Ranked #181

xxxHOLiC

Prepare to be taken on a tour de force through the world of the supernatural. Or maybe just a regular tour. I wouldn't know. Having only recently experienced the genre of "supernatural" anime, xxxHOLiC (hereby referred to as simply "Holic") was a breath of fresh air from my usual action/fantasy fare.

The story behind Holic is intriguing and interesting, revolving around spirits, ghosts, and the very strange. Geared towards an older and more sophisticated audience, there's little action, but loads of thought-provoking and amazingly insightful dialogue. Holic is the kind of anime that gets your mind pumping about topics such as fate, destiny, and one's purpose in life. Plus, there's a side to it that makes statements about how people live and society in general. Not to mention that it's educational as well. Holic offers an insight into a part of Japanese culture that most people rarely see.

Concerning the plot, however, Holic is another anime that is driven by episodic events. There seems to be no real overall direction for the story. Normally, this would leave me feeling slightly cheated and unsatisfied, but after surviving through the likes of Ouran and the Wallflower, I've come to accept that the episodic plot system is a genre on its own and it's here to stay.

Unfortunately, a plot that doesn't know where it's going hurts any character development. The characters are well made, with their own distinct personalities, but stay relatively the same throughout the course of the plot. No one shows very much significant growth. Granted, everyone is wiser and better, having learned the lessons distributed throughout 24 episodes of madness. Perhaps that's the elusive character growth that I've been looking for?

In terms of artwork, the artistic foundations were laid down in the manga by the increasingly popular mangaka group CLAMP. And they've done a very good job. Yuuko's wardrobe is definitely something to pay attention to (ahem), and though everyone has ridiculously long arms, legs, and necks, it actually provides a sense of levity in a serious setting (that, and the alcoholism). Alas, there's a slight issue with the fact that only the characters important to the plot are actually drawn in. Any bodies that are only required to be "fillers" (like a bunch of random people at a supermarket) are not colored and lack faces. In my opinion, it has symbolic meaning, but it could also be attributed to pure laziness. Dunno which to choose.

Oh, and speaking of laziness, the sound was great. Loved the opening theme, but didn't really pay attention to the background music. Voice-acting was top notch, especially with all the high pitched and slightly unique voices coming from characters like Mokona, Maru, and Moro. That is all.

In the enjoyment section: I finished Holic in the space of a week, and indeed, I was completely hooked. I savored every bit of supernatural strangeness, and I'll be looking for more with the second season.

Finally, Holic certainly isn't unique, for there seems to be an ever-growing list of anime that deal with the supernatural, the occult, and just really weird stuff in general. But as a starter series for the newly-converted, it's definitely worth watching. read more

Funny, creepy, dark, interesting and clever. Those would be the words that could describe this anime.

It’s funny – thanks to Watanuki’s wild antics as well as Mokona’s drunkenness. Creepy – mostly because it scared the heck out of me sometimes (especially episode 10, 12 and 24). Dark, because it presents the world in a way that people rarely see. It’s interesting – you get hooked into it and you actually become an xxxHOLIC-holic. Finally, it’s clever because it doesn’t take the viewers for fools.

The characters are just great. Doumeki and Watanuki are yin and yang. They always seem to have this love-hate comedy routine wherein Doumeki says one thing then it annoys Watanuki right off the bat, then Himawari comments on how close they are. I also like Yuuko. I am always amazed by her wisdom and how she takes on her job. I think the concept of just compensation in something other than money is very clever. I like her here more, instead of the Yuuko from TRC. The black Mokona cracks me up as well even though I’m a tad bothered that he’s not as well mannered as the white Mokona.

Production IG’s work was a bit interesting. The visuals seemed off to me sometimes, but there’s something about it that keeps me watching. I didn’t like the colors though, since most of it was concentrated on the main characters/elements. The background elements seemed a bit dull sometimes. I did like the demon parade episode, because the scenes were more vivid than usual. As expected of CLAMP, the characters have slightly deformed body types and tall and stringy characters. I guess it’s what separates them from others.

I’m not familiar too with the three main seiyuu, but I think they did a splendid job. Jun Fukuyama was very entertaining as Watanuki. Sayaka Ohara’s mature, sultry and womanly voice fit Yuuko’s personality really well and Kazuya Nakai’s voice was also well suited to Doumeki’s character. Of course, Mika Kikuchi was very entertaining as Mokona as well.

The music was very much like the plot – a bit dark, but contemporary. I like the catchy opening theme (19sai), the cutesy first ending theme (Reason), and the j-rock second ending theme (Kagerou). The BGM really helped in making things a lot more creepier too.

