Alternative TitlesSynonyms: xxxHolic Rou, xxxHolic Cage, xxxHolic•Rou, Holic Japanese: xxxHolic•籠
Information
Type: Manga
Volumes: 19
Chapters: 213
Status: Finished
Published: Feb 24, 2003 to Feb 2011
StatisticsScore: 8.451 (scored by 12978 users)
Ranked: #1692
Popularity: #23
Members: 22,943
Favorites: 2,638 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
clamp comedy fantasy magic mystery supernatural |
SynopsisXXXHolic is a supernatural/comedy themed manga/anime that is apart of the CLAMP series. It is one of the more popular of the CLAMP series and often shows other CLAMP series being mentioned (ex. Chobits, Sakura Chronicles).
It revolves around a boy named Watanuki and how he stumbled upon a shop owned by a woman named Yuuko. Yuuko's power is to grant wishes, but she can only do so with proper payment. Since Watanuki has seen spirits ever since he was born, Yuuko offers to take away his sight of the spirits in exchange for him working at the shop. He agrees and works at the shop until his debt is repaid.
(Source: xxxHolic Wikia)
The series was re-named to xxxHolic•Rou on the title pages of each chapter from chapter 186 and on, but remains ×××Holic on the front covers, spines and indicias of the corresponding Japanese volumes (16 and 17).
A oneshot published in May 2010 to commemorate the switch was later collected into Volume 18. |
Related MangaAdaptation: xxxHOLiC, xxxHOLiC Kei, xxxHOLiC Shunmuki, , xxxHOLiC Rou
Other: K-Dash, Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE
Spin-off: Horitsuba Gakuen, Soel to Larg: Mokona=Modoki no Bouken
Side story: xxxHOLiC: AnotherHOLiC
Reviews
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Aeterna
51 of 65 people found this review helpful
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171 of 213 chapters read
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Art |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
xxxHolic is a series that ties in quite closely with Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, but for the most part, you don't really need to read TRC in order to understand xxxHolic until you get to about volume 11 or 12. Once you get to that point, though, the two series get heavily intertwined with each other so it might be a good idea to read TRC, anyway, so you don't end up reading 100+ chapters in one go like I did in order to understand what was going on in xxxHolic...Even so, it's interesting just to see where the two plots meet and how one thing that happens in one story makes an impact on what happens in the other.
The story begins quite simply, and for the first bit, the story arcs are somewhat episodic - Yuuko gets a customer, Watanuki gets involved, something happens, and the issue is resolved for better or for worse. At the same time, however, little by little, more is revealed about the big underlying plot and about each character. On the surface, everyone is one way but underneath, you find that there's much more to them than originally thought. And reading back on the older chapters, it's clear that the hints were all there. In typical CLAMP fashion, however, once something is revealed, it seems to be even more complicated and confusing than before, but gradually, things become untangled. Nevertheless, be prepared for some confusion.
Once you get into the main storyline, the plot really shoots forward. There are still a couple pacing issues since, even when there's a big revelation, the story seems to revert back to another normal story arc like before. To me, anyway, it was a little jolting. However, the story is always interesting and you can really see how the story unfolds, slowly but surely, and it's interesting to see how each story arc changes the characters and allows them to mature - and it is this theme that I see recurring through each arc.
Which brings me to the characters! xxxHolic enjoys a relatively small yet diverse cast. Here, you won't have to memorize two or three dozen names like in some other series. Instead, you have your main characters - Watanuki, Yuuko, and Doumeki - and then a handful of recurring characters. At first, they all seem to be somewhat stock-type characters, but like I said, there is more to them than originally thought, and as the story unfolds, they grow and mature. And interestingly, even Watanuki's positive traits are turned against him and he is forced to question his motives and his decisions, and he matured as a result. Ichihara Yuuko, the enigmatic Time-Space Witch, is perhaps one of CLAMP's best creations yet. She's as full of mysteries as she is of laughs, yet at the same time, she's realistic and human (seen more towards the later developments in the series). Despite being one of the most powerful characters in the CLAMP universe, she has her limits and vices like anyone else.
The art, like any of CLAMP's works, is simple yet detailed. There are little to no screentones, and CLAMP makes good use of the contrast between black and white. Yet, at the same time, their designs are something to be marvelled at. Yuuko only has perhaps two outfits that she's worn more than once (always at key points of the story), and even Watanuki once notes when she's worn the same thing before. However, CLAMP does seem to be going through a tall-and-lanky-character phase (they've always had tall and thin characters, but they've recently gone into extremes if you compare it to their past works). It takes a bit of time to adjust to, but once you do, you can really appreciate the detail they put into everything.
Overall, xxxHolic is one of my favourite series to date. Its themes are quite mature and there is much to be thought about and explored here. For example, one of the big questions raised early in the series was about fate and destiny - is our path laid out for us when we are born, or do we carve our own path? However, I'll leave the exloration of themes up to you. While the plot, at times, leaves something to be desired, it's still very enjoyable. To me, xxxHolic is like a deep pit of mysteries just waiting to be explored, and watching the mysteries - and their answers - unfold is somehow very satisfying. Yet, even as these mysteries are explored, more questions come up, leading the reader even further into the story.
