OP: “sofa” by Suga Shikao – Track 11 on Funkaholic, guys! Shikao is back, as he should be, and all is right in the world. There isn’t much to the animation, which is kind of expected from an OVA, but there’s a little more going on in it than there was in the Tsubasa OVAs.

Summary:

Watanuki sees Yuuko underneath falling cherry petals, but he soon realizes that he is within a dream. At the elderly fortune teller’s house later, Watanuki teaches Kohane how to cook. This leads to a great feast, which Doumeki also enjoys with the group. Doumeki and Kohane eventually leave to retrieve glasses, and alone with Watanuki in the meantime, the fortune teller notices how much he has changed. Surprising Watanuki though, she also mentions that Yuuko has changed because of his involvement with her.

While Kohane is with Doumeki in the storeroom, she takes the chance to ask about his relationship with Watanuki. Despite the appearance that they have been getting along, Doumeki expresses his usual annoyance with Watanuki. However, he goes to to recall what lead him to be concerned about him. On a rainy day, Doumeki passed Watanuki holding a dead kitten. He then overheard him mention his belief that he would die alone in the same way. With this, Kohane realizes what it was that was different between herself and Watanuki when they first met. Though they were similar, Watanuki was not alone. Unlike on that rainy day, Watanuki now had several people around him. Doumeki agrees, stating that Kohane is also one of these people.

Watanuki and Doumeki part ways with the fortune teller and Kohane that afternoon, and while walking to Yuuko’s house, Watanuki finally takes the chance to thank Doumeki for his involvement in helping him during his accident. He attempts to hide his embarrassment afterwards, which lasts even after they enter Yuuko’s house. While with Doumeki later, Yuuko also expresses how much Doumeki and Watanuki have changed because of their meetings. There were three people who payed the price for Watanuki’s savior. The first two were Doumeki and Himawari, but the third was unknown to the usual group. Yuuko recalls when Syaoran visited her shop, as she transported him with his price already having been paid. Before he left, he told Watanuki not to disappear.

Watanuki again meets Haruka in his dreams, and after their usual conversation, he is given a task in exchange for Haruka’s helping him earlier. This leads Watanuki and Doumeki to the shrine’s storehouse. The two find a book inside, but this causes the two to enter a series of dreams. The two go from fishing to seeking cover from the rain, until they eventually find a hotel to take shelter in. Before entering, the girl who greets them seems to take special note of Doumeki. The boys rest for awhile, but with the girl’s warning, they soon realize that the rest of the hostesses inside are something other than friendly. Watanuki and Doumeki flee from what appear to be birds in disguise, until Doumeki distracts them with food. When the boys finally awake, they realize that they have found what Haruka was searching for. Doumeki recalls his seeing the particular book in the past, before making Watanuki panic by mentioning his previous hearing about things happening in dreams becoming reality. To Watanuki, this meant that he would have really died if he were killed in the dream they were just in.

ED: “Cherish” by Azu – Despite this just spanning a still, I loved it simply because of the art. The song itself is fitting for xxxHolic, and upon a little bit of research, I found that it is a track off of the artist’s first album “As One.”

Impression:

Woo~! I have been waiting for so long. When stuff like this appears, it doesn’t take me long at all to remember how huge of an xxxHolic fan I am. The main portion of this episode covered chapters 158 through about 160-ish, but they shifted a lot of events and included arcs that happened in earlier chapters. Mirroring the previous production of the Tsubasa OVAs, the animation and art quality of this episode was spectacular. Though I’m not too surprised about that, considering how much of an upgrade Kei was when compared to the first season already, this episode also mirrored actions taken with the TRC OVAS by sticking closer to the manga. Can you say, “Tsubasa crossovers.”?

Anyone keeping up with the manga knows that xxxHolic wouldn’t have been able to go on much longer without avoiding crossovers, but I’ll leave the (huge) spoilers out for those who only watch the anime. As for the actual stories presented in this episode, though they weren’t the most exciting out of the wide selection of xxxHolic stories, I still appreciated them for the reasons I always do. These arcs followed Kei in representing the greater parts of Watanuki’s character development. The themes of friendship and his growing as a person in general have always been a huge part of what keeps me coming back to xxxHolic. The other part would be CLAMP’s ability to make me feel as if I’m in the very world they are presenting, not unlike the bird story that was presented in this episode. I can only image how much research the team does to produce so many great stories for so long!

But, yea. I can’t wait for the second OVA, though I’m not exactly sure when it is supposed to be released.

Hit up Tenka Seiha for more caps and the OP!

Spectacular. My final impression is included!

Summary:

After school lets out, Watanuki complains about having to work for Yuuko as usual. While walking home that night, he is surprised to see a hand floating in front of him. After hearing its voice, however, Watanuki soon realizes that it is the young kitsune calling out to him. The kitsune guesses that, since his powers are still weak, he could not show his full self to Watanuki. The kitsune offers a package of oden to Watanuki as thanks for the balloon he had been given earlier, successfully handing it to Watanuki before he fades. Everyone at the shop is happy when they are able to enjoy the oden, including Watanuki who Yuuko allows to have some. Watanuki then takes the chance to ask Yuuko for a favor, which she agrees to grant for the proper price.

Watanuki is forced to go shopping with Yuuko later, and he is further surprised when Yuuko reveals that she is searching for a new refrigerator. When Watanuki sees that she is looking at rather large ones, he suggests a more manageable size. Yuuko denies buying the one he points out, however, describing that there are some items that are defective before their purchase. Watanuki sees nothing wrong with the refrigerator at first, but when he takes a closer look as suggested, he senses a dark aura around it. Recalling that the previous Watanuki would have probably purchased this, Yuuko states that the change in his right eye did not just improve his vision.

While traveling around the store a bit later, Watanuki notices a small creature stuck behind some appliances. Describing it as very strange among other things, the creature quickly shocks Watanuki with electricity. When Yuuko appears, she and the creature quickly greet each other as old acquaintances. The creature finally introduces himself as the thunder beast, Raiju, but begins to shock Watanuki even more after more of his disrespectful comments. Raiju requests to have Watanuki help him out of the wall he is stuck in, and although successful, Watanuki is shocked quite a bit by touching Raiju.

