xxxHolic by CLAMP

[Tsukisama]

Folks,

Like some have already mentioned in the last ch discussion/prediction thread, the linkage between this ch & the TRC ch 201 has been more than a "hitsuzen". I look forward to seeing CLAMP to unfold the future/final break-thru of Watanuki/Sayoran.

I agree. This chapter was made to be read in tandem with TRC 201. This chapter clears up many of the lingering mysteries that I had from reading TRC 201 like whether or not Sakura and Syaoran of CCS are still alive.

This chapter makes me wonder what event is going to take place at the shop at which time she will abandon the shop. Yuuko seemed genuinely worried about this event and being able to protect her collected items until then. Yuuko seeming worried does not give me a good feeling. Hopefully, whatever the event, she will make it out of this series alive. If Yuuko dies by the end of this series, I will be devastated. :(

[NymphStealer]

from clamp-net.com

10/11 - Young Magazine #46 - Chapter 167 - Released
10/20 - Young Magazine #47 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
10/27 - Young Magazine #48 - Chapter 168
11/01 - Young Magazine #49 - Chapter 169

[FullMetalBoy]

One weird thing I noticed at the beginning of the chapter - while Yuuko was walking to the treasure room, the shop seemed to be disappearing or something like that, exactly like in the time that the spell protecting the shop broke. I wonder what does it mean and what causes it.

[finalnight]

I sense a growing merger in the two storylines.

[Nice]

I still don't want to believe that CCS!Sakura&Syaoran died
Clamp keeps broking the heart of CSS fan like me.

[Uozumi]

I think the best part about Halloween is that there's always a xxxholic that week. At least as far as I can remember.

[Julia-the-Great]

I still don't want to believe that CCS!Sakura&Syaoran died
Clamp keeps broking the heart of CSS fan like me.

I know how you feel. All of my series are currently breaking my heart, and it's not a good feeling. I just don't understand why CLAMP has to torture their characters. Why couldn't CCS!Sakura and Syaoran just be happy and live long, good lives, huh? All for the sake of a freakin' plot twist... honestly. It kind of makes me want to ruin all the happy endings they've written. Like, a day after the last page of Chobits, Chii is destroyed because she walked out into traffic. Or, uh, the guy from Suki gets shot in a gang war a day after whatshername graduates from high school. Or the doll Hikaru in Angelic Layer is actually rigged with explosives and kills everyone within a three-mile radius!!! And Miyuki-chan goes to Murder-land and...

Ahem. Sorry. That was very off-topic, but I needed to vent.

[FullMetalBoy]

As much as it saddens me to see the main character 'tortured' and being in the pain they are in, I find it quite refreshing, story-wise. In a typical series, the heroes will always live happy lives with not a lot of hardships. They will fight a strong enemy, but eventually everything will be fine and they will live happily-ever-after. But in Tsubasa, among other series, the main characters did not live happy lives, ever since they were young. The ending might be 'happy', but I have no doubt some characters will have to make painful sacrifices in order to achieve it.
I like when series do it, IMO it makes the characters more realistic and 'alive'.

[Julia-the-Great]

As much as it saddens me to see the main character 'tortured' and being in the pain they are in, I find it quite refreshing, story-wise. In a typical series, the heroes will always live happy lives with not a lot of hardships. They will fight a strong enemy, but eventually everything will be fine and they will live happily-ever-after. But in Tsubasa, among other series, the main characters did not live happy lives, ever since they were young. The ending might be 'happy', but I have no doubt some characters will have to make painful sacrifices in order to achieve it.
I like when series do it, IMO it makes the characters more realistic and 'alive'.

I'm not saying I don't like angst. Angst is fine if that's what the story needs. Look at X, even the happiest of characters have some bit of anguish. What really ticks me off is with CCS!Sakura and Syaoran is that their story is over. It's been over for a long time and it feels like CLAMP went out of their way to ruin a perfectly good ending when they had no reason to.

[howi]

FullMetalBoy,

Hi, it's happened before (recently, in ch 157) and expect to become more frequent as both TRC and xxxHOLiC are getting closer to the end. Yuuko has revealed that Maru and Moro also help to hold the shop "in place" (ch 126). They both need to concentrate by doing nothing but "sleep". As I'd remember, the first sign of "trouble" was happened in ch 130.

[hr]

Tsukisama / Nice / Julia-the-Great,

I also suggest we re-visit the ch 144, Yuuko's told Watanuki in the dream...

"The reality that you have experienced makes you stronger. And if you use that strength to keep on wishing the dream will become reality."

So I've got faith in Watanuki, Syaoran & others wish the only one will "disappear" in the end: Fei Wong Reed! (But of course, only CLAMP can tell the story.)

[howi]

Folks,

One thing catches my attention:

When Watanuki asked Himawari to go to the cake place, she seems a bit hesitant for a moment.

I do not know if it has something to do with Doumeki or Tanpopo can no longer "suppress" the bad luck she brings to others. Or perhaps, she sense something wrong with Watanuki - i.e. how come he is not making the cake himself?

Folks,

I think I've got more clues after re-visiting the ch 119 & 122. It's supposed to be a "secret" moment between Watanuki and Himawari - even though Doumeki actually knows about it. Having the chiffon cake together is supposed to be the happiest moment, at least Himawari wanted Watanuki to believe. But tagging Doumeki along, it'll just become another bento "moment".

[Tsukisama]

Tsukisama / Nice / Julia-the-Great,

I also suggest we re-visit the ch 144, Yuuko's told Watanuki in the dream...

"The reality that you have experienced makes you stronger. And if you use that strength to keep on wishing the dream will become reality."

So I've got faith in Watanuki, Syaoran & others wish the only one will "disappear" in the end: Fei Wong Reed! (But of course, only CLAMP can tell the story.)

I re-read the chapter, and I think that you are correct in that it does contain quite a bit of significance. :nod Not just the part you mentioned about using your reality to make your dream become reality (although I am sure this will come up again and be important), but I also think the end where Watanuki wants to grant Yuuko's wish will also be of importance.

That scene reminded me of how Fei Wong Reed in TRC kept saying that his wish and Syaoran's wish were the same. It would be an interesting parallel if Watanuki, Syaoran's other self, granted Yuuko's wish, and doing that had some profound consequence. I am hoping that we will find out more about Yuuko's wish in the future, as I am really now in the belief that granting her wish will cause something really good to happen.

[FullMetalBoy]

@Tsukisama: I just want to correct you about one thing that might have big difference - FWR kept saying that he wonders if his wish and Syaoran's wish will bring about the same results/consequences. I think it makes quite the difference from what you said because it means FWR's wish and Syaoran's wish might not be the same one, and it shows FWR isn't sure if it will really happen, which is kind of out-of-character for him because he is always sure about what's going to happen in the future (and Yuuko counters him with saying that the future has yet to be decided).

[Tsukisama]

@Tsukisama: I just want to correct you about one thing that might have big difference - FWR kept saying that he wonders if his wish and Syaoran's wish will bring about the same results/consequences. I think it makes quite the difference from what you said because it means FWR's wish and Syaoran's wish might not be the same one, and it shows FWR isn't sure if it will really happen, which is kind of out-of-character for him because he is always sure about what's going to happen in the future (and Yuuko counters him with saying that the future has yet to be decided).

You're right. I suppose I was too excited and just speaking off the top of my head. Thank you for catching that error. :) It would likely make a difference and also make perhaps a better parallel. Watanuki in that chapter states that he wants to grant Yuuko's wish, effectively wishing to make her wish his wish (in a way), whereas I think FWR is manipulating events to try to get Syaoran's wish to match his own so that his own wish will be granted.

[TerraShira]

You're right. I suppose I was too excited and just speaking off the top of my head. Thank you for catching that error. :) It would likely make a difference and also make perhaps a better parallel. Watanuki in that chapter states that he wants to grant Yuuko's wish, effectively wishing to make her wish his wish (in a way), whereas I think FWR is manipulating events to try to get Syaoran's wish to match his own so that his own wish will be granted.

That makes sense because in Tsubasa, FWR kept stating how both his and Syaoran's wish may attain the same consequence - which could be the reason behind absolutely everything that happened. Syaoran wanting to save Sakura which leads to Watanuki being created; then FWR has Syaoran out of the way to make a clone which he can then use for his wish (along with the cloned Sakura). I still want to know how Watanuki would get interlinked with this wish though.

However, one thing made me wonder - in Tsubasa, when Yuuko has sent the group to Kingdom of Clow, FWR tries to disable this contact even though it was meant to happen in the first place. Also, even though he knew Syaoran would eventually become strong enough to escape, he murdered Xing Huo for sending him to Yuuko.

Did FWR try everything he could to prevent Syaoran's wish from taking place, so that he could fulfill his own?

I agree though that it wasn't right to kill off CCS Sakura and Syaoran as Cardcaptor Sakura was finished long before Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC. But, if Syaoran's wish comes true he could prevent everything from happening and CCS Sakura and Syaoran would be alive again. :tem

... But that would result in Watanuki disappearing....... :(

:blink Oh CLAMP is confusing.

[howi]

Tsukisama / TerraShira,

Then have you read TRC ch 202 yet? It's explained further...

[Tsukisama]

Tsukisama / TerraShira,

Then have you read TRC ch 202 yet? It's explained further...

We actually have a section related to TRC (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=107) as well in the Shounen section (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=45). There you will find a thread devoted to TRC chapter 202 (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41733) in which I and others have posted our thoughts.

[KaNx]

Chapter 168 is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42384).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[howi]

KaNx,

Errr... You mean ch 168^

Thanks anyway!

[endless_dream]

I wonder what Yuuko meant when she said "To go look for you. That they would, absoulutely, go to meet you"...the locket (or watch) that Yuuko has been keeping, I think it'll be important towards the end of the series, along with the two eggs...although one has already hatched into Tanpopo...

Does anybody know in which part of the TRC or xxxHolic manga that it shows the egg that C!Sakura had taken, became two eggs? Somehow, I have a feeling that the theory "what was originally one becomes two" would have something to do with both the TRC and xxxHolic endings...

