What do you think?
Rate this book
xxxHOLiC [xxx ホリック] #1
xxxHOLiC vol. 1
"Este mundo parece muy pequeño... pero para aquellos que comprenden eso, no existe solo un mundo".
Kimihiro Watanuki debe lidiar día a día con una increíble herencia familiar, algo que porta en la sangre, que le permite ver espíritus y seres que no parecen ser de este mundo, al menos no de esta dimensión. Al entrar a una extraña tienda, Watanuki conoce a una mujer de aspecto exótico que comienza a enredarlo en una nube de misterios que lo lleva a revelar lo que desea...
Cumplir ese deseo será una de las tareas de Yuuko, sin embargo, no se puede recibir nada sin dar algo a cambio, es por eso que ahora Watanuki deberá trabajar en la tienda de Yuuko hasta juntar lo equivalente al valor de su deseo.
Kimihiro Watanuki debe lidiar día a día con una increíble herencia familiar, algo que porta en la sangre, que le permite ver espíritus y seres que no parecen ser de este mundo, al menos no de esta dimensión. Al entrar a una extraña tienda, Watanuki conoce a una mujer de aspecto exótico que comienza a enredarlo en una nube de misterios que lo lleva a revelar lo que desea...
Cumplir ese deseo será una de las tareas de Yuuko, sin embargo, no se puede recibir nada sin dar algo a cambio, es por eso que ahora Watanuki deberá trabajar en la tienda de Yuuko hasta juntar lo equivalente al valor de su deseo.
182 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2003
113 people are currently reading
16707 people want to read
About the author
Clamp
745 books3,138 followersŌkawa 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.
[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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews
April 17, 2015
I had rewatched the xxxHolic anime recently, which led me to discover my local library had the complete run of the manga. Hoping that any number of things might be better explained therein, I plowed through the whole lot, Vols. 1 - 19.
Very enjoyable -- it is one of my favorite animes -- but the manga run actually raised more questions than it settled. CLAMP is great with set-ups -- and artwork, some of the best -- not so great on endings, sometimes. Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed the read, and would rec the work for those interested in trying out the medium.
I was especially interested in how the old apprentice-and-master plot would work out when the master was an older woman. While Yuuko eventually suffered the usual fate of mentors in such tales, there was a lot of fun to be had along the way with the tropes.
I also ended up watching the cross-connected complete Tsubasa anime series, 52 episodes (thanks, Hennepin County Library), in the hopes that more things would be explained; some were, but not enough. And the one character I really wanted the angsty-backstory episode for didn't get one, sigh. I don't think I have the endurance to track down its manga at this point. Wikipedia tries to help, but it does seem an uphill struggle for this complex tale.
Ta, L.
April 27, 2012
I am not entirely sure how I felt about this book, or if I'll be continuing with the series. The stories were a little uneven. The pathological liar was great, the internet addict... not so much. Right now, the characters don't seem to have much depth, but it is still the first volume. And I didn't like the art quite as much as I would normally like things from CLAMP. But that lying story was actually really good, and if the rest of xxxHolic is going to be more like that...
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 24, 2021
teenage me had such good taste tbh still holds up on reread 84238424 years later
February 5, 2024
Sinopsis: La historia paralela al éxito más reciente de CLAMP ,TSUBASA RESERVOIR CHRONICLES nos presenta a Yuko, la Bruja de la Dimensión, y a Watanuki, su ayudante. Despistados clientes acuden a la tienda de Yuko donde, por un módico precio, se concede cualquier deseo. ¿Pero qué ocurre cuando te piden tu tesoro más valioso o incluso tu alma? El deseo de Watanuki es dejar de ver apariciones y monstruos de ultratumba. ¿Le será concedido? Y como guinda, aparecen como invitados los dependientes de LAWFUL DRUG y también unos clientes muy especiales: Sakura y Xiaolang. Si bien estas mangakas ya nos tenían acostumbrados a sus crossovers que tanto gustan a sus seguidores, esta vez estamos ante el más evidente e importante. XXXHOLIC y TSUBASA se iniciaron casi simultáneamente y por ello están estrechamente relacionadas. En ocasiones podremos comprobar que ambas series relatan la historia vista desde personajes y puntos de vista diferentes para converger en un final común.
Creo que habrá algunas, sino bastantes cosas que se me escaparan por su significado con la otra serie que esta relaciona, la cual no he leído nada...
Valoración: 6/10
# 50. Un libro en el que el título empiece por la letra X. Reto Popsugar 2024.
# 12. Un animal (una mariposa) en la portada. Reto Portadas 2024.
Creo que habrá algunas, sino bastantes cosas que se me escaparan por su significado con la otra serie que esta relaciona, la cual no he leído nada...
Valoración: 6/10
# 50. Un libro en el que el título empiece por la letra X. Reto Popsugar 2024.
# 12. Un animal (una mariposa) en la portada. Reto Portadas 2024.
June 21, 2022
xxxHolic is not at all what the misleading title seems to imply. There’s nothing raunchy or sexual going on at all. In fact, the story actually has a very quiet and melancholy tone with touches of humor here and there.
