XXXHOLiC [TV]
Kimihiro Watanuki is a peculiar high school student, as he possesses an ability that allows him to see the supernatural. One day while he was walking home, Watanuki accidentally stumbles upon a strange shop, where he meets its owner, Yuko Ichihara. Yuko claims to be a powerful witch, who can grant wishes of her customers, but with a price. Annoyed and plagued by the spirits he sees, Watanuki wishes to get rid of his special ability. The witch agrees, but he must in turn work as a part-time cook and housekeeper of the shop as payment. Although he was mainly hired for household chores, Watanuki is often sent on errands by Yuko, where he slowly discovers the wonder and strangeness of the supernatural world.
About the Show
xxxHolic is an anime adaptation of the supernatural, comedy manga series under the same name, written and illustrated by a group of manga artists known as Clamp. Produced by Production I.G., the series aired a total of 37 episodes (divided into 2 seasons, plus 4 OVAs), between April 6, 2006 and June 26, 2008. The series is well praised by critics, and has received several awards since its publication.
Characters
Kimihiro Watanuki
Kimihiro Watanuki is the main protagonist of the spirits, and possesses an ability that allows him to see spirits. Due to living alone, Watanuki is very skilled in domestic tasks, which became his work in Yuko’s shop until his wish is paid. He began to love his newfound life working in Yuko’s shop, and has promised that in the case Yuko will have a wish for herself, he will be there fulfill it. He is often tasked to complete supernatural errands, accompanied by his classmates, Shizuka and Himawari.
Yuko Ichihara
Yuko Ichihara is a powerful being and is the owner of a wish granting shop. In exchange for something with the same value, from precious possessions to abstract concepts, Yuko grants the wishes of her clients. Despite usually appearing as immature, drunk, and pushy, she becomes serious whenever giving Watanuki or her clients advice.
Shizuka Domeki
Shizuka Domeki is Watanuki’s stoic classmate. He lives in a shrine owned by his Shinto priest grandfather, and it is where Shizuka learned much about folklore and the supernatural. Although not being able to directly see the spirits, he can sense their presence and has the ability to exorcise them. Due to his talents, Yuko always makes Shizuka accompany Watanuki during errands.
Himawari Kunogi
Himawari is usually seen as a friendly and outgoing person, as accompanies Shizuka and Watanuki during their errands. Watanuki admires her openly, and even declares that Himawari must be some kind of goddess that brings luck, although Yuko thinks otherwise. It was then revealed sometime later that she possessed a supernatural ability that causes misfortune to the people around her with the exception of her parents. After almost causing Watanuki’s death, Himawari decides to stay away from him. But this does not stop Watanuki’s persistent love for Himawari, and ends up convincing her to come back.
Kohane Tsuyuri
Kohane Tsuyuri is a young girl gifted with the talent of exorcism. In her early years, she helped her mother find out about her father’s secret affairs, but her mother’s attitude drastically changed after the discovery of her power. She is forced by her mother to appear in various TV shows, where the profits go to her mother’s extravagant material possessions. She is also kept away from “impure” things, and has little to no friends at all. She later meets Watanuki, who greatly affected her life and happiness.
Maru and Moro
Maru and Moro are two artificial beings who keep Yuko’s shop in existence. They also help Yuko with most tasks around the shop, but later require hibernation. They are very energetic, and often speak in unison.
Kudagitsune
Kudagitsune is a pipe fox spirit, which was later named Mugetsu by Watanuki. It grew fond of Watanuki, and protects him especially in dangerous situations. Whenever it shows its full power, it becomes a nine-tailed fox, capable of creating destructive fireballs.
Episode Summaries (First Season)
Episode 1: The Inevitable
Watanuki, a troubled young boy by his ability to see spirits stumble upon a witch’s shop. He agrees to work for Yuko, owner of the shop, until his debt for the wish of removing his abilities are paid off.
Episode 2: Falsehood
Yuko is approached by a client that seeks help regarding her little finger. Meanwhile, Watanuki slowly learns more about his boss.