[NymphStealer]

from clamp-net.com

11/01 - Young Magazine #49 - Chapter 169 - On Sale
11/10 - Young Magazine #50 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
11/17 - Young Magazine #51 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
11/22 - Young Magazine #52 - Chapter 170

[[Ju-Ni]Vicissitude]

Aw, I thought it was off this week. No Fallout for me. :(

Next week, though.

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43016).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[oralyon]

Weird idea are strating to appear in my mind. I have no prove of what I will say and I don't believe that's necessarly true let's see
We know that Clow and Yuko have been friends for a long time. So could we assume that they are about the same age ? (Yeah I know there's absolutely no evidence of that, but let's just say it could be). Now we know that Clow is dead saying that his lifetime was over.

I wonder if Yuko lifetime is suppose to end. Maybe she suppose to dissapear just like her shop. What Yuko's wish would have something to do with clow. Clow did said he had somebody he really wanted to see again but couldn't. What if this person was Yuko.

Well these are just random thought, I don't think it'll really happen like that.

[NymphStealer]

seems like a change in the schedule... but not really surprised...
from clamp-net.com

11/17 - Young Magazine #51 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled - on sale
11/22 - Young Magazine #52 - Chapter 170
12/01 - Young Magazine #01 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
12/08 - Young Magazine #02 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled

[Julia-the-Great]

I don't know, I think you have some good theories. I've always just kind of assumed Yuuko was a lot older than she looked (or acted). Kind of like how Fai is a lot older than he looks because of his magic, and she has more magic than he ever did even at his strongest.

I don't know if Yuuko would disappear along with her shop, but it would be really hard to think of her without it. Can you imagine Yuuko living in an apartment complex? No, didn't think so.

So, I don't know if any of that will come into play or not, but I think you have some valid theories.

[[Ju-Ni]Vicissitude]

So, next week, then I get 2 weeks off? Sweet.

[watanuki01/04]

I agree, yuuko always mentions how watanuki looks after maru, moro and mokona really well. I think she's also trying to set the shop etc up for passing over to watanuki. Just like how clow set up for his card, kero and yue to pass to ccs sakura.

[oralyon]

I don't agree. The shop seems meant to dissapear. It is said that it was created for the sake of those event precisely.

But it would be an option that Yuko would want to pass most of her knowledge to Watanuki.

[solitary_Cross]

hmm, i think that the shop won't disappear I mean Yuuko is the dimensional witch and all. What's making the shop disappear is Fei Wong Reed and once Shaoran and the gang defeat him, it will be alright.

[watanuki01/04]

raw and translation out for chapter 170. MAJOR SPOILERS!! But very exciting!! Everyone must check it out!

[Luckas]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/manga/details/xxxholic/chapters/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[watanuki01/04]

I knew that clamp couldn't kill off ccssakura and ccsshaoran!! It would seem that the end is not too far away either. I also believe that this weird cooking lady is important in some way. Whether she will physically help or whether she is just helping watanuki to realise something important i can't decide on. Exciting times though!! The 2 week wait is going to be really painful!!

[finalnight]

Wtf was that the spirit of domeki's grandfather?

The end-staging continues!

[watanuki01/04]

I noticed something else. On the title page, watanuki is sat on that pedestal thing. Yuuko and Fei Wong Reed's sign (the moon and the bat) are put together. Does this mean that there is a deeper connection between yuuko and FWR. Maybe they have a past relationship. I always thought that they must have.

[Vanessa Li]

The last line "cho no yume" (butterfly's dream) is what intrigued me the most. Yûko's signature is a butterfly, could it be that it is her dream that will come true? :blink And if it is, by any chance, could it be that her real name is Cho or something related to that? :p After all, she appeared in the world of dreams and spoke to Haruka, the end is approaching, could it be that her end as the shop owner has come to an end? :oh May be is to much fo just this chapter, but CLAMP really puts nothing and everything in just one image. :eyeroll

[Tsukisama]

I am also glad that the mystery surrounding the status of CCS!Sakura and CCS!Syaoran has been ended. I look forward to a touching family reunion at the end of xxxHolic & TRC with Watanuki, R!Syaoran, and their parents all together. :tem


The last line "cho no yume" (butterfly's dream) is what intrigued me the most. Yûko's signature is a butterfly, could it be that it is her dream that will come true? :blink And if it is, by any chance, could it be that her real name is Cho or something related to that? :p After all, she appeared in the world of dreams and spoke to Haruka, the end is approaching, could it be that her end as the shop owner has come to an end? :oh May be is to much fo just this chapter, but CLAMP really puts nothing and everything in just one image. :eyeroll

The butterfly dream thing does seem to portend something. Although the scanlator whose scanlation I read did not know whether it was simply a cultural reference, I would hope it means something more like the butterfly being a metaphor for Yuuko as you suggested.

As for Yuuko's true name, I would hope that it is not something as predictable as something related to butterflies. I prefer the butterflies to simply be symbolic of Yuuko than relate to her true name.

I agree with you that the end is indeed nigh. I also believe that something will happen to the shop in the coming events and that Yuuko will have to make a move, as it would be an epic turn of events befitting of the end of the story.

[endless_dream]

Since Yuuko said that the next time Watanuki meets the old fortune teller, everything would be over...maybe during that next visit, she will reveal to Watanuki and maybe Syaoran of the whereabouts of their parents and there'll be a happy reunion. ^-^

[Tsubasaholic]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the relationship between Clow Reed, FWR, and Watanuki? There's all sorts of strange stuff linking them. Watanuki and FWR (and C!Syaoran if it comes to that) both have something peculiar about their right eyes, the person FWR is trying to bring back (if the appearance of Xing Huo and all the other "failed creations" is any indication) looks something like Himawari, Watanuki looks like Clow Reed, and Watanuki and Clow Reed both bring the same flavour to their cooking.

I'm NOT implying Watanuki is either FWR or Clow that just doesn't feel right. But there's definitely a relationship there. . . Knowing Clamp it'll be something very unexpected and yet totally appropriate.
[hr]
"The last line "cho no yume" (butterfly's dream) is what intrigued me the most. Yûko's signature is a butterfly, could it be that it is her dream that will come true?"

I think you're right. The butterfly is so blatantly a metaphor for Yuuko! Just think of the butterfly kimono that she's wearing whenever Watanuki meets her in his dreams. The butterfly turns up all over the place once you start looking. I was reading some Tsubasa just now and noticed that Chapter 52's title page has C!Syaoran with a butterfly perched on his nose. Coincidence? I think not!
[hr]
"The last line "cho no yume" (butterfly's dream) is what intrigued me the most. Yûko's signature is a butterfly, could it be that it is her dream that will come true?"

I think you're right. The butterfly is so blatantly a metaphor for Yuuko! Just think of the butterfly kimono that she's wearing whenever Watanuki meets her in his dreams. The butterfly turns up all over the place once you start looking. I was reading some Tsubasa just now and noticed that Chapter 52's title page has C!Syaoran with a butterfly perched on his nose. Coincidence? I think not!

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/171/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[watanuki01/04]

wow. The lack of responses on this chapter really shows how dissapointing this chapter was. I was really hoping this chapter would reflect whats going on in Tsubasa as RShaoran is battling out with his clone.

It was good to see Domeki, Himawari and Kohane back, perhaps this is in preperartion of something important happening in the near future!!

Other than that the only other thing i picked up on was the fact that Mokona says that this cooking lady isn't Yuuko's client, but watanuki's. This would seem to support what some people are predicting, that watanuki is kind of following in Yuuko's line of business. Or something similar anyway!!

[howi]

watanuki01/04,

No, it is not disappointing to me and I rather think how busy we all are during the holiday season.

I think CLAMP has struck a right balance not to keep crossing-over w/ TRC chapter by chapter. Everyone starts to "move forward" - including Watanuki! So helping that strange young lady to move forward is quite a learning process for both.

As for thought of taking over Yuuko's shop, I have been wishing that. However, it is the Watanuki's call (actually CLAMP) hehehe :) Merry X'mas to you!

[watanuki01/04]

oh well, everyone allowed thier oppinion!!
Merry Christmas!!
:)

[Vanessa Li]

Merry Christmas!

First, finally after a long time we had color pages!!!!!! :D
And then, about the chapter, well... It had many pages, and the front page double-colored one) mentioned some really interestng facts that again, bring to my mind the fact that evrything we are seing is Yuuko's dream -not like she's sleeping allright?- and hopefully it will come through perfect.

Kohane-chan and Himawari again, but the trust of Domeki towards Watanuki was so cute that I couldn't help sighing.

And, that's it, except for the change of color (correct me if I'm mistaken, I don't have tha manga anymore on my computer, nor on my hands and I don't feel like checking right now a chapter) in Watanuki's eyes.

[Tsubasaholic]

I don't know how central to Tsubasa the events in xxxHolic are going to be. The two series have points of overlap, but my impression is that they are fundamentally about two separate things. xxxHolic is about Watanuki deciding he will exist and Yuuko's dream. Tsubasa is more the story of R!Syaoran, C!Syaoran, and FWR's dream. Tsubasa is more epic in its focus and scope and so the events of Tsubasa will influence those of xxxHolic more than those of xxxHolic influence those of Tsubasa.

[Longyen]

I think the next chapter will be quite interesting, because Kohane comes in(looking as cute as always), possibly to invite watanuki over. If she does, that is a sure sign of the ending of the series! In the previous chapter, Yuuko said that next time Watanuki comes over, it will all come to an end! I am pretty excited about what is going to happen.

[Tsubasaholic]

Good point about Kohane. . . xxxHolic hasn't passed the part in TRC where Yuuko gives away her location to send Fai, Kurogane, and R!Syaoran to Clow. I'd be very surprised if that event doesn't come up. The invite could easily be part of it. Watanuki wasn't around when Yuuko sent the TRC group to the separated time. . . Ah well, 'tis all most mysterious and I too am keen for the next chapter!