It follows a distraught orphaned boy named Watanuki who is haunted by invisible spirits that only he can see. One day, he stumbles upon a strange fortune-telling shop that helps people with their problems and tells their futures for a certain price. The greater the request, the greater the sacrifice the customer must make.
The owner of the shop is an eccentric goth woman that works as a witch with strange magic powers. She believes that Watanuki and she were destined to meet as they both share connections with supernatural phenomena, so they form a dysfunctional duo together to help people with their abnormal problems for the right price.
The first volume mainly serves to set up the basic premise of the story and to get the two protagonists acquainted with one another. Judging by how dark some of the clients and their backstories are at times, I can see this series becoming more emotional and complex down the road.
This series also shares a multiverse with other series created by CLAMP (A team of female writers publishing stories together) such as Tsubasa Chronicles, Angelic Layer and Cardcaptor Sakura which leads to some interesting cameos and references.
xxxHolic: Vol. 1
My Rating 3.7/5
***
If you're looking for ambient music that's perfect for reading fantasy, horror, sci-fi, comics, manga and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
It follows a distraught orphaned boy named Watanuki who is haunted by invisible spirits that only he can see. One day, he stumbles upon a strange fortune-telling shop that helps people with their problems and tells their futures for a certain price. The greater the request, the greater the sacrifice the customer must make.
The owner of the shop is an eccentric goth woman that works as a witch with strange magic powers. She believes that Watanuki and she were destined to meet as they both share connections with supernatural phenomena, so they form a dysfunctional duo together to help people with their abnormal problems for the right price.
The first volume mainly serves to set up the basic premise of the story and to get the two protagonists acquainted with one another. Judging by how dark some of the clients and their backstories are at times, I can see this series becoming more emotional and complex down the road.
This series also shares a multiverse with other series created by CLAMP (A team of female writers publishing stories together) such as Tsubasa Chronicles, Angelic Layer and Cardcaptor Sakura which leads to some interesting cameos and references.
xxxHolic: Vol. 1
My Rating 3.7/5
***
If you're looking for ambient music that's perfect for reading fantasy, horror, sci-fi, comics, manga and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
April 24, 2017
I've already seen the anime, which is what turned me onto the manga. This volume didn't reveal anything not already covered in the anime, but that's usually the case with the first volume or two. The artwork is amazing, which I hear is CLAMP's usual style. I was wavering at about 3* or 3.5* because, while this volume is good, the storyline didn't suck me in 100% (it was the same with the first few episodes with the anime, which I turned out loving); but the artwork is just so professional that I felt it deserved the whole 4*.
June 21, 2022
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!
January 15, 2011
this was exactly what I was expecting! God bless those girls from Clamp! They rock!! Fun, cute, simple! The Clamp chicks always do that! they just drop all the fantasy elements of the show in your face and you decide if you buying or not! And as usual I’m buying! this is about some kid who can see ghosts… (classic!) waling into a very special shop… a shop that sells wishes! But (you guessed) at a price! His wish is to stop seeing ghosts! And his price is cleaning! He has to clean for the shop owner and if he does a nice job he will be granted what he wants! Yay! Then they concentrate on a lady who tells lies! But she don’t know that she wants to stop lying… it kind of has this AA ring to it… it’s hard to explain but the shop owner keeps talking like an AA sponsor…. And then they show Sakura’s wand! Wait! That sounds wrong! They show a plastic replica of Sakura’s staff! Yes! Staff! That’s the word! Not wand! I like staff better! Anyway! It’s cute! And funny! Me likes! I’m going to read the rest of the series!!!!
May 13, 2008
Overall Rating: A-
Synopsis: xxxHolic by Clamp follows Watanuki, an orphan who is plagued by spirits. While being chased by spirits, Watanuki runs into a strange shop and meets a strange woman named Yūko. She turns out to be a powerful witch, and makes a deal with Watanuki to help him remove his "curse" in exchange for working in her shop and cooking for her. Hijinks and adventure ensue.
I can't remember now why I picked up the first volume of xxxHolic, but I'm glad I did. The series starts off innocently enough, with the main character, Watanuki, being chased by spirits. By chance, he touches the fence of a strange shop, and the spirits disappear. But wait! "There are no coincidences, only hitsuzen". Hitsuzen, or fate, is one of the recurring themes in xxxHolic, and Watanuki's "chance" encounter at the strange shop leads him to meeting the shop's owner, Yūko, and his life is changed.
She offers to help him lift his "curse" (being able to see and interact with spirits), but only if he can pay the price. Since he can't pay up front, he becomes her indentured servant, cleaning the shop and cooking for her. The series really picks up though after the introduction of Watanuki's "rival" Dômeki. I put rival in quotes because it's one sided. While Watanuki considers Dômeki his rival, Dômeki alternates between seemingly not caring about Watanuki and protecting him. Dômeki can't see spirits, but he can exorcise them, so even though Watanuki hates it when he's around, Watanuki often needs Dômeki's help.
xxxHolic combines Japanese folklore and mythology with humor to excellent effect. I definitely recommend checking it out.
For more manga and anime reviews, please check out Hobotaku.