Episode 3: Angel
After the occurrence of mysterious incidents in their school, Himawari seeks the help of Yuko. Watanuki is forced to look into the matter, and is paired with Shizuka, his classmate who he dislikes.
Episode 4: Fortune Telling
Watanuki discovers more about Yuko’s powers.
Episode 5: Game of Letters
While in the middle of a dangerous errand with Mokona’s aid, Watanuki encounters a strange oden shop in the dead of the night.
Episode 6: Indulgence
Yuko and Watanuki encounters a client who is addicted to the Internet.
Episode 7: Hydrangea
A rain spirit named Ame-warashi seeks Yuko’s help to save a friend of hers. Watanuki and Shizuka are directed to a huge Hyrangea bush where a girl died a year ago. Watanuki is drawn into the bush, and is lost between the world of the living and the dead.
Episode 8: Contract
A new teacher in Watanuki’s school receives a tempting container from Yuko. Little to the teacher’s knowledge that it could lead to her demise.
Episode 9: Pinky Promise
Yuko receives payment from Ame-warashi. A new client arrives in their shop, and seeks Yuko’s help after having problems with her little finger. It is later revealed that her problem is caused by her bad habit of making promises to her many boyfriends.
Episode 10: Lamplight
Yuko explains more about Watanuki and Shizuka’s abilities in a ghost story-telling activity she organized.
Episode 11: Confession
Shizuka’s soul is stolen by a girl, and Watanuki sets out to retrieve it with the help of a giant bird provided by Yuko.
Episode 12: Summer Shade
The summer season arrives and the gang decides to hit the beach where they stay at a nearby house. Yuko executes a deliberate plan, with the hopes that Watanuki and Shizuka might start working together.
Episode 13: Transfiguration
Watanuki notices that a classmate of his is growing wings. As the wings grew larger, his classmate also grew aggressive. Eventually, she attacks Watanuki, where the pipe fox intervenes and kills the parasite.
Episode 14: Seal
Yuko and Watanuki meet a harmless twin while out on a shopping trip. Things turn to the unexpected in a very short time.
Episode 15: Release
The twins seek out the help of Yuko.
Episode 16: Reunion
Watanuki sets out to a mystical mountain, with the goal to help the pipe fox revert to his original form.
Episode 17: Self-Mutilation
Watanuki brings a friend to their shop that deliberately avoids happiness.
Episode 18: Ground Cherry
Watanuki meets a cat-woman while cleaning Yuko’s warehouse, who gives him a paper-lantern. Yuko instructs Watanuki to attend a celebration with Shizuka, where they find themselves in a procession of various monsters. After letting go of their lantern, Watanuki and Shizuka are revealed to be humans, and thus the monster chase them.
Episode 19: Unreasonable
The gang set out to a park, where they had a snowball fight and the winner gets to open a treasure box from Yuko.
Episode 20: Atonement
A new customer seeks the help of Yuko. The client is haunted by a photo she can’t get rid of. Yuko agrees to help, but it exacts a high price.
Episode 21: Nail Clipper
Despite being repeatedly warned, Watanuki ignores the advises of Yuko and Shizuka regarding superstitions. He later finds himself in the consequence of his hardheadedness, where Yuko comes to the rescue.
Episode 22: Temptation
Yuko gives Watanuki some time off as she will be away for a little while. Watanuki meets a beautiful woman, and immediately befriends her. The woman claims to have lost her son and is lonely, and Watanuki decides to soothe her loneliness. Watanuki suddenly catches some kind of illness, and it only gets worse every time he meets the woman. Shizuka advises him to take with him the protective pipe fox, but Watanuki only refuses.
Episode 23: Choices
Watanuki’s condition continues to worsen. Shizuka decides to take matters into his own hands, and eventually frees Watanuki from the woman’s influence. After recovering from the illness, Yuko advises Watanuki to reconsider his behavior towards Shizuka.
Episode 24: Reminiscence
Watanuki reminiscences about his birthday where there was a friend he met that saved him from the spirits plaguing him.
