xxxHOLiC

[swollenlymphnodes]

Initial thoughts on the series (which means I watched the first episode and that henceforth all discussion generally refers to the first episode in the rest of this post). Saw the movie first, so a lot of the weirdness factor was diminished. The art is decent series quality. Nothing spectacular except the stylized manga art. I thought the uncolored extras was kind of cheap. Why? Why leave them plain? Maybe another manga adaptation. I love the soundtrack so far. Great OP and END. Especially the END track since I love that Japanese Pop R&B sound. Nice evoking string tracks. Never read the manga which I assume it's all based on, but it's seems like it's going to be a pretty good adaptation. I watched the Shinsen version as shinsen is one of my favorite subbers.


A little confused on the girl who wished for the spirit. She claimed she could see them, but it looks like she was bluffing. Kind of bragging so it seems to her friends. She got her just desserts, unbeknownst to her. At least that's what it looks like. Could she really see it?

Here are some episode notes from the Shinsen.

[GrinfilledCelt]

For clearity you ought to say which episode you are refering to (#1). There are four episodes fansubbed now.


I think that girl was just spinning a yarn for her friends. Watanuki didn't see any spirits around her and she seemed unaware of the one that attached itself to her later. I got the impression that she will show up in a later episode though.
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Songs for the flash frozen.

[swollenlymphnodes]

Episode 2


I tried a little excercise which made the anime a little more interesting. I thought ahead and tried to use the clues of the episode to guess what was next, instead of just watching and letting the anime pull you along with it. And all my guesses were generally correct. I don't want to say it was predictable, but it made it interesting to guess what certain things meant... and when the answers were revealed, the validation of the guesses was a little satisfying. Just a little.

For example. The problem with the young lady, was her pinky... the mention of bad habits. She held it to her head and I was thinking... a habit to stick it in her hair? Naw, not really considered a bad habit. But the moment when the smoke started coming out of her finger and the way she held it out... I thought of pinky promises. I then guessed that she breaks promises. It kind of lays it out obviously so the only way for it to be satisfying is to guess early before the clues come out. And so it was revealed, her bad habit is lying.

The only other thing that raised questions was Yuuko-sans affinity for her new found worker... The only guess I can make is his innocence... no more like naievete to the supernatural which make him unafraid of the wierdness that surounds Yuuko-san and her household.

The biggest gripe I have is the complete reversal of philosophy from episode 1 to 2. Episode 1 was all about "Hitsuzen" or "Inevitability." Episode 2, yuuko talks about 'you making the world around you what it is.' It goes from uncontrolable destiny or fate... to complete control of the world around you. That left me scratching my head.

We are also introduced to two other main supporting characters. Himawari, Watanuki's crush, & Doumeki... his friend/rival. But that doesn't describe Watanuki and Doumeki's relationship accurately. It's a very mild friendship/rivalry. Not quite best buddies, or sworn enemies.

And finally the Shinsen Episode Notes:

-In Japan, Yuubikiri is a pinky promise similar to an oath or crossing your heart. A strange coincidence is that in Japan the rhyme makes the person swear that they'll swallow 1000 needles if they break the promise, whereas in English we swear to stick a needle in our eye.

-Saikyo Miso is a type of sweet miso paste from west Kyoto, and Saikyo Sawara is mackeral marinated in the Saikyo Miso. This is not to be confused with Saiyou, which means "the best".

-Taichazuke and Hire Sake - Taichazuke is boiled rice with poured tea and topped with sea bream, while Hire Sake is Blowfish Fin with sake.
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nodes aka GTBaka
eh?
*Eternally Lurking*

[jjjynx]

Alright, here to clarify a little things...(Yay I bought a new power supply box for my com, and it's working as new again.)



1st of all is node's Question of Episode 1 to 2, of "Inevitable" in episode one, and Yuuko telling Watanuki he can believe whatever he thinks is true, as he is in control of his life and paths taken. (It might get a little philosophical, bear with me please or you can just disregard it)

The 'inevitable' / '必然', was said when Watanuki questioned why he was there. (I'm using a little mandarin here right now, mind you...since I'm looking at the manga while trying to ecplain things, so as not to make mistakes.) By saying things are not meant by coincidence, and it was inevitable/ pre-destined, Yuuko was trying to erase the doubt of coincidence, and with that instill the meaning 'FATE' into the readers.

Fate itself is not a coincidence, we met each other not because it is a coincidence, it was inevitable fate. (So it's like a magical excuse for denouncing coincidence)

In Episode 2, Yuuko then explained the meaning of a person's Life. Watanuki questioned on how and why Yuuko know what will happened to the women, and why she didn't stop it from happening. The reply came with an answer of how the world works. 'The World is not exactly planned for you' What this phrase actually meant, was that you can carve your own life out, what you can feel, what you can see is actually very narrow. Whatever you believe in will be what you can see, hear and touch.

So here we have 2 answers, which may seem a little linked:
1. We can live life in whatever way we choose.
2. Life is not a coincidence, everything is dedicated to Fate.

This is the same as saying, we can carve our own life out with our own hands, however we will it (Within our own world). But it is not mere coincidence that makes us into who we are, what we do and what paths we takes in life. There is no such things as coincidence, only fate will bring us to who we meet, how we act and what we feel, this is the World in a Yuuko's eyes (I dare not reveal some words due to possible major spoilers late in the series).

