Link: a xxxHolic anime and manga news blog

Site Status and a NEW xxxHolic OAV!!!

2009-06-24T10:07:00.003+09:00

Sorry for the lack in updates everyone! My laptop went bye bye which is why all site updates stopped for several months.

I'm back now and ready to continue! Expect media and ep guide updates this weekend! Yay!

Also in xxxHolic news, word is that ANOTHER OAV episode will be released with the Japanese manga #16! Doesn't have a name yet, and noone knows if it's a third episode of xxxHolic Shunmuki, an epilogue or a new separate episode.

Stay tuned for more!

Kobato. Anime Announced!!!

2008-12-07T14:54:00.002+09:00

You may have heard the rumours but now it's been confirmed! A Kobato. anime has been announced with an Autumn 2009 start date!

Check out a preview picture here!

Best part about the news is that it'll be animated by Madhouse who did Card Captor Sakura and Ohkawa is on the staff in a planning (possibly scripting) capacity!!!

For more Kobato information, Check out my Kobato. page.

Would anyone want me to cover the Kobato. anime? Thoughts?

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xxxHolic Shunmuki

2008-10-22T09:07:00.003+09:00

BIG NEWS! The official website for the upcoming Tsubasa and xxxHolic OAVs has been updated with a new layout featuring character designs from the episodes, preview links for upcoming sections and if you read the fine print... the name for the xxxHolic OAV!!!

Readers of my Tsubasa site will know that the Tsubasa OAV will be called Tsubasa Shunraiki (which roughly translates as "Tsubasa Book of Thunder" or "Spring of Next Year") and that I was speculating if the xxxHolic OAV would have a similar name. Well it does!

The xxxHolic OAV is called xxxHolic Shunmuki which means "Spring Exposure".

I can't wait for these OAVs.

p.s. It's confirmed that S. E. N. S. Project is returning to do the music. YAY!

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Tsubasa / xxxHolic Project Updates

2008-08-31T12:08:00.002+09:00

Man, is the xxxHolic manga picking up or what? Am LOVING this series right now! Why do we have to wait until March 2009 for the next volume?!?!

Anyway, on to the news!

The OAV (or OAD as people are saying now with the move from VHS to DVDs) sequel to Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations and xxxHolic Kei currently just going by the name, "Tsubasa / xxxHolic Project" has been postponed from January 2009 to February due to the delay in the manga.

An official site has been launched but no other major news so far.

The Japanese / English Region 1 DVDs are being released quickly though with xxxHOLiC #5 due for release later this month.

It's also been confirmed that xxxHolic Kei will be getting a Region 1 release. Here's hoping they have more than two episodes a disk unlike the Japanese Region 2 DVDs! >:

Finally I would like to thank all of the visitors that have been visiting Link lately. It's been a thrill to see the numbers jump. I guess more and more people are finally discovering this amazing CLAMP anime and manga series!

Great to see!

xxxHolic OAV!

2008-07-14T22:16:00.002+09:00

Just heard that xxxHolic #14 that's due for release in Japan on the 16th of November will come with a limited edition DVD OAV with story by Okawa and animation by Production I.G.

I'm expecting something similar to Tokyo Revelations.

Stay tuned for more info as it comes available!

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xxxHolic Kei #3 DVD (with CLAMP box) Preorder!

2008-07-04T09:18:00.003+09:00

Amazon has just updated the page for the third Japanese xxxHolic Kei DVD which comes with a box to hold the DVDs and features an exclusive illustration by CLAMP for the release.

Currently only the DVD case cover image is shown (made by Production I.G.). Expect the CLAMP box artwork to pop up online soon.

Check it out and Preorder Here

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 13 Season Finale Impression

2008-06-27T12:10:00.003+09:00

What a great finale to the xxxHolic Kei anime! While last weeks episode offered more of a plot finale, this week we get a celebration of the whole series with almost all of the characters they've met throughout the first season and xxxHolic Kei showing up.

