrible in this review it wasn't intentional), it just left me feeling a little empty and confused. I need to read it again. I'm definitely getting the next installment, but I liked Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida more. One thing that really annoyed me was that when it arrived I had to throw away the jacket because it was rippled (like after paper dries after being wet). Maybe from the cold. :( if you have access to a bookstore that sells it, get it from there. I have to get a new copy now.
Rating:
Summary: Great, but beware ...
Review: The first time I read Nausicaä, I was impressed on how much was being told with words (this is by far the most text-heavy manga I have ever read), but reading this manga I was impressed otherwise, on how much was being told WITHOUT words, and this is where beginners will feel unconfortable with this exquisite title, as the clean and refined art talks for itself on a way that many trying to actually just read will have a really hard time reading it. So, beware if it is the first time ever you are going to read manga, even if it is the first manga from Clamp. Don't let the likes of easy-reading mangas fool you that this is bad, because this is more towards art than actually storytelling, and as so, sometimes you must feel it, not just want to have it given away to you. I have read about everything on manga, from the silly romatic-comedy Oh! My Goddess!, classics such as Akira and Nausicaä to deep and polytical stories as Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed, but I have never seen something come close to this so far. Give it a try, it may surprise you. I just hope it surprise you in a good way, as this is a piece of art you can purchase without giving out tons of money.
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