Before watching this OVA, I had heard from people that xxxHolic Rou would be very confusing. But Bloody Nora, I never thought that it’d be this extreme! The non-manga readers who have yet to see this episode: STAY AWAY FROM THIS POST! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
Because of xxxHolic Shunmuki, I was expecting something Tsubasa-related as well. Instead, the Tsubasa-cast doesn’t make an appearance at all. Instead, we get a time-skip of who knows how many years, in which A TON has happened: Yuko is dead, and Watanuki has now taken her place. This episode asked a whole tidal wave of new questions: what the heck happened to Yuuko? What caused her to come back? Why did Doumeki’s name change? Why does it seem that Watanuki can’t leave the shop? And taht’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Even for xxxHolic’s standards, this episode was dark. Watanuki has changed a lot. The visual comedy around him and Doumeki is completely gone now. Instead, the jabs he takes to Watanuki are short and subtle. Also, this episode never left the shop: everything we see is from Watanuki’s perspective, who somehow doesn’t leave the shop. Doumeki also lost the wise-cracking part of him: he now really doesn’t fool with Watanuki anymore. He’s actually graduated university at this point.
I guess this episode was all about Yuuko’s… rebirth or something, but what got to me the most was that phone-call at the end of this episode. After all that build-up! After all that time that was spent on the relationship between Watanuki and Himawari to make them like the perfect couple… she actually ended up marrying someone different and the two have grown apart!
I must say, Clamp: you did it again. This episode really was amazing in its character-development. It’s such a stark contrast from what xxxHolic used to be. Including the time-skip was a brilliant idea.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
Why did they skip a *large* part of the manga?!!!!
@pgal maybe they’ll take the nonlinear path and animate the skipped parts in later episodes?
I haven’t actually reached this part of the manga,but I have reached the point where Yuko died(and a bit more) and boy,Tatami Galaxy’s dialog is easier to grasp than xxxHolic’s(and to a degree,Tsubasa chronicles’) logic ^^;
Um, unless Doumeki’s name changed to Watanuki, you might want to fix this:
“Watanuki has changed a lot. The visual comedy around him and Watanuki is completely gone now.”
well, i don’t know how far the manga raws have been on about, or the release frequency, but
Spoilers
Himawari isn’t married so far as i know in the current chapters in the manga, and she and watanuki see each other every year during his birthday i think [or is it hers?]. In the manga so far, she and doumeki are university students. and yuuko is still gone.
End Spoilers
I’m not too sure how much of this episode is canon, but yuuko being dead is on spot…
The bits about Yuuko are the only bits “canon”.. the multiple foxes and TV business is something original to the OVA.
Doumeki’s name didn’t change she just called him by his first name.
I really really liked the way Watanuki and Doumeki have matured, but it actually really sucks in my opinion that Himawari didn’t end up with him… They spent too much time building up their relationship. I wouldn’t call them the perfect couple at all, but rather a couple that overcame some huge obstacles that were in the way to them ever getting together. I wouldn’t mind leaving it open-ended, so we never know whether they do or not, but just precluding the possibility sucks in my opinion. Perhaps that’s because I’m a sap at heart, and a hopeless romantic.
I’ve always seen Watanuki and Himawari more as friends than anything else, and I guess I must be the only one, but I like it that Himawari’s getting married. Helps with the whole Watanuki’s frozen in time while those he loves around him are moving on kind of deal.
Besides, the whole Watanuki and Doumeki relationship in the manga’s getting gayer and gayer by the chapter. I mean, Himawari has a life outside of Watanuki, and yet it’s heavily implied that Doumeki spends more time at the shop with Watanuki than he does at his own house, sleeps over enough that he has a room in the shop for him, and visits enough that Watanuki doesn’t even have to go somewhere to shop for groceries.
Not to mention the most recent chapter where Watanuki gave Doumeki something that’s full of implications no matter how you look at it, especially when you see where Doumeki tries to wear it on the first try.