[watanuki01/04]

tsubasaholic
I'm not sure i agree. When Yuuko sends everyone to Clow country, she's wearing the same kimono as she does when she's talking to Watanuki in the dream. Some might sau coincidence but as we all know "there is no such thing as coincidence in this world, only hitsuzen".
Therefore, is that kimono only worn in the dream? in which case did yuuko send the tsubasa guys to clow country from inside a dream.
Or, is what happens in the dream with watanuki, happen around the same time she send the tsubasa guys to clow country and the cut off time.
Couple of ideas there. what do people think?

[Tsubasaholic]

watanuki01/04 (nice name)

Thanks for those questions - they've made me think.

Good point about the kimono - I'm not sure what to make of that. It is very much Yuuko's dream world outfit. I've been reviewing when Yuuko sending them on in Tsubasa and the dream world in xxxHolic and I'm starting to wonder if the shop isn't at least partly in the dream world (which would be why Yuuko's wearing her kimono). It's existence to people is connected to their dreams/wishes and it exists in the dream world along with the Sakura tree. If that's the case then we're both right. . .
As for timing, I think the Watanuki-in-the-dream-world arc happens sometime during the Celes country/Nihon country arcs in Tsubasa. C!Sakura's there at the beginning so that's definitely post-Infinity and R!Syaoran turns up at one point wearing his Celes clothes. Then C!Sakura's gone - which implies Nihon and Yuuko's wearing the kimono that she does when she sends them on. Then again, you'd expect the shop to be gone by now if that's the case. Countering that comes time flows differently between worlds. . . Well, I'm sure it will all make sense eventually

Sorry to write such a monster post. I have difficulty stopping once I get going. . .

[Vande]

As we know it is very rare Yuuko wears the same set of clothes twice so there has to be a reason behind it.

[NymphStealer]

from clamp-net.com


12/01 - Young Magazine #01 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
12/08 - Young Magazine #02 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
12/15 - Young Magazine #03 - Chapter 171
12/22 - Young Magazine #04/05 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
[hr]

12/15 - Young Magazine #03 - Chapter 171
12/22 - Young Magazine #04/05 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
01/05 - Young Magazine #06/07 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled
01/19 - Young Magazine #08 - Chapter 172
[hr]
small update from clamp-net

12/22 - Young Magazine #04/05 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
01/05 - Young Magazine #06/07 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
01/19 - Young Magazine #08 - Chapter 172
01/26 - Young Magazine #09 - Chapter 173
[hr]
01/05 - Young Magazine #06/07 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
01/19 - Young Magazine #08 - Chapter 172
01/26 - Young Magazine #09 - Chapter 173
02/02 - Young Magazine #10 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled

[watanuki01/04]

I've discovered another chapter where Yuuko wears that butterfly kimono! Chapter 170 in which she gets a phone call from the fortune teller and then has a conversation with Haruka.
I orginally thought that maybe Yuuko wears this kimono when shes in a dream world or something, but now i'm not so sure as she is wearing the same kimono when she is talking to Haruka (asumingly in the dream world) to when shes talking to the fortune teller.
Oh well, what is important though is that that kimona holds a lot of importance, similar to the outfit that she wears when both she sends the Tsubasa characters across worlds.

[Tsubasaholic]

I still wonder if the shop is somehow connected to or part of the dream world. The kimono supports that. It also seems to me that it's sort of Yuuko's fundamental outfit, if that makes any sense at all. Oh, watanuki01/04 I know this is off topic, but I liked your term "soul warriors" for FWRs minions. I'll most likely use it now

[hatsuharupeace]

There's been a change to the most recent release schedule, 173 won't be released the week after 172 is, instead, there'll be a two week break.


The modified schedule goes now as the following:

01/19 - Young Magazine #08 - Chapter 172 (on sale).
01/26 - Young Magazine #09 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled.
02/02 - Young Magazine #10 - No XXXHOLiC scheduled.

[[Ju-Ni]Vicissitude]

Two more Wednesdays off? Awesome! I love my sleep. :amuse

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/172/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[Tsubasaholic]

That was a nice chapter. It makes me happy to see Watanuki doing so well. Balm for my wounded soul after TRC 210. . . I hope he can taste what he makes now, it would be nice for him :)

[watanuki01/04]

Excellent!! Loved this chapter! Watanuki seemed a lot like Yuuko during that Chapter.
Tsubasaholic, you're sooo right, it was really good to read this after trc210, made me feel a little better!

[Faiell]

OTL; I read xxxHolic first and then TRC.

Anyways...
D'awww I love Watanuki in this chapter. xD
Although I thought his smile on the last page was very sad. : ( Or... at least, not happy.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

Wow he does seem like yuko. Not least in the scene where he says "there is only hitsuzen" or something along those lines. And that was a really nice chapter for watanuki. I suppose it made me feel a little better...

[Sakura's_Blossom]

how long til the next chapter :(???

Look here (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1191018#post1191018)

[watanuki01/04]

I've heard a terribly rumour that Youngmagazine won't be showing the rest of the xxxholic series!!! Has anyone else heard about this?

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

I think I did see something like that... I know that it's taking a two week break *groans*. Although apparently that's because someone in clamp is sick, so, here's hoping they're better soon!

[homeskillet]

now that you guys mentioned it, he does act like yuuko in this chapter .... and he's really getting more mature too! ... =)

[Sakura's_Blossom]

awwe i hope the clamp member gets better, everyone must be pretty worried.:(

[NymphStealer]

oi... change it again right after an update... gezz clamp... oh well thats more time to get settled into new home and finish 172 XD ... thanks hatsu... :)
[hr]
from clamp-net.com

01/26 - Young Magazine #09 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
02/02 - Young Magazine #10 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
02/09 - Young Magazine #11 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
02/16 - Young Magazine #12 - Chapter 173

seems like Vic gets a 3wk break from scannin.

[watanuki01/04]

OMG thats such a huge break for xxxholic, but then again, considering the rumour i heard about YoungMagazine not continuing xxxholic i was expecting longer!!
Thank God TRC is running every week at the moment!
I'm hoping after such a big break the next chapter will be exciting!!

[Uozumi]

I suspect now that TRC is officially nearing its final arc, we're going to see more absences of holic so that it won't get in front of TRC.

[Yuki_Onna]

Well, there has been a nasty flu going around lately. Two strains of it at least even. It knocked out about a fourth of my school this month so far. It lays you flat. (-_-) Hopefully it is just that.

[Tsubasaholic]

And then just as a random aside, I really love Kohane's hair in this chapter!

[Sessenn]

I watched the xxxHolic anime last year and really liked it so I started reading the manga. I was going through it pretty quickly and got caught up a few months ago. But when I did, the story started getting really weird. I started feeling lost in the story and so I stopped reading. I don't want to go futher until I get this all figured out. I've watched all the Tsubasa Chronicles anime so I know part of that story, but I don't read the manga. If I did read it, would it make the recent xxxHolic chapters make more sense?

[DontWakeMeUp]

The Tsubasa anime is not very accurate, more so for the second season.
You really need to read both of the manga to understand it all.

[Sessenn]

Do the timelines of the two manga run concurrently? Meaning if one week an event happens in Tsubasa Chronicles, it is presumed to have happened in xxxHolic, even if it isn't mentioned in both?

[watanuki01/04]

thats up to debate, although i generally think they run around the same time as eachother when they're released by Clamp.
Also, yes, you must read tsubasa from at least the acid tokyo arc to understand i think.

[Tsukisama]

The latest chapter of xxxHolic has been released. You may view it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/173/).

There is a definite sense of foreboding in this chapter. Watanuki cooking with the others, Yuuko's omnious statements, what does it all mean? Is this a sign that Watanuki will be leaving soon? May Yuuko also disappear too? Will Watanuki inherit the shop?

Discuss the answers to these mysteries and more here in this thread.


:hb
"...everything is hitsuzen and parting is the same as well..."
"Indeed, the dream will soon end"
:hb

[Tsukisama]

The latest chapter of xxxHolic has been released.

We get to see Watanuki using his dream seer abilities to help unravel the mystery behind this wish. What is the meaning of the dream? What is the power and significance of this plucking device that has been in the shop since before Watanuki's arrival?

Discuss the answers to these mysteries and more here in this thread.


:hb
"...everything is hitsuzen"
:hb

[Tsukisama]

The latest chapter of xxxHolic has been released.

We get to see the wish of the shamisen fulfilled. Who was the original owner of the plucking device? Who was that man that appeared during the dream-like scene when the wish was fulfilled?

Discuss the answers to these mysteries and more here in this thread.


:hb
"...everything is hitsuzen"
:hb

[Vande]

I think the title should be: xxxHolic 173 Discussion/174 Predictions Thread :p

Holy sheeee....
I cannot believe that i just read that chapter and saw Yuko like that!

[Tsubasaholic]

OK, Yuuko is wearing the kimono she wears when she send the TRC group to the cutoff time. She also said in TRC that the shop was created for sending them to the cutoff time. Is 'the day that will' come the day that the final confrontation happens with FWR? Is 'the dream' that 'will soon end' FWRs dream? Or is it the dream of the Syaoran and Sakura in the tube?

I' really wondering what effect sending the TRCgroup to the cutoff time will have on xxxHolic. . . Things are definitely goig to get interesting in 174.

[watanuki01/04]

This chapter has really made me worry about the fate of Yuuko. She's putting across the notion that parting is an inevitable thing (which it is) but i think she's meaning that her and Watanuki will part soon. SO SAD!!

But i do love seeing Yuuko in this dream world of hers. I think its the only time that we actually see the real Yuuko.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Yes, I think so to and god I`m so exiting to the new chapter. Do anyone knows when it comes?

[finalnight]

Wow, epic death flag on Yuuko.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

I belive that Yuko will dissapear in the end, even if I will cry if that happens...