Simplifying it even more, Yuuko's meaning of World is alot more than Watanuki's meaning of World. Watanuki's world is one of what he can see, touch and feel, AKA What he believes. Yuuko's World can be understood to seeing it as a whole, and knowing the inevitable, but not changing anything (for some reasons later told).

So that's for Grin's little question, if you're not satisfied I can translate some things that isn't really correct in the subtitles, not that it isn't correct, but there's need of putting it in longer phrases, since it was proverbs in Japanese.

As for the question on wether the girl can see it, it's a straight No. But the evil spirit did got to her...she was just lying about being able to see stuffs, and such actions, as like in Episode 3, brings forth consequences.

[GrinfilledCelt]

Actually, jjjynx, those were all nodes' questions.
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Songs for the flash frozen.

[swollenlymphnodes]

[jjjynx]

I'm in control of my World as long as I believe I'm in control, but in another person's eyes it's inevitable that I become who I am. And if I am to believe someone else is controlling my fate, then that would be a world I live in.

It's more of philosophy than logic.

[swollenlymphnodes]

I can understand if each conflicting viewpoint was coming from different people, but both were spoken from Yuuko, authoritatively. Contradiction weakens her character.

Now, if she was explaining her philosophy, versus describing how someone else's philosophy works for Watanuki... then it makes perfect sense. Because both come from Yuuko... it contradicts. Contradiction = lack of credibility. It's a deep manga... soooo, if they are going to write it as such, they better make sure it all clicks, because they've obviously targeted it for a thinking crowd. So people who think about it, at least like I do, are going to run into this little bump in the story.
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nodes aka GTBaka
eh?
*Eternally Lurking*

[jjjynx]

You're getting it. And as for weakening her character, I wouldn't really know, XxxHolic have some morals we should remember, as you shall see soon enough.

And yes she was explaining her philosophy, even though Watanuki didn't quite get it. She was comparing the way Watanuki sees the world and the way the World revolves around her. Watanuki couldn't understand because Yuuko was playing with words...ok...let me try it this way...I'll translate what she said from the manga the best as I can...it should tally with the anime, so don't worry.

Watanuki Questioned the fact that Yuuko knew everything was going to happen, and assumed that Yuuko is able to see what will happen to Watanuki in the future, and everything is planned out for him.

so this is what Yuuko replied:

"It is whatever you think it is."
"If you believe the future is fixed, then it is fixed."
"If you believe the future can be changed, then it can be changed."

Watanuki:

"I can understand what you mean too well, it's just like saying this world. By just looking at this world, one will think it's big and infinite, but actually it is pathetically small."

Yuuko:

"It is limited to what one can see, hear, touch and feel within one's heart..."
"The World is not something that is there, it is what one creates that makes the World."



Within this converstation, the 'create' actually meant our own little world. What we see, what we believe, and what we know. Watanuki only has the ability to perceive the world he live in. Yuuko, however, is able to see oncoming events due to her ability to look into another person's world/prophesizing (as later you shall know).

As I said before 'Inevitable' was actually just a way of Yuuko's to denounce coincidence. Which means it's up to fate to decide the happenings that will come to you. Yuuko cannot change what will happen, and she does not know what will happen in the future in her own world.but she can do anything within her own world to craft her own future into something she wills. No one is allowed to look into his/her own future, we can take coincidence as coincidence, as long as we believe it is coincidence, and not fate, that something happened.

Her philosophy revolves around everything being inevitable...and we learnt from her that although fate plays through our lives, we have no idea how it will end up, so we are able to create our own world, achieve our goals, successes and end failures as long as we believe we can do it / creating one's world.

I do not find Yuuko contradicting, only because to understand her thoughts, you must first throw away the meaning of coincidence and think in her world, instead of our own. It can easily contradict with our believes if we think as a normal human...I suppose.

[jjjynx]

Note: Episode 7

There seems to be some mistranslation in the fansub I got, the fact that the characters were frequently saying out the words Nobita at Watanuki, which was actually referring to the crying, pityful Nobita from Doraemon, and what was subbed out to be taken for a pitying dog...seemed too big a difference. Maybe they never really watched Doraemon, I suppose.

Also, to XxxHolic's Mang readers who have reached book 5, it seemsthey switched the plots a little, shifting the position of Valentine and Hydrangea entirely.

And why is this thread dead already, do I kill threads often?

[GrinfilledCelt]

[GrinfilledCelt]

At episode #14 this show is still good. I just wish that it would develop more of a plot. It just seems to be marking time while disrelated things happen.
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Songs for the flash frozen.

[jjjynx]

Hahahahaha....more things will happen, I assure you. But there's a relation to Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles...more significant than it firstly seemed, as it will be revealed...and also when you've seen Tsubasa as well.

Though I would mention Tsubasa itself isn't that good, unless you're a fan of Clamp, and know of their constant way of giving mild reasons to dress up heir characters...and progressing the story with simple, valid yet not so promising storyline...then go ahead, it's worth it. Eitherways, it's CLAMP...and seeing the rest of the characters CLAMP made up thrown in it is pretty cool, even from Chobits, Clover, and that shop thingy that I never got to finish, not to mention Cardcaptor Sakura.

[Kerushi]

the manga is better and more enjoyable!
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I'm not gay but I was born a lesbian ... WTF?!

[Dread_Knight^Samurai]

And out of the blue as well...
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The mark of my divinity shalt scar thy DNA.