Though I think their relationship was best summed up by one of the previous OADs:
“Watanuki, you and Doumeki are such good friends!”
“Why do the females seem to misunderstand our relationship?!”
Seeing is CLAMP were talking about is, one has to read/see several times a chapter to understand what is happening so, for what I can remember and understood, I’ll try to answer your questions.
SPOILER ALERT TO BOTH HOLIC & TSUBASA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fist off, on the manga right now it has been 4 years since Yuuko died. The reason of why she died is tightly knot to the Tsubasa ending in which she was already dead but because of a powerful wish (made by the bad guy in Tsubasa), her time stop and was trap in the time before her death, making a mess of time and space. Because a choice was made within the Tsubasa universe her time began to move again. Before she dies Watanuki promise her that he’ll continue on living, wishing for them to meet again and that he’ll wait for her at long as it takes. So, by making that wish, he becomes the shop owner and stops his “time” until he and Yuuko are reunited. The price for this was that he is not physically capable to leave the shop.
SPOILERS END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ova is clearly several years later than the current manga time, so I have no idea of the answers to some of the other questions ^^
Where can I watch this? (thanks)
I agree with Ebod,Watanuki and Domeki seemed more like a couple to me–despite the fact Himawari and Watanuki were together in the past (in the current manga that is). Even Yuuko, in the very begining of the manga/anime has told Watanuki that he and Himawari could never be together; Doumeki and he, however, will be a better match/inseparable (or something along those lines)
I think it’s a shame that Himawari and Watanuki couldn’t be together. Maybe the reason why Himawari was married to someone else for everyone’s best interest–whatever reason it may be.
Where can I watch this episode?
GASP! I had no idea the new OVA was out! I loveeee xxxholic. I can’t wait for this to be subbed. *waits impatiently*
I LOVE THIS SHOW SFM. i want to watch it subbed NOW.
i’m really glad you liked it. xxxHolic is my favorite manga, and i’m glad that the animators are doing a coherent job of fulfilling the role properly and actually explaining what the heck happened between this huge gap of xxxHolic Kei and Rou.
guys, you can watch it live raw streaming here: http://www.jokeroo.com/user-content/videos/animation-film/2010/4/37884-ana-hori-rou.html but so far no subs. 🙁
i am confused a bit at the end though- the girl/yuuko says ‘tadaima/i’m home’ does that mean she’s coming back? or she has been laid to rest?
Psgels, I’ve figured it out: the girl is NOT a reincarnation/daughter of Yuuko. It’s said in the OAD that the price of the job would that some words would be spoken from someone out of the girl’s mouth. Those words were of Yuuko san. I don’t know why she would say “I’m home” though. Maybe she is laid to rest? IDK.
Ahhh, it looks so beautiful! But I didn’t watch the OVAs, or read any of the manga. I want to start reading the manga, but then I’d have to catch up to a lot, not to mention I might have to start reading Tsubasa again. (and the last time I read that was a loooong time ago…)
I’ll probably be spoiled and bursting to know properly what happened (even though some people above have explained the situation ^^;) after watching the anime… I can’t wait for this to be subbed!
this OAD is FOR MANGA READERS!!!!!! it came packaged WITH THE MANGA and the reason it doesnt answer the questions that you posed is because readers already know the answers. . . its unfortunate for those who just watch the anime but all these questions were answered in the xxxholic AND tsubasa reservoir mangas.
Isn’t the reason Watanuki can’t leave the shop beacuase he promised Yuuko he would stay there until she returned or something like that?