When the group arrives back at the shop, Raiju repairs Yuuko’s refrigerator as a thanks for saving him. After repairing several other electronics that Moro and Maru show up with, however, he is quickly drained. Over tea later, Raiju explains to Yuuko that he was attracted to the electronics store while traveling, and had become stuck. When Raiju reveals what his plans were for going out, Yuuko suggests that Watanuki have Himawari come to the event with them. With this, she would have Watanuki’s wish granted.

That night, Himawari and Doumeki join the group to visit the kitsune’s shop. Watanuki takes the chance to thank the kitsune child for the oden, then presenting him with a pair of gloves. The kitsune is surprised to receive yet another “thanks for a thanks”, but he is extremely grateful to hear how happy Watanuki was. The group is soon joined by the Yumekai, as well as the Neko Musume. While Watanuki helps the kitsune prepare oden, the Ame Warashi and Zashiki Warashi also appear. When it begins to rain, Raiju suggests that he will finally leave. Giving Watanuki his thanks before disappearing, he creates a fireworks-like scene for everyone to see. The Ame Warashi clears the sky afterwards, allowing everyone to enjoy themselves for the rest of the night.

Impression:

This episode was just awesome. I don’t care what anyone says! At the start of the episode, I did find it a bit strange that this episode wasn’t shown earlier in the series. Towards the end though, I went back to being confident that this would make for a great end for the series. Although parts of this episode almost seemed like a flashback, it clearly wasn’t. For one, Himawari had Tanpopo wit her. There’s nothing wrong with altering the timeline just a bit though, especially with how much this happened in the first series. I loved seeing all of the characters show up in the end, the Zashiki Warashi in particular. I did laugh at how much the story was altered though, especially with Raiju’s fireworks scene being different from how it was displayed in the manga and OP. By having Doumeki show up, they also got rid of the development with his seeing the fireworks out of Watanuki’s eye. But when we’re given stuff like Maru and Moro’s “fuwa fuwa” instead, I’ll forgive the random changes.

The earlier scenes with Raiju and the young kitsune were left fairly intact, but there were some alterations. I have always liked xxxHolic’s themes of noticing things that would have usually been passed by. For Watanuki, this may involve supernatural things, but I think this can also apply to several things in real life as well. I’m not sure if CLAMP has anything against refrigerators though. I was slightly annoyed that they took out Raiju’s gist about humans creating things that only hurt themselves. It’s something I really believe, and that part of the manga really hit base with me. Looking at what Production IG has done with most of the story in the past though, I can probably forgive them for it. I think I’ll save that talk for the final impression.

Final Impression:

xxxHolic has always been one of my favorite series. A supernatural, psychological, and slice of life series, I can connect with so many of the themes that are presented in each story arc. The first season has always been on my favorites list, and the series is one of the few manga that I have ever picked up (I don’t read a lot of manga when compared to watching anime). Along with messages about society and Japanese culture, Watanuki’s developing as a person is something that several people growing up can relate to. I probably became a big CLAMP fan because of this series, and it continues to be my favorite by them.

When Kei was announced, I was extremely excited. With some of the best chapters being animated, and a now much better looking animation production, there was nothing keeping me from watching. Each episode was everything I could have wanted from the series, and nothing was keeping me from giving this a perfect score. Well, that was until the slaughtering of Kohane’s arc. I will say again though, I can see how they wanted to keep the story away from Tsubasa Chronicle crossovers. Hardcore fans may want this without question, but what of those who only watch xxxHolic? I didn’t watch Tsubasa Chronicle until well after I had watched the first season of xxxHolic, and I still haven’t picked up the manga. The anime also seems to take a more slice of life approach when compared to the manga’s fairly dark themes. If I hadn’t read the manga, I probably wouldn’t have had any problems at all. Seeing the potential that had gone to waste though, when it could have easily been handled better, I couldn’t help but dislike that one major flaw in the series.

Still, that wasn’t enough to make me dislike this season of xxxHolic overall. Kei will also make it to my favorites list, as a continuation of the first series that I absolutely loved. This show was also, quite easily, my favorite series of the Spring ‘08 season. xxxHolic Kei is a necessary watch for any xxxHolic, or CLAMP, fan. From here on, I can only wonder if my wishes will be granted again in the future…with yet another sequel. The manga is not currently finished though, and that will be plenty to keep me happy for now.

Epic.

Summary:

Himawari makes Watanuki recall all of the bad things that have happened in the past after he became involved with her. She mentions the ayakashi that follow Watanuki, but states that she is not one of them. Himawari seems to bring bad luck to those around her, only excluding her parents. She had first discovered this when she was four. Shortly after her ball had rolled into a neighboring yard, the house there began to burn. The friends she made all had accidents, and one acquaintance event committed suicide. Her grandmother had taken her to a shrine when she was a bit older, but the monk there assured her that Himawari was a normal girl. However, Himawari brought misfortune to those around her. This was due to simply speaking with or touching someone. Recalling that her parents were fine, Himawari guesses that she would not have been born if she had caused misfortune for them. Later, even Himawari’s grandmother had died due to being close to her.

Himawari attempts to leave after telling all of this to Watanuki, thanking him for all of the meals and saying goodbye. Watanuki stops her, however, only apologizing for surprising her during his accident. To make up for it, he promises to cook something only for Himawari when he heals. Watanuki assures Himawari that he certainly heard what she said, but he mentions that everything about Himawari makes him happy. He was truly happy to have met her. Himawari turns to warn Watanuki that he may die the next time, but he assures her that he will not. Watanuki states that he loves Himawari, only making her call him an idiot. Finally putting a smile on her face, Himawari gives her food request to Watanuki before continuing to exit. Before Himawari can leave, the two promise to see each other again. Outside the room, Himawari has a bleeding Doumeki promise to let Watanuki and herself keep their secret. Doumeki agrees, but he states that the three of them will definitely eat lunch together.

