xxxHolic, Vol. 17

xxxHOLiC [xxx ホリック] #17

by Clamp

Watanuki se ha quedado solo al frente de la tienda, y para conseguir su deseo, que es el regreso de Yuko, decide sacrificar su libertad y no salir del establecimiento. Pero es posible que algunos deseos exijan un precio tan alto que ni siquiera alguien tan especial como Watanuki pueda pagar.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Supernatural, Seinen, Comics, Mystery

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.

In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.

In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

All sorts of customers come to this shop. With all sorts of wishes. And the treasure house isn't filled with only good things and pretty things.

Just a couple of volumes from the end,* we're still getting new details that add to the overall mystery of the shop and its proprietors.

*(aside from xxxHolic: Rei, which I learned about not long ago. The arc of this series that includes this volume, with Watanuki running the shop in Yuuko's absence, is subtitled Rou.)

While I still think xxxHolic would benefit from a marathon read-through--especially since my retention of secondary characters in manga is, at best, erratic--reading three or four volumes of it each year has felt like a kind of annual homecoming. The pipe fox spirit is always a welcome presence (and it's incredibly cute how it bristles up when it sees the jorou-gumo!). We also learn, at second hand, what is going on with Himawari through Doumeki, who is able to leave the shop's grounds on foot while Watanuki cannot.

Butterfly motifs aren't as prevalent as they used to be while Yuuko ran the shop, but they still show up now and then. I was able to guess what was going on in the last scene of this volume because of the circumstances where the motif showed up.

To meet is joy
To part is pain
How good it would be to meet but never to part...

I'll be sad to see the end of this series, but I'll absolutely be keeping it around for a reread at some point in the future.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aqui regresa la chica araña pero ahora como clienta.
Parece que lo que decia Yuuko que va a pasar ya va a pasar, al menos ya hubo una entrega de anillo

4 stars

[Bexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Rebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I think the chapters with Watanuki as the shopkeeper may be some of my favorites,.. it’s nice to see how Doumeki and his friendship continues over the 10 years... although it would be sad and lonely for Watanuki I imagine if/when his friend can’t come anymore... I hope the manga ends before then.

[Chivitouille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aún no logro acostumbrarme a este nuevo Watanuki, al parecer estos tomos se van a enfocar en contarnos como se va desenvolviendo como el nuevo dueño de la tienda y de paso soltarnos a cuenta gotas algunos detalles importantes.
Debo admitir que me he sorprendido mucho al ver quién era la persona que esta vez le pedía un encargo a Watanuki...la viuda negra.
Sinceramente no pensé que este personaje volviese aparecer y menos que le pidiera algo a Watanuki, sobre todo después de ser quien se comiera su ojo derecho.
Se nota que se ha vuelto más sabio y precavido con ciertas cosas pero el hecho de que la viuda negra se haya tomado ciertas libertades, no lo he podido evitar, me ha indignado bastante.
Ha sido interesante ver la interacción antes de pedir el encargo, puesto que se nota que cada uno estaba midiendo su presteza para reaccionar.
Ahora bien, es obvio que para ciertas cosas necesita de la ayuda de Domeki pero al mismo tiempo no lo quiere involucrar en cosas innecesarias o de darle información de cosas que no necesite saber, aún así Domeki siempre esta ahí dispuesto ayudar y procurar que Watanuki no cometa alguna tontería. Pero a pesar de lo mucho que lo ayuda aunque le pregunte le sigue ocultando muchas cosas y Domeki ya se esta dando cuenta.
El encargo ocupa la gran parte del tomo, ha sido bastante interesante y mientras transcurre podemos enterarnos de cosas importantes como qué es de Himawari y porque hasta ahora no ha aparecido, de que Domeki aun carga con el huevo y de que aún espera el momento adecuado para usarlo, así de como ha ido cambiando Watanuki y haciéndose cada vez más sabio y fuerte.
En realidad todas las conversaciones que hay nos van dando información interesante e importante, todos los personajes tienen algo que aportar, tanto para entender eventos pasados como los que están sucediendo o podrían suceder.
Lo que más me ha emocionado es la pequeña anécdota que sucede a continuación una vez concluido el encargo, y es sobre un regalo muy particular que Watanuki le hace a Domeki, claro, siendo él aprovecha para poner a prueba su funcionamiento. Todo lo tiene bien pensado.
Hay cosas que Watanuki hace con alevosía y ventaja y me da un poco de pena que Domeki se preocupe para que al final se de cuenta de las intenciones de él.
Por último, como complemento, lo que encuentra Watanuki en la cámara de los tesoros sin duda es un detalle muy particular que hace que te emociones al darte cuenta de cierta relación con otra historia.
Antes de terminar tengo que mencionar que me encantan mucho todos los trajes que usa Watanuki, algunos tienen detalles muy interesantes y a veces me encuentro viéndolos, estudiándolos por un buen tiempo, consideró que van muy ad hoc con esta nueva etapa en la que se encuentra.
Al ser un tomo con una historia cerrada, no me imagino qué nos toparemos a continuación pero sin duda espero que nos den alguna sorpresa.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for complete series