Synopsis: xxxHolic by Clamp follows Watanuki, an orphan who is plagued by spirits. While being chased by spirits, Watanuki runs into a strange shop and meets a strange woman named Yūko. She turns out to be a powerful witch, and makes a deal with Watanuki to help him remove his "curse" in exchange for working in her shop and cooking for her. Hijinks and adventure ensue.
I can't remember now why I picked up the first volume of xxxHolic, but I'm glad I did. The series starts off innocently enough, with the main character, Watanuki, being chased by spirits. By chance, he touches the fence of a strange shop, and the spirits disappear. But wait! "There are no coincidences, only hitsuzen". Hitsuzen, or fate, is one of the recurring themes in xxxHolic, and Watanuki's "chance" encounter at the strange shop leads him to meeting the shop's owner, Yūko, and his life is changed.
She offers to help him lift his "curse" (being able to see and interact with spirits), but only if he can pay the price. Since he can't pay up front, he becomes her indentured servant, cleaning the shop and cooking for her. The series really picks up though after the introduction of Watanuki's "rival" Dômeki. I put rival in quotes because it's one sided. While Watanuki considers Dômeki his rival, Dômeki alternates between seemingly not caring about Watanuki and protecting him. Dômeki can't see spirits, but he can exorcise them, so even though Watanuki hates it when he's around, Watanuki often needs Dômeki's help.
xxxHolic combines Japanese folklore and mythology with humor to excellent effect. I definitely recommend checking it out.
For more manga and anime reviews, please check out Hobotaku.
March 8, 2017
I'm so confused and this book is so weird. Possibly the rating will change once I get farther?
EDIT: THE ABOVE WAS TOTALLY ABOUT XXXHOLIC REI. I WAS VERY CONFUSED. I AM NOW READING THIS REAL VOLUME ONE. UPDATES TO FOLLOW.
ACTUAL REVIEW:
Soooooo scarrryyyyyy. And soooooo cuuuuute. I wish I was reading this in tandem with Tsubasa. It's going to get hard to remember what's happening wih the Tsubasa gang, as I go on
EDIT: THE ABOVE WAS TOTALLY ABOUT XXXHOLIC REI. I WAS VERY CONFUSED. I AM NOW READING THIS REAL VOLUME ONE. UPDATES TO FOLLOW.
ACTUAL REVIEW:
Soooooo scarrryyyyyy. And soooooo cuuuuute. I wish I was reading this in tandem with Tsubasa. It's going to get hard to remember what's happening wih the Tsubasa gang, as I go on
November 10, 2019
Es introductorio y te cuenta un poco los personajes pero esta más logrado de lo que puede parecer en un primer momento, simplemente hay que fijarse en los trajes de la protagonista, lo cogi para cumplir la premisa de leer algo que empezaran x y las Clamp me dieron esa oportunidad a parte este año no he leído mucho manga cosa que es bueno remediar aunque sea al final de año.
July 27, 2015
I had heard good things about this manga and when I saw volume 1 on the shelf, I picked it up.
I didn't care for it that much. It's confusing - both pictures and story. There is a teenage boy who sees spirits who goes to work for a modern day witch who will grant wishes - for a price. The premise is good but I was a bit confused the entire time. I know some of what is referenced can be found in other manga I haven't read. I'm not sure if there were moral lessons I was supposed to be taking from this, like - don't lie - and if you have a bad habit, fix it for you and no one else. Those topics were covered but I wasn't very satisfied in how the tale was told.
I didn't care for it that much. It's confusing - both pictures and story. There is a teenage boy who sees spirits who goes to work for a modern day witch who will grant wishes - for a price. The premise is good but I was a bit confused the entire time. I know some of what is referenced can be found in other manga I haven't read. I'm not sure if there were moral lessons I was supposed to be taking from this, like - don't lie - and if you have a bad habit, fix it for you and no one else. Those topics were covered but I wasn't very satisfied in how the tale was told.
July 12, 2022
EL FINAL DEL TOMO!!!
IM 👁👄👁
no sé en qué me metí ctmmm
IM 👁👄👁
no sé en qué me metí ctmmm
January 10, 2018
This review is for the series (incomplete at time of writing).
YA urban fantasy manga. Watanuki Kimihiro sees spirits; more than that, he's attractive to spirits, who sometimes want to give him chocolates and pine at him, but more often want to eat him. Fleeing for his life, Watanuki stumbles into the not-quite-real shop of Ichihara Yuuko, the Dimension Witch. Yuuko grants wishes, for a price, and she offers to grant Watanuki his wish to never see or be bothered by spirits again - his payment being to work for an unspecified length of time in her shop first, after school every day. Watanuki cooks and cleans, but Yuuko also has less mundane tasks for him, and for his rival/friend/protector Doumeki, who has the power to vanquish the spirits Watanuki can see but Doumeki can't.
I love this to bits. Because I know so little about Japanese folklore, the philosophy and the supernatural world in this series feel utterly and fantastically original to me, although they're both strongly grounded in an existing folk culture, tilted into pop culture (the Child of Rain in her gothic lolita outfit, etc).
