xxxHOLiC

There are very few mangas I give a complete 10 out of 10 for, but if anything, xxxHOLiC excels even at that- I would have given it a 100 out of 10 if possible. It's that delightful and amazing.

xxxHolic is a supernatural story about a young teenager named Watanuki Kimihiro who is troubled by his ability to see spirits and his bloodline's inheritance of drawing them close to him. One day, when running away from the usual spirits, he enters a mysterious looking building, only to find that the spirits have vanished, and that the building is inhabited by a "witch"- Yuuko Ichihara- who can grant wishes. Watanuki wishes to be left alone by the troublesome spirits, but in return, must work at Yuuko's shop- a job that is like no other. Soon Watanuki finds himself learning more about the supernatural world, other dimensions, and stumbles upon two characters from a different universe: Sakura and Syaoran....

In a basic short: xxxHolic is not your typical run-of-the-mill manga. Exquisite in it's detailed art and subtle storytelling, this is manga at CLAMP's finest. Beginning with a series of "events" that Yuuko narrates and reveals something poignant about human nature and humanity and then slowly delving into Watanuki's mysteries and importance of being, it features excellent character depth and development. The chapters flow smoothly, going from one event to another without you really realizing it. It is slow at first, but in a good way, as it gives space for the characters to really develop and show their true colors. Eventually, it's crossovers with it's sister manga, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, lead to a main focus around 100 chapters into the manga. Yuuko's exhilarating beauty, seductive and omnipotent nature with young "apprentice" Watanuki is a delightful relationship. Also featuring is a small main cast, and a small minor cast, which allows the manga to focus exclusively on these characters with respect and care, rather than going for halfhearted attempts to cover a large cast. The best thing about xxxHolic is that it is specified for those who like thought-provoking, philosophical manga that manages to be visceral and accessible. It is that quality which allows it to retain a sense of maturity and coherence which draws the reader in, while being relatively simple in plot for a good portion of the story.

Going onto specifics, however, the most wonderful aspect about this series, lies in its balance and characters. Roughly 1/3 of the manga devotes itself to episodic stories, each ending with a certain theme or saying, which may or not maybe as delightful as the viewer would wish to hear. It is here where we get a chockfull of comedy- from Watanuki's exaggerated emotions to Yuuko's fine palette and desire for food. It is here that unusually, we get the most amount of character development. Watanuki slowly transforms from a normal, spastic teenager to a more serious, refined and curious man. Yuuko herself changes- though more subtly, and as Watanuki begins to understand himself better, so do the people around him, and thus xxxHOLiC is really more of a character-based, introspective story than its sister, TRC, which is much more plot-based.

The other 2/3 of the manga go into crossovers with the other series, which in a way is tragic, because in order to fully comprehend what's going on, you're going to inevitably have to read TRC or have a very good understanding of what's going on. That is one of the greatest weaknesses about this manga, one that has put many off from reading it, but let me say it now- don't let it get to you. If you prefer to read TRC - which has quite a long and convoluted plot - then that's totally fine, but the easiest way to understand these events is to simply read some general information about TRC (information that can be obtained by going to WIkipedia, if you wish). It's also around this period that a dramatic shift in tone takes place- a very bold move, and honestly, what makes this manga fantastic in the first place. xxxHOLiC starts off as a comedy, but ends with a much darker atmosphere. It's here where Watanuki's character development really pays off, as we understand that in all things, not just wishes, just as there is a gain for something, there is also a price. Happiness is relative to everyone, and what may be one person's happiness may be another's misfortune. xxxHOLiC explores these themes and excellently, giving quite the realistic (but still with a hopeful edge to it) answers.

Not only that, but lastly, xxxHOLiC is fantastic at giving the setting and characters life. No character feels completely flat and while some additional development could have been added, each character is different in their own way, and most importantly, the relationships between the characters are amazing. Each relationship shapes the character in a completely different way, and as Yuuko said herself- it are these ties that inevitably, make us want to wish, and make us human.

I'm probably ranting at this point at how amazing xxxHOLiC really is, but it changed my entire perspective and philosophy on life, and not many things can do that. A delight that anyone should definitely read, xxxHolic will have you most likely, hooked at first sight.

xxxHOLiC is, to this day, one of my favorites. I'm hesitant to rate it a 10, but I believe it deserves to have the highest rating possible.