xxxHolic is not the type of manga that I would usually pick up - somehow, stories about stores with special services have never really caught my interests. As it happens to be a CLAMP manga which is heavily interwoven with Tsubasa and also has ties to Blood C, I knew I'd at the very least have to give it a chance. The good thing is, apart from the ending, it's a pretty neat manga series.

Watanuki has always attracted ghosts and spirits and he wishes they would just go away. Fate leads him to Yuko's wish-granting shop, but wishes don't come for free. In order for Watanuki's wish to be granted, he must work in the store and becomes involved in all manners of the supernatural.

The art is easily recognisable as CLAMP's, yet it is different. Everything is in black and whites with no greyscales and the characters' eyes are rather empty looking, even the covers are anything but vibrant. But this is actually very well suited for the atmosphere of this series. I only wish that, similar to Tsubasa, the characters' limbs weren't so unnaturally long.

What I first thought to be a rather bland set of characters soon turned out to be a much deeper and very likeable bunch. It's odd, I was against every character from the start and I can't even put my finger on when it changed, but I ended up loving them all. I must confess, I preferred the first three-quarters of the story more - Watanuki becomes a more serious character after certain events and I just prefered him the way he was before. That being said, I can understand how and why he changed.

Although there is an underlying story that is interlaced with Tsubasa, the rest of the series is very much episodic. The different episodes all revolve around legends and myths and it's very interesting to read about them. Not only are the origins explained, but given the modern setting of this series, they are always shown with a contemporary sample. I am only guessing here, but I feel as though having visited Japan and recognising various elements increased my enjoyment of this series as it really is very heavy on Japanese-lore. This holds particularly true about the Jorougumo chapters - there's just something very unsettling about these joro spiders.

The story can be a little slow at times but it generally has good pacing. It's a nice balance between humour, horror and a bit of moral lecturing - in a good way. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the ending isn't exactly satisfying. In fact, it's not that much of an ending at all; would I not know that this series is complete with 19 volumes, I'd think there is more to come. Thanks to its episodic nature, this series can in a sense conclude at any time it wants to. Yet the underlying story is left hanging in the air and there's nothing in terms of closure. CLAMP has started a sequel (which is one of their many works on hiatus - surprise!) which may or may not remedy this issue at some point, but for that, one will need to wait for the sequel to conclude. Otherwise, there are a few glimpses of Watanuki in Blood C which I feel not that many people know of - have a look if you care to see more of what happened to Watanuki post xxxHolic!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tomo me gustó mucho más que el anterior, aquí se puede ver un poco más de desarrollo en la trama así como muchos pequeños detalles que ayudan a ver que aún "ese momento" no ha llegado.

Me encantó que tanto en el anterior como en este se ha podido saber un poco más de personajes conocidos como lo son Kohane, Himawari y el pequeño zorro de la tienda de Oden, lo único es que también dan a entender el estilo de vida que Watanuki decidió llevar para poder cumplir con el deseo de Yuuko.

Definitivamente Watanuki ha ganado madurez y su amistad con Domeki sigue creciendo así como sus habilidades -que le han servido para poder cumplir los deseos-; ya aquí se puede ver al tener como clienta a la reina de las arañas. Siento que la historia de ese deseo fue algo bastante triste y, que al mismo tiempo conecta completamente con Watanuki.

Como siempre, la calidad de las ilustraciones y sus detalles son algo que me maravilla y que hace que destaque muchas cosas de la historia. Mis partes favoritas fueron el regalo de Domeki y los lentes nuevos de Watanuki.

[Seamaiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

We go through the years seeing Domeki and Kohane keeping Watanuki company through the years. We learn why miss bad luck can't visit anymore, and we see the spider lady again. The mermaid girl was gorgeous but her story was so sad.

At some point we also see Kurogane, Fai and Syaoran visiting the store as well. It's always a pleasure when we see the gang. The mokonas sleeping together was so cute. I really love the twins and how they cling to Watanuki.

Domeki is Watanuki's other half. Fight me. They need each other. Domeki doesn't seem to age. I'll be sad if he dies.

2 more volumes for xxxholic to be completed.

[Mika · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: Intimate Partner Abuse
(01/20/2021)

Eh. I didn't have a good time here.

Himawari's absence is explained but it feels SO forced. Like, suddenly the shop is toxic to her? It makes little sense.

We are introduced to a rauya, a spirit who cleans and maintains pipes. He reintroduces the jorogumo into the story. Her case/wish is kinda just odd?

I dunno man, I'm glad Mokona is here in this volume because the volumes are kind of a bummer now.

Also he gave Domeki a ring are you joking? I'm sorry, but this is queer baiting. There, I said it.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watanuki continues his life as the new owner of the store, awaiting Yuko's return while helping out a variety of unique customers and being in turned aided by friendly spirits - but what sort of payment must he ask from the spider spirit that once took his eye, when she comes seeking his aid? CLAMP provides another engaging entry, brimming with tension and heart in every chapter. Does Watanuki have what it takes to stay ahead of this particular spider lady?

[Josh 谢翊杰 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interested in what this mysteriously invisible and silent creature/being is and why it is so desirable. What is trying to steal it away? Why is it so special?

Very excited to see Syaoran, Fai and Karogane! I wonder how much time has passed since the end of Tsubasa, and where have they been since?

[Pedro Ángel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta nueva normalidad de Watanuki como nuevo dueño de la tienda nos va mostrandos algunos aspectos que no conocíamos de él, es claro que al pasar el tiempo ha ido aprendiendo no solo a tratar con humanos también con el mundo sobrenatural.

Pero siento que cada vez intenta alejar mas a las personas:/

[Räech Parra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que ya quedan 2 tomos para que acabe la historia, se ha puesto lenta en su desarrollo sin embargo al parecer hay pistas que se van dejando donde se nos da una idea de a dónde se va a terminar la historia.
Son 4* sólidas.

[Apsaryld · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't like watanuki in this session

[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting and really good manga! Really love the art style and story! Really addicting manga😻👻👻😁❤️❤️

[suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

小葵一年只能到店裡一次，平時只能透過百目鬼或電話得知四月一日的近況，好感傷噢QQ
想想如果沒有百目鬼的話，四月一日不能出門，小全小多也不能出門，連買菜都沒有辦法吧……不過四月一日到底還需不需要吃飯呢？他曾經那麼喜歡做料理，也用料理撫慰了很多人，想到這點就覺得好難過。

[isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 estrelas
só faltam dois tomos pra acabar e já to sofreni

[Luis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relleno insustancial parte 2

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comment c’est possible de réaliser autant d’œuvres incroyables??? Vraiment les meilleures. Par contre c’est un peu la dépression là jpp.

[Bell Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Aviso: lectura hecha en ejemplar en español, publicado en México. La presente nota se modificará cuando se dé de alta en GR la edición correspondiente).

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aku nggak ngerti cerita tentang mutiara merah, mermaid, dan yaobikuni ini.

[yam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a bit sad seeing Watanuki’s vulnerable side—he’s really afraid of forgetting the person he loves.

[新新 Xin-Xin · Rating 4 out of 5]

原來白河夜船是指睡得不省人事
然後可惡以為是戒指！

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's post is on XXXholic volume 17 by CLAMP. It is 180 pages long and is published by Del Rey. As it is the seventeenth in the series you need to have read the first sixteen to understand the story. The cover has Watanuki on it with a butterfly cooling very mysterious. The intended reader is someone who likes Japanese mythology, fantasy, and beautiful but sad stories. There is no sex, no language, and no violence in this book. The story is told from Watanuki's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the back of the book- Watanuki no longer leaves the wish-granting shop he inherited from the witch Yuko. What's more, he must help everyone who walks through its doors- even the monster that are his eye! How can the still-inexperienced Watanuki handle what can only be called one dangerous customer?


