Cursed with the ability to see spirits, a young man finds himself indebted to the one person who can cure him—the space time witch.
You can check out a sample of this series for yourself below!
Author
Genre & Tropes
Info about this series (complete)
This series is complete in Japanese and English with 19 volumes.
Official Synopsis (Kodansha)
Kimihiro Watanuki is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. He seeks help from a mysterious woman named Yuko, who claims she can help. However, Watanuki must work for Yuko in order to pay for her aid. Soon Watanuki finds himself employed in Yuko’s shop where he sees things and meets customers that are stranger than anything he could have ever imagined.
My thoughts on this volume (Spoilers!)
I had my eye on this series ever since I heard Kodansha was giving it a special omnibus reprint, but I wanted to sample it before buying. To my surprise, my library carries the original single print! I wish I could collect this version of the series as it really is lovely—single editions with a hard cover, something I haven’t come across in years. I think I will splurge on the new omnibuses though, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
This was my first time reading a CLAMP series. Though I watched and enjoyed both Chobits and Cardcaptor Sakura, I wasn’t all too familiar with the CLAMP lore. So, I was incredibly surprised when magical girl Sakura made an appearance at the very end of this volume! After a lot of confusion and a little bit of research, I learnt that CLAMP enjoys working in a multiverse. So, the Sakura that appears at the end of this volume is not from Cardcaptor Sakura, but from a series set in an alternate universe, Tsubasa. I was assured that I will be able to enjoy xxxHolic without having read Tsubasa, so I will be continuing.
Our main character, Watanuki, is employed by a mysterious witch after she promises to help rid him of his ability to see spirits. His job is to do whatever she may need on any given day. Due to her work as a wish-grantor, what she needs of him changes on a day to day basis. Every chapter, we meet a new character who requires something from the witch. We read along as Watanuki and the witch learn more about the characters in need, and do what they can to help them help themselves.
This format of “mystery of the week” or more accurately “mystery of this chapter” is one I love! We see this type of storytelling in Hell is Dark With no Flowers and Divine Incursions as well. If you enjoy either of these series, I recommend checking this one out! All three are dark fantasy series with various mysteries afoot.
The magical rules of this world are quite interesting! They follow the “nothing is free” route, with characters having to give a sacrifice equal in value to their wish. Depending on their wish, what they must give up can range from their favourite pocket watch to their soul. At first I found this to be a bit scary, however the witch seems to be a good one. She truly seems like she wants to help those that seek her out, never wanting to take too much from her clients.
Lastly, I would be amiss to end this review without mentioning the gorgeous art. CLAMP does a marvelous job of creating a dark, gothic, mysterious atmosphere through their character design and colour blocking. The witches character design especially, with her long beautiful hair, is just perfect. It gives her the perfect “witchy” feel.
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