When Yuuko meets Watanuki again, she makes him realize that the price to pay for Himawari’s bad luck to go away would be far too much. It would likely cost her own happiness. Yuuko tells Watanuki to rest, but she tells him that he will not completely heal. No matter how much it healed, Watanuki’s pinky would never move again. Watanuki is fine with this, but he wishes to keep it a secret from Himawari. Beginning to lose his strength, Watanuki asks who payed the price for him. Yuuko tells him that it was Himawari and Doumeki, but she had promised not to tell Watanuki what they had to trade. While walking away, Yuuko recalls to herself that the price Doumeki payed was the amount of blood Watanuki had spilled in his accident. When Yuuko meets Doumeki, she mentions that he and Himawari have become customers in her shop to have their wishes granted. In tears outside, Himawari calls Watanuki a liar for making her cry. However, this was the first time someone had said that he was happy to have met her. The price Himawari had payed was to take Watanuki’s scars, but turning in gladness, Himawari states that she was also happy to have met Watanuki.

Watanuki wakes again after awhile, finding Yuuko by his side. Yuuko wonders if Watanuki will not ask about helping Himawari, but Watanuki realizes that this probably isn’t something she would want. Watanuki believes that Himawari probably does not want to hurt anyone else, so he suggests that he will do everything he can to make her smile even just a little bit. Yuuko advices Watanuki to rest more, but Watanuki wishes to have something to do. In response, Yuuko hands him an egg. This was the price for the water he had retrieved earlier, so it was his belonging. As Watanuki falls asleep with the egg in hand, Yuuko suggests that the bird would hatch in the form of his wishes. While Watanuki sleeps, the bird in his hand senses his kindness. The bird asks what Watanuki’s wish is, so he describes his want to make Himawari smile even just a bit. Understanding this, the bird assures him that it will be born.

When Watanuki wakes, he witness the bird hatch before him. Seeing the bird, Yuuko tells Watanuki that it would be fine by Himawari’s side. It would not be able to do anything else, but she suggests that Himawari would surely be happy. Yuuko mentions that while Watanuki has constantly been changing, he may have been able to make Himawari change as well. Now with his wounds healed, Watanuki makes his way to school. The bird leads him to Doumeki and Himawari, who are glad Watanuki has healed. Watanuki also sees that Himawari has changed her hairstyle, letting it down on the back. When Himawari notices the bird on Watanuki’s shoulder, he asks if she would take it. To Himawari’s surprise, Watanuki states that it was born for her sake. Himawari thanks Watanuki for her new companion, but she eventually decides that he should come up with a name for it. With the bird in delighted anticipation, Watanuki names it “Tanpopo”. Himawari notices that this is a flower name like hers, as Tanpopo shows its happiness. With this, the group continues to school in their usual conversation. Back at her shop, Yuuko raises a glass of sake to the sky.

Preview: The thunder beast.

Impression:

Epic….cuteness! This was probably one of the most anticipated episodes of Kei for me, and it didn’t disappoint at all. Even having already read the manga, Himawari’s finally revealing her secrets to Watanuki was just as impacting as ever. I was actually re-watching some of the first season yesterday, and Himawari’s bad luck was hinted as far back as episode two! That said, I think the decision to make this the last “official” final episode of Kei was a great choice. Though I do believe the early scenes could have done without the stylized bleeding, I thought the quick shots of flashback really added to Himawari’s speech in ways the manga didn’t. Himawari’s evil grin also seemed a lot more threatening after watching it annimated. The revealing of the prices paid was as amazing as ever too, especially Himawari’s scars.

This episode only continued to build on the strong themes that xxxHolic has been using for the longest time. Those would be of sacrifice, love, and friendship. In today’s world, there would be far too few who would have taken the same actions as Watanuki in his situation. This goes for Doumeki and Himawari as well. The episode also built on the development Watanuki had earlier in the season, as he finally realized how much those around him cared about his condition. Although simple storytelling, it’s things like this that make me rate this series so highly. The introduction of Tanpopo (dandelion) also played on one of Clamp’s common themes – the importance of a name. As this was the first thing that was played on in xxxHolic, I’m sure everyone by now knows how impacting it is. Anyways, the last episode is finally upon us next week. It’s the introduction of the thunder beast Raiju, just as planned.

Heading to the climax.

Summary:

Watanuki has one of his usual conversations with Himawari on the way home, seeing her off after agreeing to teach her how to cook something later. As Himawari leaves, however, Watanuki again feels a pain in his pinky finger. This happens again while he is serving food to Yuuko later, causing him to break a glass and injure himself. Yuuko again asks if Watanuki has done anything with his pinky finger, making him recall the pinky promise he had with Himawari previously. This also makes him remember all of the bad things that have happened because of it, making him unable to claim that this is coincidence. When Watanuki meets Haruka in his dreams that night, he talks with him about the occurrences that have happened because of his pinky. He also recalls Yuuko’s statement that there are no coincidences, and only hitsuzen. Watanuki admits that, although he did not believe this at first, he has started to see that this is true. Haruka makes Watanuki realize that since he has realized something, he is unable to return to ignorance. Because of this, the only option left would be to decide what to do. Before Watanuki wakes up, Haruka advises him to be with Doumeki.

Watanuki learns from Moro and Maru in the morning that Yuuko has left for awhile, disappointing him as he wanted to discuss the dream he had. Watanuki passes by Kohane on the way to school, taking the chance to give her a gift of food since she only has time to thank him for their previous engagement. Before Kohane leaves, however, she only wonders who Watanuki had made a pinky promise with. At school, Watanuki discusses the dream he had with Doumeki. As Doumeki confirms that his grandfather died while he was a child, Watanuki wonders why he appears so young in his dreams. Doumeki also recalls that Haruka not only put spirits to rest, but he could also see dreams of the future. Before Doumeki leaves, he tells Watanuki to wait for him until his club is over in the afternoon. Himwari pats Watanuki on the back when she meets him in the halls on the way to class. Watanuki worries about the things he has thought about recently, but he still talks to Himawari normally. When he leans on one of the school windows, however, he falls from a very high distance and becomes severely injured.

