DVD Review: xxxHolic

"So, you wanna hear all the gory details?"

xxxHolic is about Yuko, the owner of a shop that grants wishes, and Watanuki is a high school student that has been able to see spirits for as long as he can remember.  His parents have both been dead for a long time, and now Watanuki is the inevitable worker for Yuko and her shop.

It was a typical day for Watanuki, walking home from school with creepy looking spirits following him.  He decides to make a run for it from the spirit, and he ends up at the entrance of a strange house that he's never noticed.  Before he knows it, his legs are walking him into the house. Yuko draws him in, stating that them meeting was inevitable.  She then explains that she grants wishes, but, with proper compensation.   So, Watanuki has to work part-time at the shop in order to pay off his wish.
 

While working for Yuko, Watanuki experiences strange and unusual occurrences that are due to out side worlds, and he learns how to deal with the spirits that burden his life every day.

There is one underlining theme here, it's the law of inevitability.  Yuko doesn't believe in coincidence,   and instead, she repeatedly explain that everything has been planned from the start.  I really appreciate the way folklore and wives tales are used as the basis of the events that take place.  Like pinky swears, and the power of words.  All the events are layered and are a great way to learn life lessons.  Those who are not main character reflect something that we all go through, and thus that are the most realistic.  While the main characters all have the human aspect to them, they are a bit to dramatized to be considered realistic.

This is were the comedic aspect comes in.  The way the main character interact with each other is a bit excessive, but I found myself nodding my head and thinking, "I feel like that sometimes".  It made me laugh.  

At times, xxxHolic was quite creepy.  But not to scary to be in the Horror genre.  The whole series is like a serious romantic horror comedy routine.  Clamp (the creator of xxxHolic), did a good job of combining everything, and making it a part of the world of xxxHolic.  Nothing was repeated to the point of overuse, and even if it was repeated, there was something different that keeps the story fresh.

I really like xxxHolic.  I found this series to be brilliant and eye opening to the world of Japanese culture, as well to morals I haven't had to think about yet.  This is a must-have for any anime collection, and then some!

ComicsOnline gives xxxHolic: The Complete Series, 5 out of 5 Mokona.