xxxHolic Volume 2

High school student Kimihiro Watanuki has been working part-time for Yuko Ichihara for a while now and, as he carries out his daily chores, cleaning her mysterious shop and preparing her meals, he begins to wonder if he isn’t almost beginning to enjoy himself. This housekeeping role is his payment for Yuko’s granting his wish to be free of the dark spirits that have been pursuing him. Customers who find their way to Yuko’s shop have a wish to be granted… and Yuko always exacts a price. So is the uptight Watanuki beginning to change and grow under Yuko’s influence? Is he beginning to discover strengths in himself he never imagined he possessed? Certainly, life is rarely dull at the shop – and, thanks to Watanuki’s gift, he regularly finds himself drawn into bizarre – and dangerous – situations.

Only one of Watanuki’s friends can never enter Yuko’s shop: Shizuka Doumeki, his laconic classmate, whose unique gift repels the troublesome spirits that are drawn to Watanuki. Although, in Watanuki’s mind, ‘two’s company, three’s a crowd,’ whenever Doumeki interrupts his chatting to the delightful Himawari-chan, we see glimpses of the relationship between the two young men gradually altering and deepening. Watanuki desperately needs a friend he can rely on – and, although Watanuki would be the first to furiously deny it, Doumeki proves again and again that he is dependable in a crisis. He may not say a great deal but his calm temperament is a good foil to Watanuki’s excitable nature.

Extra episodes not to be found in the manga have been added to this first season of ‘xxxHOLIC,’ including #17 ‘Self Mutilation’ which is based on a light novel written by Nisioisin and #21 ‘Nail Clipper.’

The charm of ‘xxxHOLIC’ lies in the way that CLAMP weave strands of ancient folklore (like the charmingly shy Zashiki Warishi, or the Procession of a Thousand Ghosts) with Watanuki’s everyday life in present-day Japan.

There’s plenty to delight here: Watanuki’s little pipe fox, which takes on its true form when his master is attacked by a vicious predator in #13 ‘Transfiguration’ – and a uniquely Yuko-influenced snowball fight in a wintry children’s playground (reminiscent of scenes from ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’) in #19 ‘Unreasonable,’ which develops into a magical contest when the snow sculptures made by the participants come to life.

Even though Yuko takes wicked pleasure in teasing Watanuki, aided and abetted by the mischievous Mokona, the hints of darker undercurrents that threaten his very existence are never far away. And although this first series never mentions the parallel story of ‘Tsubasa,’ little glimpses of strangely familiar artefacts in Yuko’s warehouse will remind the observant CLAMP-fan of Syaoran’s ongoing quest for Sakura’s missing memories.)

Lovers of Japanese folklore will appreciate episode #18 ‘Ground Cherry,’ in which Watanuki and Doumeki find themselves following the Procession of a Thousand Ghosts. Mysteries with a more contemporary theme occur when a shy, quiet girl at Watanuki’s school starts behaving aggressively – or when a holiday photograph with sinister powers is brought to Yuko’s shop.

Yet the most poignant episodes are saved for the final disc: # 22 & 23 ‘Temptations’ and ‘Choices.’ Yuko is away on business; at a loose end, Watanuki finds himself in conversation with a woman who is passing by the shop. Watanuki is an orphan, and this woman has lost her son; they take growing pleasure in one another’s company, meeting regularly every day in the park. Surely there can’t be anything wrong in these meetings, can there? Yet Watanuki is beginning to look pale and ill. Doumeki warns him to be careful, but he brushes the warning aside. And Yuko has still not come back from her trip…

The final episode, #24 ‘Reminiscence’ is, unusually, a side story in which Watanuki recalls a very special childhood friendship. A strange way to end the series, perhaps, but a moving one which reveals a little more of Watanuki’s lonely childhood.

Criticisms? Watanuki’s tendency to over-react under pressure can become a little wearisome. And the elongated figure drawings – the opposite of chibi? – can sometimes look downright bizarre when animated (the over-long necks are particularly disconcerting.) But these are small complaints and the atmospheric recreations of Yuko’s shop (note the heightened ticking of the clock whenever a customer consults Yuko) and the gorgeous clothes worn by its owner more than compensate for these stylistic annoyances. And there is no dramatic resolution here – we have yet to see Series 2 adapted by Funimation. This is very much a series in progress (the manga is still running in Japan.)

It’s worth mentioning that ‘xxxHolic’ Series 1 Part 2 comes, like Part 1, on three discs in a single box. I’m very much in favour of these multiple episode releases on R2, especially when they’re attractively priced! I look forward to many more such good value releases from Manga this summer, including ‘Ouran High School Host Club’ and ‘Ghost Hunt.’

In Summary
A faithful and delightful adaptation of CLAMP’s enchanting manga series which will please both fans and newcomers alike.