xXxHolic Vol 1 by Clamp

[meganbmoore]

So, I have seriously mixed feelings about this one.  Somehow, I think I should be madly in love with it, but I'm not.  Part of it, I'm sure, is because I don't trust Clamp to not screw me over in the end.  Like with Wish and Chobits.  I mean really, WTF were those endings anyway?

xXxHolic is about a young man named Watanuki who sees spirits.  Against his will he 's dragged into the shop of Yuko, the time witch, who grants favors and wishes in exchange for equal payment.  Yuko tells him she can free him from seeing spirits, once he's done enough manual labor around hershop to pay for it.  Think of indentured servitude.  On the whole, it makes me think about a more insane Pet Shop of Horrors.

I didn't have to force myself to finish, but I was left a bit...disgruntled.  Mostly, I alternated between general amusement and annoyance, with the occassional "WTF?"  thrown in.  But...not nearly as much amusement or WTF? as I'm supposed to have.  Part of it is that while the concept is fun and done entertainingly, the characters don't grab me.  I'm sure that later on, I'll find Yuko utterly amazing and be very fond of Watanuki, but righ now, Yuko's overwhelming overbearingness is more of the annoying variety and Watanuki is just kinda...there.

But despite my disgruntlement, I want to continue.

Fans need to come forth and tell me of the many wondrous things I'm told are coming later on to help me muster through until I'm hooked.

 ETA:  I forgot the major drawback:  Those "cute" kids that work  for Yuko/live with her/whatever annoy the heck out of me and I want to kick them through the wall.  Convince me that they get less annoying and/or there's a reason for it.

Comments

[artillie.livejournal.com]

Doumeki. Watanuki and Doumeki. Yuuko sending Watanuki and Doumeki off into grave danger and mortal peril to get her some supernatural booze. Yuuko somehow managing to make raging alcoholism look cool. The whole thing with the spider and the eye (because what's a better declaration of love than giving up your eye for someone? CLAMP asks). Yuuko in general.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Who is Doumeki, and who is this declaration of love from and to?

As far a topping that...I dunno...Kyo's whole demon thing in SDK is pretty impresive...plus, I've seen taking on your mentor in a duel and deliberately letting him hack off your arm just so you get get close enough to kill him because he's going to assassinate your very very estranged girlfriend before...that's kinda hard to top...

[artillie.livejournal.com]

He shows up in vol. 2 and is the reason for all of Watanuki's outbursts. In retrospect, it's a little annoying, but the development of their relationship is handled really well. Slowly, but well.

Well, you really can't top that second one, but eyes are a traditional CLAMP thing, so when they show up, you know it's getting serious.