Hey everyone who’s been asking, you can watch xxxHolic over at the Animax Asia website. They have a pretty healthy selection of the latest eps.
http://www.animax-asia.com/shows/xxxholic
or
Watch xxxHolic Episodes Online
Not sure which one will link. 🙂
Hummm,maybe i missed something in the manga,but Himawari couldn’t get “close” to people right,she brings bad luck,so how she ends up getting married? Mehhhh…
So far in the manga, Himawari isnt married yet. They still see each other only once a year(which is 1st April, Watanuki’s Birthday). And yeah, many stuff happened but for all i know, Himawari and Watanuki said to each other “I love you.” Though this seeing each other once a year thingy makes me realise that hey, maybe Himawari may really marry someone else…
This is big dissapointment it s good that yuko is back and I am thinking that the girl is her reincarnation himawari well I don t have opinion on that it s stupid and I hope watanuki finishes with yuko because don t know why but anyhow I am thinking that they should make at least one more ova so we know what happens with watanuki because this way you can only make assumptions
watch the new OVA w/ subs HERE!!!!!!! 9your welcome)
http://www.watchanimeon.com/xxxholic-rou-ova-episode-1/
im done reading tsubasa, and paatiently waiting for the latest xxxholic rou and kobato chapters, it really helps a lot in understanding this OVA, it answers some of the questions that are still currently on the current chapters, im so happy to hear about yuuko, the question now is where is she? i hope there’s a second part, coz a whole load of questions are coming up. I was hoping to see the tsubasa travellers too when watanuki was thinking of a signature.
I really like that Himawari is married to someone else, Watanuki’s high school crush on her was cute… but never seemed that it should end as anything more than friendship.
And I still don’t see a Yuko/Watanuki pairing; she seems more of a mother/mentor/crazy sensei figure in his life….
As for Doumeki/Watanuki… it’s never going to happen. The best we’ll see of these two is an implied soul-mate-bond-thing left open-ended for interpretation. *cries*
Silly need to keep the series mainstream… having the main character paired up with a major character of the same gender is apparently still a no-no unless the series revolves around their relationship.
The only question I have is how many more chapters of holic are we going to get before Clamp wraps it up for good?
Just wanted to say I disagree with the “never gonna happen” sentiment above regarding Watanuki and Doumeki. This is CLAMP we’re talking about and they are not remotely shy about shounen ai. You can see it in X and a number of their other works. Even Cardcaptor Sakura has some gay undertones throughout the series. The holic manga is truly bringing Doumeki and Watanuki closer together every week. I’m not saying it *will* happen, but I wouldn’t put it out of the question completely.
For the record, as a straight guy I am 100% hoping for the implied relationship between Doumeki and Watanuki to carry on and develop further. I don’t need/want to see them go at each other, but their relationship is really dynamic and a joy to watch. Second for me would be Zashiki-Warashi (too bad she has disappeared from the manga/anime recently; I don’t think she ages either!). Didn’t seem to me that Himawari was ever going to happen.
oh my gosh, i remember this episode. i loved it, but is was so…’WAIT, WHAT? WHAT JUST HAPPENED?’kind of thing. The end killed me though. >..
[sorry, the earlier comment messed up. >…
waaah, my comments are screwing up. i fail at life. D:
anyway, let’s hope it works this time? XD
oh my gosh, i remember this episode. i loved it, but is was so…’WAIT, WHAT? WHAT JUST HAPPENED?’kind of thing. The end killed me though. D: it’s left on such a cliffhanger, but i guess they aren’t making another OVA? D: i really want them to continue this though. 😀 if the manga has gone further, maybe i should read the manga… XD
Quite disappointed in Watanuki. Instead of coming into his own and actually taking over the shop, he just kinda stalled and is taking up space.
It seems like he had the potential to actually become the next wish-master, at least while Yuuko was gone; the whole point I gathered was that his part-time at the shop was preparing him for something. It feels like that something had been abandoned.
Her wish was for him to live on, but you can’t really call what he was doing living. Being stuck in the shop he is more or less a ghost, even if he is “preserving his time” so he can “live on”.
So yeah. This was dark, and moving, but ultimately frustrating.
The reason he doesn0t leave the shop its his own choice, that has to do with his wish, for yuuko to return, and he said that meanwhile he would stay in the shop (waiting for her )