I loved spotting several of the human characters in the street scenes and the inclusions of all the spirits Watanuki has met at the fox oden stand in the second half of the episode was a great idea.

We also got a Legal Drug crossover with Kazahaya appearing briefly in the shopping centre.

I also loved the subtle nod to the xxxHolic Movie when Watanuki asks Yuko about why Domeki is with them in an almost exact same way he did it in the film.

The animation was great and the pacing very well done with some fast and humorous development in the first half and a more slow, relaxing character moment in the second half.

This was a great finale to xxxHolic Kei and leaves me curious as to what is in store for xxxHolic in the future as in the manga the plot becomes more and more reliant on it's connections to Tsubasa I see the only possible anime continuation to be either back to back films/OAVs like the movies or an anime dealing with both sets of characters on the one show.

Mokona (the CLAMP artist, not the character) is apparently working on an "anime project" which could be anything... but this is also how she referred to Tokyo Revelations before it was officially announced.

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xxxHolic Kei Episode Guide Update

2008-06-23T23:11:00.003+09:00

Just a quick update to let you know I've just finished the illustrated summary / episode guides for three more xxxHolic Kei episodes!

xxxHolic Kei #3: Half
xxxHolic Kei #4: Yumekai (Dream Seller)
xxxHolic Kei #5: Kohane

Enjoy! These should be complete with summary, screencaps and crossover information. If I've missed anything, don't hesitate to contact me!

P.S. xxxHolic #12 comes out tomorrow! Wooo!!!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 12 Impression

2008-06-20T09:14:00.002+09:00

Wow.... just.... wow. The animation and character design quality in this episode really impressed! All of the characters just looked so fresh and natural and very well represented. Out of all the episodes of the series this one was by far the best drawn. Some shots were even on par with the xxxHolic Movie!

Voice acting was top notch and the script was so well written, incorporating everything from the manga arc such as the flashbacks to the episodes, Angel and Lamplight from xxxHolic's first season. I kind of missed a shot of the monkey paw from Contract but I won't hold that against the episode.

The episode built to a great emotional finish closing with a beautiful collection of music only shots featuring several new themes.

If I was rating this episode I would give it 5 out of 5!!! Simply brilliant!

Next week is the final episode of xxxHolic Kei and seems to follow the electrical demon / spirit / god they find while looking at fridges. Am very curious to see how it plays out. Always good to finish on a fun note.

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 11 Impression

2008-06-14T18:22:00.002+09:00

While the Kohane episodes really bored me to tears and almost turned me off the series completely, this episode which finally dealt with Himawari after seasons of hints as to her mysterious true nature.

Flashbacks were done really well (and I hope they do more in the next episode to show just how much she influenced Watanuki's life), Himawari's voice actress finally got to express more than one emotion and the animation was simply top notch!

Great music and use of almost every major character in the series. This episode was also very well adapted from the manga arc with a slight change regarding Kohane and the balloon due to how her arc was adapted.

In short a really well worth while episode and I look forward to part two next week and then the final xxxHolic Kei episode the week after.

Time sure flies! Only two episodes to go!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 9 & 10 Impression

2008-06-08T10:36:00.004+09:00

Been a Hell of a week for me and didn't get 'round to writing my impression of xxxHolic Kei Episode 9 so this week you get my impression of 9 and 10!

Kind of works out well as the two episodes were a two parter anyway, featuring Kohane.

Kohane as a character I never really liked. I just find the all serious, borderline depressed little girl to be such an anime cliché and something I just can't find believable coming from a Western country (Australia). Having been teaching children in Japan for almost five years now though I have seen a fair share of "Kohanes" (child and adult versions) which honestly gets a bit disturbing after a while.

Despite the character cliché, the plot in these two episodes also felt a bit clichéd and unbelievable. The mother was interesting at first but quickly (very quickly) slipped into absurdity. The other character's reactions were also incredibly stupid. So the mother beats Kohane, starves her, makes her seriously depressed, throws boiling water on her friends (that scene was cool though) and then Yuko and Watanuki let Kohane go back and live with her afterwards?!?