It's the characters I really love, though. Watanuki flails and complains and rearranges reality in his head and always does the right thing. He cannot stand Doumeki and seems to resent his very existence, but they spend every minute together. Doumeki calls Watanuki an idiot and coolly refuses to be impressed by anything he does, but he would die for Watanuki. He goes to epic lengths to protect him, and the only times we see him sweating are when Watanuki's hurt or in danger. Yuuko sees things nobody else can see, and she stares into darkness and tragedy with darkness in her eyes, and then turns around with a huge smile and a new complicated and indecently revealing outfit and waves a bottle of sake and gives Watanuki and Doumeki some new ridiculously huge task to do. The other major character is Himawari, who's a very sweet but not necessarily safe-to-know girl whom Watanuki has a sparkly and unsubtle crush on. She's kind of heartbreaking.
YA urban fantasy manga. Watanuki Kimihiro sees spirits; more than that, he's attractive to spirits, who sometimes want to give him chocolates and pine at him, but more often want to eat him. Fleeing for his life, Watanuki stumbles into the not-quite-real shop of Ichihara Yuuko, the Dimension Witch. Yuuko grants wishes, for a price, and she offers to grant Watanuki his wish to never see or be bothered by spirits again - his payment being to work for an unspecified length of time in her shop first, after school every day. Watanuki cooks and cleans, but Yuuko also has less mundane tasks for him, and for his rival/friend/protector Doumeki, who has the power to vanquish the spirits Watanuki can see but Doumeki can't.
I love this to bits. Because I know so little about Japanese folklore, the philosophy and the supernatural world in this series feel utterly and fantastically original to me, although they're both strongly grounded in an existing folk culture, tilted into pop culture (the Child of Rain in her gothic lolita outfit, etc).
It's the characters I really love, though. Watanuki flails and complains and rearranges reality in his head and always does the right thing. He cannot stand Doumeki and seems to resent his very existence, but they spend every minute together. Doumeki calls Watanuki an idiot and coolly refuses to be impressed by anything he does, but he would die for Watanuki. He goes to epic lengths to protect him, and the only times we see him sweating are when Watanuki's hurt or in danger. Yuuko sees things nobody else can see, and she stares into darkness and tragedy with darkness in her eyes, and then turns around with a huge smile and a new complicated and indecently revealing outfit and waves a bottle of sake and gives Watanuki and Doumeki some new ridiculously huge task to do. The other major character is Himawari, who's a very sweet but not necessarily safe-to-know girl whom Watanuki has a sparkly and unsubtle crush on. She's kind of heartbreaking.
July 13, 2008
A solid start to the series, which I'm still unsure of how it will work out. While it's overall humorous, it has a really dark overtone--the main character can see spirits and the female lead is a witch. I wasn't really certain what this series would be like, since CLAMP's work can be anything from incredibly silly to very dark and serious (X/1999 is the obvious contender for their darkest series).
So far a good start, and I really enjoyed the character of Yûko (but I generally have a soft spot for sassy witches).
So far a good start, and I really enjoyed the character of Yûko (but I generally have a soft spot for sassy witches).
April 27, 2021
El final se lleva mis cinco estrellas.
A ver. No digo que la historia no haya sido buena y solo el final lo salva, pero soy tan fan de estas mujeres que hicieron todo bien y bueno, ahí van mis cinco estrellas.
Hace mucho quería leer Holic, luego de ha de leído Sakura y Las guerreras mágicas. Se que aún hay mucho por leer de Clamp y quería que está fuese mi siguiente historia.
Aún no llego a comprender del todo que está pasando, igual que el protagonista! Por lo que no me alarma tanto 😂
A ver. No digo que la historia no haya sido buena y solo el final lo salva, pero soy tan fan de estas mujeres que hicieron todo bien y bueno, ahí van mis cinco estrellas.
Hace mucho quería leer Holic, luego de ha de leído Sakura y Las guerreras mágicas. Se que aún hay mucho por leer de Clamp y quería que está fuese mi siguiente historia.
Aún no llego a comprender del todo que está pasando, igual que el protagonista! Por lo que no me alarma tanto 😂
February 7, 2014
This manga is one of the most interesting and unpredictable series I have ever read. I cannot find words to describe how good this series is. Once again, CLAMP has created a wonderful series that is just beautiful and just a lot of fun to love. XXXHolic is very unique and has an excellent character cast. I’ll admit that I think that this manga may be one of CLAMP’s finest. Maybe not the best but one of the better ones.
The thing that stands out about Holic is the setting. It’s a paranormal universe with supernatural creatures from Japanese culture and folklore. Almost every single chapter deals with Watanuki and Domeki going on an ‘errand’ of some sorts and Yuko gives a little bit of information about the supernatural world around them.
The story in this manga is also very interesting. It’s about a student named Watanuki Kimihiro who has the power to see spirits. As he runs away from them he stumbles upon a shop that drives them away. He meets of the owner of the shop named Yuko Ichihara who tells him that she runs a shop that grants wishes. However for every wish that is made a price must be paid in equal value. As he makes a wish to be released of his curse for seeing and attracting spirits Yuko makes an agreement with him that he can work in her shop until he receives enough credit to pay the price. He then runs errands with a classmate named Shizuka Domeki who apparently has a pure aura that repels spirits. They encounter the supernatural and come across all sorts of different creatures.
