Somewhere along the way, I started enjoying this manga.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: CLAMP
Translation/Adaptation: William Flanagan
Lettering: North Market Street Graphics
What They Say
Yuko is gone and only remembered by a small few. Because of her disappearance, Watanuki takes it upon himself to run Yuko’s wish-granting shop and vows to never leave it. Still inexperienced, he dedicates himself to helping everyone that stops by his shop – including the one that ate his right eye. Watanuki also must take special care not to get himself punished for assigning the wrong price for granting a wish. How long will he allow himself to perform Yuko’s work? Will she ever return?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This is the third XxxHolic omnibus I’ve reviewed, and I have to say, the manga has grown on me. It’s odd, because not much happens in this volume, but this is easily my favorite so far.
Yuko, the dimensional witch who ran the wish-granting shop Watanuki worked at, has disappeared. Not only that, but no one seems to remember her aside from Watanuki and a chosen few. At the end of the previous volume, Watanuki promised to wait for Yuko, saying that this was his wish. In this volume, we discover the price he paid for that wish.
More or less, Watanuki has become Yuko. The price he paid is that he can never leave the shop again (at least physically). He also doesn’t age. In the process of becoming the new caretaker/shopkeeper, he adopts many of Yuko’s habits and even wears her clothes. His powers have also grown, although the extent of that growth is a bit vague.
He also continues Yuko’s work of granting wishes, and all of this has his friends worried, because of the potential physical and spiritual harm that might come to him if he under- or overcharges people for their wishes. They all try, in their own way, to relieve the burden and protect him, especially Domeki , who remains his faithful friend (even though neither will admit to the friendship), and still possesses the egg Yuko gave him. Mokona provides him with cryptic reassurance that he’ll know when to use it, but Domeki remains cautious and more than a little confused.
Part of the fun of this volume is the way that the manga has shed some of its extraneous material. The story is actually moving forward, and Watanuki has grown. Now that he’s taken Yuko’s place, he seems far more centered and confident than ever before, and because of that, many of the standard jokes—such as his arguments with Domeki—have more or less receded. Now, if you’re a fan of that comedic bit, then this will probably be disappointing to hear, but it never really caught me, so I’m more than happy to see it go.
The supernatural/mythical elements also seem to have come more to the foreground. Some of the best moments are the quiet ones where Watanuki interacts with various mythic creatures, such as the white rabbit who fixes his pipe, or the young kitsune talking about taking a side job so they can buy their father a new apron. Moments like that add color and verisimilitude to the piece. It also displays just how much Watanuki has grown as a person.
The art, as always, is top-notch. You can always depend on CLAMP for solid work. The character designs are solid, and—unlike other manga artists—the overall style is clean and uncluttered, making it easy to follow. Together, the writing and art make this a quick and enjoyable read.
In Summary
In some ways, volume six feels like the deep breath before the plunge. The story—like the protagonist—is growing and changing, and becoming better for it, in my opinion. I might just have to pick up volume seven to see where this goes. Dr. J gives this a…
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: T
Released By: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: June 16th, 2015
MSRP: $14.99
