SakuSyao

SakuSyao is the het ship between Sakura and Syaoran from the Cardcaptor Sakura fandom.

Clow Card Arc
Sakura and Syaoran first met when they were 10 years old, after Syaoran had transferred to Sakura’s elementary school in Japan from Hong Kong in order to collect the Clow Cards for himself.

Their first encounter was on Syaoran's first day in Tomoeda Elementary School. Before they were properly introduced, Sakura was baffled to find Syaoran glaring at her and giving her hateful glances, and she felt uncomfortable when he was seated behind her. After class ended, he confronted her, where he demanded that she surrender the Clow Cards to him. When she refused to give them to him, Syaoran attempted to take them from her by force. Sakura's brother, Touya, intervened before their fight could escalate. Although he gives her advice and helps her seal the Thunder Card afterwards, he insulted her for not being knowledgeable about the cards and she didn’t have what it took to keep the cards, which hurtled her feelings. Despite this, she thanked him afterwards for his help, which momentarily surprised him but he brushed her kind gesture off as nonsense. Things only got more complicated when Sakura realized Syaoran liked her crush, Yukito, which made him not only her rival for the cards but for love.

Following these events, Sakura and Syaoran's relationship was strained for quite a while, mostly due Syaoran’s serious and cold demeanor towards her, and despite her many attempts to befriend him, he was nonchalant and dismissive towards her, seeing her as nothing more than a rival. Syaoran often ridiculed Sakura as he believed that she was unworthy of the Clow Cards. Being a naturally good-hearted person, Sakura, however, refused to retaliate and was kind to him. Gradually, Syaoran became less stern towards Sakura as he became bemused by overwhelming kindness and cheerful nature, and would freely offer her advice and information on both the cards and other matters, such as school activities and friend issues, although he still hesitated to consider her as a friend whereas she did consider him as a friend.

Sakura Card Arc
An important turn in their relationship is the change in how they refer to each other’s names. Sakura used to call him "Li-kun" as a gesture of formality whereas Syaoran never even said her name, other than "Hey" or "You". In the manga chapter entitled "The Power of the Elements", Sakura falls into a deep crevice created by the card. Running to save her, Syaoran yells out to her, calling her by her first name. After being rescued by Cerberus, Sakura returns this by asking if she can start calling him "Syaoran-kun". This is paralleled in the anime where, in episode 57, Tomoyo, Syaoran, Eriol, Sakura take a visit to a teddy bear museum. The journey through the museum is accompanied by the song Ki ni Naru Aitsu (That Girl I Can't Ignore); sung by Syaoran's voice actress, Kumai Motoko. This is followed by a scene in an elevator between Syaoran and Sakura where events similar to those centered around the Earth card occur. Syaoran screams out Sakura's name here when she falls into a hole. Sakura later gets herself to safety by changing the Float Card and then tells him she heard this, and asks if she can call him "Syaoran-kun" instead of the more neutral "Li-kun".

The first genuine sign of Syaoran’s changing feelings for Sakura is how he tended to blush in her presence. In episode 27 of the anime, after he helped rescue her from the Return Card, Sakura was so thankful that she hugged him. This took Syaoran by surprise, and caused him to deeply blush and faint. Whereas in the manga, this takes place much earlier; their class takes a trip to the beach and the two sit on the beach to talk after everyone goes to bed, and they discuss the cards and their liking for Yukito for a bit. They later encounter the Erase Card and Syaoran gives a crying Sakura a handkerchief when Tomoyo disappears. She thanks him and he blushes. After sealing the card, he lets her keep the card and he bashfully runs away when she thanks him.

Throughout the series, Syaoran initially resists his feelings for Sakura but becomes more friendly with her to the point of worrying about her well-being when she gets sick and even congratulating her when she becomes the official mistress of the Clow Cards. When Eriol transfers to Tomoeda Elementary and begins charming Sakura, Syaoran becomes extremely jealous and tries to make sure nothing happens between the two, even going as far as to postpone his return to Hong Kong because Tomoyo notes he has found a new rival, Eriol. Yue also forces him to stop and see the difference in how he feels for Sakura and Yukito (whose magic he is attracted to, which confused his feelings). After the elevator incident, Syaoran realizes and fully accepts that he has fallen in love with Sakura, but she remains completely oblivious to his feelings because of her infatuation with Yukito. Syaoran's blushes become more frequent, and there are some occasions where he would suddenly become clumsy when in her presence. Sakura will either keep an innocent smile on her face or look confused and worried at Syaoran whenever he trips and falls. Syaoran attempts to confess on a number of occasions but is always interrupted.