Envisioning himself as a child, Watanuki sees his parents reach out to him. He attempts to go after them when they seemingly leave him, but Haruka appears just in time to prevent him from following. When Watanuki wakes, he finds that he is in Yuuko’s shop. Yuuko tells Watanuki that Doumeki had attempted to call an ambulance after finding him, but she had instructed him to come to the shop instead. Watanuki would have died if it wasn’t for Haruka’s saving him. Watanuki can only believe that there would be a high price to pay for this, but Yuuko tells him that it has already been paid by two people. Watanuki is then shocked to see that Himawari has entered the shop, but he finally takes the chance to express his worries to her. Watanuki is further surprised when Himawari completes his thoughts for him, implying that she was only waiting for him to figure out that bad things happen when he is around her.

Preview: Revalations of epic proportions.

Impression:

That smile still gives me the chills. This probably being the most impacting arc of the series that I have read, seeing it animated was a dream come true. The real climax is next week though, so I won’t have as much to talk about this time around. This episode did a fairly good job of bringing back all of the hints that were previously revealed. It doesn’t take a genius to guess what Himawari was causing for Watanuki, but it still makes for an engrossing story. I loved seeing the scene with the young Watanuki and his parents, right down to the falling glass. Added with the bgm tracks that were played in this episode, and xxxHolic’s haunting atmosphere was represented perfectly. Although there was clearly filler put into this episode, the only thing I really didn’t like was the addition of Kohane. As if her arc wasn’t already slaughtered in the last episode, they just had to bring her back in an unnecessary scene this week. Ah, but I guess there’s no real reason to complain anymore about that. Next week’s episode will make for all kinds of awesome, so I definitely can’t wait to see it. After that, the only thing we have left to see is the thunder beast Raiju.

………….what?

Summary:

While walking through the city, Watanuki sees magazines and hears television programs that are continuing to put Kohane in a negative light. He attempts to convince Himawari that Kohane is not wrong at school, when Doumeki appears to complete his thoughts. Doumeki implies that Watanuki should go to Kohane’s house with him, so they do. When they reach it, however, they are forced to make their way through numerous news reporters. Inside the now extremely unkept house, the boys find Kohane’s mother pouring water over her daughter in the bathroom. Kohane’s mother is still convinced that her daughter’s powers depreciated because of things like what she ate, and although she starts to blame Watanuki again, Doumeki is able to keep her quiet by stating that there are people listening from the outside. Learning that Kohane has continued to suffer from this kind of treatment, Watanuki tells her that they will leave. Her mother does not believe Watanuki is capable of this, but she is shocked when Kohane also states that she will be leaving. Kohane apologizes after her mother leaves, but Watanuki only suggests that she be happy for his sake.

When Watanuki arrives at Yuuko’s shop that night, he finds that Moro and Maru have already prepared the bath for Kohane. While the girls and Mokona enjoy themselves, Yuuko confirms to Watanuki that Kohane’s insights were correct. However, the other mediums were correct as well. There were actually two spirits, but Kohane did not mention both. The other mediums were unable to see both, so it was meaningless to do so. The entire group enjoys dinner together after the bath, and Watanuki notices that Kohane is finally able to smile. When Kohane wakes up, she finds Watanuki preparing breakfast. To Watanuki’s surprise, she states that she will return home soon because her mother is worried. Before Watanuki sees Kohane off that afternoon, he hands her another dream filled balloon. He hopes that her dream will be granted, but Kohane states that it already was. She was able to do things like eat with the people she liked, and smile with them. Kohane finds her mother in despair when she returns home, but she suggests that they end all of it. Kohane’s mother finally regains her senses, when the balloon in Kohane’s hand pops.

Kohane finally confronts the ghost she saw during the television program, allowing the spirit to rest. In the following days, the media instantly changes their tone towards Kohane. While observing the changes over lunch at school, Doumeki makes Watanuki realize how strong Kohane really was. Watanuki finally meets Kohane again at the shrine, but she is now wearing shorter hair. The two discuss the spirits that Kohane had helped, but Watanuki takes the chance to ask if Kohane’s dream was granted before she leaves. Kohane agrees that it was, as she wished that her mother would no longer feel pain. As Kohane leaves, her mother puts her hand on her shoulder.

Preview: Himawari’s secret…revealed!

Impression:

Okay, so I can’t say I’m as angry as Aroduc, but really…..what exactly just happened here? Anyone who has read the manga knows, and I mean clearly knows, that this is NOT what happened. This isn’t what was suppose to happen at all! I can understand Prod IG not wanting to include the TRC crossovers, but this was just ridiculous! No matter how much I try to process what I just saw, I still can’t really comprehend it. Wait…..let me reread my summary. Wait….no……nope, still doesn’t make sense. I don’t think there was any reason for them to turn despair into happiness so easily, and it was like they completely threw out all of Kohane’s important development. WHY!? So that they could end the series? Because there wasn’t enough material to work with? Surely, there could have been a better way to handle this. I was actually prepared to write about the great themes this arc presented after last week, but it looks like I didn’t have the chance to at all. Kohane just….GOES HOME??? I’m sorry, this is just becoming a rant now. The next arc had a really strong impact on me when I read it, so it should be excellent to see animated. Well, that is if they don’t pull something like this again.

GuGoot.

Summary:

When Watanuki meets Haruka again in his dreams, they discuss the sakura trees outside the shrine. The conversation leads from the spirit who had hovered over the trees to Kohane, making Watanuki express that she is the same as her. Haruka tells Watanuki that there are no two identical people, however, before Watanuki wakes in the morning. At school, Himawari reveals that Kohane has not been making appearances on TV lately. Slightly worried, Watanuki agrees to go with Doumeki to check on her the next day. After being interrupted while making a lunch for Kohane that night, Watanuki accompanies Yuuko to find websites about Kohane on her laptop. To Watanuki’s shock, some of the sites are more cruel than the ones he had seen previously.

