Author(s): CLAMP

Set as an alternate world to another CLAMP manga, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, it is not a side story to it, rather, XxxHolic is a different tale altogether which coincides with TRC at certain points but is independent of the events of the other until before the climax where the paths between the two series has come together, although not wholly. It follows Watanuki Kimihiro, a boy who can attract and see spirits, when he happens to a mysterious shop that grants wishes. There he met Yuuko, the owner of the shop, and asked her for his attribute to attract spirits disappear. Yuuko agreed, but for a price: Watanuki has to work for the shop as part of his payment. Watanuki agreed and has become the shop’s assistant where he does the cooking, house chores, and, of course, performing odd jobs and assisting Yuuko in granting wishes.

While its title may be misleading to some, XxxHolic, as much as the name implies, is not about people who are addicted to pornography. Rather, it’s a series that deals with the supernatural where the wishes being granted are often related to a habit or an addiction that a client has that needs to be broken to be able to fulfill the wish, thus the “xxx” in the title which is shown to represent any kind of thing.

Although, not all wishes are supernatural as some can be as mundane as they could be like breaking an internet addiction or wanting to learn how to cook, likewise, the solution can be a simple hitting of a bat or cooking lessons. Events are not always about wishes, too, as various mysterious occurrences are experienced by the characters, especially by Watanuki and Doumeki, so it is not as repetitive as a typical mystery series. And of course, the story also comprises of points where the characters of the two series meet where it has become more frequent as Tsubasa was reaching its climax.

Even though XxxHolic has a shop for granting wishes as its premise, it is more focused on the main character’s development and the mysteries of his past. Proof of this is usually seen on his encounters with the paranormal where he is either deeply involved or is at the center of it. But the largest evidence of this is having the story separated into two parts, one being the story where its events are concurrent to Tsubasa while the other is the story after Tsubasa has concluded, following Watanuki ten years after where he has taken over Yuuko’s shop.

Its art is very attractive. Even if it is reminiscent of CLAMP’s past works in the Shoujo demographic, it is not too flowery for a series in the Seinen demographic, although they have already proved they could do it with Chobits. One should also revel at how much effort they put in Yuuko’s wardrobe as she will not be seen with the same outfit twice except for when she has to meet Syaoran and the others from Tsubasa.

Even though it still has a lot of elements that makes this series typical of CLAMP such as twins, a character losing an eye, and other stuffs that a dedicated fan of the group can easily spot, it is still quite different from anything you will ever read. While its ending has disappointed quite a lot of fans, it is in no way an excuse for not reading this. It may have been confusing, but it is not the least a terrible way to end the series as it depicts a tragic tale of the main character. Fans of tragedies may be able to appreciate it, although this series is quite recommended for everyone especially fans of the quartet group of CLAMP.

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