So, for a story that is interesting and a lot of fun you would think that the character cast is not so good right? Well, that is not the case.
The character cast in Holic is great. They’re each memorable and have their own distinct personalities.
Yuko is a lot of fun. She is like a mentor towards Watanuki but she can also act immature and goofy at times as well. What’s interesting is that some of the decisions and her interference might not seem all that important at the time but it later materials it shows that everything she says and does has some sort of meaning and effect towards the plot.
Watanuki is a character that can be really funny or really annoying. He’s childish, immature, whines a lot but also has a good heart and he tends to place too much of a burden on his shoulders. I think he’s an amazing character. He’s not the generic hero that is usually in manga. He has a little bit of caring nature while also allowing his emotions to get the better of him. His crush on his classmate Himawari is kind of obnoxious and can get annoying at the same time.
Domeki is pretty cool for a side character. He’s quiet, serious, and is very observant to what’s going on around him. Even if he can’t see the supernatural creatures like Watanuki can. He also has a big appetite and has no problem bossing Watanuki around when it comes to food.
Himawari is also a good character. She’s nice, always has a positive attitude and there’s definitely something about this character that gives the feeling that she’s not all that the manga makes her out to be. But that’s for later volumes and spoilers.
Maru and Moro are fun side characters that don’t tend to do much except serve Yuko. It’s pretty obvious that they’re not human but they’re a lot of fun with their playful personalities and it’s very interesting to see them annoy the crap out of Watanuki.
And speaking of which, there’s also Mokona as well. He’s a lot of fun and I just find him absolutely adorable. He likes to tease Watanuki and acts very similar to Yuko when it comes to food and sake.
This manga is just simply wonderful. The characters are great, the story is fantastic, the setting is interesting and I’m just dying to read more.
The thing that stands out about Holic is the setting. It’s a paranormal universe with supernatural creatures from Japanese culture and folklore. Almost every single chapter deals with Watanuki and Domeki going on an ‘errand’ of some sorts and Yuko gives a little bit of information about the supernatural world around them.
The story in this manga is also very interesting. It’s about a student named Watanuki Kimihiro who has the power to see spirits. As he runs away from them he stumbles upon a shop that drives them away. He meets of the owner of the shop named Yuko Ichihara who tells him that she runs a shop that grants wishes. However for every wish that is made a price must be paid in equal value. As he makes a wish to be released of his curse for seeing and attracting spirits Yuko makes an agreement with him that he can work in her shop until he receives enough credit to pay the price. He then runs errands with a classmate named Shizuka Domeki who apparently has a pure aura that repels spirits. They encounter the supernatural and come across all sorts of different creatures.
So, for a story that is interesting and a lot of fun you would think that the character cast is not so good right? Well, that is not the case.
The character cast in Holic is great. They’re each memorable and have their own distinct personalities.
Yuko is a lot of fun. She is like a mentor towards Watanuki but she can also act immature and goofy at times as well. What’s interesting is that some of the decisions and her interference might not seem all that important at the time but it later materials it shows that everything she says and does has some sort of meaning and effect towards the plot.
Watanuki is a character that can be really funny or really annoying. He’s childish, immature, whines a lot but also has a good heart and he tends to place too much of a burden on his shoulders. I think he’s an amazing character. He’s not the generic hero that is usually in manga. He has a little bit of caring nature while also allowing his emotions to get the better of him. His crush on his classmate Himawari is kind of obnoxious and can get annoying at the same time.
Domeki is pretty cool for a side character. He’s quiet, serious, and is very observant to what’s going on around him. Even if he can’t see the supernatural creatures like Watanuki can. He also has a big appetite and has no problem bossing Watanuki around when it comes to food.
Himawari is also a good character. She’s nice, always has a positive attitude and there’s definitely something about this character that gives the feeling that she’s not all that the manga makes her out to be. But that’s for later volumes and spoilers.
Maru and Moro are fun side characters that don’t tend to do much except serve Yuko. It’s pretty obvious that they’re not human but they’re a lot of fun with their playful personalities and it’s very interesting to see them annoy the crap out of Watanuki.
And speaking of which, there’s also Mokona as well. He’s a lot of fun and I just find him absolutely adorable. He likes to tease Watanuki and acts very similar to Yuko when it comes to food and sake.
This manga is just simply wonderful. The characters are great, the story is fantastic, the setting is interesting and I’m just dying to read more.
October 3, 2013
So xxxHolic is another popular manga from CLAMP. It begins with a boy called Watanuki who is haunted by his ability to see spirits and otherworldly things. Fate brings him to a witch called Yuuko who tells him she can help with his predicament. However, in his rush to accept her proposal, he belatedly realises she has tricked him into working for her in order to pay for her services. From then on, his life is altered in ways he couldn't have predicted. AND THEN SOME AMAZING CHARACTERS FROM A CERTAIN BELOVED MANGA ALSO BY CLAMP DECIDE TO PAY THEM A VISIT!!
