Tomoyo Daidouji
Age: 10
Gender: Female
Date of birth: September 3
Occupation: Student (CCS)
Corporate: President (Tsubasa)
Princess of: Japan (Tsubasa)
Title: President (Tsubasa) Princess (Tsubasa)
Known relatives: Sonomi Daidōji (Mother)
Nadeshiko Kinomoto (1st Cousin once removed, deceased)
Sakura Kinomoto (Second Cousin)
Toya Kinomoto (Second Cousin)
Residence Tomoeda, Japan (CCS)
Japan and Piffle World (Tsubasa )
Tomoyo Daidouji (大道寺 知世 Daidōji Tomoyo?) is a fictional, major supporting character in Clamp's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. She is known as Madison Taylor in the English adaptation Cardcaptors. She is voiced by Junko Iwao in Cardcaptor Sakura and by Maaya Sakamoto in Tsubasa Chronicle. In Cardcaptors, she is voiced by Maggie Blue O'Hara and by Michelle Ruff in the 2nd Movie. She is voiced by Amber Cotton in Tsubasa Chronicle.
Tomoyo's given name (知世) can be best interpreted as worldly wisdom. This is appropriate for her character, as Tomoyo is very intelligent as well as amazingly perceptive of others' feelings. Her family name, Daidouji (大道寺 Daidōji?) could mean temple of great moral principles. Another possible reading is main street temple, where this could be a pun of Daigoji, a famous temple in Kyoto, Japan.
Tomoyo is the best friend of the series heroine, Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon in Cardcaptors). When she discovers that Sakura has become the Cardcaptor, she becomes Sakura's primary assistant by designing "battle costumes" (similar to another CLAMP character, Hokuto Sumeragi, who designs extravagant outfits for herself and her twin Subaru) and filming all of her magical (and non-magical) endeavours. (The videotaping, however, seems to be more to Tomoyo's personal benefit and enjoyment than it is to Sakura's.) Tomoyo faithfully keeps Sakura's new identity secret and often covers for her in times of need.
In the early releases of the manga, one of the artists was not aware that Tomoyo had feelings for Sakura. As a result, some scenes in the beginning chapters show Tomoyo with a slight crush on Sakura's brother Toya. Clamp soon clarified the story with each other, however, and Tomoyo is subsequently seen showing more attention towards Sakura.[1] This is rectified in the series by a scene revealing that Tomoyo blushes around Toya because he reminds her of Sakura.
Tomoyo is the daughter of the president of Daidōji Toy Company, Sonomi Daidōji (Samantha Taylor). Sonomi and Sakura's mother Nadeshiko Kinomoto (Natasha Avalon) are first cousins, which makes Sakura, Toya and Tomoyo second cousins. Tomoyo's father is never shown in the series and is only alluded to once, but it is apparent that he does not live in the Daidōji household. Her western-style house in Tomoeda is quite grand, with several maids serving the household. She is sometimes attended by the Daidōji family's team of female bodyguards, and has access to prototype technology from her mother's company (including the cell phones she supplies to Sakura and her circle).
Tomoyo is very mature for her age. One of her major character traits is her selflessness towards Sakura. Tomoyo is kind, caring, highly intelligent, beautiful, meticulous, and very melodic (she has a superb singing voice and often has solos in choir recitals). She always speaks using formal verb conjugations and expressions, giving her a unique air of refinement amongst the cast. When needed, Tomoyo can exhibit considerable cunning and resourcefulness, which was most prominently displayed in the final movie (much of which revolved around a complicated scheme she had devised to give Sakura as many opportunities as possible to confess her feelings to Syaoran).
Tomoyo aids Sakura's efforts to be in the company of Yukito Tsukishiro (Julian Star) on many occasions, and, in the second half of the series, becomes the confidante of Syaoran Li (Li Showron) when he finds himself falling in love with Sakura.
In Cardcaptors, Tomoyo is renamed Madison Taylor. Elements that might have hinted at a romantic attachment to Sakura are removed from the story. Her 'love' for Sakura is completely platonic. Despite the removal of a lovers relationship, Tomoyo still acts as Sakura's best friend and supporter, and loves giving Sakura new battle costumes, and filming Sakura on all her adventures.
The fact Sakura and Tomoyo were second cousins was also erased from the story, mostly due to the network passing over the episode where Sakura and Tomoyo discover the fact they are related.
