Dear Guest
Hello and welcome to "Link", my news, media and review site dedicated to CLAMP's newest manga and anime series, xxxHolic!
When I first heard of xxxHolic I decided to start reading it mainly due to it's connection to Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle which in turn I had decided to read due to my love for one of CLAMP's other famous series, Card Captor Sakura.
What suprised me about both of these new series was how incredibly well done they were. Both featured some of the best illustrations and character designs around and the storylines became instantly compelling and allowed both series to stand on their own despite obvious and subtle links to other series.
When surfing around the net I found that I wasn't alone in having discovered these two new series though it seemed that Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle had developed an audience almost double that of xxxHolic mainly due to it's strong Card Captor Sakura elements.
When it was announced that Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle would be adapted into an anime series under the title "Tsubasa Chronicle" I instantly began thinking how great it would be to be running a fansite that could grow as the series aired on tv. The fact that I was living in Japan (and still do) also convinced me that I should do this as I could offer a perspective on the series that other sites possibly couldn't.
After reading a post on the fansite, Wing Journey about how there were so few Tsubasa sites online I decided I just had to make one so Loop was born.
Over the next year, Loop became rather popular and the Tsubasa series moreso. Ironically, while I was still reading and digging Tsubasa I had found myself really getting into xxxHolic! The characters seemed deeper, the story infinitely more complex and layered and the whole idea of educating the reader about manner and culture within a horror/drama genre became ever more appealing.
Unfortunately despite the series' strong Tsubasa connections a lot of people hadn't decided to pick up xxxHolic yet. A lot of people found it not to be worth their time due to lack of full time famous CLAMP characters and while Tsubasa's story was easy to define (A group traveling to different dimensions on a quest to get Sakura's memories back), xxxHolic was almost the complete opposite, featuring a story that became more complex as the series continued.
To fix this imbalance and to spread the word about this amazing series, I created Link on the first of March 2006. A month before the airing of the xxxHolic anime series.
As with Loop, I wanted to feature an episode guide as well as a blog/news page as the index to keep people informed of the latest xxxHolic and CLAMP news. Something eles I implemented, which I had been experimenting with on my Sailor Moon site, Moonkitty.NET was site feeds and syndication (thanks to Hoshi for introducing me to the concept). The site design which I designed in Photoshop was made with all these features in mind.
Something that struck me as I was designing Link was how it would make so much if both Loop and Link were linked (which is how I came up with the site name). The series themselves are interconnected. It would make sense that both sites should be too. So as soon as I was done with Link I went about a new layout for Loop that was almost exactly the same as Link only the main picture and colours were different. From then on whenever I would post on Loop about an event in an xxxHolic episode, I would link to that episode guide on Link and visa versa.
I became particularily proud of this idea when I realised how well it works with episodes that crossover with each other such as xxxHolic Episode 8 & Tsubasa Chronicle Episode 9.
Several times when surfing Link you may be taken to Loop (but never tricked into doing so I hope!). This is intentional. All xxxHolic info and media will be dealt with here, in Link and all Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle info and media will be covered
in Loop.
I will however, sometimes talk Tsubasa here but only when necessary when clarifying something related to xxxHolic such as in the Predictions section where it's necessary to discuss certain plot points with both series in mind.
If you havn't looked around already, site navigation is rather easy with everything listed on the right menu; Information, Media and Anime Episode Guide speak for themselves. The product reviews are my personal reviews of CLAMP products which I hope you find useful and the several Shopping Guides are actually something heavily requested by visitors to the site, a listing of all the released and upcoming xxxHolic related products and where to order them from.
Almost always I will link to YesAsia for a purchase link. They offer very fast service as well as great discounts on product and shipping. As an added bonus for me, all orders placed through links on Link and Loop earn me a small bonus which helps me pay for my sites' hosting and my general well being. If you ever ever feel like buying something from YesAsia, please click through to the site via this site. Every little bit counts and it really does make my day.
I'm constantly amazed at the response to this site despite it's current size and I've enjoyed it becoming a guilty pleasure dedicated to one of the most underrated manga and anime series around.
If this site has one purpose it is to educate people about this amazing series called xxxHolic and prove that it's no longer "that other one that crosses over with Tsubasa" but one of the best series on the market right now and well worth your time.
I hope you enjoy your stay. Have a blast and don't hesitate to let me know what you think.
~Brad
shuttlecok@ REMOVE THIS hotmail.com
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