For Christsakes, I'm more than aware that the hitting of children is common practice in Japan but, come one! This woman just took it to the next level.

In brief:

Episode 9 was 95% boring, with the boiling water scene almost saving it.

Episode 10 was better but I'm REALLY glad the Kohane arc is over.

Next week looks really great! Finally the Himawari arc that deals with her mystery, some great character designs and just some all around coolness!

Only three episodes left of xxxHolic Kei! Can't wait to see what happens!

P.S. Expect my illustrated xxxHolic Kei Episode Guide to continue this week! I'm getting back into it!

P.P.S. Someone made this interesting Honey Honey music video by placing the full version of the song over a slowed down footage of the closing credits. Nice.

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SEAMO's Honey Honey Feat Ayuse Kozue Music Video

2008-05-29T21:23:00.002+09:00

Check it out!

I'm loving this song and really like the video! It looks as if someone has actually put some thought into the music video unlike a certain Nobody Knows singer. Jam?!? WTF!?!

Anyway, Honey Honey... love it!

SEAMO Honey Honey feat.AYUSE KOZUE
Uploaded by hawaiiantommy

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xxxHolic Kei DVD Cover Image

2008-05-24T10:50:00.002+09:00

The cover for the first Japanese volume release of xxxHolic Kei has been released on this page at Amazon.jp.

Keep in mind that it does only come with one episode but also has a free drama CD exclusive to the release!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 8 Impression

2008-05-23T08:22:00.002+09:00

This was a an okay episode but overall it didn't really excite me as much as other episodes have. I usually love xxxHolic filler episodes but this one really left me wanting more.

Loved seeing Domeki's grandfather again (strange we never hear about his mother and father) and the music that played in that scene but for me that was the only really memorable scene.

Next week we have some Kohane development which should be interesting.

Can you believe we only have 5 episodes left?!? I hope they announce a continuation soon!!! Fingers crossed for a xxxHolic / Tsubasa movie or OAV!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 7 Impression

2008-05-16T09:20:00.002+09:00

Just finished watching the seventh episode of xxxHolic Kei and while it was a good episode in and of itself I was really disappointed by the major changes done to the Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations crossovers concerning the egg/s and the water.

In the manga and in The Princess' Dream, Sakura goes through a major quest to get the magical egg in a land that has no magic. When Mokona sends it to Yuko though it somehow doubles itself into two eggs. Yuko gives one to Watanuki (probably going to see that in a few weeks in Kei) and another she keeps for a future event.

In this episode of xxxHolic Kei though. The cat girl gives Yuko an egg. Maybe they're just cutting out the doubling effect (as that deals with Fay Wang Reed) so in the anime continuity Yuko gets one egg from the cat girl and one from Sakura. Makes sense but is still a bit unnecessary.

The second issue I had was the well water which is also shown in The Princess' Dream. It's described as pure water with the powers of nature, etc... but in this episode they find the body of a dead cat in the well. No matter how mystical the water, the fact that a dead animal has been lying in it for a while makes Yuko's gift of the water to the Tsubasa gang come across as a little dark.

Overall good episode, but some of these changes were really not needed at all.

Am glad they left in the Himawari subplot and can't wait for that arc! Next week is the "bell" story. Should be good!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 6 Impression

2008-05-09T09:05:00.003+09:00

Being such a short chapter in the manga, it was almost a given that the mahjong episode would involve lots of padding with characters that didn't appear in the manga (such as the Ame and Zashiki Warashis) and humorous side stories (Watanuki reading up more on the game) but personally I've always liked xxxHolic's "filler" episodes as I enjoy seeing the characters interact in their down time and appreciate a look into the world that we wouldn't normally see in say the Spider Arc episodes.

Several of my favourite background music tracks from the series are those that play during the quieter scenes so for me anyway, I found this episode really rewarding.

Something interesting (though very xxxHolic) done in this episode was the presentation of the scores each character was getting throughout the game and the title screens for the different phases. It was basically like watching Yuko, Domeki, Mokona and Watanuki play a game and it worked really well.