I’m really glad that I found the time to watch the series. I have to say that this is my favorite CLAMP series by far – mostly because the CLAMP series I’ve seen haven’t impressed me as much as xxxHOLIC. I’ll end this review with Yuuko’s words that resonated throughout the series – There is no such thing as coincidence in this world. There is only the inevitable. read more

xxxHOLiC, is a project of the famed group CLAMP. Let's begin the reviews ne

Story
- xxxHOLiC is about the daily lives of Watanuki and Yuuko. Two characters whos fate has intertwined. xxxHOLiC is a collection of different strange yet interesting stories which happens to produce a happy ending on every episode. One particular viewer would learn something from the episodes of xxxHOLiC. It's about the mistake of humans and the solution to them were given by the main character "Yuuko". I'd say that some episodes were mediocre but interesting enough.

Art
- Production IG was involved, judging the fact that this anime were made in the year 2006, I'd say that the animation is somewhat outdated. I'm not saying that it is that bad, it's just that there's nothing special about the animation. The characters stays on their intentionally deformed shape. It's not that bad really.

Sound
- I like the BGM used in this anime. It is ingeniously used in every episode and fits the whole episode inside out. The group behind the BGM is SENS project and they're really good. They really did portray the word "Mysterious" in their works and it is really notable. Some scores were relaxing, one track I liked is shizuka na hibi. The OP is good and the ED "Reason" is love XDD. Everyone would enjoy listening to the music used in xxxHOLiC.

Character
-There are different characters with different situations. Most of the characters bears different sins and after they consult Yuuko, they seem to vanish for Yuuko grants their wish to cleanse their sins and live normally. One would relate to one or two characters or even more in xxxHOLiC. In short, xxxHOLiC portrays the problems of today and how to solve them, this is one factor that I've noticed and cherished most. That's why I gave it this score.

Enjoyment
-It's enjoyable and relaxing. Although there are some scary episodes, it's not like you'll brood and will never sleep about it, the scare factor here is mild don't worry. This anime will relax you and you'll learn different lessons about life, sins and the pain they bring.

Overall
-The second season is coming out, what are you waiting for? grab xxxHOLiC. It's worth your time and I hope you will enjoy this anime just like I did. read more

Oh CLAMP! I’ve always loved their works; there is (albeit, sometimes misguided) sincerity in their stories that many other anime/manga can’t quite manage. An example of this is in the second episode that revolved around a girl with a pinky problem. It is revealed that it’s not mere limb stiffness, because to Yuuko and Watanuki, they see that she has a trail of black smoke coming out from her finger. The episode goes to reveal what the black smoke is about and the type of life this girl leads. There is obvious social commentary going on, and in a very CLAMP-esque way, rather than any form of judgement, it is simply an observation into human behaviour and how people cope with living.

The art style was something I had to get used to. Everyone in xxxHOLiC has tremendously long limbs, which makes them really tall. I guess it makes it stand out compared to other more glossy, better-proportioned anime series out there. It’s pretty amusing how bosomy Yuuko is and how some of her many costumes shows it off off quite unabashedly. :P

As for characters, I really don’t care for Watanuki too much. He’s always so neurotic and prone to making a ruckus over the smallest things. However, as the main character, he gets the most character development, so that does make him difficult to hate. The other characters are prone to be kind of one-dimensional and can be summed up with a sentence. Watanuki’s love interest is cute, pretty and sweet and his rival/friend is stoic, dependable and more silent than not. I guess my favourite character is definitely Yuuko. While she doesn’t vary much from polarising from being mysterious and thoughtful, to being a spontaneous drunk, the former quality makes her very interesting. Character exploration is not too big in xxxHOLiC, but if you don’t mind the existing, albeit archetypal, character types, then it shouldn’t be a problem.

CLAMP’s attempt at humour works at times but it’s not a consistent thing. I personally don’t find it very funny whenever Watanuki gets all slapstickishly angry about something, but at times it does surprise me with how funny and adorable some of the characters are at times. But if you’re looking for consistent humour, this anime probably would not fit the bill.

xxxHOLiC is great if you want a well-paced, episodic anime that has somewhat of a focus on exploring social phenomena and human behaviour through a fate/destiny, supernatural light. Sometimes touching, often spooky, kooky and clever. Each episode, while it may not be gripping plot-wise, is one that leaves you wondering what the next episode would be about. read more

On the technical side of things, I have many bones to pick with the art and animation here. Actually there are too many bones to pick out on these spaghetti people, who I feel like I could easily snap across my thumb if I ever pat them on the back, even the supernaturally voluptuous Yuuko. Seriously, that woman should have SPINAL PROBLEMS with a rack of that magnitude on that beanpole, and throughout the entire series’ run, I never got used to the tiny-headed, long-bodied creatures they call people in this show, or the way they move either. Really fluid animation could have compensated for this bizarre art style, maybe even made it really cool, but the animation here is middling at best, and oftentimes slips into shaky and poor. It’s just unsettling.

