I hope you also read my Card Captor Sakura story, "Sakura's Heartwarming White Day".  This is the Cardcaptors version of the same story, written in the spirit of Nelvana.  Maybe, just maybe, they're getting a bad rap – after all, Cardcaptors isn't that bad, if you forget about the fact that Card Captor Sakura exists.  And some of their editing may have been justified.  After all, Card Captor Sakura is a cartoon targeted for young audiences, so you can't really include some of the more questionable material that CLAMP is well-known for…

So I'll try my best to explain the changes that Nelvana made, and why they made them.

Scene I

Card Captor Sakura version: 

In the opening scene, Sakura is thinking about White Day, which is coming up in a couple of days… and wondering what the family will do.  Her dream comes true, as Yukito comes over and makes plans to spend the day with her.

However, Syaoran and Meiling are also on her mind, as she realizes that this will be the only time she will be able to spend White Day with them.

CardCaptors version: 

Though there was nothing really inappropriate about this first scene, we felt that this scene was a little slow – young people found this scene boring, as we found out in a test screening.  Plus, we wanted this show to appeal to both boys and girls, so we wanted to bring Li more into the forefront.  So we found the perfect clip from another episode, and used it for this one.  We really had fun creating this first scene – we got a lot of laughs out of it.

Scene II

Card Captor Sakura version:

We start as Sakura rollerblades to school, still on cloud nine following yesterday night's events.  She has a mostly good day at school, but can never find the right time to ask Syaoran and Meiling to spend White Day with her.

CardCaptors version:  

It was really important to preserve continuity from the first scene, so we borrowed a few seconds of footage and added some voiceovers.  But besides that, we think the scene worked.  Nikki – oops, Sakura – is her energetic self; Madison is a really cool person that everyone would like to hang out with, and Li and Meilin have such an interesting relationship.

Scene III

Card Captor Sakura version: 

After Sakura comes home from school, she enjoys dinner with Touya and Yukito.  They talk about what happened during the day, and what they'll do for White Day.

Cardcaptors version: 

This scene was in the original, and was a late cut from the TV version of Card Captor Sakura – you'll be able to see the complete version of the episode if you purchase the Card Captor Sakura DVD.  We're not sure why this scene was cut, because it does a great job of showing how close Li and Meilin are.  It's amusing to see Li squirm when Meilin is around – we think we know the reason; do you?

The scene from Card Captor Sakura was also a good scene, but we had to make some tough choices to fit the episode within the given time frame.  Look, you try fitting a 24-minute episode into an 18-minute time frame.  It's not easy, I'm telling you.

Scene V

Card Captor Sakura version:

Sakura and Yukito have a good time at the mall after school.  Yukito stays for dinner, and gives Sakura and her father a gift – a box of white chocolates.

After Yukito leaves, Syaoran comes – a time that turns out to be rather awkward and painful, as both of them sense that Syaoran's stay in Japan is near an end.

CardCaptors version:

What a sweet ending… as Li finally figures out what is really important to him.  And what is that?  Well, that's a secret.  If you buy the Cardcaptors DVD and watch the episode a few more times, you just might be able to figure it out.

The Card Captor Sakura ending was nice, but it was a little sad… and didn't fit as well with the story that we had been building up to this point.