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The Complete Series

XXXholic Volume 1
XXXholic Volume 2
XXXholic Volume 3
XXXholic Volume 4

all reviews by robin

Introduction
Simultaneously released with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, XXXholic is nonetheless a very different series. While the folks in Tsubasa are jetting from dimension to dimension searching a princesses' lost memories, XXXholic focuses in on a few characters staying very much in the same place. The drama comes from the characters and their, shall I say, dubious profession.

XXXholic, not at all pornographic despite the title, follows the professional trade of Yuko, a space-time witch whose general purpose in life is to trade in wishes. She provides all manner of magical gifts and objects to those in need for a price. She also firmly believes in the idea of "hitsuen", or destiny, and follows her steps in the world as foreordained. Yuka has the uncanny ability to know what each customer wants and desires, and though she may give them the means to find their dreams, she may just as likely indulge their fantasies and thus lead them to, in her opinion, a just end. Her relatively ordinary helper, Watanuki Kimihiro, struggles to fulfill her every whim in the hopes that she can help him solve his own "gift"-- the ability to attract all manner of grisly ghosts and spirits. He knows he shouldn't be able to see them, but he cannot turn them away and they seem to have no understanding that he'd rather not be chased around by spirits.

Art
As with its linked series, Tsubasa, XXXholic shows a new simplicity of form in CLAMP's work that doesn't decrease the beauty or complexity of their layout and characters. Yuka is always impressive but also easily makes the shift to goofball antics, and the atmosphere, from flowing incense smoke to magic spells, is always appropriately spooky and insinuating to reflect our tale's shifting nature.

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XXXholic Volume 1
ISBN: 0345470583
By CLAMP
Del Rey Manga, 2004

Watanuki, pursued by an elephant-sized spirit when trying to take a walk, tries to get away and ends up near a strange house. When he touches the gate, the spirit seems to disappear and against his will his legs decide to run him into the mysterious house. He's greeted by an adorable, if slightly creepy, pair of twins, and soon he's cornered by Yuko, the mistress of a shop that grants wishes. Yuko is a master of persuasion and creating logical reasoning for obeying her, so it's but a small matter for her to strongarm Watanuki into becoming her assistant in exchange for her helping him to no longer see the spirits that plague his steps. Watanuki doesn't have any idea what he'd gotten himself into, but he soon begins to see his mistresses habits are more than a bit bizarre è in "helping" a young woman, she lets her own lies cloud her vision so much that she cannot see impending danger. Despite the more esoteric discussions of fate, the soul, and different kinds of prices, the usual CLAMP wackiness is alive and well in amusing interlude scenes including cleaning the shop and caring for a grumpy, flu stricken Yuko.

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