CLAMP

From THEMWiki

[CLAMP] was originally a twelve-member [doujinshi] circle, but currently there are four members: [Ookawa Ageha] (Ookawa Nanase), [Mokona] (Mokona Apapa), [Nekoi Tsubaki] (Mick Nekoi), and [Igarashi Satsuki].

There is an apocryphal story in which, when asked about the origin of the name during an interview, a CLAMP member replied, "Because we stick together, like a clamp of potatoes." As the actual word implied is, indeed, clump, CLAMP may be yet another case of Engrish.

While often perceived as primarily drawing for shoujo audiences, CLAMP has produced several works for the shounen and seinen market, including Angelic Layer and Chobits.

CLAMP is occasionally criticized for recycling characters and character concepts in other works, and these criticisms have some basis in truth, attested most recently by the cross-over series Tsubasa Chronicles (featuring characters from such series as Card Captor Sakura and X). However, others point out that the "revolving cast" is an old standard, pioneered long before the creation of manga, and indeed, perpetuated by the venerated Tezuka Osamu and, perhaps, Miyazaki Hayao, not to mention, the entire staff of Shonen Jump.

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