[watanuki01/04]

Somethings has just cine to mind. I hink we have all agreed that the butterfly Kimono that Yuuko wears in the chapter and previous chapters, is the outfit she wears when in a dream. I've come to think of it like that anyway.
If we go back to when she send the TRC guys to Clow Country, did Yuuko send them whilst she was in the dream? or the real world?
Further to that, she got injured doing it by FWR (evil *******). Anyway, depending if she was in the dream world, or the real world. Was it the body, or the soul that got injured?

[Lady Sakura-chan]

I think that it was the body that got injured when Butt-chin was striking at her. Mokona was there and I dont think that Mokona was in the dream. Stupid Butt-chin, how dare you hit a lady that way! Do anyone else gets annoyed by Doumeki? Watanuki needs more space! Hope CCS.Sakura and CCS.Syaoran shows up soon!:p

[SirKrunk]

So Watanuki's going to inherit the shop, and Yuuko's going to go off... somewhere (go off to die, be with Clow, something) since her work with Watanuki is almost done (if you look at him in 172, he sounds a bit like Yuuko when he talks to the lady, showing that her teachings have sunk in a bit.).

[Tsubasaholic]

I think Yuuko will leave (whether by dying or whatever other means) at the end of xxxHolic. It would sort of fit somehow. Watanuki can stand on his own now, I think that's been made pretty clear. OK, I predict tears.

CCS!Syaoran and CCS!Sakura - I have a half theory they're in Piffle!

[Pointlessness413]

I don't want Yuuko to die >_< *Goes off to cry in a corner*

[oralyon]

CCS!Syaoran and CCS!Sakura - I have a half theory they're in Piffle!

what ? How could they. That doesn't make sense a single bit.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

I dont see how they could be in Piffle?:blink. Tsubasaholic, do you mind
explaning your teory for us? :huh.
I`m a new member....:D

(Seriously, I think I`m in love with the smilies...):blink:tem

[frostmourne4]

what ? How could they. That doesn't make sense a single bit.

Piffle Tomoyo is remarkably like CCS Tomoyo. It's possible that they are the same person and she went with CCS Sakura and Syaoran. I kind of doubt it though. Is that what you where getting at, Tsubasaholic?

[Tsubasaholic]

I've always thought that Piffle seems to turn up a lot. All the Piffle Princess products go cropping up in other universes, and Tomoyo from Nihon was able to contact Piffle Tomoyo (yes she's a dreamseer, etc, but why did she choose Piffle?) Then also Fuma goes there to get the arm for Kurogane. Piffle seems to be much more important to the story than most of the places they visit. I don't really have much evidence, but there's one bit in Piffle when Tomoyo says, about Syaoran, "He pilots his machine very much like the one I know" - which means that she knows another Syaoran. It couldn't be R!Syaoran, so that leaves only Li Syaoran.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Can you give us the link Tsubasaholic?:confused:

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

It does make sense, along with the fact that it's been revealed they are alive somewhere, but, well, Piffle. That world does seem to be more significant than most, but not hugely so. And the thing about xxxholic is that you're supposed to be able to read it without reading tsubasa. Then again, considering how it's been lately, maybe not, so yes they could be in Piffle.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

If they are in Piffle then it would be funny. Hope CCS.Sakura kills Butt-chin. (Use the swordcard and stabs him. "This is for my boys." Considering what Butt-chin have done to R.Syaoran and Watanuki....she has a reson. A GOOD RESON!!!! To hell with Butt-chin (Lol, love that name...).

[DontWakeMeUp]

Tsubasaholic-
That's an interesting and believable theory. It's definitely a possibility, but I'm not sure if I'm really leaning that way. Do you think you could give us the link to where Tomoyo says that?

[Tsubasaholic]

Ok, that's really weird... On the online translation Tomoyo says something completely random. The Del Rey translation is the one where she says that. Anyway, the place with the quote of Tomoyo from the Del Rey version "It's true. The way he pilots his machine... is very much like the one I know." is http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/83/18/, when she's smiling and looking at CSyaoran.

[DontWakeMeUp]

Now that you've said that, the version on OM doesn't look like it fits at all. I'll definitely have to look at that when I get a chance.
-still doesn't have many of the volumes-
>.<

[Lady Sakura-chan]

I will perhaps by that volume in two days. I can check then and tell. We have a very good mangabook store here in Sweden. Perhaps volume 12 of Holic have come out! Holic is translated to Swedish here.

You know what? Mangahelpers have become my second familiy now and I count all of you as my simblings! One huge familiy!:p

[DontWakeMeUp]

Lady Sakura-chan:
You're really too sweet. :'D
I'd like to give you a proper welcome as well. :)
I'm new myself, but I've been lurking around here for months already. xD

I need to stop with the faces. ;_;

[watanuki01/04]

me too! I have nobody outside this website that i can talk about Clamp manga with!
I read CCS after i watched the anime back in school!! (feeling old now because i've now finished University and now work like an adult) And i havn't stopped reading Clamp since!

Chapter 174 out in Japan today! looking forward to reading it when the scans are out!!

[Tsubasaholic]

Yay!!! Second family! I agree! I just love the community that's here on mangahelpers, it's so great to be able to talk to everyone about manga and clamp and everything!

Yay! Chapter 174! Can't wait!

Oh and btw the volume with the Tomoyo bit is in volume 12.

[oralyon]

About the theory of which CSS Syaoran and CSS sakura would be in piffle and about that page you showed us. I checked in the real book (mine is in french). What shw said basically translate to : "The way they pilot there machine reflect very well their personnality". I think it make more sense or it could be a mistake of translation, but I don't think so.

[Tsukisama]

While xxxHolic and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle are intimately interwined, they are still two separate manga and exist in two separate boards here at MH. This thread should be used for discussion of the current events in the xxxHolic chapter.

References (that do not include spoilers for the latest chapter of TRC) may be mentioned as relevant to the events of xxxHolic, but the rest needs to be taken to the TRC board. (If you would like to refer to an event that has happened in a most recent chapter of another manga like TRC, you should put the information in spoiler tags so as not to spoil those users who do not read both xxxHolic and TRC, and they do exist.)

The theories about Piffle and the other worlds are interesting, but these should be taken to the other board.

Further off-topic posts will be deleted.

[Tagaticco]

Hello everyone,
It's been a while i watch this site and forum and i've decided to join this wonderful community :)

I Follow both Holic and Tsubasa and i hope we could discuss together this wonderful CLAMP Work :)

Just wanted to post this preview of the next xxxHolic Chapter that i've found around...Sigh :-(


VERY BIG SPOILER BEWARE !


http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8947/holicprev.gif

I really Hate you clamp T_T

[Lady Sakura-chan]

CCCCCCCCCCCCLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!
[hr]
Tagaticco, welcome to this lovely madhouse of TRC and Holic and thanks for the spolier

[Tagaticco]

CCCCCCCCCCCCLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!
<hr noshade size="1">
Tagaticco, welcome to this lovely madhouse of TRC and Holic and thanks for the spolier

Thanks for the welcome :)

I'm sorry though that my arrive here coincide with the parting of
"you know who"

<.< I still hope it's not all lost......

[Tsubasaholic]

NO
[hr]
The post I want to write, I can't. Because I'd get kicked off the forum.

[Sush]

Hah?

Why are you so nervous?

This happened once already in a Holic chapter...so possibly it is not SO bad yet...xD
Am I too positive? XDDD

[Lady Sakura-chan]

YES YOU ARE! Better get ready to post "Stop all the clocks" soon. Gulp...
I said that I will do that when the sad, tragic, terryfing, goes-to- Clamp-studio-with-a-sword-and-my-UNDYING PASSION-for-Yuko-day comes. Gulp again...

[Sush]

You´re too sweet Lady Sakura-chan! :D

It seems that she´s disappearing, but to my way of thinking Watanuki is too quiet for that...and then he speaks so easily (but serious) with Doumeki..xD

In Ireland, it was believed that black butterflies were the souls of the dead, who were forced to wander the earth because they couldn't find their way to the Afterlife. xD
There are many various meanings of butterflies, but they all have similar meanings or discribe Yukos character very good...

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/174/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[watanuki01/04]

That was a great chapter!!! Did people notice on page 1 that the background was breaking up into glass just like in TRC? Is that symbolic? or something more?

I guess that Maru and Moro have dissolved their bodies in the shop because they used up all thier energy to protect it. And i think that Yuuko is stuck in the dream world or something, judging from the end of TRC chapter 214. But where is Mokona? Mokona has always been near Watanuki these last ten chapters or so that i wasn't expecting Mokona to disapear as well. Plus i though Mokona is there for Watanuki's sake like the other Mokona in TRC is there for Shaoran.

Oh well, these are just my theories anyway. Looking forward to next chapter!!

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Where did Yuko go? Perhaps to Butt-chin`s place. O my god...hope Yuko is gonna kick his butt...

[Tagaticco]

If Yuuko went to join the TRC group...i really think she will never come back to watanuki :scry

Being saved from death by shaoran choice..just for living enough to get stabbed by Fei Wang Reed <.<

[Tsubasaholic]

Lady Sakura-chan (my 100th post goes out to you!!!). To me 'Stop All The Clocks' is a declaration of the death of all hope. Only post it if there is no mad crazy corner of your heart that believes Yuuko is alive no matter what Clamp or anyone else says.

[oralyon]

I really doubt Yuuko is ever gonna fight FWR. First, because she is too powerful, second because it's not within her area of intervention. She said it before, she cannot do anything herself because she must always get compensation. I think the reason she trained Watanuki is that on the "day that must come" it will be him who will have to act.

[finalnight]

Woah...did they just take out sakura and/or Yuuko? Lots of shared imagery between the two series.

[Kazu-kun]

Do the timelines of the two manga run concurrently? Meaning if one week an event happens in Tsubasa Chronicles, it is presumed to have happened in xxxHolic, even if it isn't mentioned in both?

Something like that. The 2 stories run simulataniously, but are both stand-alones that cross into each other.

Think of it like this. Usually when something that happens in TRC converges into xxxholic territory, there's usually a xxholic chapter that will tie up the loose ends.