Even while walking with Doumeki to Kohane’s house the next day, Watanuki overhears girls talking critically about Kohane. Upon reaching Kohane’s house, Watanuki is shocked at its disarray. The bell does not seem to work when Watanuki tries it, but Kohane appears to answer anyways. Seeing Kohane now covered in bandages from injury, Watanuki clutches to her while apologizing for not coming earlier. Inside the unkept house, Kohane confirms that only she and her mother live there. Further answering Watanuki’s questions, she states that they have not even visited a hospital to check on her injuries. The answering machine then picks up a call, coming from an individual who only tells Kohane to die repeatedly. Kohane states that she is fine, but Watanuki contradicts her. He states that he is not fine, because he likes Kohane and it pains him to see her hurt. Thinking that she would be hurt if the things happening to her happened to Watanuki, Kohane wonders if this is because she likes him. Watanuki only states that he would be happy if this was the case, holding on to Kohane’s hands afterwards.

While preparing his food for Kohane later, Watanuki gets in his usual argument with Doumeki. Watanuki denies that they get along, but Kohane notices that they do because they speak with each other. She and her mother, on the other hand, only sit together. Kohane pours some tea for Doumeki when he requests it, and he pats her on the head while thanking her in response. With this, Kohane finally smiles. Kohane’s angry mother enters soon after, however, becoming enraged when she sees Watanuki and the others. When she splashes hot tea on Watanuki, Kohane quickly shows him and Doumeki to the bathroom. Kohane then states that although it does not matter how her mother treats her, it is unforgivable to treat her friends in cruel ways. That night, Yuuko and the others at the shop continue to help Watanuki recover. Watanuki takes the chance to tell Yuuko that Kohane’s mother would not once call Kohane by her name, but Yuuko simply tells Watanuki to rest.

Kohane’s mother later expresses her excitement for finding another job later, but she becomes angry when her daughter does not answer her properly. At school, Himawari alerts Watanuki of the program Kohane will be appearing on that night. At the set of the show, two actors express their annoyance with appearing along side of Kohane. After being assured that they are the real main attractions, however, they agree to work with her. On the television program, the various actors insist that they see a single male spirit when they are shown an abandoned home on screen. Kohane contradicts all of them, however, by saying that there is a male and female. Kohane is not taken seriously at first, but the audience is shocked when she states that there was a murder. Watching with Yuuko at home, Watanuki worries for Kohane.

Preview: More Kohane!

Impression:

I really love seeing all the different versions of Google animators can come up with in each show I watch. I really do. But anyways, this episode focused on more Kohane. Watanuki’s visit to her house came straight out of the manga, but it seems like they added a lot more to the episode to fill up space. All were very minor things though, and I enjoyed this episode thoroughly. Kohane’s story touches on a lot of powerful themes, such as the relationship a parent can have with a child and how children are treated by adults. I’ve always hated the way Kohane’s mother acts, but this isn’t that uncommon in real life situations. Clamp’s revealing of that disconnection is really powerful, and the way they can do so just makes me respect them even more. I was entertained by the actors on the set in this episode as well, since they paralleled all of the other fakes xxxHolic has represented in the past. The way Kohane is treated even though she is the one that can really see things just makes me mad. I wonder if is strange to feel so attached to these characters sometimes, but I suppose it only proves how well developed and represented they are.

There was also the continuing of Watanuki’s development in this episode, as he expressed the care he had for Kohane. Obviously, this came from the lessons he learned earlier this season. This is a theme I love a lot, since it is something that some people never truly learn in their life. It probably took long enough for Watanuki to get to this point, but it’s a really important development throughout xxxHolic. The rest of the things I noticed in this episode were pretty random though. For one, I loved Mokona’s statement that Watanuki was saved by wearing glasses. The next time some crazy whore throws hot tea on me, I guess I’m good! I was also reminded of Jigoku Shoujo and Ghost Hunt during this episode. Needless to say, I enjoyed one of those shows a lot more than the other (How did I even get all the way through Futakomori?). Next week looks like the continuation of Kohane’s story through anime original material. We’ll just have to see what happens with that.

Needs more….ah, forget it.

Summary:

While Yuuko and the others spend their time at the shop as usual, a young girl enters without really knowing why she has. As Yuuko states that this was destiny as usual, Watanuki notices that the girl is wearing his school’s uniform. While speaking alone with Yuuko, the girl expresses that she has become afraid of her house. She states that she can hear things when she is seemingly alone, making Watanuki wonder if she is referring to ayakashi or ghosts. Yuuko guesses that it would be fine as long as the girl stopped becoming afraid of her home, presenting a bell to her. When Watanuki discusses this with Himawari at school later, Doumeki appears to imply his belief that the bell may be used as a charm to drive away spirits. Watanuki takes the chance to ask if Himawari would eat lunch with him afterwards, but she tells him that she will be eating sandwiches with others. Watanuki again feels a pain in his finger after she leaves, resulting in him spilling the tea container that he received from Doumeki. Of course, this makes him recall the worries he had about this before.

On the way home, Watanuki sees the girl from earlier enter Yuuko’s shop again. In a panic, the girl tells Yuuko that wearing the bell only made the sounds she heard even louder. In response, however, Yuuko only presents the girl with another strap containing two bells. The girl and Watanuki are not sure of this decision, but Yuuko reminds them that the girl’s wish was to stop being afraid of her house. Watanuki sees the girl sitting outside at school later while walking with Himawari, confirming that she was one of the school’s students. The girl again visits the shop later, however, extremely angry this time. In response to her statement that the bells have not been working, however, Yuuko only gives her more bells. Despite the girl believing that the bells are only making things worse, she continues to come each day to receive more bells from Yuuko. The girl continues to be frustrated with each visit, but Yuuko only reminds her that her wish was to stop being afraid of her home.

