Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Vol. 9 - Renegades and Strays
The search for the enchanted feathers of Princess Sakura's memory takes her, Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane to some very strange realms asTsubasa Reservoir Chroniclecontinues. When a writer makes one of the feathers into a quill pen, the adventurers find they've turned into cute little "super deformed" versions of themselves in a cartoon world. Mokona takes the pen and manages to steer everyone home after some silly mishaps. The linked Episodes #38 and #39 take a place in Daroga, a realm that evokes the part of the American southwest crossed by Route 66; "Black Steel" recounts Kurogane's unhappy childhood in a fictionalized version of Japan ruled by female emperors. In each place, the characters remain appealing, but the subplot involving the struggle between the mysterious Fei Wang and Dimensional Witch Yuko has fallen by the wayside once again. At times,Tsubasa Reservoir Chroniclefeels like a meandering travelogue, rather than a coherent narrative. (Rated TV PG, suitable for ages 10 and older:   violence)--Charles Solomon(37. Mokona the Artist, 38. Dangerous Road, 39. Parting of Beginnings, 40. Black Steel)