[Beav58]

I honestly feel it was a life for a life in a way. Since what happened in TRC happened, in order to preserve the world as it is, she has to let her life go in exchange for Sakura's. Especially with the butterflies and the petals (the symbol for Sakura most of the TRC series). I don't know... I just don't think we will see her again outside of maybe a memory with the earring from Mokona.

Furthermore, everything she had collected was to pay for her wish to let her life be taken in exchange for Sakura's and to allow Watanuki a chance for his own life. To me, it fully explains why all those memories and artifacts had to be taken, so there would be no lose ends. Even more so, it explains why in the previous chapters Watanuki was starting to focus on Yuko's wish... as a precursor for this, to help him understand.

As for Watanuki, I think everything Yuko was trying to teach him was to prepare for the day she would no longer be there. That's why it is so important for him to continue on her work in a way. I am not sure of the significance of the lady who wanted to learn to cook though... I am sure something will come from that.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

I don't think we've said goodbye enough to Yuko for her to have just disappeared already. I'd say we will see her again. She's not even nearly finished yet; we still know absolutely nothing about her. Well, a very little bit.

[Beav58]

True, we don't know much about her and I imagine we will find out. But I don't think it has to be at the words of Yuko herself. It would take away from the mystery of her character. But I imagine we will find out her story through other means. For example, the earnings on the Mokona's, especially the one in Holic was used as a recording of memories. I imagine that is where we will find out about Yuko's past. I believe this is how Watanuki and gang will find out.

As for her past itself, I believe that every price she asked for was to gain as much power/luck to be able to allow these dreams to exist. Everything will play its role, just as every person. The question, I am most curious about, is how will some of these things happen. Like Himawari getting her luck back. I imagine it was no coincidence that the Sakrua clone in TRC had her luck given as a price for Yuko. As well as Domeki having to protect the egg.

I don't know, I guess I just think Yuko will play a mysterious role until she is no longer there. And everything she was teaching Watanuki is to prepare him for that and make all their wishes possible. So the dream of Watanuki to not disappear would come true.

[oralyon]

We will see Yuuko again somehow. Simply because at some point, Yuuko said that she would tell everything Watanuki need to know, in exchange of a payment, when the time would come.

[NymphStealer]

from clamp-net.com

02/16 - Young Magazine #12 - Chapter 173
02/23 - Young Magazine #13 - Chapter 174
03/02 - Young Magazine #14 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
03/09 - Young Magazine #15 - Chapter 175
[hr]
from clamp-net.com


03/02 - Young Magazine #14 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
03/09 - Young Magazine #15 - Chapter 175
03/16 - Young Magazine #16 - Chapter 176
03/23 - Young Magazine #17 - Chapter 177

3 in a row... O_O meh theyll prolly change that later to put a break in... though i hope not...

[Uozumi]

I bet it's three in a row so they can take a whole month off. They've done that before.

[watanuki01/04]

People who want to know where Yuuko went, raw and translation for TRC chapter 215 is out which reveals quite a bit!! MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!! (especially about Yuuko, obviously!)
It doesn't explain where Mokona went though! I'm kind of guessing that he's hiding so he can be there for Watanuki, as i'm guessing his part in TRC will happen very soon!!

[ggctuk]

Yeah, the tube scene happens soon, it seems (it wasn't a metaphor?!). Yuuko had her time and very being severed from all dimensions. It doesn't mean she isn't human, but means she too has suffered the same fate as Sakura perhaps?

[Tsukisama]

Just a small reminder: This thread is for discussing the events of xxxHolic chapter 174 and predictions for the events of xxxHolic chapter 175. If you would like to discuss the events occurring in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, you should do so here (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=107). This thread is not the appropriate place for posts related to that manga.

While there are things that overlap, posts discussing solely the events of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle in this thread shall be deleted. (We are discussing merging the two sections, at which point you would not need to worry about such rules and formalities as much, but for now, please respect the rules and only discuss xxxHolic here.)

[8theist]

Awesome chapter I kinda wish holic still did the 50 paged chapters cuz this one needed to keep going. I think yuko's gone to stop fei wang, and also to the past to help watanuki with wishes in cuz in TRC watanuki pays the price for shyouran but when he did pay he was a kid. As for present watanuki I think he's going to take over the shop and someone's going to come along teach watanuki stuff (Hopefully Fye as a price from Yuko but I doubt it), Watanuki's either going to resurrect Maru and Moro or create new ones with his new powers. Also Domeki's going to see Watanuki over exerting himself so he'll study his grandfather's notes and maybe get back the lost book, find a book with everything he needs to know or maybe even dream training with his grandfather and end up just as powerful(what i'd like to see is Kurogane train him). Himewari's definitely hookin' up with Domeki and probably going to learn how to use her bad luck to help the others or maybe not. Kohane's going to be an extreme fortune teller telling Watanuki bad stuff heading towards him. Then a big battle will break out Fei Wang vs. all of them including TRC characters. Yuko will either captured or telling them what to do. She'll probably be in the clouds or a voice in the head saying "Domeki use the egg" or something. Well I know I've gone way beyond predicting 175 but i just wanted to through my two cents in sorry i can get a little carried away. Bye

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

That... Doesn't sound very clamp. And the climax is way too close now for all that.
I don't think wata will combat FWR beyond his home world, unless they enter the dream world at any point. And defeating FWR is the tsubasa climax (then again, it might not be. Never know with clamp), while I think holic's is a lot less epic, and while it will probably be significant to tsubasa, they're separate stories, and defeating some guy who, yes, is admittedly very significant to watanuki's creation, but who otherwise he doesn't really have much to with, doesn't seem to fit. Holic is more about watanuki's development as a person, and about "the butterflies dream". So I think those should be at the center of holics finish. Of course if these tie in with tsubasa, then that's fine too, but they can't be identical, partly because it'd be kinda stupid to have both series in the same place told from slightly different perspectives, which just wouldn't work in a comic through multiple chapters.
So yea, different themes, different resolutions.

[Beav58]

Yay! Scans of 175 are out. Have no idea whats going on though. LOL But it looks like they will begin to answer the questions about the lady who asked to learn to cook and the egg. :)

[Beav58]

Oooh exciting. 3 in a row. Can't wait. Thanks for the news.

[NymphStealer]

03/02 - Young Magazine #14 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
03/09 - Young Magazine #15 - Chapter 175
03/16 - Young Magazine #16 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
03/23 - Young Magazine #17 - Chapter 176


just like i guessed clamp was gonna change it... *sigh*

[DrunkDragon]

what happened to ch 176?

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/175/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[NymphStealer]

sorry that was a cut/paste mess up... fixed it now...

[DrunkDragon]

Aww, was kinda hoping it wasn't >.>

[oralyon]

I must say that I really don't see where all this is heading... Does that woman that doesn't want to eat really have any revelance with the event that must come... I'm sure I'm gonna be really surprise when event will start to unflown but right now it's sure taking some time.

[kurofaikitty]

afdsfsdfasbfbalf *dies* finally, a good chapter..... i luv doumeki..... his line of "our destination is together" made me fangirl squeal. nad watanuki was so cute with his super determination. but i don't get how if yukko is in clow county, mokona and maru and moro have dissapeared as well. i thought maru adn moro couldn't leave the shop because they were the esence of the shop itself. hta's why they were always sleepingin teh back room. and the egg is getting smaller!!!! nooo! watanuki is in danger. if all beings crated from the distortin are to dissapear, then watanuki will too! *panics*

[Vande]

I found this chapter rather short and borning to be honest. *prods CLAMP*

[kurofaikitty]

we wont' get any action tho until the egg gets even smaller. :O and i think watanuki needs to just leave teh crazy food lady alone. XP

[oralyon]

When have they ever said that Yuuko was in clow country. Last time we saw her she was looking at the dream tube in her shop. Maybe she's in the dream world. We still knows nothing so let's wait

[DontWakeMeUp]

I'd really love to know where all of this is going... -_-;
Then again, we all would.
I was expecting a more from this chapter. =/

[Tsubasaholic]

EGG!!! EGG!!! EGG!!! I'm pretty much certian the egg has something to do with the clones being OK. I've written about this on the TRC forum so I won't repeat here but C!Sakura made a wish to save C!Syaoran over it. . . Though reading over what she said when she wished to bring back his heart she said nothing about being with him afterwards. That makes me worry. . . If she doesn't ask for it her chances of happiness seriously decrease. . . Thank GOD Watanuki made her admit she wants to live. Well, whatever happens, the egg has a powerful connection to the C!s and is now in the shop with the tube that most likely contains their souls.

I'm so glad I've got xxxHolic to distract me from freaking out about TRC. . .

I'm with Kurofaikitty. That was a great chapter! It's nice to see Himawari finally having a bit more self confidence. The relationship (which I personally don't see as romantic but whatever) between Doumeki and Watanuki has really matured as well. "I'm hungry, make me food". Classic! I think xxxHolic will end with Watanuki saying goodbye to Yuuko. It would fit with the manga being about his journey of self-discovery and learning to exist. Yuuko has been his main teacher and her leaving his life would be symbolic of him having reached a more arrived place. That doesn't mean I wouldn't cry buckets though. I would like Yuuko to be able to enjoy some happiness for once.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

The perfect ending for Watanuki would (at least according to me ) be Watanuki returning to his parents. Remember? CCS. Sakura and Syaoran waiting for their children somewhere in another world....
GAAAAAAAAA, (GETTING PISSED OF BY THE FACT THAT ANYONE DON`T CARE, THEY ARE ALIVE, THEY ARE ALIVE, THEY ARE ALIVE....DANCING AROUND IN HAPPINES...) Exuse me.