We also got to see a humorous look into Domeki and Yuko that we don't normally see. Every time Yuko had her inner monologue I couldn't help but crack up.

Next week looks really fun. Looks like another half filler, half manga inspired episode but features the return of the cat girl from xxxHolic Kei episode 2 which I couldn't be more happy about. If there was a character from the manga that needed more time it was this one.

The seasons also look to be moving into Summer next week which is great. Maru and Moro in a water fight! Need I say more?

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 2, Nobody Knows and Honey Honey Online

2008-05-02T17:13:00.004+09:00

Just finished the episode guide for the second episode of xxxHolic Kei. A great episode!

I also fleshed out the main xxxHolic Season One Episode Guide and xxxHolic Kei Episode Guide pages with some basic information and created the pages for the xxxHolic Kei Opening, Nobody Knows and the xxxHolic Kei Closing, Honey Honey both now with screencaps!

Pay attention to the Nobody Knows page each week as each screencap will begin to be linked to the episode in which it takes place in in the same way the first season's, 19 Sai was linked to numerous episodes.

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 5 Impression

2008-05-02T12:03:00.002+09:00

Wow, I was really impressed with this episode. Not only was the animation level simply incredible but we got several new music themes plus a very nice voice actresses for the new character, Kohane.

I never really liked Kohane in the manga so I was surprised when I found myself liking her here. The voice actress just did a really good job. Production I.G. also did a rather creative job or showing a bit of her special powers. Very interesting.

Something else I found interesting was the inclusion of more of a subplot for Himawari which is obviously leading up to a Hell of an episode later on in this series. It was cool to see a brief flashback with her and her grandmother.

Something that threw me off though was the fact that the sakura trees were in bloom... but they weren't last week but they were in the final season one episode... If you follow how the seasons change in the series you may find this a bit jarring.

This continuity problem can be fixed though if you just take the first season bonus episode out of the viewing order. It is a bonus episode after all so I guess it makes sense not to include it.

A great episode that really begins to evolve the series further. Can't wait for next week's xxxHolic Kei episode!

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xxxHolic Kei Avatar and Icon Downloads

2008-05-01T13:17:00.003+09:00

Have been so excited with the latest xxxHolic Kei episodes that I was inspired to create a whole batch of new avatars and icons based on the xxxHolic Kei opening credits by Suga Shikao, Nobody Knows.

Got some great avatars featuring Maru and Moro, the Spider Queen, Kohane and of course Yuko and Watanuki and others.

Enjoy!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode Guide

2008-04-30T15:37:00.002+09:00

The widescreen version of xxxHolic Kei just started airing so finally I present to your my episode guide / summary for xxxHolic Kei Episode One, Spider's Web!

Expect the opening and closing credits, Nobody Knows and Honey Honey to be up any day now. I've actually run out of space on my server once again so I need to buy some more space to put the screencaps!

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CLAMP's Chobits and Clover

2008-04-27T19:02:00.001+09:00

Just a quick note to let you know that my little information pages for Chobits and Clover are now online.

If you've ever wanted to know a bit about the series that crossover with xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, these little pages should be of good interest.

Some people have asked me how I keep this site running, well a rather new website (though by the people behind the famous TextLinkAds) that I've been trying for the last few months is ShoppingAds.

Being a new idea I honestly wasn't expecting much from it but I decided to give it a go and have been very impressed with the money I've made so far (within 3 months I got US$50 paid into my PayPal account).

Basically you place an ad on your webpage that advertises related auctions on eBay. If someone clicks on the ad you get money. If someone clicks on the ad and bids in the auction you get much more money.

The look of the code is completely customisable as is the type of auctions presented (you can enter as many keywords as you like such as "xxxHolic" or "Mokona" for example).

You can see an example of a ShoppingAds ad on the right menu.

ShoppingAds is well worth a look. I've found it to be almost on par with Google AdSense and the fact that they pay you into your PayPal account (something AdSense doesn't do) is a huge bonus.