In the anime, Syaoran’s commitment to caring for Sakura romantically has grown so strong that he canceled his engagement to his cousin Meiling, who, during their childhood, forced him promise to marry her if he didn’t find someone he loved more than her. Upon realizing his love for Sakura, Syaoran fulfilled this promise to tell Meiling and she agreed to cancel the engagement, although it saddened her. In both the anime and manga, a fictional tradition of exchanging teddy bears means that the receiver and giver will be together forever. Both Sakura and Syaoran made teddy bears; Sakura intended to give hers to Yukito (she did in the anime but failed to do so in the manga) and Syaoran made one for Sakura but never had the courage to give it to her.

When Sakura finally confesses her love to Yukito and is gently rejected, she goes to the park with Syaoran to pour her feelings of sadness out to him. She starts to cry and he comforts her, and he assures her that she will find the person she loves most one day. Sakura is so thankful for Syaoran’s kindness that she invites him to a festival and spends a week making him a gift (a scarf in the anime; a yukata in the manga). Because Sakura now knows what it feels like to be rejected by someone she loved and the burden of seeing that person in love with another, Syaoran believes confessing his feelings will only burden her and he opts not to tell her. Tomoyo advises against this, saying Sakura is not the kind of person to dwell on such matters and she will give him a reply if she seriously thinks about it.

During the final battle against Eriol, Syaoran helps Sakura transform the Light and Dark Cards to break Eriol’s spell. He finally confesses his love to her, but this comes as a complete shock to her and it is ever present in her thoughts over the next few days, causing things to become awkward between them. Syaoran manages to catch Sakura alone and tells her that he is glad to have met her and she, who was doing things for others more than herself whereas he only though of himself and was only interested in increasing his abilities, had more than him. She disagrees with him but he runs away before she can say anymore. She runs home and becomes more saddened as she notes she may like Syaoran as more than a friend but her feelings for him are different than those she had for Yukito. The next morning, Sakura finds out that Syaoran is about to return to Hong Kong and she is heartbroken. She says she doesn’t want him to leave and starts to cry, and her tears create a new card, which is of a winged heart. Right then, Sakura realizes that she is in love with Syaoran and runs to the airport, and finds him before he leaves. She sees the teddy bear Syaoran had made for her but never had the courage to give to her and she asks if she can have it. Although she doesn’t confess her newfound feelings to him, her acceptance of the bear is evidence enough that she reciprocates his feelings

Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card
Four months pass, and they haven’t spoken to each other since he left Japan. That is because Sakura wishes to confess to him in person. Tomoyo and Meiling secretly arrange for Syaoran to return to Japan and give Sakura the chance to confess, although Syaoran worries his presence will only pressure her to reply. They are paired up alone together on several occasions but Sakura’s attempts to confess are always thwarted. Upon the discovery of the Nothing Card and sealing it will require the sealer’s feelings for the person he/she loves the most, Sakura tells Syaoran this. although both are sad, he says it will be necessary to save everyone else which saddened her. They later played the princess and prince in the school play, and danced together before the Nothing Card attacked. After Sakura began sealing the card, It chose Syaoran because he had the most magic left due to her using all of hers via the cards to battle the Nothing Card. He assures her that even if he has to sacrifice his love for her to save everyone he will fall in love with her again. Sakura finally confesses and is surprised to discover he didn’t lose his feelings (due to the card she made out of her love for him intercepting with the Nothing Card). Syaoran reciprocates her feelings and she joyfully jumps into his arms for an embrace.

Difference between Manga and Anime
In the manga, Syaoran finds a moment to confess to Sakura in the park. After talking to her friends about why she is upset and confused about her feelings, she recognizes that she may love Syaoran as more than a friend. She goes to his house to speak with him, only to discover that he is returning to Hong Kong. She is heartbroken, saying to herself that she doesn't want him to leave. This leads her to conclude that Syaoran is her true "number one person," and she hurries home to make him a teddy bear before she confesses her newfound feelings as Syaoran suddenly leaves for Hong Kong. They name their bears after each other. He asks her to wait for his return and she promises because she loves him the most. Two years pass, during which they phoned and wrote to each other, and Sakura is running late for middle school when she finds Syaoran waiting for her. He announces he has finished his duties in Hong Kong and can stay in Japan for good. They then happily embrace.