Well, yes the egg has something to do with this. AND YUKO IS NOT DEAD!!!!Anyone saying that I will.....He, he, he....:guns

[kurofaikitty]

yeh, yukko's not dead.... yet. but w/ all the clones/people made from the distortion dissapearing ( including da egg) i think that she'll sacrifice herself for wata-chan. she even said theat a goodbye was coming, then poof, she vanished. and i don't think she's coming back. TAT. but anywho.... i think that watanuki will take over the shop, and doumeki will too. doumeki even said "our future is together" in this chapter. and plus, wata looked just like yukko when he said the hitsuzen line a few chapts back.

[Vande]

Ah blast they changed it :/

[NymphStealer]

03/16 - Young Magazine #16 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
03/23 - Young Magazine #17 - Chapter 176
03/30 - Young Magazine #18 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
04/06 - Young Magazine #19 - Chapter 177

[Tsubasaholic]

I think Yuuko is going to move on to doing something else. Whatever form that takes, xxxHolic will most likely end with her and Watanuki separating though :( It would be nice to see Watanuki with his parents again though. Warm fuzzies.

Lady Sakura-chan - nice emoticon!

[oralyon]

I'm thinking about that now... Maybe we passed over a fact that may be important... Remember that chapter about Watanuki and Doumeki going in a inn full of flesh eating bird. At this point, one of the bird girl seemed to be interested in Doumeki. I'm thinking... maybe that event as more relevance than we thought. Do you think it'll be important later ? Or do you think it had something to do with the egg that doumeki have ?

[ZaCloud]

I'm thinking about that now... Maybe we passed over a fact that may be important... Remember that chapter about Watanuki and Doumeki going in a inn full of flesh eating bird. At this point, one of the bird girl seemed to be interested in Doumeki. I'm thinking... maybe that event as more relevance than we thought. Do you think it'll be important later ? Or do you think it had something to do with the egg that doumeki have ?

Well, either that, or she thought he might be Haruka (or at least noted quite a resemblance to him). Might have had a run-in with him before, since it is he who sent the boys on that quest in the first place.

Guess we'll seeeeee!

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/176/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[Lady Sakura-chan]

I can`t get there! Is there someother way? Really needs to know....:s:s:s:s

[ibra87]

Other way to what? If you mean the raw try this link http://mangahelpers.com/downloads/details/17563


..and if you still can't, you can send me a PM and I will send you the RAW file.


EDIT: Unless I misunderstood you :oh

[wizli]

Watanuki ate Himawari's cookie!. And help me, doesn't that sounds wrong... xDDD I've missed the Himawari-induced sparkles!, specially when they're produced to shut up dear Doumeki ^-^.

Doumeki and Watanuki are still such good friends, together for a quiet dinner in the otherwise deserted shop... *cough, cough* . Besides the cute scene of domestic bliss from my favorite newlywed couple xDD, we've got the food-lady acepting Watanuki's offer of rice balls for the 1st time. So Wata ate something, he liked it very much (such a cute smile!) and it's probably close to complete his 1st task as Yuuko's reeplacement.

What I don't get yet is the connection with the last Tsubasa events. Maybe original-Shaoran and Sakura's freedom and the power they gifted real-Shaoran and Sakura will get things in motion for the sake of their two children. Maybe the two futures are posible, at least Watanuki seems to be a 'real' person again...

I hope we get a good translation soon!.

[kurofaikitty]

"Besides the cute scene of domestic bliss from my favorite newlywed couple xDD,"

eh?eheheh? what scene was this? (confused...) must have tranlations....

[DontWakeMeUp]

Interesting chapter. And Yuuko's been gone a month already? What happened to her? D:

I'm still super anxious to know how it all ties together thoughhh. (Then again, I'm pretty sure all of us are. xD)

[watanuki01/04]

ooooooooo! Will that lady eat Watanuki's cooking? And if so, what will she find out about him?
I think that once she does eat his cooking, Holic will start to pick up the pace to match with TRC because i'm sure that if nothing else, Watanuki will want to try and save Yuuko from disapearing.
Although i don't think he will be able to do much without Mokona's earing to give him back his memories so he can remember about his parents and his relationship with RShaoran. WHERE IS MOKONA!!!

[PirateFiend]

I certainly hope it picks up. The contrast MAY be intentional, but right now it's kind of like... the world(s) is/are ending in TRC and in xxxHolic, it's all, "Ding dong............ ding dong.........." (Leaves onigiri on doorstep.)

Explosions and magic and blood and WAH! And then... emptiness of action, absence of characters and a totally different kind of suspense. Kind of neat.

[Tsubasaholic]

I like how different Holic is from TRC. It's nice to have the emotional break. Though I am MADLY desparate for some news about Yuuko and TRC and the slowness does make me mildly frantic sometimes. I think the reason why the focus is so different right now is to underline how the mangas are fundamentally about two different things. Also, time flows differently between the worlds. Chances are what's taken minutes in TRC is playing out over months in xxxHolic (no DUH or else we'd have heard something from Yuuko by now).

Does anyone else feel like they are profoundly missing some very important point in xxxHolic? I do. . .

[watanuki01/04]

Oh God yes!! Something is missing! If Watanuki is the son of CCS S&S, where is toya, Yukito, tomoyo and eriol? I think there is still something working in the background around Watanuki.

[ZaCloud]

Well, I think the contrast is purely intentional, and I love it. AND, there's a third dimension to it...

See, if you just read xxxholic, so many things that Watanuki does seem to be fairly insignificant. Maybe significant to his and others' lives at times, but on a worldwide scale, insignificant. And yet, so many of these small acts have meant EVERYTHING to the characters in Tsubasa. If it weren't for items Watanuki had stumbled and mumbled to get, they might all be dead by now.

To top it off, the more Watanuki grows as an individual, the more it helps affirm the others' existences. It's emphasized in both series that, when people care about you and want you to exist, it can hurt them if you don't take care of yourself. You become part of everyone else's world. And all worlds, no matter how big or small, are extremely important.

In other words, these stories display that the life of an individual, the lives of a few, and the lives of countless worlds, are ALL equal in importance. It also further emphasizes hitsuzen; we all affect each other. The smallest act by one individual can have HUGE ramifications for millions of others. By one small, delicate, heartfelt gesture from Watanuki, an entire world he's never seen and doesn't know exists can be saved. Be it by an item he helped retrieve and is sent via Mokona, a price he's paid to Yuuko, or through the dream-world connection he shares with Sakura and Syaoran.

I think it's that connection to Syaoran, as his other self, that is vital to Tsubasa. It helps Syaoran in some great silent way, to know that Watanuki is blossoming as an individual and just plain existing. Which he is doing now more than ever. These steps he has taken; tasting food, making his own decision, helping a client without Yuuko... he is truly coming into his own.

It's not boring at all. It's beautiful and profound. Just as exciting as Tsubasa's climax, but more personal and intimate. I just love it. It's basically CLAMP telling us all, "The struggles YOU go through in your everyday life, your accomplishments, your little triumphs and revelations, could change the world. YOU are as important as the entire galaxy."

Individual lives are precious. This is a reaffirmation of that fact.

[Tsubasaholic]

That reminds me of the scene in the dream world where Watanuki makes C!Sakura admit she wants to live. That scene I think is one of the single most important scenes for C!Sakura and all Watanuki is doing is just being himself. It fits beautifull with what's been coming up a lot these days about how people change each other.I still have this mad, desparate hope that somehow it's changed something for her and that she'll make it out of all this alive after all.

This recurrs to your other post in TRC about legacy somehow. I guess another way you look at it is that consequences are the legacy of actions. For what it's worth, you write extremely well.

GAAAHHH! MUST STOP TALKING ABOUT TRC IN HOLIC FORUMS!!!

What I also find interesting about all this is though the sweep of TRC is so epic, all the events are driven ultimately by personal desires. Even the most dramatic, grand-scale days of destiny are, ultimately, personal.

[kurofaikitty]

Does anyone else feel like they are profoundly missing some very important point in xxxHolic? I do. . .
__________________

i know what it is! i did this until a friend pointed it out for me. it has to do w/ overlooking the trc connection even just slightly, or a better way to say it would be unerestimating the connection. if you will notice, things and beings created by the distortion from syaoran's wish to turn back time, die. this is usually symbolized by glass imagery. anything changed or created from the wish is symbolized by shards of glass. being created by the distortion, such as real fai (the dead twin) clone sakura, and clone syaoran, all have this glass imagery when they die. (sakura's was when she was stabbed by fai and went into the tube, she dissolved into glass) and in xxxholic, when watanuki falls out of the GLASS window and nearly dies, he see's the hand of his parents in his dream. the hands rain down shards of glass when they dissapeared. since we now know that these are cardcaptor sakura and syaoran's hands, we know that they were also affected by the distortion.

now, because of this distortion, there are only two known things remaining that have yet to be destroyed because they were created by the distortion. both of which lie in yukko's shop right now. the first being the egg doumeki has. which, as we saw last chapter, has gotten considerably smalled and is beggining to vanish. the seconed is watanuki, being the alternate version of sayoran. he is a being not meant to exist, and thus, very similar to real fai. and thus, watanuki is fated to die. but in a previous chapter, the last time we saw yukko before she dissapeared in fact, she say's that goddbyes are always sad or something like that. and that she hopes that hte shop is one more reason watanuki will wish to stay. yukko knows that watanuki is fated to die, that's why she's in clow country w/ syaoran and fei-wang reed right now. yukko is going to sacrifice herself to save watanuki. but, we can expect that that won't mearly be enough, from her warning to doumeki. "when the time comes, don't hesitate" this is probably the most immportant line in the whole series besode the normal "everything is hitsuzen" stuff. the only thing doumeki would ever, EVER, hesitate for would be involving watanuki. and the only reason he'd hesitate is if it would be if the choice he'd have to make would hurt watanuki in the end. it's quite possible that the choice he'll have to make will bind watanuki and himself to the shop for eternity in oreder for watanuki to live. don't forget, doumeki say's "anyhow, our fate is together." i doubt that watanuki would have enough power to grant wishes all by himself. and the only way for watanuki's wish to truely be full granted, as we all can guess, is staying by doumeki's side. the spirit seeing thing is a distortion of the time effect agin, and can't be elimated that easily, and it only would be if watanuki died.

one more thing . . . i have yet to figure out one last critical line. when yukko say's "yes, but doumeki will need to 'see' when that time comes" assuming she is talking about the same time watanuki will be in danger, does that mean that the spirits that haunt watanuki will try and consume him? or does it mean that the food lady (who i hate w/ a passon btw) is actually a spirit. because i don't see how somone that annoying and tediouse to the plot can stick around that long without being tied to the ending. *stabs food lady who is a threat to watanuki's life*

geeze.... i wrote a lot.... i hope that helped.... it took forever for my friend to explain it to me, and i did my own reasearch and discovered the meaning of the glass imagery....

