xxxHolic, Volume Three

By Rachel on June 20, 2008

In Volume Three of the supernatural xxxHolic, the Japanese summer heats up the action!

Plot Summary

Life hasn’t been easy for Watanuki, and it hasn’t gotten much easier since he started working part time in Yuko‘s shop. In fact, things can be pretty difficult whenever the witch is involved. But Watanuki keeps his spirits up knowing that, with a hand from Yuko, he can help those in need. Not to mention ever since he got his new job, he’s been seeing more of his crush, Himawari. Unfortunately, Watanuki’s also been seeing more of his “nemesis”, Domeki.

With a little help from his friends, and a lot of help from Yuko, Watanuki is learning more about his latent abilities and the world he lives in- namely the price people pay for their actions and their wishes.

Review

Volume Three was an excellent DVD. The abundance of culture (summer in Japan continues!) and supernatural phenomena (pipe foxes are cute!) are an intriguing mix. The characters are compelling and the story is really moving forward.

xxxHolic has a snowball effect in terms of story development. Each episode retains a bit of the previous, repeats it a tad, transforms it a little, adding on more depth and development. Then the new repeats ever so slightly, adds on, changes into something new, and repeats. The light repetitiveness is how things keep changing, keep developing.

xxxholic anime series

Character Development

Character development in this series is sneaky- it creeps in while you’re not looking and entertains at the same time. Before you know it, a character has new depth. Sneaky.

Domeki is interesting, and his character is likable. We get to know him by his actions and not necessarily by what he says, unlike Watanuki. That one’s always yammering on about something, so the audience is filled in on what’s going on in his head through what he says. But Watanuki is also a compassionate guy with a big heart, and that comes through as well.

However, I really like the drunken ball of fuzz, Mokona. The little guy can really hold his liquor and has a wicked sense of humor.

Conclusion

xxxHolic, Volume Three is very entertaining and has some bonuses in the way of cultural tidbits. For fans of Japanese cuisine, xxxHolic serves up some seasonal goodies on the side. It’s always good to be informed while being entertained!