It's been quite a while since I read this manga, I'm only re-reading for a reading challenge because I'm not particularly fond of the artwork. I prefer shoujo or pretty mangas. I completely forgot about the ending of this volume so that was a great surprise again. AHHHH. I love Syaoran and Sakura. They are the reason I got into manga in the first place. I know CLAMP likes to mix their characters, like they did with the anime version of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles which I really enjoyed until it's abrupt ending but I completely forgot they did this in the manga too. Cardcaptor Sakura was the first manga I ever watched completely, all 70 shows and two movies and is still-to-date one of my most favourite anime/mangas ever because it holds a special place in my heart, largely in part due to it's involvement in the majority of my childhood (like HP) so it was great to see my favourite characters show up.
The manga itself it still quite confusing though, especially from just reading the first volume because I've forgotten what happens in the other ones. Of course, it's only the first volume of the manga so I wasn't expecting the characters to be completely fleshed out, and then there may also be things lost in translation so I have taken this into account when re-rating it. I may re-read this series again just because of that ending ... but I have so many reading challenges to complete I may have to wait until next year to do that. Only time will tell.
It's been quite a while since I read this manga, I'm only re-reading for a reading challenge because I'm not particularly fond of the artwork. I prefer shoujo or pretty mangas. I completely forgot about the ending of this volume so that was a great surprise again. AHHHH. I love Syaoran and Sakura. They are the reason I got into manga in the first place. I know CLAMP likes to mix their characters, like they did with the anime version of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles which I really enjoyed until it's abrupt ending but I completely forgot they did this in the manga too. Cardcaptor Sakura was the first manga I ever watched completely, all 70 shows and two movies and is still-to-date one of my most favourite anime/mangas ever because it holds a special place in my heart, largely in part due to it's involvement in the majority of my childhood (like HP) so it was great to see my favourite characters show up.
The manga itself it still quite confusing though, especially from just reading the first volume because I've forgotten what happens in the other ones. Of course, it's only the first volume of the manga so I wasn't expecting the characters to be completely fleshed out, and then there may also be things lost in translation so I have taken this into account when re-rating it. I may re-read this series again just because of that ending ... but I have so many reading challenges to complete I may have to wait until next year to do that. Only time will tell.
October 2, 2020
Watanuki, un chico de preparatoria que puede ver y sentir la presencia de criaturas sobrenaturales, y Yuuko, la Bruja de las Dimensiones, se conocen pues como ella lo dice, era un suceso inevitable.
Yuuko tiene una tienda en el actual Japón y a ella acuden numerosos clientes que le piden ayuda de cualquier índole. Sin embargo, todo viene con un precio, y lo que sea que deseen, el pago será de equivalente valor.
Así pues, para “dejar de ver criaturas sobrenaturales”, Watanuki termina trabajando para ella: limpia, cocina y escombra la tienda mientras ella, junto con dos de sus sirvientes, toman el té.
Ahora bien, decidí leer este manga porque va a la par que Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. De hecho, los eventos de este primer volumen son apenas unos días antes de lo que ocurre al inicio de Tsubasa, así que un excelente complemento para quienes seguimos las obras de las CLAMP.
De momento no puedo decir mucho, es entretenido ver más facetas de Yuuko (como la bromista, la chica caprichosa y que siempre está a la moda) y no sólo la parte mágica. Lo mismo con Watanuki, cuya personalidad es un poco escandalosa, pero ninguno de los dos es una mala persona, sino al contrario.
Read it for the #48HourJapaneseReadathon.
Yuuko tiene una tienda en el actual Japón y a ella acuden numerosos clientes que le piden ayuda de cualquier índole. Sin embargo, todo viene con un precio, y lo que sea que deseen, el pago será de equivalente valor.
Así pues, para “dejar de ver criaturas sobrenaturales”, Watanuki termina trabajando para ella: limpia, cocina y escombra la tienda mientras ella, junto con dos de sus sirvientes, toman el té.
Ahora bien, decidí leer este manga porque va a la par que Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. De hecho, los eventos de este primer volumen son apenas unos días antes de lo que ocurre al inicio de Tsubasa, así que un excelente complemento para quienes seguimos las obras de las CLAMP.
De momento no puedo decir mucho, es entretenido ver más facetas de Yuuko (como la bromista, la chica caprichosa y que siempre está a la moda) y no sólo la parte mágica. Lo mismo con Watanuki, cuya personalidad es un poco escandalosa, pero ninguno de los dos es una mala persona, sino al contrario.
Read it for the #48HourJapaneseReadathon.
April 16, 2020
I really liked this book. I watched it in Animax when I was in high school (I'm in 3rd year college now) and loved it. It has a really good story and teaches lots of life lessons. So I decided to read the book. and loved it more. I love the main character Watanuki. He's such a loving guy. He may not like this "thing" now but if it's for the betterment of someone or something, he'll do whatever it takes. The genre of this manga is Supernatural and a bit of adventure. I recommend this to anyone who likes supernatural/comedy/drama. This is a great manga and anime! :)
May 12, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
xxxHolic was the first anime I ever watched, and I really enjoyed it! I've read the manga on and off for a few years now, but so much of it is reliant on the overarching Clamp universe that it can be somewhat difficult to read when you're as little versed in the rest of the stories as I am.