So, give it a try. I'd definitely recommend this story, especially if you've liked some of CLAMP's other works. read more
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zethras
9 of 13 people found this review helpful
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213 chapters
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Art |
8 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
xxxHolic is a pritty good manga and one of the masterpieces of Clamp. That said, everyone that is a fan of Clamp, should know and should be reading this manga. For the rest of the community of readers out there, like me, should give it a try to see if this manga is your taste, even if you dont like Tsubasa Chronicle. This manga shows a different perspective of Tsubasa Chronicle. Therefore, you will see characters showing up in this manga once in a while.
The main story goes around a shop that grants your wish in exchange of something. And everyone that has a wish will be able to enter to this shop. It may look simple but its very complicated. Simple as, if your wish is big then the price will be huge. And complicated as, your wish not always goes as you plan it to and sometimes if you dont realize whats happening, then it will turn very ugly. Moreover, every wish comes with some consequence and responsibility. The manga starts slow trying to explain important aspects such as having a name, destiny, wishes, and change. The story gets very complicated as the story progress and it is easy to notice that
If anyone have seen Clamp's manga, like Sakura cardcapter, then you already know how the art/drawing is. My interpretation of Clamp art is that they make it very elegant and sometimes way to elegant with flashy, puffy, good looking art. Of course, this is mainly for girls and teenagers.
The characters are very well made. Each character is special and has its own qualities. Watanuki is the main character of this manga. Even though he doesnt know it, he is part of something big, as you may have notice from the clues and words from Yuuko that made you wonder whats happening behind the scenes.
Overall, I should say that this manga is great, but I get the feeling that its to classic or its easy to predict the ending (maybe I am reading to much mangas this days).
Oh, btw, if you really liked it, give a try at Tsubasa Chronicles to fully understand what is happening.
I hope you enjoy it and fall in love with Yuuko, hahah... read more
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If you're reading xxxHOLiC or Tsubasa but not the other series then you are missing out on part of the story. They are connected so you have to buy not just one series, but two! As they are both created by CLAMP they have a very similar style. xxxHOLiC is more focused on the supernatural stort stories which prop up main character development while Tsubasa is more character driven as the journeies they go through support them.
The twin sister series of Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE by CLAMP. The story plot connects deeper more than the anime.
Seconding the above suggestion -- although you do not HAVE to read Tsubasa to "get" xXxHolic (or vice versa), characters from Tsubasa frequently make crossover appearances in xXxHolic (and vice versa), and these scenes will make very little sense if you are not familiar with both series.
Same mangaka..The storyline crosses over every so often..And even though the actual storyline of each manga is very different, the same aura of mystery and fantasy surrounds both..
Both of these CLAMP stories are connected from the start with minimal events, but later the connection between the the two becomes very important.
How are they similar? Well it's quite obvious. They both are by the same manga-ka and they cross over with eachother. Not to mention the are both very good!
they're both from CLAMP and they crossover with eachother
The two series cross over each other every once in a while and the stories are connected to each other. However the two series have thier own original story line! Also in both xxxHoic and Tsubasa, you get to see some of CLAMP's old manga characters pop up here and there at certain times...I reccommend both to all! Especially those who are CLAMP fans!
They're actually very different. But because of the crossovers that happen between the two series, maybe you should just read both of them.
You'll understand the plot better if you read the two series simultaneously, though Tsubasa focuses more on action and adventure while xxxHolic on the supernatural
xxxHOLiC is the sister series of Tsubasa. Tsubasa can be read on its own, you will get much more out of the experience if you read xxxHOLic along with it. Yuuko and Watanuki turn out to be of great importance to Tsubasa's storyline.
While the plot lines are a bit different, they are both by the same author and they occasionally intertwine. For example, in the beginning of "Tsubasa" Syoaran and the others meet with Yuko and we also see Kimihiro who is the main character in "xxxHolic". Both are awesome!
They are both by the same mangakas - CLAMP and both are interconnected.So its like the events happening during the same timeline to differnt people!! If you enjoyed TRC, you will love xxxholic!!!
both made are made by clamp, and XXXHOLiC is the counterpart to Tsubasa. If you read one, you must read the other.
Both series by CLAMP, they are in many ways interconnected and yet separate. They both contain deep story lines while maintaining the fantasy element.
These two CLAMP series have plotlines that cross-over heavily. If you want to fully understand either of them, it's a very good idea to read both.
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same author, hints to shounen ai, tragedies etc.
If you liked give legal drug a try
The main characters in these manga both work for shops and are sent out by the shop owners to do various tasks, many of which are supernatural. Both of these manga series are also by Clamp.
legal drug/gohou drug/lawful drug is another work by clamp. though it was put on hold only after three volumes (16 chapters), they've already given a lot of depth to the four main characters in this series.
it also crosses over with xxxholic, though not as much as tsubasa reservoir chronicle.
however, it is not recommended for those who do not like shounen ai, because even though legal drug is not "officially" a boy love series, it is obvious even from the covers themselves (which also show bondage and other suggestive themes), and from the drawings (you don't even have to squint to find them), that it exists.
I find the two stories very similar. Both deal with a shop that is more than what it seems. and Two boys who "love to hate each other".
They have to go one weird assignments and they have powers. The characters have a lot of depht as well.
IT's too bad that Legal Drug is on hiatus though
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