Tomoyo's relationship with Sakura is full of love and friendship. Tomoyo's actions make it clear that she deeply cares about Sakura, often to the point of obsession.
Tomoyo first meets Sakura in the third grade when she receives an eraser in class after forgetting her own. The eraser, likely used only that one time, has become Tomoyo's most precious possession. It was that one random act of kindness that sparked the development of their relationship, where Sakura's ongoing cheerfulness, kindness, and cuteness are matched by equal amounts of love and devotion from Tomoyo.
In the manga Tomoyo professes her love for Sakura (albeit not in a very direct fashion) on multiple occasions, marked by the use of flowers in the background to indicate love (a common visual theme in manga and anime). However, Sakura has romantic feelings for others throughout the series, and never interprets Tomoyo's messages as anything other than expressions of their friendship, which are eagerly returned. Despite their close friendship, it is clear that Sakura has no romantic feelings for Tomoyo in either the manga or the anime. Tomoyo has a few conversations (not always with Sakura) in which she suggests, if not outright states, that she has feelings at least a level deeper than "close friendship" which she does not express.
Tomoyo herself does not express, or otherwise appear to possess, any feelings of jealousy or resentment toward those that Sakura has romantic feelings for. She instead is completely selfless and loves Sakura to the point where as long as Sakura is happy, Tomoyo is happy, regardless of whom Sakura ultimately loves. In one conversation, Tomoyo has stated to Sakura that she would of course be thrilled if the person whom she loves also loves her back, but what matters most to her is simply that person's happiness.
Sakura's response, unknowing that this "person" is herself, replies confidently, "The person you love must be really happy then."
In episode 46 of the anime, when Sakura is transported to a world where everyone forgets about their feelings toward the people they love most, she greets Tomoyo in a friendly manner like every day at school, but instead of going on talking to each other, Tomoyo merely changes her shoes and walks away, only to turn back and tell Sakura that they will be late for their classes. Also, at later classes, Tomoyo doesn't hang out with Sakura anymore and wouldn't greet her when Sakura's cheerleading practices were over. Reason would say that this means that Tomoyo cares about Sakura more than anyone else.
Tomoyo in Tsubasa
An alternate-universe version of Tomoyo is an important character in the Clamp manga series Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle (whose corresponding anime is titled Tsubasa Chronicle). She has appeared as two separate incarnations.
Here, Tomoyo is the princess of a country called Japan/Nihon who sends the warrior Kurogane on the quest that causes him to join the dimension travelers. Tomoyo is a powerful miko sorceress responsible for maintaining the wards of Nihon that protect the country from demons. While Tomoyo is her given name, she also goes by the hereditary regnal name of Tsukuyomi, the Princess of Shirasagi Castle who keeps the wards. She has an older sister, Amaterasu (Kendappa-ou of RG Veda), the Empress of Nihon. Tomoyo's powers are related to the moon, which grants her the ability to send people through time and space and also to communicate to others through dreams (or at least other incarnations of herself). Tsukuyomi is a Japanese god of the moon, while Amaterasu is goddess of the sun.
In another universe in the same series, Tomoyo is the President of Piffle Princess, a corporation that sponsors a race with one of Sakura's feathers as the prize. This version of Tomoyo is quite similar to Cardcaptor Sakura's version in personality and circumstances: She owns a video camera with which she plans to tape Sakura's performance in the race and she creates a costume for Sakura to wear. Tomoyo also has female bodyguards in this universe just like the Tomoyo in 'Cardcaptor Sakura'. In this world, there is a brief reference to Kero (Keroberos), shown later in an episode where Kero-chan appears. He makes a very short appearance as a balloon-like figure that resembles him a little in volume 10. Tomoyo also appears briefly as a school girl in Hanshin Republic.
In the Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages, Tomoyo re-appears being as the princess of that country. Her uncle cast a spell upon her to make her lose her ability to speak (alluding to an episode of Cardcaptor Sakura) , however she can still communicate by touching another person and speaking through their mind.
Tomoyo's voice actress for Tsubasa is Maaya Sakamoto, who coincidentally supplied the vocals for the third opening of Cardcaptor Sakura, as well as the voice of 'The void" in Cardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card. She also supplies the vocals for the Tsubasa ending theme "Loop" and "Kazemachi Jet"