Story:

The majority of the chapters of xxxHOLiC are contained in their own story, but all contribute to the reader's understanding of the characters and what may be unfolding around them. While sometimes this can bring down the story, overall it doesn't harm it as even things that appear to have no influence on the important events do help develop the characters in outstanding ways. Occasionally it may feel as if the short stories do drag the entire thing on too long, however, but the pace improves in the later chapters and saves itself from becoming too dull (though the short stories are, for the most part, rather interesting).

It is worth stating, however, that the segments where TRC plays an important role feel out-of-place and shoehorned. They really shouldn't have been in this manga, or at least have been made to actually work with it instead of being forced in such a way.

*Note: xxxHOLiC's events and a few of its characters have very close relations to other works by Clamp, most notably Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, but one does not need to read these to understand the story. However, they are likely to give one a much better understanding of the universe surrounding this manga, so I recommend it.

Characters:

There is no long list of characters to consider in this, as xxxHOLiC focuses entirely on the plights of the four main characters. While they are quite one-dimensional in the beginning, they gradually get developed and grow, just as they should. The relationships especially get fleshed out and complicated ties are established between each character. By the end, no character is left undeveloped.

Despite this, I do have my grievances. The most prominent one is one other main character, seperate from the main four that consistently appear throughout the story, who appears in the later chapters. She does get to be quite important, but is phased out nearly right after she's established as a prominent character. She becomes a mere blip on the radar, and that is an issue that's never dealt with.

Art:

The art for xxxHOLiC is unconventional and stunning, in my opinion. Even the panelwork is great, and creates a wonderful balance page to page. While it may look odd in some scenes, mostly due to the appearance of the characters, its actually rather easy to get used to and becomes a pleasure to look at. I wouldn't compare it to artwork from other manga due to just how unconventional it is, but it shows great improvement from Clamp's absurdly proportioned characters in the early days.

xxxHOLiC is commonly said to be Clamp's masterpiece, or at least one of them, and I agree. It was a memorable ride, and a beauty to behold. Definitely worth reading despite its length.

Although the story crosses over with Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles, it is not necessary for one to read Tsubasa before reading xxxholic to understand the story, though there will be some moments of slight confusion.

I enjoyed this manga to a great extent, and to date it is one of my favourite manga. The main reason for my love of this manga is the characters within it, especially Watanuki, who's personality I admire greatly, Yuko following closely behind. The manga is centred around the interaction between Watanuki and those of his personal life, as well as the interactions between Watanuki and the customers. Both contribute greatly to the development of his character, and to a ever so slightly lesser extent to the rest of the characters, and often so so hand in hand. As such, I love all the characters, but Watanuki more so than others. Due to the nature of the shop theme, all new characters are integrated smoothly without problem, though it also means that old characters often disappear from the spotlight for lengthy periods of time to forever, this also contributes to the story. This does not make loving the characters any less harder. However, dialogue between characters, especially Yuko and Watanuki, can, and often are hard to follow and confusing. I believe that the manga becomes wrapped up in the mysterious theme, and thus will often be hard to follow, fortunately, this did not hinder my understanding of the story's happenings, and will most likely not do so for anyone else.

xxxholic is very good at introducing and teaching those who are curious about Japanese folklore, since the manga's interpretation of these myths/folklore all play a part in driving the story forward. This type of story, similar to Mushishi, is something that I greatly enjoy, and this has played a part in my opinions on this story. Personally, the art is not detailed in some areas for me, and can be plain, however I think that it suits the story and the characters.

Overall, this was a wonderful story for me, and I would be overjoyed for another story of similar nature to come around and or be known to me. Overall, I would rate this a 9/10, however I loved this manga so much that I will add that extra point for a 10/10 score.

When I think about writing reviews for the works i've read/watched, it's waaay easier to talk about the ones that "ok, this was really joyfull" "oh, such good art"... Because when we talk about the one that is THE ONE for us, you may look like a crazy fangirl trying to say more than 'omg sahjashdjkah". XD

Let's try this! And I'm gonna start with: READ THIS, because not even in 1000 years, you gonna forget or regret.

About the story:

As any other one of the popular CLAMP 'classic' series, the plot has a lot of deep thoughts, meanings, things you carry for your personal life. Since from the start, they show you what kind of story this is going to be, full of funny moments, love and mystery. Even if this one isn't the last of Holic mangas, the put a good ending on. They created a point so the story can continue not getting all boring and becoming a circle of events. This is the kind of manga that, yeeears after you finished, if you look at the cover, you gonna become nostalgic and remember the good time you spent reading, and do it all over again.