Review- We get to see how Watanuki run the shop in this volume. Domeki helps him because of their shared eye if Domeki sees a place then Watanuki can walk there in his dreams. When the blurb says that he must help everyone who enters the shop, it is not something special that was the way the shop worked for Yuko too. The spider is interesting in this one, she is not a villain this time. She is someone who wants something that was promised to her and needs Watanuki to get it for her. She does try to be scary but because of everything that Watanuki has been through, she just does not sacre him anymore. That annoys her but I like the development that Watanuki has gone through. Only two more volume before the end of this series.


I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy spider girl is back and this time she is a customer. Will Watanuki find the red pearl? I found it a pretty heartbreaking story though, poor girl in that apartment. I loved seeing our little fox again, and it is Domeki's birthday. I loved the present that Watanuki had for him. That will for sure be a big help. Because Domeki can't carry his bow everywhere.
I did notice something off. Maybe it is correct as it is only Yuuko inviting Himawari and it doesn't count if Himawari herself pops in, but in one of the chapters Domeki and Mokona talk about Himawari only popping in for Watanuki's birthday, and that this has been the way since Himawari/Domeki's wishes have been granted. However in chapter 172/173 we can clearly see Himawari in Yuuko's shop, and it isn't his birthday. And I wonder if there were other times as well.
Also are those Clow Reed's glasses that Watanuki finds? It does seem to be so. Oh my!
2 > 4 stars.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its partner series, Tsubasa, ended quite a while ago, so for XXXHOLiC, it seems the end is inevitably nigh. So you would expect a lot of action leading up to the finale, right? Err, not exactly. This volume – especially compared to those in the past – seems to enjoy taking it slow and easy. With Watanuki taking up the mantle of Yûko completely and Domeki assuming the role of the reluctant assistant, it doesn’t look like it will be concluding anytime soon unless something incredibly drastic happens in the last two volumes. It’s a solid book but there aren’t many major momental events in this volume and at this point in this series, it’s more of a drawback that a plus.

Read the rest of my review over at Nagareboshi Reviews!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume Watanuki has settled into his new role at the wish-granting shop, and while a quieter volume in many aspects, we learn quite a bit about the emotions of the characters with the change of circumstances they all find themselves facing. I am intrigued to learn what will happen next. As per CLAMP, the art is absolutely beautiful. I've really come to love their style. Next volume, please.

(And in case any of my friends wonder...in the Japanese translation, the 'xxx' in the title of the series serves as a place-holder, so it could also be read as "____holic", and since many of the people who come to the wish-granting shop have addictions of some kind - an addiction to lying, for example - the title of the series is aptly appropriate.)

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was so good! It sneaks up on you too, like some ocean swell. I personally enjoyed the Mermaid Saga reference. I had forgotten that Clamp had written that too! I thought, ‘Boy! That's a popular myth of mermaids! I've heard that in other places too!'
Okay, they totally did not write it. But they are similar, which could suggest actual folklore. I should totally research the different folklores of mermaids from around the world. That would be so much fun! I guess that should also say something since I don't really like true research. hmmm, secondary sources will be good enough for me. Pseudo-research it is!

Still, this volume did not disappoint. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do miss the old Watanuki.... though he's a little bit sexier these days. And speaking of sexy.... is it weird I find Haruka-san sexy? XD I think Domeki-kun is cute... but his grandpa... hubba hubba!! XD They are essentially twins... it's always weird how even when you have two people who look exactly alike, there always seems to be one that is a little bit hotter than the other :-p In this case, definitely Haruka-san.

This volume had Ranma 1/2 sydrome... just seemed like a bunch of little random storylines to keep the story going. Nothing really exciting or interesting happened. The one thing that did intrigue me was the story of why Himawari-chan can't come to the shop. But of course, it wasn't ever really fully answered.

Two volumes left to go! Hopefully it ends decently!

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watanuki seems to be really settling in to his role as the shopkeeper; he is wearing very Yuko-esque clothing, has taken up her pipe-smoking habit, and even seems to have adopted her laid back attitude. His cool-colleced-calm mantra really shows when the spider-woman shows up - yes, the same one who ate his left eye - and he doesn't even react. Instead he agrees to help her retrieve a very rare red pearl, even though he has no idea what the endeavor may entail due to his lack of experience and still-growing powers. But Watanuki manages to complete his task, and in the meantime learns more about the magical beings who frequent Yuko's world, which also apparently seems to be giving him more of an idea who he really is.