 xxxHolic #8 Review
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Crossover Info: No real crossovers in this volume as far as I could see, though there's a fun reference to Soel, the
white Mokona concerning a cool white Mokona incense burner (I want one!)
This volume picks up immediately after the cryptic ending to xxxHolic #7 with Yuko arriving at Domeki's temple and hinting that Himawari may not be all that she seems.
In true Yuko (and Mokona) fashion that serious, series shaking scene is immediately followed by a comedic page of Watanuki
being talked into drinking with them for the rest of the night.
xxxHolic #8 draws heavily on the series' rich mythology of characters with the reapearance of the Pipe Fox Spirit who seems
to be bonding more and more with Watanuki and visa versa, the Zashiki-Warashi who seems to be destined to be with Watanuki
more and more with each encounter, the Karasu Tengu who have accepted that their master cares about Watanuki as well as the
spider from the previous volume and her all powerful mistress, a Matron of Spiders who poses one of the greatest serious
threats the series has shown in a long time.
We're also introduced to some fascinating new characters such as Raiju, a cute little thunder spirit with the voice and
personality of an old man, a Neko Musume, a kind of cat spirit seen chasing flying goldfish (which I really hope we see more
of!) and the mystical art of snowman making in a hillarious short story in the back of the manga that was the inspiration of
one of the best episodes of the xxxHolic anime, Unfair.
The overall plot continues to speed up with all of the characters continuing to evolve and with special focus on Watanuki's
relationships with Domeki and Yuko as he comes closer to both while his relationship with Himawari continues to seem more
shallow by the page, especially when it's becoming more and more obvious that something is going on with her that she's not
letting on.
The one eye arc that started in xxxHolic #7 is
resolved here suprisingly with a nice little twist at the end of the volume that promises to add a certain dynamic to some of
the characters' relationships and definitely give Watanuki a push in the change department.
Everything about this series continues to draw me in more and more with each volume. It's especially captivating now that
we're almost exclusively in manga only story (the anime only reached up to a certain point).
Grab this baby now.
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