The only problem I see in the plot is regarding the points where the story connects with Tsubasa, for exemple. If you hadn't read Tsubasa, you may get lost, but reading Holic til the end, you still can get the story. They don't explain the connections from the start, and this is the only point where you can fell lost, because the other parts from the Holic world, lines that didn't get a tie in the first serie are explained after, and as there is a new serie going on, it's early to say "but i didn't get that yet!"

About the art and characters:

The art may not have shinning eyes, well structured bodies and flattering traces, nor realistic art and so. Yet, it matches so perfectly the atmosphere that the story gives, that it is almost surreal. Here's something important about the art: they are simple yet so detailed in the clothing and covers, that you need to spend such a long time to contemplate everything. It complements the mysterious feels that the store gives you.

About the characters:

When we talk about the characters, we NEED to talk about the bonds between Yuuko and Watanuki, and between Watanuki and Doumeki. They are really important for the story development and the plot itself, because, let's say, xxxHolic is about bonds. Even the characters that in any story would be the "good for nothing good looking char", here they have their special roles in the plot, none of them were waisted.

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Well, to finish this short review, I'll just complement what I said before: Read this story, not because it is CLAMP, not because it has a good scoring.

Read it because it's good. This funny and amusing story explains to you the importance of every single thing that happens in life, the people we met, it teaches you the importance of making choices and that it will always bring something to your life, be it good or not.

The story focuses on Kimihiro Watanuki, a high school student who sees spirits. One day he wanders in a strange looking shop, where he finds the other main character, Yuko Ichihara, a witch.
In order to fulfill his wish of not seeing spirits anymore, Yuko pretends to be payed. So Watanuki will work part-time at her shop, and this is where the fun part comes!

The idea of a wish-fulfilling shop sounds very nice to me! Every wish that Yuko grants leads Watanuki to a little adventure, which usually involves other characters, a few spirits and a large dose of humor!
It's a great mix of fantasy, comical and horror.

The art is the so-called CLAMP new style. The characters appear to have a very long and skinny body.

The main character, Watanuki, has a weird personality, and he can turn from wonderfully happy (when he talks to the girl he likes) to gloomy and depressed in a second. Nonetheless, this is very funny!
Yuko has a fun personality too, she is good with her job but she usually drinks and laughs a lot... so yeah... she is cherish and Watanuki sometimes gets really angry with her and there are some fun gags.

I had great fun reading xxxHolic, especially because I'm also reading Tsubasa and the stories are mixed, the characters are the same, and they sometimes communicate. So if I read Tsubasa and then I read xxxHolic, sometimes it's like reading each one two times (And I don't really mind, because I love them both!).

So it may only be a matter of personal taste because I love CLAMP comics, but I suggest you to read xxxHolic.

xxxHOLiC was one of the first manga that I ever read and it's probably one of the longest running manga series that I've ever finished. However, despite my nostalgia for it, my enjoyment while reading it was very mixed. xxxHOLiC wavers from being moderately enjoyable, to absolutely awesome, and finally to downright boring.

xxxHOLiC can be split into 3-4 parts. First, xxxHOLiC reads like a supernatural mystery-of-the-week. These sections were fairly interesting and I know I loved certain specific chapters, but for supernatural mini-stories tangentially connected by the protagonist I'd rather read something like Nightmare Inspector which has a more serious tone than xxxHOLiC.

Then the series skips to a very emotionally charged exploration of the main characters, making them feel more human and tightening their relationships. This to me was the pinnacle of the series because, before this, there really was no reason to care about these characters before because they were so flat and they couldn't be called much more than stereotypes; spastic weirdo, silent manly hero guy, love interest, sexy boss lady. They developed sympathetic characters traits and I found myself suddenly caring whether or not one of the main cast got hurt or not.

The next 'part' of the series is actually an ongoing theme that the series includes, and it grinds the story to a screeching halt. It is one of the things about this series that the majority of the fans hate, and with good reason. The series tries to increasingly tie itself to Tsubasa, and it is very forced and it provides ....... little to nothing of value to the universe of xxxHOLiC. It's during these sequences that you have to force yourself to read these very long-winded boring sequences of Yuuko explaining to us how the two stories are 'connected.' Except... it's not all that connected. All of this can be easily removed and none of is actually has is direct or important influence on the main story of xxxHOLiC.