The self contained stories are super interesting, though, and very steeped in Japanese mythology. Really interesting stuff to read.
xxxHolic was the first anime I ever watched, and I really enjoyed it! I've read the manga on and off for a few years now, but so much of it is reliant on the overarching Clamp universe that it can be somewhat difficult to read when you're as little versed in the rest of the stories as I am.
The self contained stories are super interesting, though, and very steeped in Japanese mythology. Really interesting stuff to read.
December 29, 2021
Hace tiempo que vi la serie pero no completa, por lo que decidí probar con el manga y realmente me encantó.
Clamp simplemente es de mis autores favoritos por ser creadoras de Sakura Card Captors. El inicio me ha encantado y espero poder leer sin perderme algún detalle.
Clamp simplemente es de mis autores favoritos por ser creadoras de Sakura Card Captors. El inicio me ha encantado y espero poder leer sin perderme algún detalle.
April 3, 2015
I liked it, it was fun with tons of references to other books:)!
November 3, 2016
This review is for the series as a whole.
Summary written as an alternative title for the book: Boy Plagued By Ghosts Finds He Has Bigger Problems Than What He Previously Remembered
I LOVE this series. I adore almost anything that includes folktales and supernatural/paranormal themes. The art is beautiful and the pictures preceding each chapter are gorgeous. The characters are extremely well done and develop well through the series. My favorite is Dômeki. His serious, calm demeanor and sarcasm won me over as soon as he was introduced. His personality also meshes well with the personality of Watanuki, the main character. Watanuki is energetic and quick to bicker with Dômeki. They make a great pair and Dômeki is an extremely loyal friend to Watanuki.
This series also intertwines with CLAMP's other series Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. If you plan on reading Tsubasa I would recommend reading the series together. For example, read xxxHolic vol. 1 and then read Tsubasa vol. 1... and so on. I read xxxHolic first and then Tsubasa and ended up having to go back and forth anyway for reference.
Summary written as an alternative title for the book: Boy Plagued By Ghosts Finds He Has Bigger Problems Than What He Previously Remembered
I LOVE this series. I adore almost anything that includes folktales and supernatural/paranormal themes. The art is beautiful and the pictures preceding each chapter are gorgeous. The characters are extremely well done and develop well through the series. My favorite is Dômeki. His serious, calm demeanor and sarcasm won me over as soon as he was introduced. His personality also meshes well with the personality of Watanuki, the main character. Watanuki is energetic and quick to bicker with Dômeki. They make a great pair and Dômeki is an extremely loyal friend to Watanuki.
This series also intertwines with CLAMP's other series Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. If you plan on reading Tsubasa I would recommend reading the series together. For example, read xxxHolic vol. 1 and then read Tsubasa vol. 1... and so on. I read xxxHolic first and then Tsubasa and ended up having to go back and forth anyway for reference.
Read
June 1, 2015I liked this book! I can tell it's going to be an interesting series! The artwork was beautifully detailed and enchanting, especially Yuuko's costumes. I like the instant chemistry between the characters. Yuuko seems quite shady, but not necessarily in a bad way, and Watanuki seems crabby - and not too bright, making such an open-ended deal with such a shady witch! I wonder if she'll ever let him work off his wish! The style was very straight forward, and at the same time quite cryptic, if that makes sense. The action of the story kicked off on the very first page, with practically zero introduction. There is very little narration or internal monologue, most of the story is told in pictures and dialogues, which is why I say it is very straightforward. This is refreshing once in a while. It is cryptic because Yuuko tends to speak in riddles about mystical matters, but not so much so that it is too hard to follow. I found the moral lessons in this book to be quite thought provoking. I thought that the metaphor of the black cloud of lies burdening the young woman until she couldn't move was rather appropriate. The lesson Yuuko gave the woman with the computer addiction was particularly interesting to me, because I too have made excuses to put off quitting something, saying 'I'll do it soon, what's one more day', stuff like that. The way Yuuko explained choices and consequences, and making a promise to oneself, really struck me. I can't wait for the next time it rains on a sunny day, I'll try the mirror trick, it should be fun! I can't wait to see what the next volume has in store.
April 29, 2011
I've always wanted to read a manga by CLAMP. If you read manga, you kind of need to read at least one series by CLAMP. Just because. I chose to read xXxHolic (pronounced simply as "holic"; the xXx stands for a variable or a blank in Japanese).
xXxHolic is absolutely stunning in its art. In fact, it's so gorgeous and intricately drawn that at times I felt overwhelmed by it. As the story developed, it showed that it was strong enough to handle such elaborate art, where both story and drawings work together to create a beautiful work of art as a whole. At its greatest, manga IS art, and xXxholic depicts that relationship quite well.
The story deals with the supernatural, the roots of which come from Japan's folklore. Not only are the stories of that folklore well executed, but they reveal a surprisingly keen glimpse into human nature that intrigues the reader even further into the story.