[Tsubasaholic]

OK. that post was great. Thank's for that and say thank you to your friend as well for me :) I feel WAY better about xxxHolic now. The glass imagery point really is inspired. Did you catch the TRC chapter title image where C!Syaoran is lying in a pool of blood and broken glass? It supports your point about the destruction of those created by the distortion AND links the two beings that were created from R!Syaoran because of the distortion (why is it that C!Syaoran and Watanuki are awesome and R!Syaoran is SUCH a toad when they were both made from him?).

xxxHolic SO isn't going to end without another threat to Watanuki's existence being overcome

[KaNx]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/177/).

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about :)

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Translations is out! Watanuki sees CCS.Sakura and CCS.Syaoran and somehow he is reconising them, well his body does at least. Yuko is showing up again!!! Goddamn, for having one member sick, Clamp sure is fast as hell with the chapter!!!

[finalnight]

Schedule got changed. 177 is now slotted for issue #18 on the 30th.
[hr]
178 will be out in issue #20 on 4/13.

[finalnight]

Finally, Watanuki is getting some more interaction with the big plot.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

Ok, Yuko had BETTER show up again in the next chapter. And poor watanuki! His body still recognizes his parents, even if he doesn't...
It feels like this chapter is really early... I guess that's what happens with xxxholic when there's no 2 week break.
Where were they anyway. It looked like the dream world. Hey, does that mean that the CCS and the R's are in the dream world? Ok, more relevant to tsubasa thread. Anyway, the egg is seen again (Dun DUH). "Nothing will be born from this egg". So I guess that means nothing's inside it, but it will almost definitely have a large effect on Watanuki, so... If nothing will be born from it, why an egg? The egg is pretty much universally seen to symbolise the beginning of life, and rebirth and stuff along that line. "Nothing will be born from this egg" could also mean that the egg won't create anything indirectly or something... That makes it sound like a backwards way of saying that it's going to destroy something.
I always feel like I'm on completely the wrong track whenever I try and predict CLAMP.
I wonder what Watanuki will do now, though. I like the way xxxholic stays related to tsubasa, but portrays events in a different way, like, in tsubasa when the CCS pair show up it's immediately a huge event that can plausibly affect the fate of the whole universe, but in xxxholic it's watanuki seeing his parents for the first time in forever.
Back to the egg, I doubt it will be like a hugely powerful thing that'll drastically affect everything that's going on. That's not how holic is.

Well, out of thoughts. Except I'd like to see the lady who won't eat her own food again. She should talk to watanuki more. It seems to be good for her.

finalnight: It still isn't holics big plot. Watanuki will probably be involved, sure. But I expect it won't be in a direct way.

[watanuki01/04]

Being that one of the themes of XXXHolic is 'feelings', Im gonna make a guess on what that egg is.
That egg, i think is the original egg that CSakura got from Acid Tokyo which was the price for the water that Watanuki and Doumeki collected.
That egg contains the feelings of quite a few characters
CSakura, Yuuko, Doumeki, Kohane and possibly Watanuki as well.
Although i couldn't possibly guess what Clamp is going to do with all these feelings (Clamp being Clamp after all!) But i'm guessing that they will participate in some way.
Oh! and also the only thing that Yuuko can give without asking for a price is feelings. That has to be important too.

[Flipper]

It sure was enjoyable to see another Xxxholic chapter available so soon. As expected this didn't really clear anything up, though it foreshadowed some future events, for example; the importance of the egg is mentioned at the start, and as watanuki0104 (hope I got that right) said, feelings is the theme of Xxxholic.

It was stated that the egg will not hatch into anything, but it's still clearly important. It could be meant to overshadow the fact that, even though it isn't hatching into anything, it doesn't mean that something cannot be hosted within it. That is to say feelings could be incubated in it, but no matter what it's obvious it will be something important (most probably something unpredictable).

He sees his parents, and once again the term "body's memories" comes into play, when he instinctively takes a step towards them, and recognizes them but can't seem to remember them.

All of these elements have been heavily foreshadowed through both trc and xxxholic, and in that sense this chapter could be more of a transitional chapter, where it further enhances these elements and is building to a crescendo later on (who knows?).

PS: I've been lurking here for, god knows how long, and recently lurking wasn't enough, so I ended up registering here. Greetings to all you people here, and I hope to have some interesting discussions.

[ZaCloud]

Wow. Amazing post there, kurofaikitty! I had noticed the glass-shatter thing, but not the connection between them all before. If what you say is true... then, wow, the ramifications are indeed powerful.

It sort of goes with what I was saying more vaguely before, except you found a good, concrete connection. If Watanuki manages to defy the odds and keep on existing, for xxxHolic-readers-only it's like "Yay, personal triumph!" but for those in the know about both stories... his simple act of still existing could very well be linked to a HUGE turnaround for the Tsubasa cast. While all else wrought by their alterations shattered, HE remains, and that could be the key to what is to come.

Very awesome find by your friend and well written by you. :D

[kurofaikitty]

being the stupid head that i am and not knowing the scedule, it tottlay blew my mind that a new chapter was out already. it's been less than a week. i mean, i just got hte translations for 176 on wensday. sheesh! but thank u clamp! this chapter has been my fav from all the recent ones. and the opening page that finally mentioned the egg and all made me fangirl squee. and how watanuki ran out of the bath. waaahhh he's sooooo cute! and for once he was worried about doumeki.... yay! i really am wondering what the egg is for tho... and i luved when he saw the scene from the newest tsubasa! bwah! and there was glass imigery again.... glasssssss..... watanuki is in danger doumeki! save him!!! save him save him save him!
clamp, get well soon! hte delays r killing meeeeeee.... i need new tsubasa and more xxxholic doumeki fluff..... *dies* but the fast chapter was a great surprise! luved it!

[kurofaikitty]

awwww.... thankies guys! nad the newest chapter made me freak out, cause guess what? glass imigery!!!! 177 is out! woot! plus, i notice weird stuff like that too much. ap english makes me mentally anotate my manga...... but my friend in england figured it out! yay! now, i must tortue my brain waitng for tsubasa oad subs....
and yes, R!syaoran is a toad. i don't really like him at all. i luv C!syaoran just fine and i worship watanuki lots cause he's on an insane level of cute.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

Just in a little continuation of what you guys were saying on the last chapter discussion, I really liked ur post about the glass imagery, kurfaikitty. And it made me think something along the lines of what zacloud said about watanuki's continued existence affecting tsubasa. This is kinda both related to tsubasa and xxxholic, and seeing as I'm here, I might as well post it here. Watanuki deciding he wants to continue to exist is like a huge deal in holic, and in one of the chapters in the dream world csakura basically says the same thing, when watanuki asks if her wanting everyone to live includes her, and she says yes. It's like... Oh, how to explain myself... Like their choosing to exist means that all those created by the distortion will continue to exist, sort of.
I can never explain myself properly. It's most frustrating.

[Tsubasaholic]

I still feel like there's some huge profound truth lurking in the two stories only now I'm excited rather than frustrated. What ARE the implications for TRC of Watanuki's existence? There are so many mysteries left to be uncovered. It's great



R!syaoran is a toad. i don't really like him at all. i luv C!syaoran just fine and i worship watanuki lots cause he's on an insane level of cute.

OK, you just made my day.

[Tsubasaholic]

OK, the scene where Watanuki saw his parents without knowing it at a surface level caused pangs to the heart. . .

I don't think the scene is taking place in the dream world, but perhaps the dream world is acting as a portal to the increasingly less cut off time. Or there's some sort of harmony between the shop and the cutoff tiem becaus they're both separate miniaature realites.

What I find interesting about the egg is that C!Sakura wished to restore C!Syaoran's heart over it. When I realized this and read back over it I noticed that she forgets to include any mention of her own happiness in the wish (almost the opposite. She's reflecting on how she's a selffish person as she makes the wish). Her wish comes true in pretty much the saddest way possible which is very true to the spirit in which she made the wish. I'm not syaing the egg can grant wishes, but it is powerfully connected to C!Sakura. Sometimes I wonder if the existence of the clones is tied up with Watanuki as well. They are all artificial beings of a sort and they all sprang form the same person.

Shirubia - For some reason the names bug me a bit but nice plot :) I like the bit about anti-magic. Will it somehow be important to the plot later? Work with it, it's cool. There's some good stuff sbout magic theory and fundamentals lurking inside it. Perhaps you could have some anti-mages. I know that's a bit of a Circle of Magic ripoff, but the author doesn't explore the idea nearly as much as I'd like her to and those who draw their power from what is scorned and dangerous are always interesting. . .

[ZaCloud]

the newest chapter made me freak out, cause guess what? glass imigery!!!!

I know! As soon as I saw that I was like "OMG! Well that just settles it!" :D


now, i must tortue my brain waitng for tsubasa oad subs....

Dunno how long these'll be up but here you go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqtlCYhTtVo&fmt=18


R!syaoran is a toad. i don't really like him at all. i luv C!syaoran just fine and i worship watanuki lots cause he's on an insane level of cute.

I don't agree, but that made me lol anyway. (Watanuki wouldn't exist if it weren't for R!Syaoran anyway, same with C!Syaoran)

[Vande]

177 is already out....