Watanuki wonders if there are any better ways to deal with the girl’s problem, but Yuuko denies. In fact, she guesses that the end would be soon. That night, Watanuki again encounter’s Doumeki’s grandfather. Realizing that they haven’t exchanged names yet, Watanuki attempts to introduce himself. However, he finds that Doumeki’s grandfather already knows his name. Doumeki’s grandfather then introduces himself as Haruka, wishing that Watanuki would call him by that name. After hearing about the girl and the bells, Haruka wonders if Watanuki would like to check on her. Watanuki is surprised when they instantly appear in the girl’s room, but Haruka explains that they are within a dream. When the girl wakes up, she starts to reach for the bells on the table next to her. She accidentally falls over, however, resulting in sounds coming from the outside of her door. When the door opens, Watanuki sees a man enter to check the room. The girl, on the other hand, cannot see him. When the girl starts to shake the bells in her possession, the man’s wife enters to express her panic. In the meantime, the girl fears the movements in the room created by the couple. The man mentions to his wife that an exorcist would come the next day, making Watanuki realize the situation as he wakes in his own bed.

At school the next day, Watanuki points out the girl again to Himawari. However, he realizes that Himawari was looking at another girl when he mentioned her previously. This makes him further realize that he is the only one who can see the girl. Afterwards, Watanuki hears about the television program that Kohane has been participating in again. This makes him learn of the recent talk of an exorcism, something else that he had no knowledge of. When Watanuki reaches the shop that night, he sees the horribly altered images of Kohane on the internet. Yuuko interrupts him afterwards, so he takes the chance to ask about the girl. Yuuko reminds him that it was the night of the exorcism, making Watanuki realize that it was actually the girl who did not belong in the house. Yuuko reminds him that the girl’s wish to stop being afraid of her house, and by leaving it, her wish was granted. Watanuki still worries about the actions Yuuko took, but this only makes her mention that Watanuki has changed a bit. As a last word, Yuuko states her belief that Watanuki would do his best from here on as well.

Preview: Kohane and her new bondage style.

Impression:

So yea, this post is pretty late. I wasn’t willing to watch the bad raws when they came out, and by the time I got a good one, my schedule was already all over the place because of work and the such. I’m sure most of you have already gotten all the coverage you want from Garten or Aroduc, but I decided to do full coverage on the episode anyways. That’s just how much I love this show. This week’s episode focused on a ghost story, one that I actually didn’t like that much in the manga. I will have to say that the animated version did make me like it a lot more though. I think it’s all in presentation, since in the manga, I was just confused during the scene in the girl’s room. As I mentioned previously, I also think the anime adds so much more of an atmosphere to the stories. Then again, I am very biased in that I watch a lot more anime than I read manga.

Even though this season has seemingly been less episodic than the previous, I always love seeing the different experiences Watanuki has with those who visit Yuuko’s shop. Although I’m not sure if this arc presented any solid themes, it was an interesting story. Some of the more fascinating parts would still have to be those where Watanuki speaks with Haruka though. I can’t wait to see what kind of other roles he will be playing in the future. Other things to note in this episode would probably be grey silhouettes (maybe not my favorite way too see unimportant characters presented), Yuuko’s pc drawing skills, google, and the girls who lept through time. There was some Yuuko service for those who are in to that too. I thought it was fun to see her changing outfits each time the girl visited! Next week looks to be skipping to some more of Kohane’s story. It should definitely be a treat.

Pinky promise!

Summary:

Watanuki is forced to pump water for Yuuko and the others who are enjoying their cool summer day. He complains as usual, but is interrupted when the Neko Musume falls from the sky on top of him. The Neko Musume quickly asks Yuuko for a favor, presenting an egg to her in exchange. Of course, Watanuki is put up to the task. Watanuki soon follows the Neko Musume to a location to draw water for her, but he is surprised when she points out that it is within a home’s boundaries. Before Watanuki begins to draw water from the well inside, he looks up to see a person seemingly looking down at him. He first fears that he has been found, but then suspects that he and the Neko Musume have not been seen. When Watanuki returns to Yuuko, he expresses how surprisingly difficult it was to carry the water back. Yuuko sees that Watanuki has been troubled, so she has him explain to her what had happened. She wonders if Watanuki had called out to the person he saw, but he is unable to give a solid answer. Yuuko soon tells Watanuki to obtain even more water, so he then wonders if there is anyone who could help him.

It turns out that Doumeki is the only one available to assist Watanuki, so he accompanies him to the house the next day. The Neko Musume also follows, and when Watanuki asks why, she states that she is interested in something. When the group reaches the well again, Watanuki again notices the woman watching him from above. He finds it strange that she is still in the same spot, and is even more bewildered when he sees that she is wearing clothes that usually wouldn’t be worn in the summer. Watanuki has Doumeki confirm that the woman is not a spirit, but he still has a cold feeling when he observes her. After drawing the water, Watanuki notices something within the well. He puts it off as nothing, however, before returning with Doumeki. When Watanuki and Doumeki talk with Himawari at school the next day, Doumeki finally expresses that he feels as if the woman they saw was familiar to him. When Watanuki speaks with Yuuko again that night about the woman, she only observes Watanuki as he puts it off as nothing again.

Himawari asks if Watanuki would walk home with him after school the next day, but he denies because he must draw more water for Yuuko. When Watanuki denies Himawari’s help, she only has him promise to her that he would not push himself. The two share a pinky promise, but Watanuki notices something strange when they touch. When Watanuki and Doumeki travel to draw water again that night, the Neko Musume suggests that this would probably be the last time. Watanuki finishes drawing water, but a pain in his finger makes him lose one of the cloths that covered the water containers. When the cloth flies into the room where the woman is, he suggests that they should probably get it back. Watanuki and Doumeki attempt to ring the doorbell to the house, but they find that no one answers. Finding that the door is actually open, the two decide to enter the house. In the meantime, the Neko Musume looks into the water well to see that her predictions were correct.

