XXXHolic, ein Sommernachtstraum

Yuko is hired by the owner of a home who can not get get into the house she owns. So with Watanuki and Doumeki in tow she goes to visit the house where several collectors are staying for their mysterious host to appear so that they can add to their collections. This is a very strange tale that slowly builds as it goes on as things are found not to be the way they appear and it all to be operating with some form of Dream logic.

Mixing a variety of styles in animation this is a visually beautiful program that captures the some of the themes nicely while remaining true to the look and feel of the Clamp art work that is its source. The story slowly builds a sense of dread that remains through out even if you can guess some of what is going on. In its way it manages to be creepier than the manga ever was.

The only real flaw is that there is no character development. There is an assumption that you'll know who the characters are and what their relationship to each other is. The need to know stuff coming in is especially true with Doumeki, who is a rival for the affections of a young girl with Watanuki, but is also a friend and priest with mystical abilities, something that is not revealed until a good ways into the manga story line.

I really liked this movie a great deal. Its probably better as a horror film than as a perfect representation of the manga, but as comic to film transfers go its pretty good. Definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of the manga or Clamp or anime. ALso worth a shot if you like good thrillers of any sort.

FYI- This series runs parallel to Clamp's Tsubasa Chronicle, and a cross over to that TV series can be seen towards the close of the film where Yuko is helps someone far away.

Beautiful movie and awesome series.

I agree that you need to know the basics of the story to get most of the character interactions.

Yuuko San is a powerful sorceress who grants all wishes but for a price equal to that of the wish. She LOVES sake and snacks and sends Watanuki to buy and make them all the time, much to his annoyance. She's quite funny and mysterious. She sometimes sends Watanuki as bait =) for the spirits when she has a job but she always helps him and asks Domeki to help him.

Watanuki is a highschooler who sees ghosts and spirits that bother him all the time. Yuuko helped him stop seeing these spirits and helped them to not see him either. His price for this wish is to work for Yuuko San as a butler/cook/housecleaner and she sends him to help her with spirits.

Domeki is a fellow highschooler of Watanuki's who is as cool as Watanuki is excitable. Domeki has holy powers that keep ghosts away and his family owns a temple (?). He only likes Hinamori as a friend at most but Watanuki gets jealous whenever then have any interactions.

Hinamori is another highschooler (they all go to the same school) and she doesn't seem to favor either boy but Watanumi has an enormous crush on her. Yuuko San seems to think that there is something fishy about her but it hasn't been revealed yet.

I would definitely recommend this series. The animation is beautiful and the story is very interesting and dark and funny. If you can find it (it is still available on certain sites) check it out.