In the anime, it’s revealed that Syaoran was advised by several family members to stay in Hong Kong but he refused to listen because he was determined to see Sakura again and his mother gave him permission to return to Japan. Another reason for his return is that Sakura’s magic has become so powerful that it is becoming chaotic and it will lead to enemies targeting her, and he opted to return to Japan to protect her.

Clear Card Arc
After returning to Japan, Syaoran and Sakura officially began dating and became inseparable. They have also become more loving towards each other. They have their first date at an aquarium (botanic garden in the manga) that was ruined when the Spiral Card appeared but Sakura felt happy after capturing the card because she got to do so with Syaoran, which to her compensated their date. She even shyly introduces Syaoran as her boyfriend to her great-grandfather. Syaoran initially keeps his purpose of returning to Japan and the fact he took the Sakura Cards from her to protect her from her unstable magic a secret. Overtime, Sakura starts to suspect Syaoran is keeping secrets from her because she has grown close enough to him to know when he hiding his pain with a smile, but she chooses not to push him for answers because she trusts him to tell her when he is ready. He ends up telling her the truth when she deduces she has been subconsciously creating her own set of cards. Sakura is initially mad at Syaoran for keeping secrets from her but she admits she would be more upset if something ever happens to him, and he apologizes. Sakura forgives him and admits she wishes she had known him when they were younger because being with him makes her the happiest. Syaoran in turn vows to protect her jo matter what. Sakura at one point remembers when Syaoran comforted after being rejected by Yukito and Syaoran said she would find her true love one day. Sakura tells Syaoran she did and she will make sure to never lose him.

Due to Sakura seeing Syaoran wearing the robes of a mysterious person in her dreams, Sakura is initially suspicious of Syaoran possibly hiding more secrets from her. When she tells Syaoran about these concerns, he is shocked to see himself wearing the robes, and Sakura assured him that she trusts him. She is relieved when these dreams are revealed to be the Dreaming Card but Syaoran theorizes the dreams are precognitive, which makes Sakura worry something will happen to Syaoran.

Fanon
SakuSyao is an extremely popular ship and ranked #13 in the Couple Ship of the Year in the 2018 Anime Trending Awards.

Fandom
DEVIANTART

Trivia

 * Sakura’s birthday is April 1st and Syaoran’s birthday is July 13th.
 * A duet song called Hoshi no Tegumi featuring the Japanese VAs of Sakura and Syaoran was released on April 2, 2021 to commemorate the release of the tenth volume of the Clear Card manga.
 * Although both are slightly different in personality and hobbies, they are both powerful magicians, are skilled in sports, and both are gullible to anything told to them.
 * Syaoran is a blood descendent of Clow Reed (the created of the cards) and Sakura’s father is the reincarnation of Clow Reed (in the manga), which would make this ship distantly related. But because of the lack of close consanguinity between them, they would hardly be related at all.
 * Sakura and Syaoran have similarities in their families: both lost a parent at a young age (Sakura’s mother died when she was three whereas Syaoran’s father died when he was toddler) and were raised alone by their surviving parent; both have complicated relationships with their older siblings (Sakura has an older brother who teases her whereas Syaoran has four older sisters who tend to embarrass him); both have a relative/childhood friend who was obsessed with them (Tomoyo is Sakura’s second cousin who loves recording Sakura and making clothes for her whereas Meiling is Syaoran’s first cousin who made Syaoran promise to marry her until he found someone he loved more than her).
 * In the manga, Syaoran and Sakura switch the roles of Valentine's Day (when girls give chocolate to boys) and White Day (when boys give presents to girls). Instead Syaoran gives Sakura chocolate on Valentines Dah and Sakura gives him presents on White Day.
 * There is a running gag of Sakura and Syaoran being the prince and princess in fanfics and in the series (in their first school play, Sakura played the prince and Syaoran the princess).
 * In another CLAMP series called Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, the main characters are a different Sakura and Syaoran. In the series, Sakura is a princess of the Clow country and Syaoran is an archeologist.