Watanuki is put in fright as he and Doumeki walk through the household, and he wonders how anyone could live in such conditions while looking around. He loses Doumeki because of the dark for a moment, but when they meet again, they travel upstairs to the woman’s room. When the two finally see the woman, the wind knocks her over. As she isn’t moving at all, Watanuki suspects that she was a doll all along. Yuuko suddenly appears, however, suspecting that Watanuki is a bit wrong. When she tells Doumeki to explain, he expresses that he has seen this type of body many times in his childhood. The woman was, in fact, a corpse. Watanuki is unable to believe that a corpse could look at all like the woman does, but Doumeki explains what he had learned from his grandfather. Unlike in the past, people currently eat many foods with things such as preservatives in them. Because of this, the bodies to not degenerate as quickly and remain in such normal looking forms for quite awhile.

After learning of the true situation, Yuuko directs Watanuki’s attention to the Neko Musume who has finally been able to approach the now empty well. Inside was the body of a young cat. When Watanuki speaks with Yuuko later that night, she tells him that everything should have been taken care of when they contacted the police. He is still uneasy, however, as he felt even more worried than when seeing ayakashi while observing the woman. Yuuko wonders why Watanuki had entered the house to find out the woman’s true identity, so he tells her what had happened to his pinky when he lost the water container’s cloth. Yuuko makes Watanuki realize the connection this had with his promise with Himawari, but Mokona appears to interrupt before Watanuki can think about this any further. The Neko Musume approaches Yuuko when she is alone, thanking her about the kitten that they were able to retrieve earlier. Yuuko expresses that she had properly received the payment she needed, suspecting that the egg would be used in the future. The Neko Musume then wonders what is wrong with Watanuki’s finger, but Yuuko does not answer.

Preview: More haunting….now with bells!

Impression:

What an awesome episode. This was one of my favorite stories in the manga, but the anime made it better by adding an even more haunting atmosphere. When I look at this arc, I can only wonder what went through Clamp’s minds while creating it. When looking at xxxHolic, it almost seems like they grew up being big fans of ghost stories or something! Of course, I still believe that this series is the perfect one to touch on such themes. After hearing the explanation about the woman’s body in this episode, it just makes me look at what has happened to humans in this day and age. I honestly don’t know enough to say if what this episode presented was actually true, but it is certain that bodies are taking in much different things than they have in the past. It’s just simple things like this that make me think and enjoy slice of life stories even more.

Chiba Saeko returned as the Neko Musume in this episode, and it was a welcome addition to see her get more screen time. I’ve really been enjoying Chiba’s work recently, especially after shows like Nagasarete Airantou, Shugo Chara, and Shigofumi. Comments about the changes the made in this episode when compared to the manga will probably be brought up by others as well. Again, I can only see the additions as positive. I really love what is done in the adaptions, and it’s not as if Prod IG is just going crazy with it. Some will also notice the items this episode shared with the recent TRC: Tokyo Revalations OVA, but I’ll keep away from any spoilers. In other news, the OP single finally came out. I’ve been listening to it lots, even after already doing so with the PV. Shikao’s work is solid. Next week is another haunting-like story, though I probably don’t like it as much as this week’s.

Mahjong Legend Mokona

Summary:

On a wonderful spring day, Yuuko and the others visit Doumeki’s shrine to play mahjong. Watanuki is only confused as to why they are doing this, and even further confused when everyone around quickly beats him. As Watanuki does not know any of mahjong’s rules, Yuuko attempts to help him by offering many books on the subject. Only taking a look at one of the books, Watanuki starts to believe he has gotten a hang of the rules. When Watanuki finally plays a round of mahjong, he can still only wonder why everyone has gone out of the way to play. It turns out that Watanuki is still overwhelmed by the others when the tries to play, however, so he begins to read again. Watanuki’s mood is brightened when Himawari appears, though she had only come to return a book to Doumeki. After presenting the group with a cake and watching them play for awhile, Himawari returns home.

While the group continues to play, Mokona begins to take the lead. Watanuki, on the other hand, continues to be destroyed. Watanuki finally asks Yuuko again why they are playing mahjong, but she does not give him a clear answer. After a bit more playing, the Ame Warashi appears to scold Watanuki for his foolish moves. The Zashiki Warashi has also appeared, and when she reveals Watanuki’s hand, the group panics. Despite their worries, however, Watanuki is still unable to beat them. After this, the spirit from the sakura tree finally moves on. Yuuko reveals the calming effects the mahjong sounds had, as Watanuki expresses his belief that Kohane would be glad as well. That night afterwards, Yuuko has Watanuki prepare something for her at the current location. Alone with Yuuko, Doumeki recalls that the incantation he read was not enough to help the spirit move on. Yuuko assures him that she was probably still happy to hear it, as Doumeki goes to retrieve a payment of wine for Yuuko. As Yuuko raises a toast to the spirit who has now moved on, a lone sakura petal falls into her cup.

Preview: Activities of summer and a pinky promise.

Impression:

Wow, this almost felt like a Zetsubou Sensei episode with all the references! There was a Hatsune Miku one, Watanuki’s face shifting into Akagi’s, and Watanuki calling Mokona a “Kuro Manju” (which I thought was a subtle TRC reference). As I suspected from last week, this episode stretched the single mahjong chapter from the manga into a full episode. I can already see some fans complaining about this, but again, I’ve never really had a problem with it. xxxHolic “fillers” just don’t feel like fillers at all in my opinion. I enjoyed this episode to the fullest, and being able to see more of the Zashiki Warashi is always a welcome addition for me. I will say that I was probably as lost as Watanuki when it came to the mahjong rules though. I have always wanted to learn this game, but I’ve never gotten around to putting the time needed to do it. Even without knowing anything more than the basics though, I could easily laugh at the ridiculous build ups in this episode. The end of this episode was probably the most meaningful, as Yuuko finally revealed her way of helping the sakura tree’s spirit move on. xxxHolic is the perfect series to touch on such themes, and I still love this even after reading the chapter of the manga. Next week has the return of the neko musume, and one of my favorite story arcs.

Kohane.

