Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card

Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card (劇場版カードキャプターさくら 封印されたカード) is the second anime movie based on the anime television series adaptation of Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura. The animation was produced by Madhouse, while it was directed by Morio Asaka and written by Nanase Ōkawa (Clamp's head writer). It won the Feature Film Award at the 2000 Animation Kobe.

Plot
Sakura goes with Tomoyo to visit Eriol's old house to find it has been replaced with a new amusement park. While they explore the park, Sakura feels a presence similar to that of a Clow Card. As she runs through the park trying to locate the source of the presence, she crashes into Syaoran, who has returned from Hong Kong, with Meiling, for a visit. Sakura is flustered as she still hasn't confessed her feelings for Syaoran, despite his having done so before he left. She wants to confess, but despite Meiling and Tomoyo scheming to help, Sakura finds herself tongue tied whenever she tries to say the words.

While the four walk around town and talk, Sakura doesn't notice her cards are disappearing from her pocket. They eventually notice that parts of the town have vanished, such as a postal box and a small bridge at the park, and Sakura realizes her cards are leaving. Later, Eriol calls Sakura and after she tells him what has happened, he explains that the presence she felt at the park was the Sealed card, the 53rd Clow card. Containing an equal amount of power as the other 52 cards combined, it was created to balance the positive powers of the cards with a negative one. Every time the Sealed Card steals one of the Sakura cards, it will also take something near her. Sakura will have to convert the card to a Sakura Card to restore the balance, but to do so will require that someone of the card's choosing will lose their most important feeling.

The students in Sakura's class have been preparing to present a play at the upcoming Nadeshiko Festival. Syaoran and Meiling attend the rehearsals with Sakura and Tomoyo to catch up with their former classmates. On the day of the festival, Sakura sense the Sealed Card at the school. When she spots it in a void circle, Sakura activates the Sleep card to try to prevent a panic. However, the sleep spell only lasts a short time as the Sealed card quickly steals the Sleep card. That night, as the play is being performed, the stage lights explode and the ground begins to shake. A string of Sakura Cards flies away from Sakura's bag into the dark sky, and the Sealed card steals the people from the play, including Sakura's family and friends. The only two remaining uncaptured, Sakura and Syaoran rush to the amusement park to confront the card. As his magic is not tied to the Clow Cards, Syaoran attacks the card and manages to wound it, but it eventually deflects his attack and wounds him.

Sakura races up the tower after the Sealed card, but gets trapped on the stairs after void spheres leave two gaping holes on either side of her. The Sealed card tells Sakura that she is lonely and just wants her friends, the other cards, back. She doesn't understand why Sakura is getting in her way, but Sakura tells her that true friends do not push each other nor try to bind each other. The Sakura cards pull free from the Sealed Card and surround her. Shocked, the Sealed Card collapses in tears and apologizes.

As Sakura approaches the girl and she orders the rebirth of the card, the card chooses Syaoran as the one who will lose their most important feeling. Syaoran tells Sakura not to worry, because even if he has to sacrifice his love for her to save everyone, he'll just fall in love with her all over again. However, as the card attacks, The Nameless card negates it and they combine into a new Sakura card, The Hope card.

Crying and believing its too late, Sakura still confesses to Syaoran that she loves him and that he is her most important person. He gently replies that he loves her too, and Sakura realizes he didn't lose his feelings after all. As everyone and everything begins to reappear, Sakura leaps to Syaoran before the stairs return to normal, despite Syaoran's protests to keep her safe. As she leaps to embrace Syaoran, she exclaims, yet again, that "I love you!".

Soundtrack
Containing 32 tracks of background instrumental songs and vocal tracks used within the movie, Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card Original Soundtrack was released in Japan on August 2, 2000 by Victor Entertainment.

Reception
Ridwan Khan noted that understanding the film required knowledge of Cardcaptor Sakura's second season, and Chris Beveridge cautioned that the continuity of events was not entirely right. Beveridge felt the Kero-Chan Theatrical Event special was the best extra.

Allen Divers felt it was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

THEM Anime felt that the plot of the film was more substantial than the plot for the first film, and enjoyed the two storylines of Sakura's emotions and the final card.