As for the home stretch of the series, it makes a jarring return to the mystery-of-the-week format. It's obvious that the author started to see this series as a burden. There are a lot of pointless time-skips, and its the most jarring with the major ten-year time skip. Some main characters are forgotten and don't even show up for the last chapters. One character in particular gets so lazily written-out of the series that it was shocking. And, in the end the series goes out with a whimper. No fanfare, no emotional intensity, just a lot of mundane talking in a very repetitious sequence.

CLAMP's long-limbed characters are often the subject of much ridicule but I have to say that some of the designs, especially Yuuko's outfits and the chapter title cards, are lavish and quite pretty. The style of all the butterfly imagery to the simple flowing of smoke from a pipe is great eye-candy. That being said, panels can be lazily drawn like giving two-page spreads to pages full of black ink and/or a simplistic character portrait (especially near the end.)

I do recommend this manga... but only the middle portion of it. Don't bother reading the ending, and (only if you have time to kill) read the beginning.

I get very tired of CLAMP.

All of their offerings feel the same; insipid, juvenile and tedious. Perfect fare for a toddler, but rather boring for an adult and as I've gotten older, I find myself disliking their works more and more. xxxHolic has a little bit more of an interesting feel, but the male characters don't act like men and the enigmatic female makes me want to slap her.

Like other Clamp offerings, you never really learn what is going on in the story - you never really learn who the characters really are and why they are doing what they are doing. For a while, that sort of story telling seems like the author is being mysterious, but by the end of the series, I was convinced they wrote like that way because THEY didn't know what was going on in their story either.

Perhaps the story is quirky and odd enough someone would like it, but I didn't much like the stretched out art, the strange relationship with the wishy washy lead and his terse companion whom he seems to hate but who keeps saving him. The relationships all seem hard to believe, stilted and strained - as if the authors don't have much experience with relationships in real life and so don't know how to write or draw them. Of all the Clamp offerings I've suffered through this was possibly the least painful, but in retrospect, it's just so not worth wasting time reading or watching.

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile.
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✦Story
Story is hard to summarize. But in a nutshell it's episodic problem solving related to spiritual/mythological things for the most parts. With inter-webbing main characters development, story and an absolute cluster of CLAMPs multiverse.

Other than that, xxxHolic is extremely emphasized on people, bonds, emotions and heart of a living beings. Which is the same thing I absolutely adored in "Tsubasa Chronicles" and they are quite connected to holic in CLAMPverse. Ayhow, there are plenty of heart tugging episodes and moments with immense amount of bittersweet emotions and sense of tragedy and pain to in.

Nevertheless I found the story dialogues very pleasant, sad and important. In a sense fairly philosophical as well. At the first I didn't want to give it full mark, as some elements felt loose-ended and ending was a bit disappointing.

I feel that I shouldn't mention more about story. As it's type of story that reader will either hate or love/relate/intertwine... And I personally, adored it.

✦Art
CLAMP. Meaning Art is good and unique. Blissful amount of great Kimonos. Blissful effects and emphasis on creatures and the world. It's a bit dated, so characters feel a bit "off". And I don't mean by that the CLAMP style of drawing stretched and thin characters. I mean mostly some pages and facial expressions "quality" being rather "derp".

✦Characters
I love Yuuko. Mature, beautiful, kind, strict, mysterious with absolutely adorable childish side.

All the other main characters are as well splendid, unique, odd and every character in this Manga has it's side of darkness and bittersweetness.

Lot of adorable and characters to care about, including side characters. Even if they show up only once.

✦Enjoyable & Overall
Get's my TOPFAV tag. It ain't as "perfect" I wanted it to be. But in the end, it's an absolute bliss of sweetness and sadness.

CLAMP has amazing stories. And "Tsubasa Chronicles" and "xxxHolic" are in the TOP for me. Both intertwine, connect and are beautiful and pleasure to read/watch.

xxxHolic is a pritty good manga and one of the masterpieces of Clamp. That said, everyone that is a fan of Clamp, should know and should be reading this manga. For the rest of the community of readers out there, like me, should give it a try to see if this manga is your taste, even if you dont like Tsubasa Chronicle. This manga shows a different perspective of Tsubasa Chronicle. Therefore, you will see characters showing up in this manga once in a while.