Summary:

When Watanuki meets Doumeki in the morning, he prepares to taunt him about what he discovered the previous night. When Watanuki mentions his childhood, however, Doumeki simply recalls the fact that he wore a girl’s kimono. His grandfather had stated that it would help children who had weak bodies. Watanuki is disappointed at the calm reaction Doumeki has, and he continues to be frustrated when a big deal isn’t made over this during lunch with Himawari. After Doumeki mentions when his grandfather passed away, an image of an older man and a young girl passes through Himawari’s mind. While observing Himawari, Watanuki remembers the conversation he had with Yuuko earlier. Yuuko had questioned what Watanuki liked about Himawari, and he simply replied that everything about her was wonderful. When Yuuko questioned if this was really true, however, Watanuki was only lost for words. When Himawari gets Watanuki’s attention back in the present time, she mentions the recent television program that has been airing. In it, a young girl is said to be able to see ghosts and spirits. Himawari states that she enjoys such stories, but she also believes that it would be hard to those who are able to see spirits.

While Watanuki and Himawari walk home together, they come across a beautiful sakura tree. When Watanuki sees a young girl under the tree, he cannot help but be drawn to her. He is quickly interrupted by the girl’s mother, however, who does not wish for Watanuki or anyone else to get close to her child. To Watanuki’s confusion, the mother assumes that he has seen the television program that her daughter has been on. Before the mother leaves with the young girl, Watanuki notices that the girl’s words do not seem to be reaching out to her mother. As the girl passes by Watanuki, she mentions that he is not someone that does not understand. In the aftermath, Himawari reveals that the girl was the one from the television program she discussed earlier. When Watanuki mentions his meeting of this girl to Yuuko later, she correctly guesses what the girl said to him. When Yuuko asks what he thinks of her, Watanuki is only able to reply that he felt as if she was close to him. Yuuko finally tells Watanuki that the girl’s powers are real, leaving it up to Watanuki to decide what would happen next.

The next day at school, Watanuki is only able to have lunch with Doumeki. He mentions his annoyance as usual, but his attitude changes when Doumeki mentions that he was able to see the sakura tree and girl through Watanuki’s eye the previous day. In shock, Watanuki wonders if Doumeki was able to see any of the other supernatural occurrences that have happened while he has had the eye. Watanuki is confused when Doumeki hasn’t seen any of the dreams or ayakashi, but Doumeki guesses that it must depend on how Watanuki feels at the time. Later, Watanuki is able to meet the young girl again in the rain. When the girl sees him, she mentions that she felt like she wanted to meet him again. She also mentions that they are close, further stating that Watanuki can see what is above the sakura tree. In it is a woman’s spirit; one that the girl describes as being attached to the sakura tree that she enjoys. People believe that they should exorcise the spirit for the tree’s sake, but in reality, it is only because of the spirit that the tree is still able to live and bloom. When Watanuki realizes that the girl is pondering thoughts that he has also had in the past, he suggests that they do what they can.

When Watanuki and the girl reach Doumeki’s shrine, they see that the spirit has moved to the sakura trees around the area. After solving this problem, Watanuki requests to have the girl’s name. She finally introduces herself as Kohane, written as “small flower” or “May 7″. When Watanuki introduces himself as well, the two realize that their names are close as well. Before Kohane leaves, Watanuki hands her his umbrella to use. With this, Kohane would be able to return it when they met again. When Watanuki requests to call Kohane “Kohane-chan”, she mentions that it has been a long time since she has been called by her name. Doumeki meets Watanuki shortly afterwards, preparing him something to drink inside. Doumeki reveals that he was able to see the spirit through Watanuki’s eye as well, promising to have something done about it. Watanuki then asks Doumeki what his parents called him as a child, revealing that he was also called by his first name in the past. He is only able to remain troubled that Kohane has not been called by her name in a long time, even though her mother is still there. When Kohane reaches home, her mother frustratingly wonders where her daughter has been. When she learns that she went to the sakura tree, she states that they could have gone together. However, Kohane states that they are not together. Her mother is only there. As Kohane’s mother gets in an argument over the phone, Kohane returns to her barren room and clutches onto the umbrella she received from Watanuki.

Preview: I hope you’re ready for some mahjong.

Impression:

First of all, sorry this is a bit late (not that this is an extremely odd occurrence for me or anything). I was busy moving back home after finals, and I didn’t really have the energy to write afterwards. It feels great to be done with my first year, and this probably means I’ll have more freedom to write for the next four months. Anyways, this episode combined a few chapters that featured Kohane into one. I certainly enjoyed most everything in the episode, but I do have to say that some things did not come off the same way I imagined them to be while reading the manga. Kohane, for one, just doesn’t seem to speak or act the way I thought she would. It just feels like the voice work for her is too lifeless, even if this is how it’s meant to be portrayed. But eh, it’s something minor that I’ll quickly get used to. Like most characters in xxxHolic, Kohane brings a really great and true to life theme to the series. Kohane struggles with the responsibilities she has because of her abilities, without being able to know the love she should be getting from her mother. Her almost lifeless state is something I’m sure all of you have seen before. I really loved Watanuki’s talk with Doumeki towards the end of the episode, reminding us that the two have both been without guardians for quite awhile.

As far as the visuals for this episode go, I will have to say that some of them were hit or miss for me. The scenes dealing with Kohane and the sakura tree obviously stood out the most. I’m not sure if not showing all of the spirit’s body worked for me, but some of the scenes with the sakura blossoms really hit base with me. And for a change of pace, it seems like a lot of extra material will be added to the anime just as they did in the first season. I have no problem with this, but it seems like this was one of the most despised things by other people during the first season. The way I see it, it would be impossible to adapt the xxxHolic anime without doing so; especially when looking at how the chapters are structured. And while on the topic of the manga to anime adaption, there have been a lot of people wondering if there would be any Tsubasa Chronicles crossovers. Not that it isn’t possible, but I don’t think Production IG will do it. For the same reason some things cannot be done while adapting chapters into episodes, I just don’t think the sudden TRC character appearances will work in the anime. Both anime adaptions can probably be done without crossovers until the end anyways. The next episode looks like it will deal with playing mahjong for certain reasons. I would say why, but that would be a spoiler!