Pirate Prince's Plunder Of The Week: xxxHOLIC!
I've dug far and wide across the land to find you the best in that wonderful Japanese artform--manga! These are the titles that have made it into my jewel encrusted and fabulous ship's hull that's anchored in the pink and rosy moat outside the GayGamer castle. So far I've brought you some of the best in shōnen (boys') titles--this week I'm bringing you something a little different from that infamous all-female group of manga creators: CLAMP.
The Plunder of the Week: xxxHOLIC!
Pronounced just HOLIC (haw-lick), and the title seems to refer to addictions of all kinds, because even though this has never been officially announced, xxxHOLIC is essentially a bunch of morality tales. The main story revolves around Watanuki, a slight and fairly hyperactive teen who is cursed by the ability to see ghosts. One day, while running from a particularly large and needy spirit, Watanuki finds himself in a strange yard that appeared to not be there a moment ago. And before he knows it, he's being dragged inside an old and mysterious house before a beautiful and sensual woman who cuts right to the chase by offering to remove his curse. She does (sort of), but nothing comes free--to pay the beautiful witch Yūko back for what she has done for him, Watanuki is forced into a sort of indentured servitude by providing housework and cooking as well as helping Yūko on any errand that may occur to her. Needless to say, this is just the start of Watanuki's adventure.
People come to Yūko in search of things, and since she is a powerful "Time-Space Witch," Yūko can usually provide them with what they want, but always at a cost. This is where the morality tales come in. A woman who has become a compulsive liar finds that she can't move her pinkie finger. A mother and wife has become addicted to the internet and desperately wants to quit it. These characters come in and out of Watanuki and Yūko's lives, and what happens to them usually carries a message. xxxHOLIC isn't though, about there being a right and a wrong way to do anything. More often than not, instead of passing value judgments, the same message is sent: "Do what is right for you, but accept and know what the consequences will be."
That and a continuing theme of "hitsuzen" or "fate" that draws us in each other's lives at the right place and the right time. Yūko belives that everything happens for a reason and has a good idea of when these things will happen, which create a lot of humorous episodes with Watanuki screaming and upset while the beautiful witch lounges and laughs to herself. There's also a large focus on the supernatural, with Watanuki's gift of vision allowing him to see things that normal people can't, whether they be spirits, little gods, or just weird things.
CLAMP have done a wonderful job with this title, and the artwork is simply astounding. Taking a gothic and almost Victorian approach to every scene that borrows heavily from Japan's own Taishō era, characters will be surrounded by intricate swirls of smoke and lines while wearing fine clothes with equally complex patterns on them. Bodies are long and stretched out, which creates a feeling of fashion, decadence and otherworldliness. This is a common choice in "shōjo" (girls') comics, but xxxHOLIC isn't necessarily just a comic oriented towards girls. It almost defies categorization. Just seeing the level of detail that goes into each panel is nearly overwhelming and a definite gift for the eyes.
The story also has little references to CLAMP's other hit series that started at the same time, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. Both are being currently translated and released by Del Rey Manga, and each story will have little events happen that bring the two series together in cute and funny ways. If you also are reading Tsubasa, it's a little gift from CLAMP each time it happens. I really can't suggest this title enough. Every single aspect is above comparison and wittily done, and a real relief next to so much cliche that seems to permeate the manga world. If that doesn't convince you, the slow-building love story between Watanuki and his hunky popular classmate/archer/exorcist Dōmeki while he fawns over the cute and mysterious Himawari is one of the best I've seen in a long time--humorous, believable, and rewarding. Do yourself a favor and just pick up the first volume. You'll be hooked, just like Yūko wants.
Pirate Prince
Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany on 1 August 2007
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: CLAMP, manga, pirate prince, plunder of the week, xxxHOLIC
oh i love xxxHolic
one of the very few manga i still read
Volumes 1-8 of this mysteriously showed up at my office, and I loved them. Then they just as mysteriously stopped coming. Super cool though. I loved that Makona was in it. ^_^
Though I'm still not sure how it's pronounced.
xxxHolic is one of my favorite manga. CLAMP did a very good job with this one. Though I still wish they would get back to Legal Drug. ;-;