The main story goes around a shop that grants your wish in exchange of something. And everyone that has a wish will be able to enter to this shop. It may look simple but its very complicated. Simple as, if your wish is big then the price will be huge. And complicated as, your wish not always goes as you plan it to and sometimes if you dont realize whats happening, then it will turn very ugly. Moreover, every wish comes with some consequence and responsibility. The manga starts slow trying to explain important aspects such as having a name, destiny, wishes, and change. The story gets very complicated as the story progress and it is easy to notice that

If anyone have seen Clamp's manga, like Sakura cardcapter, then you already know how the art/drawing is. My interpretation of Clamp art is that they make it very elegant and sometimes way to elegant with flashy, puffy, good looking art. Of course, this is mainly for girls and teenagers.

The characters are very well made. Each character is special and has its own qualities. Watanuki is the main character of this manga. Even though he doesnt know it, he is part of something big, as you may have notice from the clues and words from Yuuko that made you wonder whats happening behind the scenes.

Overall, I should say that this manga is great, but I get the feeling that its to classic or its easy to predict the ending (maybe I am reading to much mangas this days).

Oh, btw, if you really liked it, give a try at Tsubasa Chronicles to fully understand what is happening.
I hope you enjoy it and fall in love with Yuuko, hahah...

xxxHolic is a series that ties in quite closely with Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, but for the most part, you don't really need to read TRC in order to understand xxxHolic until you get to about volume 11 or 12. Once you get to that point, though, the two series get heavily intertwined with each other so it might be a good idea to read TRC, anyway, so you don't end up reading 100+ chapters in one go like I did in order to understand what was going on in xxxHolic...Even so, it's interesting just to see where the two plots meet and how one thing that happens in one story makes an impact on what happens in the other.

The story begins quite simply, and for the first bit, the story arcs are somewhat episodic - Yuuko gets a customer, Watanuki gets involved, something happens, and the issue is resolved for better or for worse. At the same time, however, little by little, more is revealed about the big underlying plot and about each character. On the surface, everyone is one way but underneath, you find that there's much more to them than originally thought. And reading back on the older chapters, it's clear that the hints were all there. In typical CLAMP fashion, however, once something is revealed, it seems to be even more complicated and confusing than before, but gradually, things become untangled. Nevertheless, be prepared for some confusion.

Once you get into the main storyline, the plot really shoots forward. There are still a couple pacing issues since, even when there's a big revelation, the story seems to revert back to another normal story arc like before. To me, anyway, it was a little jolting. However, the story is always interesting and you can really see how the story unfolds, slowly but surely, and it's interesting to see how each story arc changes the characters and allows them to mature - and it is this theme that I see recurring through each arc.

Which brings me to the characters! xxxHolic enjoys a relatively small yet diverse cast. Here, you won't have to memorize two or three dozen names like in some other series. Instead, you have your main characters - Watanuki, Yuuko, and Doumeki - and then a handful of recurring characters. At first, they all seem to be somewhat stock-type characters, but like I said, there is more to them than originally thought, and as the story unfolds, they grow and mature. And interestingly, even Watanuki's positive traits are turned against him and he is forced to question his motives and his decisions, and he matured as a result. Ichihara Yuuko, the enigmatic Time-Space Witch, is perhaps one of CLAMP's best creations yet. She's as full of mysteries as she is of laughs, yet at the same time, she's realistic and human (seen more towards the later developments in the series). Despite being one of the most powerful characters in the CLAMP universe, she has her limits and vices like anyone else.

The art, like any of CLAMP's works, is simple yet detailed. There are little to no screentones, and CLAMP makes good use of the contrast between black and white. Yet, at the same time, their designs are something to be marvelled at. Yuuko only has perhaps two outfits that she's worn more than once (always at key points of the story), and even Watanuki once notes when she's worn the same thing before. However, CLAMP does seem to be going through a tall-and-lanky-character phase (they've always had tall and thin characters, but they've recently gone into extremes if you compare it to their past works). It takes a bit of time to adjust to, but once you do, you can really appreciate the detail they put into everything.

Overall, xxxHolic is one of my favourite series to date. Its themes are quite mature and there is much to be thought about and explored here. For example, one of the big questions raised early in the series was about fate and destiny - is our path laid out for us when we are born, or do we carve our own path? However, I'll leave the exloration of themes up to you. While the plot, at times, leaves something to be desired, it's still very enjoyable. To me, xxxHolic is like a deep pit of mysteries just waiting to be explored, and watching the mysteries - and their answers - unfold is somehow very satisfying. Yet, even as these mysteries are explored, more questions come up, leading the reader even further into the story.

So, give it a try. I'd definitely recommend this story, especially if you've liked some of CLAMP's other works.