Last week I took a look at the cult classic, Elfen Lied. A show with potential, it ultimately didn’t tap into that potential, yet still remains a mildly entertaining series. Today’s show, however, is something different. It’s a cerebral show like Elfen Lied, but removes the disturbing violence, and maybe doesn’t quite as pretentious. It has it’s own faults, but they really don’t inpact how great this show is. So sit back, throw some salt over your shoulder, and take a look at my review for the CLAMP classic, XXXholic.
Story/Setup
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student plagued by yokai and ayakashi spirits, both of which are invisible to everyone else but him. The series begins when Watanuki stumbles, seemingly by chance, into a shop that grants wishes. The shop is owned by Yuko Ichihara, a mysterious witch of many names and esoteric renown. For a price, she offers to grant Watanuki's wish to be rid of the spirits. The price, according to Yuko, must be of equal value; so, as payment, he must become Yuko's temporary, part-time cook and housekeeper. While his established job consists of household chores, Yuko increasingly sends him on errands of a supernatural or spiritual nature as the series develops. Himawari Kunogi, Watanuki's love interest, and Shizuka Domeki, a classmate whom Watanuki initially detests, occasionally join him in his work as per Yuko's request. The three become increasingly close, and though Watanuki is often annoyed with Domeki, he grows to value the new friendships he makes and his life at the wish shop.”
I should point out that XXXholic the anime has a far more watered down story than it’s manga counterpart. The connections to Tsubasa (The series XXXholic is nominally connected too) are effectively gone, and instead exists in it’s own world. As someone that’s never watched Tsubasa I don’t have a problem with this, but for those who like both series, this will be a sticking point. As for the XXXholic material itself, it uses nowhere near as much as the manga: with the show, it only reaches up to a point earlier on in the comic. This is my sticking point, as while I haven’t read all of the manga, it’s obvious that the show doesn’t quite dip into the lore as much. This also impacts the characters, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
Animation
CLAMP has always been a studio where they’ve made fantastic looking stuff. Anime, Manga, doesn’t matter. With the case of XXXholic, they succeed at making a show that’s simultaneously dark & gothic, yet beautiful & inviting. There’s a great usage of color throughout this entire show, and the human characters are all wirery & spider-like with their movement, yet their motions somehow feel natural. The various spirits, demons, and monsters that populate this show have various forms that range from horrific, to mysterious, to essentially human (The Kitsune come to mind). The world of XXXholic is great to look at as well, with more realistic places like the city & school coming across as natural, and areas like Yuko’s shop having an aura of the supernatural. Great job all around!
Voice Acting
Unlike last week’s show, the voice acting in XXXholic is pretty consistent throughout the series. Outside of a minor character or two, pretty much everybody put on a good performance. Todd Haberkorn brings a lighthearted & serious nature to Watanuki, and Colleen Clinkenbeard’s depiction of Yuko is equal parts wise, tough, & silly. All of the other voice actors are great as well: Cherami Leigh’s depiction of Himawari is kind & loving, and J. Michael Tatum provides a stoic & solemn voice to Watanuki’s companion, Shizuka Domeki. It’s pleasant to hear a modern anime where a majority of the voice acting is of a good quality.
Characters
As with the story, the characters of XXXholic have been altered as well. In defense, their core natures haven’t been touched: Watanuki is still kind, Yuko is still wise, etc. Again, with the Tsubana connection taken away, something is....missing with everybody. They’re still enjoyable to watch, and their personalities are right on target, but something seems missing. Again, I’ve never read or watched Tsubasa, so this isn’t a problem for me. Those who’ve read Tsubasa & watched the anime, this will be another point of complaining.
Availability & Pricing
I bought my copy of XXXholic way back in 2010 (Connecticon 2010, if I remember right), and it was a measly 20 dollars! A good price, if I say so myself. Luckily, you can grab this show for a little bit cheaper, as it’s under Funimation’s S.A.V.E. program. Over on Amazon, a copy of XXXholic can go for as low as 16 dollars. This makes this show incredibly affordable, and won’t damage your wallet.
Overall Impression & Rating
XXXholic definitely shines over last week’s series. It’s serious, but it knows when to be lighthearted & silly. Characters can sometimes be dark, but nobody really wallows in that darkness. There’s a message to be had, but it’s not hammered into your head. Even the story, despite my issues with it & the changes to the characters, is great! I honestly enjoy watching XXXholic, flaws & all. If you’re looking for a good spirit-themed anime, then this should be high up on the list.
XXXholic get a 9 out of 10.
And that was XXXholic. Way less disturbing than Elfen Lied, yet still having that cerebral aspect that makes certain shows special. See you all next week, when a rather easy “Anime or Manga: Which is Better?” will reveal itself. Until then, may the cold air of October glide over you.
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