CLAMP Exhibition Foil-Stamped Playing Cards Review – Finally, Not Jumbo

Quick Verdict

CLAMP展 箔押しトランプ (CLAMP Exhibition foil-stamped playing cards): an exhibition-limited 54-card deck — 52 cards plus 2 jokers — and the first relief is the size. It’s standard playing-card size, not jumbo. Every one of the 52 cards carries a different illustration, each framed in beautiful gold foil stamping, and the front and back of the cards feel smooth and well-made. The two jokers are Mokona alone and Kero with Spinel and Momo among lanterns. The Kodansha inspection sticker on the box marks it as official exhibition goods. If you like CLAMP, this is a deck made for flipping through and remembering the manga and anime you grew up with.

Finally, Not Jumbo

This deserves the headline because it’s been a recurring frustration: CLAMP playing-card goods tend to run jumbo, which makes them awkward to store, shuffle, or display. This deck is normal card size, and that alone makes it far more usable. After a run of jumbo decks, a standard-size one feels like a return to normal — it fits the hand, the shuffle, and the shelf. The card quality is genuinely good too — smooth on both sides, no rough edges, and the foil work is clean rather than gaudy.

All 52 Cards, All Different Art

No recycled art here. All 52 cards carry different illustrations, each one framed in a gold foil border — 箔押し, foil stamping, exactly as the name promises. The gold frames do real work: they hold the set together visually even as the art jumps between series. The spread covers CLAMP’s works: Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, Magic Knight Rayearth, Angelic Layer, xxxHOLiC, Tsubasa, Tokyo Babylon, X, Wish, and more. I don’t recognize every single work in the deck, but that’s part of the pleasure — flipping through and placing each card, or discovering a series you’d forgotten. I photographed all 55 shots for this review: 52 cards, 2 jokers, and the back.

What About the Jokers?

Two jokers, and both are worth the mention. One is Mokona all alone — genuinely adorable, and the kind of card that justifies the deck on its own. The other brings Kero, Spinel, and Momo together among colorful lanterns. The card back feels like constellations crossed with steampunk — gears, stars, and radiating lines in black and white, with the CLAMP展 mark — so even the reverse side of the deck feels considered.

The Box

Black background with gold foil decoration, and the packaging is clean. The front reads “CLAMP展 playing cards of foil stamping” with gear and star motifs in gold. The gear-and-star motif on the box front repeats on the card back, so the set feels designed as one piece. The back lists 箔押しトランプ, material (紙, paper), PRINTED IN TAIWAN, the ©C,ST/CEP notice, the barcode (4550621115868), and the Kodansha inspection sticker. It’s a proper exhibition-good package: understated, consistent with the cards inside, and worth keeping. This deck is goods from the exhibition marking CLAMP’s 35th anniversary as artists, held at The National Art Center, Tokyo from July 3 to September 23, 2024, later touring as CLAMP展 -SELECTION- through Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya. As exhibition goods, it was never in general retail circulation — which is the whole reason it’s hard to find now.

Worth Buying?

If you like CLAMP, having one of these is worth it. The real value here isn’t playing cards — it’s flipping through the deck and reminiscing about the manga and anime you watched. Every card is a small memory trigger, and the foil frames make the whole thing feel like a keepsake rather than a toy. For a CLAMP fan, the deck doubles as a compact art collection. The catch is availability: as an exhibition-limited item, it’s not something you can just pick up anywhere. If you see one at a price you’re comfortable with, don’t overthink it.

Facts and How to Check

• Product: CLAMP展 箔押しトランプ, 54 cards (52 + 2 Jokers).
• Standard card size (not jumbo).
• All 52 cards have different illustrations with gold foil frames.
• Jokers: Mokona alone; Kero, Spinel, and Momo with lanterns.
• Material: paper.
• PRINTED IN TAIWAN.
• ©C,ST/CEP.
• JAN: 4550621115868.
• Price: unknown (exhibition-limited item).
• Official JP name: CLAMP展 箔押しトランプ
• Search: CLAMP展 箔押しトランプ