Magic Knight Rayearth
While Magic Knight Rayearth isn't at all required reading to understand xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle it sure does set up a lot of themes used such as travelling to alternate worlds and the events at the end of the manga lead directly into xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle in several major ways.
The first biggy is the fact that after Mokona left the girls at the end of the series and it itself was travelling between dimensions / worlds it encountered Yuko and Clow Reed who were so influenced by this encounter that they created their own two Mokona's (the white, Soel and the black, Larg) based upon it. This isn't even speculation as it's mentioned in the very first volume of the xxxHolic manga series. This bit of info however was excluded from the xxxHolic anime series most probably so as not to confuse new readers.
The second direct connection is something that is pure speculation on my part but may very well be the case, that the three Rune Gods (or "Manshin") in Magic Knight Rayearth are in fact the same ones seen in the Hanshin arc of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. Most people think of them as alternate versions yet for those who have read the final volume of the Magic Knight Rayearth manga it becomes rather interesting to assume that these Gods simply travelled to Hanshin and settled there. They continue to serve almost exactly the same purpose and appear to be the same. Add to this the fact that they appear to be stronger than all the other "gods" in the Hanshin Republic and they're drawn to Syaoran and the gang (possibly because of their Mokona?) it definitely looks to be the case.
Want another confirmed connection? The symbols of the Rune Gods in Magic Knight Rayearth appear in the magic circles that Yuko, Mokona and other characters create to travel between worlds. Interesting.
As for the overall story of the series, it follows three girls who are teleported to another world called, Cephiro from Tokyo Tower in order to save it. It is there that they begin to discover the true nature of the world as well as their own destinies and hearts. It's a very sweet series with some shocking twists and turns and well worth checking out.
The manga series is split into two parts, Magic Knight Rayearth I and Magic Knight Rayearth II. The anime series is likewise split in two with the first season following the manga very closely and the second while sticking to the same overall arc differs significantly by excluding several plots (such as Mokona's true nature) and including others (a new villain). An OAV was also released which features a completely different take on the story where those from Cephiro actually travel to Earth instead of the other way around.
For more information on Magic Knight Rayearth, check out Shinjiru Kokoro.
Buy the Magic Knight Rayearth I manga from Amazon.com
Buy the Magic Knight Rayearth II manga from Amazon.com
Buy the Magic Knight Rayearth anime from Amazon.com
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