Spotlight Character: Kimihiro Watanuki (xxxHOLiC) MAL Character Information Page: Kimihiro Watanuki MAL Favorites: 275 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with Kimihiro discuss what they think makes him an exceptional character. What attributes make him stand out in the ocean of interesting characters that exist in the realms of anime and manga. Unlike the other two subjects I will not force this conversation to fall into any set structure. Characters that are nominated typically get here because they are adept at breaking the existing character molds and defying definition. Because of this freedom I encourage everyone to do their very best to stay on topic and keep any and all debate civil. Have fun and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about this character. RESULTS OF THE "YOU DECIDE" POLL Kimihiro Watanuki did NOT get inducted into the club Character list: 06 Yes - 06.98% 37 No - 43.02% 43 I don't know this Character - 50.00% |
BlackMagicNov 10, 2008 8:45 AM
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| I'm not familiar with this character. |
| One of my least favorite main characters of all time. Does anyone in their right mind go into love-frenzy-mode every time they see someone, and then immediately switch to rage-mode every time they see another person? No. That's so screwed up, there's not even a mental disorder that even begins to cover it. It's a terrible plot device that might get five-year-olds to laugh the first time. But even five-year-olds would want to take a blow torch to their brain after seeing the same gag used over and over in nearly EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. His character development is morbidly slow. I felt like the entire first season might as well not have happened, because Watanuki in the last few episodes is almost identical to the Watanuki of the first few episodes. He treats everyone the same way, he has the same kinds of problems, and he has the same outlook on life. The second season is a little bit better, but still - How can a character who barely develops at all over the course of 24 episodes be considered exemplary? To top it off, you have CLAMP's horrible, horrible character design. Anorexia and Noodle-Limbs are not stylish. Particularly when you flail those limbs around enough to make Lelouch look like he's made of stone. 3/10 - For occasionally managing to not be completely retarded (The Spider arc in xxxHolic - kei) |
| I am one of the few who doesn't hate Watanuki but even so I'm generally indifferent toward him. Fairly generic personality. 5/10 |
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naikou said: One of my least favorite main characters of all time. Does anyone in their right mind go into love-frenzy-mode every time they see someone, and then immediately switch to rage-mode every time they see another person? No. That's so screwed up, there's not even a mental disorder that even begins to cover it. It's a terrible plot device that might get five-year-olds to laugh the first time. But even five-year-olds would want to take a blow torch to their brain after seeing the same gag used over and over in nearly EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. His character development is morbidly slow. I felt like the entire first season might as well not have happened, because Watanuki in the last few episodes is almost identical to the Watanuki of the first few episodes. He treats everyone the same way, he has the same kinds of problems, and he has the same outlook on life. The second season is a little bit better, but still - How can a character who barely develops at all over the course of 24 episodes be considered exemplary? To top it off, you have CLAMP's horrible, horrible character design. Anorexia and Noodle-Limbs are not stylish. Particularly when you flail those limbs around enough to make Lelouch look like he's made of stone. 3/10 - For occasionally managing to not be completely retarded (The Spider arc in xxxHolic - kei) I couldn't have put it better myself. I would have enjoyed xxxHOLiC a lot more if they'd just toned him down a little, or at least had him learn from his mistakes. His mood swings, weren't funny the first time, and they were even more trying by episode 3. Imagine how I felt by the end ofthe series. I've yet to see another character that has had so many great opportunities for development, but has used none of them. He's exactly the same at the end of the series as he was at the beginning. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
| I like him, and i also like how he's always teased by Yuuko. 7/10. |
| i dont think he has enough balls XD but its a good guy with makes me laugh so 7/10 |
| I wouldn't vote him in because he's not exactly at the height of well-developed or complicated characters... but he's cute and funny, so he still gets a 7/10. |
| They definitely exacerbate his spazziness in the anime compared to the manga (where while it still happens, it doesn't happen as often or as excessively), so that doesn't help matters. And he does grow slowly as he works for Yuko, associating with people he otherwise would not have met otherwise and coming to terms with the rare ability that he has and the consequences that occur because of it. But it's nothing new. |
 Drastic My Anime Blog - My anime blog. :3 |
| Wow, all the hate... What a shame for one of my favorite characters ever. :( (Forgive me if I go in circles to get all my thoughts out, I'm a terrible writer.) Watanuki is one of a kind for me. Both of his parents died when he was young, so he basically lived alone his whole life, which basically led him to procure the abilities of cooking and cleaning and all the other housework that he's well known for. He has been plagued by spirits his whole life because they are attracted to him, and he desperately wants to get rid of them, thus leading to him striking up a deal to work for Yuuko as long as the spirits are kept away from him. Watanuki is a person who prefers to hide his real emotions by exaggerating them around the people he is close with, so that way they do not see what he is really feeling. He treats everyone else with formality. He is a very caring and kind person, but because of his lack of self worth, this leads him to constantly giving aid to others at the possible cost of his own wellbeing, or even life. His most well known action for this is when he sacrificed his right eye in order to save Doumeki's eye, but when he realized that all he had done was hurt Doumeki's feelings instead, because Doumeki did NOT want Watanuki to disvalue himself, Watanuki began to finally accept that he should start to value himself, especially if he does not want to hurt those that he is close to. (also, see Watanuki protecting Kohane from her mother.) Two (of many, but these two stuck out the most) scenes with Watanuki made cry. Yuuko, who we all (hopefully) know, is a very mysterious aloof person who basically orders Watanuki around like a dog. However, in one chapter, Watanuki seriously asks her if there is any way he could grant a wish of her own. The other scene that made me cry is when Doumeki spoke a flashback about how Watanuki had found a dead animal and Watanuki claimed that he would die alone, just like the animal had. I felt sooo incredibly sad for Watanuki, who you really never see as a depressed person in the manga/anime, because he is always trying to hide his feelings so he does not worry others. My most favorite thing about Watanuki is his relationship with Doumeki. He HATED Doumeki when they first met, even though Doumeki is there to keep the spirits away, but yet eventually Watanuki began to accept the fact that Doumeki was NOT GOING TO LEAVE HIM. I was very pleased when Watanuki voluntarily went to Doumeki's house, spoke calmly to him, and also made him some food without complaint. I feel that Watanuki had really matured and has finally accepted that there are people who care about him and that he will never be alone. Overall, Watanuki is a comical relief whose feelings and kindness run so deep that people often mistake him JUST for comical relief, when that is just his mask to keep others away. Watanuki is also voiced by Jun Fukuyama in the anime, which I think is Jun's best role EVER. SPOILERS, DO NOT READ IF YOU AREN'T CAUGHT UP WITH XXXHOLIC MANGA |
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