The music is wickedly haunting and appropriate, and compensates for the limited animation well in some episodes where it’s dearly needed. Actually, the music is pretty top-tier, especially when the mood calls for SCARY!

The dub is actually easier on the ears than the original Japanese and this is mostly due to the soothing liquidity in Yuuko and Doumeki’s voicework. It was wise of them to play their characters so rich and low, because Watanuki is the most incredibly annoying little goober I’ve ever heard. I’m not saying the acting is bad, because Watanuki’s clearly supposed to reach that ungodly level of spastic that he does and sometimes it’s really funny, but MORE often, oh gosh, I just want to send him to that little internment camp in Japan where they keep all the School Rumble characters so they can whip him into shape. Still, there’s no big difference between the language tracks, so preferences will just split where they always do. Oh, one of these days I’ll get to slam some bad voice acting…but not yet.

This series really isn’t bad for wasting time on, but the fact that I have to use the word “wasting” probably indicates how original or striking it is. Most of the adventures of Yuuko and company are underwhelming and talky enough to turn a two minute neat idea into a twenty minute “what the heck was that?” Let’s just say that Yuuko has a very particular way of looking at the world, and her routine cautionary speeches can become grating at best, and childishly elementary or just plain stupid in a pretty package at worst. Occasionally, Yuuko would state some grand moral that REALLY rubbed me the wrong way, and given how much she has to say, I imagine that this will be the case for most viewers at one point or another.

Mixed in with all these middling ideas, there are a few glowing gems, though, I can’t deny that. Episodes involving a snowball fight where the snowmen do the battling, and a shoutout episode to the famous short story, “The Monkey’s Paw,” are a few among them. Still, I’m talking roughly an eighth of the episodes are really memorable. xxxHolic relies far too much on these tired platitudes and more tired running gags like Yuuko always being drunk and/or hung over and Watanuki going off on Doumeki like a pasty-white cherry bomb.

It’s a shame because we really want to know more about Watanuki’s gift and what it has to do with the death of his parents, his friendship with Doumeki, and most importantly, his “destined” servitude to Yuuko. It’s something that is constantly foreshadowed but never revealed to even the smallest extent, in favor of more Hogwarts-esque hijinks. Sometimes all an episode will have going for it is a fun little reference to one of CLAMP’s many other series, and if that’s a draw, you know you’re in trouble story-wise.

So, while there’s fun to be had, the basic fact is that everything xxxHolic attempts, the style and the spirit, or spirits, if you wanna get all punny, has been done much better in different shows with higher budgets. (Kino’s Journey, Mushi-Shi, Galaxy Express 999) As such, while not at all bad, this is the first show I’ve reviewed that I can’t honestly recommend. It’s tearfully AVERAGE in every way possible. A ghost, if you will, of what it seems to promise.

All in all, xxxHolic leaps out as visually strange and narratively exciting, but it’s a hollow façade hiding a frequently boring show.

*THIS IS A PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF MY VIDEO REVIEW WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEJMlYfyErY

Thanks for reading! read more

xxxHolic is a 26-episode anime series produced by TBS and Production I.G. and is based on the CLAMP manga of the same name. It's a highly exciting and delightful anime, and will offer the viewer a different side of the CLAMP franchise.
The art of the anime is superlative. It takes time to get adjusted to the slightly unconventional art, but one soon gets used to it. Additionally, every character except the lead characters is not clearly drawn; rather, you get gray silhouettes which serve to further accentuate the lead characters’ behavior.
The lead characters themselves are very-well conceived of. Their physical structure embodies their traits, and gives us a sense of something slightly off from the real world.
That said the story is eerily un-CLAMP-like. There are not many happy endings, just enough to get the reader hooked. Most times, the evildoer gets a punishment for what he has done, in a way that serves to hold his crime up to the moral judgment of the viewer. But the damage is not restricted; sometimes, even the person who is nearby or a family member also gets mixed up. The story at times seems so real-life that one has to literally shake his illusions away. Several philosophical issues are treated with such deftness that even the hardiest Sophist would be hard put to deny their efficacy on the viewer’s mind.
The character conceptualization is a work of pure finesse, characteristic of I.G. works. Watanuki is a deep study in psychology, Yuuko Ichihara is one of the charismatic philosophers ever seen in anime, and both Domeki and Himawari depict two sides of the human animal: the strong, disbelieving side, and the believer inside every one of us. Maru and Moro, as well as the irritably cute Mokona, serve to lighten the viewer’s concentration with a dash of well-placed humor. Additional characters, such as the incredibly likable Vestal, and the hoity-toity Rain Sprite, also attract the viewer’s affection or irritation: an altogether natural reaction that all anime hopes for.
The music for the show is great. The OP, Suga Shikao’s 19sai, is a foot-tapping number (and my flagship song, hee hee). Its tight vocals and awesome accompaniments will make it an effortless climber on your playlist for sure. The EDs are similarly awesome; the first one, Reason by Fonogenico, will bring out the goofy side of you, while the second ED, Kagerou by BUCK-TICK, is a great listen, well-assisted by the credit scene, where we see Maru and Moro playing air guitar.
So, in conclusion, who do I recommend to? All the seriously concerned folks out there, for starters. Here many sensitive and basic ethical problems are treated with a delicacy and sophistry that’ll probably satisfy all your dreams of being philosophers. Secondly, all you guys who like the fables and myths of Japan should check it out; these abound in the anime. Thirdly, I’d recommend this anime to all those who enjoyed Ghost in the Shell and its beautiful leading lady; I assure you, Yuuko Ichihara is eminently suitable for your appreciation as well.
But that’s of course just a suggestion. All are welcome to see this funny yet serious, hysterical yet humbling view of men and their conception of their true worth in the world.
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Its possibly the BEST anime i'v ever seen.

It combines fun and adventures, but it also has an aura of seruisness around every episode.

I never saw an anime that had a better script than this one, and there wasen't even a second that I thought of anything else while watching this anime.

The art isen't the level you would expect for an anime of this rank to be, but even though it lookes kind of chieldish, I would like to see you find an anime that can give such a story with such an atmosphere with this art.

I labeled it as Holy. You should too.

The anime interpretation of CLAMP's story "xxxHolic" is a marvelously witty and stylishly animated look into the old saying, "Be careful of what you wish for, because you might get it." High school student Watanuki is not much different from most other guys his age. He just wants to outdo his rival Doumeki, and to win the affection of a pretty girl named Himawari who is in his class. But the "difference" in Watanuki is a bit more "different" than normal, because Watanuki attracts and can see spirits, but he can't keep them from bothering him.

This "attraction" eventually brings Watanuki to the very mysterious house/shop of an agelessly beautiful witch named Yuuko, who grants wishes for a price. Yuuko takes a fancy to Watanuki and offers to eventually rid him of his problem, but for the price of having Watanuki become an unpaid servant in Yuuko's very strange household. Watanuki very quickly learns that there are many things in the world that are much stranger than the spirits that pester him, as he gains both an education in life, and an odd sort of "family" to replace the one that he doesn't have.

The "xxxHolic" anime excels at mixing humor, horror, romance and pathos in surprising doses and patterns. The cast of characters are likeable and intriguing, and the stories skillfully reiterate classical morality tales. Add to this a very enjoyable sound track and theme songs, and the result is a series that is memorable and demands re-watching.
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XXXholic is one truly amazing anime show and its one of Clamps finest works yet but clamps work just gets better and better with each one they do.

The characters are very lovable and the way only the characters relevant to each story are give full detail so you only focus on those characters.

The artwork is stunning and works well for the show. The English voice actors are very well chosen and Todd Haberkorn was a very good choice for Watanuki. Colleen Clinkenbeard as Yuuko is also a very good choice as she fits the character very well.

The music choice is very good the opening and closing songs are very good and suite the show well. Also the show is full of interesting little words of wisdom like little fortune cookie moments.

A truly great show anyone should love this show. read more

Your typical supernatural anime but this one lacks adventure and initiative although there are some few good psychological epsiodes but still lacks a good point for a story..

The Characters:

**The Hot Bitchy Witch-
All she does all day is grant wishes, though there are some good "Morals" that come out of it from the ones she grants wishes from.

**The Nerdy, Manbitch
A Very annoying character that i don't believe he deserve the the role as the main-character.. He shouts too much like a girl and acts all goofy especially around his cool rival and his crush on this girl whom he even don't have the guts to confess to.

**The Cool,Calm Quiet Kid-
This one should be the Hero of this anime.. He acts cool,calm, knows how to fight and not scower in the corner like a trapped animal and is the "BODYGUARD" of Watanuki (the looser-boy) since watanuki can't even freagin defend himself from his monsters, Watanuki relies on him regretfully and angrily since he sees him as a competition to his crush.

END. read more