The English editing is fantastic, with great translation notes in each volume. Highly recommended.
*As of date of review, I've read through volume 16.
xXxHolic is absolutely stunning in its art. In fact, it's so gorgeous and intricately drawn that at times I felt overwhelmed by it. As the story developed, it showed that it was strong enough to handle such elaborate art, where both story and drawings work together to create a beautiful work of art as a whole. At its greatest, manga IS art, and xXxholic depicts that relationship quite well.
The story deals with the supernatural, the roots of which come from Japan's folklore. Not only are the stories of that folklore well executed, but they reveal a surprisingly keen glimpse into human nature that intrigues the reader even further into the story.
The English editing is fantastic, with great translation notes in each volume. Highly recommended.
*As of date of review, I've read through volume 16.
January 8, 2018
The art is distinctive, stylish/stylized, and gorgeous. What I recall from years ago was that it is inspired by ukiyo-e woodcut prints. The story in this first volume is, unfortunately for its only chance at a first impression, lacking; it's mostly setup for crossovers with CLAMP's other manga. The one-off characters who come to Yuuko for psychic consultations are set up as cautionary tales, which gives the middle of the book a pedantic feeling.
I like Yuuko. It's funny to have a wise woman who's also self-centered and easygoing, and she's a good foil for her perennially uptight protégé (and housekeeper, and cook) Watanuki. How does she afford all those fabulous outfits when a memento from a customer, such as a child's high chair, is often the only price she asks? It's a mystery.
I read the first few volumes of this when it first came out in English, and got bogged down. Part of that may have been I was trying to read it in tandem with companion manga Tsubasa, which I wasn't enjoying anywhere near as much. Let's see if I can finish it on its own, this time....
I like Yuuko. It's funny to have a wise woman who's also self-centered and easygoing, and she's a good foil for her perennially uptight protégé (and housekeeper, and cook) Watanuki. How does she afford all those fabulous outfits when a memento from a customer, such as a child's high chair, is often the only price she asks? It's a mystery.
I read the first few volumes of this when it first came out in English, and got bogged down. Part of that may have been I was trying to read it in tandem with companion manga Tsubasa, which I wasn't enjoying anywhere near as much. Let's see if I can finish it on its own, this time....
February 17, 2014
Actual rating: 3.5
Ooh, this series has already intrigued me! I really enjoyed the artwork...mostly surrounding Yuko - the way she looks. the way she dresses, the way her shop looks, etc. I also really love her! It feels so long since I read a manga with a decent female lead, so I am so excited about that!
But dang... 19 volumes! Lol... I'm hoping to get back to this series once 2014 starts!
Edit: 2/17/14
And here I am!! Getting back to it! I just re-read this volume to refresh my memory, and it looks as if I had the same reaction. This manga interests me so much! And I LOVE Yuko-san! She is glorious! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. I considered reading it alongside Tsubasa but I think that'd just be putting too much on my reading plate for now - so perhaps sometime in the future I'll re-visit this series and read it alongside Tsubasa! But for now, it's just xxxHolic, and I'm excited!
Ooh, this series has already intrigued me! I really enjoyed the artwork...mostly surrounding Yuko - the way she looks. the way she dresses, the way her shop looks, etc. I also really love her! It feels so long since I read a manga with a decent female lead, so I am so excited about that!
But dang... 19 volumes! Lol... I'm hoping to get back to this series once 2014 starts!
Edit: 2/17/14
And here I am!! Getting back to it! I just re-read this volume to refresh my memory, and it looks as if I had the same reaction. This manga interests me so much! And I LOVE Yuko-san! She is glorious! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. I considered reading it alongside Tsubasa but I think that'd just be putting too much on my reading plate for now - so perhaps sometime in the future I'll re-visit this series and read it alongside Tsubasa! But for now, it's just xxxHolic, and I'm excited!
October 23, 2018
Watanuki is an irritable teen annoyed by smoky evil spirits. His secret wish to be free of this plague draws him into an old residence where his wish is ostensibly granted by a smoking-hot witch named Yuko. Watanuki becomes Yuko-san's indentured servant, until he works off the unstated wish-price, which could be forever. Diverse adventures ensue.
As witches go, Yuko-san is not so bad. She is very wise, and seems to have everyone else's best interest at heart. Plus she looks like a super-model, and she keeps flashing her witch-cleavage and long legs. Watanuki is not seduced by his employer, and instead has a more age-appropriate crush on one of his school-mates.
I tried to read slowly and absorb the art-work and mood, but still got through this whole volume in one single commuter-train ride. This is not my favorite genre, but there are 18 more volumes and I am already starting to wonder what Yuko-san is up to now.
As witches go, Yuko-san is not so bad. She is very wise, and seems to have everyone else's best interest at heart. Plus she looks like a super-model, and she keeps flashing her witch-cleavage and long legs. Watanuki is not seduced by his employer, and instead has a more age-appropriate crush on one of his school-mates.
I tried to read slowly and absorb the art-work and mood, but still got through this whole volume in one single commuter-train ride. This is not my favorite genre, but there are 18 more volumes and I am already starting to wonder what Yuko-san is up to now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 478 reviews