What have you got to lose?

Good luck in making money online and check back within the next 24 hours for some major Link updating!!!

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 4 Impression

2008-04-25T09:47:00.002+09:00

After the three parter Spider Arc this was a nice little stand alone episode that gave the characters some down time but also introduced and continued to develop several new (some major) sub-plots.

The story was overall very close to the manga and I especially loved the Legal Drug crossover with the sub-dimension accessed via the telephone pole. For those that didn't know, this same pole has been seen in Kobato. as well.

Domeki's grandfather made his first on-screen appearance and it was handled very well. I'm also thrilled with the voice actor they chose for him. I thought they were just going to get Domeki's to sound older but they made a really good choice by casting someone who can actually sound the age he is.

Nice to hear several new music themes as well. The Yumekai's European influenced theme especially stood out.

Something that did annoy me though was Watanuki's eyes. They're both blue! One would think one would be orange and the other blue but here they're both the same.

However in this arc in the manga, CLAMP kept his eyes blue as well. Did CLAMP make a mistake in the manga and Production I.G. just copied it? Or are the blue eyes a deliberate decision?

In the preview for the next episode there are shots of Watanuki with blue / orange AND blue / blue eyes!

What do you think's going on? (Comment below!)

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xxxHolic Cover Images and Magic Knight Rayearth

2008-04-22T08:07:00.003+09:00

For those who have never read Magic Knight Rayearth I just wrote and introduction to the series and how it crosses over with xxxHolic and Tsubasa here. Enjoy!

In other news the covers for the third xxxHolic DVD and xxxHolic #12 have been released so have added them to their respective pages.

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xxxHolic Kei Episode 3 Impression

2008-04-18T08:25:00.002+09:00

This episode really impressed me on all sides. The story was great with a very fast pace but also lots of character moments and developments especially concerning the Zashiki Warashi, Watanuki and Domeki. A major plot development happens by the episode's end that really moves the whole series forward which just makes xxxHolic Kei that much more exciting.

The animation was also top notch featuring some great battle scenes with Watanuki and the fox spirit (Kitsune). Speaking of the fox spirit it was great to see it's fire blasts portrayed with such energy and vibrancy. Last time we saw it's fire in episode 13 of the first season it really did fail to live up to expectations. Here it really impressed.

Something else that I really dug were the several new music themes that were introduced towards the end of this episode. xxxHolic has always been a celebration of Japanese culture and the new music seems to really enforce this with a very strong Asian influence. I can't wait to hear more!

(Also, was that a Ghost in the Shell cameo?)

The next episode looks to be dealing with the dream balloons from the manga though something really surprised me... Watanuki has two blue eyes in the preview! But at the end of this episode he had an orange and a blue one! Is this a mistake on Production I.G.'s part or did the eyes revert back to blue in the manga as well? Anyone?

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Japanese xxxHolic Site Updates

2008-04-17T09:18:00.003+09:00

The official Japanese xxxHolic website has updated several sections. Of not is the Characters page which now has very brief info on Maru, Moro and Mokona.

There's also several images and bits added about the CD singles for the opening and ending themes for xxxHolic Kei and the upcoming DVD releases.

Personally I'm undecided about whether to get these DVDs which will only have 2 episodes per disk I'm not sure it's worth it especially knowing that the Region 1 / USA release will most likely have 4-6 episodes per disk and at a cheaper price.

I'll definitely be getting the 3rd DVD though as it comes with the box which will be covered in an illustration by CLAMP exclusive to the release and most likely not used outside Japan.

The official site has also added widescreen image screencaps to the xxxHolic Kei first episode listing most likely due to the fact that the widescreen version of xxxHolic Kei begins airing this week, three weeks after the pan and scan version began airing.

As I did with xxxHolic's first season episode guide I'll be adding new episode summaries, etc once the widescreen version airs and I can get screencaps. The show just looks so much better in widescreen that it would just be a waste of time to take screencaps of the regular version.

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