[kurofaikitty]

do u think the egg has some kind of magic because of sakura's wish? when u guys said stuff about the wish and her saying that she wanted to restore syao's heart, i kno she meant C!syaoran, but... restoreing his heart... couldn't that apply to R!syaoran as well. because until a short while ago, he was split into three pieces of himself. (clone, him, wata) but... tho restore him completely... wouldn't watanuki have to return to the body he originally came from? aka, merge w/ syoaran? i thought for a long time that that would be a super emo clamp-like ending for both series... but i still don't rule it out. but it's also a possibility that watanuki will lose all his memories of the shop and yukko and everything. he's already sacrificed memories for syoaran before, adn he doesn't even remember doing so. i wouldn't be at all surprised if he lost all his memories of the past few years. and that would be plenty reason enought for doumeki to hesitate about his choice with the egg, wouldn't it? if watanuki lost his memories of everything, that would more or less include doumeki too. and that would probably make doumeki just a little pissed. i'm picturing an ending for both series similar to the ending of the seconed Cardcaptor Sakura movie. (if u don't kno what i'm talking about, go watch it! best anime movie eva!) it would be sweet yet heartbreaking, just like clamp always ends things. (damn u clamp.... give us a not depressing ending pleaz!) very similar to a depressing fanfic i read. grarg... wata-chan, don't give up ur memories for taht idjiot R!syaoran!
fanfic link
http://flakedice.livejournal.com/42425.html#cutid1

[kurofaikitty]

he wouldn't exist, ur right.... drat. but he's to seriouse, and stuff 4 me. lighten up R!syao! but even if u r a goober, u made a cute poofy little wata-kitty 4 me! *squishes the wata-kitty* and with out watanuki, doumeki wouldn't be half as fun. XD. doumkei's my fav.

[Tsubasaholic]

wata-chan, don't give up ur memories for taht idjiot R!syaoran!

I like you, I really do :) Too many people give up too much for his sake and he gets of scot free. . . *stops self from ranting helplessly for an hour or so*

R!Syaoran's heart was completed in Acid Tokyo remember (scene burned into my furious, heartbroken memory)? Also, was it his heart? The connection was through they eye and it has sometimes been described as a copy of his heart anyway. I don't think C!Sakura's wish would affect him it was in no way directed at him. I don't see Watanuki and C!Syaoran as parts of R!Syaoran, I see them as separate entities made from him. There's a big difference.

[DontWakeMeUp]

I liked this chapter, even if it did seem a bit quick... It was painful to see that CCS!SxS were right there, and Watanuki didn't recognize them (not bodily). He's been through so much, I just want him to meet up with them again.

One thing, though: Why are they transparent?

edit//

And yes, R!Syaoran, C!Syaoran and Watanuki are definitely different people... But in... well, what's the word? Essence? Theory? (there's something better that I can't think of right now)they're right. It really doesn't bother me much when they say that R!Syaoran and Watanuki are "the same" or "closer than anyone else" or calling CCS!'s son the "real" one opposed to the clone, because, if you think about it, it's true. They're all different, with their own different hearts, feelings, etc., but C!Syaoran and Watanuki still have very close connections to R!Syaoran.
Yes, I know you all probably know this, but I just had to voice it. CLAMP's wording may not be to your favor, but it IS appropriate. I understand why a lot of you are still frustrated over that, but it really doesn't bother me. I like all of them the same.

[Tsubasaholic]

Yeah, doumeki is awesome. His deadpanness is just genius, and I love the way he interacts with Wata. :)

Though honestly the fact that RSyaoran gave us Watanuki and CSyaoran doesn't make him a more likeable person. Like, less likeable, if anything, because of how the dynamic works between him and the more awesome people. Though admittedly it does stop me from wishing he never existed at all.

[Tsubasaholic]

It's not Clamp's wording. It's cnett128s interpretation of Clamp's wording and translation is always an imperfect science. We do not have or understand the orginial dialogue and should treat all quotes and words as guidelines. Nothing more. I'm a dialogue analysis hardout so that is one of the things that I find most frustrating about TRC.

[Flipper]

I don't see Watanuki and C!Syaoran as parts of R!Syaoran, I see them as separate entities made from him. There's a big difference.
Exactly my view, and I think this gets overlooked as their existance orbits around R!Syaoran, and I don't want him stealing all the focus, *cough* attention-whore*cough* ^^

[Tsubasaholic]

Flipper! I forgot to say welcome to the forum and I very much look forward to all our discussions together :D

[oralyon]

I wonder... The 2 eggs are born the same way as Watanuki with Syaoran. One of the egg can hatch, but "nothing will be born" from the other. Could there be something linked beetween the difference of the 2 egg and the difference in Syaoran and Watanuki. I really can't see where that would lead and well it doesn't make much sense as a lot of things has born because of both Syaoran and Watanuki. So it's probably not relevant, I was just wondering.

[Tsubasaholic]

I don't know what it means either. The eggs are pretty emphatically symbols of Watanuki and R!Syaoran though. Perhaps the egg will somehow be used to seal Watanuki's existence.

It's times like this that I start to wonder what the subtleties of the original Japanese wording are. . . Born in this context could refer to a direct hatching or events beginning as a consequence of the egg's existence. If the original wording has the same ambiguity that's interesting but if the original wording only means that nothing would hatch from the egg that's VERY different because Watanuki's existence could still be metaphorically born from the egg without it hatching. . .

[kurofaikitty]

oh, buuuuuurrrnnnnn...... syaoran got burned.... bwehehe.... *air high five* but i do like him in the flash backs tho. the first chapter of that reeaaaaalllllyyyy long flash back sequence , the first panel when he's running up to yukko's shop, he looked so much like his dad i did a little "wwaaaahhh! how cute!" while reading it. i like him when he's little, and i liked him in infinity and tokyo, after that, meh.

[kurofaikitty]

aww, i like u too tsubasaholic!
let's see.... it's nt that i see C!syao and watanuki as parts of real syaoran. i know andlove the fact that C!syaoran is completely different from the original. (thank god...) but i also know that the connection btwn syaoran and watanuki is stronger than "brothers" or seperate people. thye're not as seperate as we'd like to think. as we saw from when watanuki fell out the window, if syaoran's in danger, then watanuki will be also. and so, what happens to syaoran, god or bad, will happen to watanuki as well. and if it is inevitable that watanuki must "dissapear" as syaoran says, because of glass thoery and other things, then it will happen. (i'm not sure what i'm getting at...) it's just that, i'm not going to worry about yukko at the moment, she's chosen her path already. but watanuki is stil in very real danger. doumeki, to the rescue!!!!! yay! hehehehe... i found the best tsubasa/holic picture, it's if watauki and syaoran switched places
link
http://rokuri.deviantart.com/art/TRC-xXxholic-SWITCH-111732729

[Flipper]

When Dômeki was first given the egg, Yuuko said that the egg had the power to withstand a rain that could destroy buildings. In Acid Tokyo the last standing buildings were protected by the power of the feather, which means that the egg must have some similar power, if not the same power. Although, then there'd be two feathers in the xxxholic world (one in mokona's earrings, although he's gone) and it seems like a stretch.

[Tsubasaholic]

OK, the pic is quite hilarious :) I particularly like the blushing, mildly incompetent looking Syaoran

Watanuki and R!Syaoran are way closer that C! and R!Syaoran. That's one of the things I find interesting about the series. Also the almost Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-esque link between Watanuki an R!Syaoran. I think that part of Watanuki confirming his existence will be separating himself from this rather detrimental relationship with R!Syaoran. Perhaps the egg will be involved with that somehow. I honestly have no idea.

I have these mad moments of wondering if the egg C!Sakura found in Tokyo is the same egg that Doumeki had. I know it isn't, but I just had to get that out of my system.

[DontWakeMeUp]

Tsubasaholic:
Okay, well, the way that you were phrasing things sounded like you were directly upset at CLAMP's wording. Thank you for clarifying.
I'm aware that translating is never perfect, and it's most likely that everyone's translations aren't exactly getting the wording that CLAMP may want, but it's enough. I mean, I think everyone knows that not everything is exact, word for word.
I always try to find as many translations as I can for the chapter though, and then translate it myself; that way, I can see all of the interpretations and perhaps figure out what makes the most sense. I get pretty picky with dialogue at times, too. >.>

[Tsubasaholic]

You speak Japanese??!! OK, can you PLEASE go research the original wording used to describe the clones and the originals (do they use words with the same conotations as 'real' and 'fake'?) thoug hI think right now th most helpful thing you could do would be go check the connotations and secondary implications of the word Yuuko uses when she says 'nothing will be born from this egg'. I'm going to get my Japanese speaking friends onto it as well (all one of them). I think it's important to know EXACTLY what Yuuko is saying.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

Yea. That's why translations vaguely bug me. You can't get the exact implications of the phrase, and neither can the translator because they have no idea what CLAMP means by it. So they have to choose one possible meaning, and cut the rest. Which is annoying when you're obsessively theorizing, and need every scrap of evidence you can get.

[Tsubasaholic]

Yeah. . . I'm going to get my Japanese studying friend to take certian words to her professors (she's at uni) to get as much information about them as I possibly can.

[aquamaryna]

About the "born" stuff. I'm learning Japanese and so I'm only of minimal help, but it would seem that it is used only to refer to a physical birth.

The word used in this chapter (and probably before too, but I don't have access to Japanese scans from earlier) was 産まれない. I'm not entirely sure what the differences between the 生 and 産 kanji are. They both mean to be born, but it seems that the one used here (産) is used more for the literal birthing out of the mother, while the other (生) appears to be more ambiguous in meaning and can be used abstractly.

If your computer supports Japanese characters, you can do a ctrl-f of 産 at the following page.

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1Q%C0%B8%A4%E0_0__

It has example sentences using the word うむ (with English translations). [There is only one instance I see of the 産 kanji used abstractly, and upon closer inspection this is actually used in a proverb whose literal meaning is a bit different than it's translated in the example sentence. In the proverb, it is still referring to a physical birth.]

Hope this helped even if only a little bit. ^^
[hr]
I also wanted to say how much I completely heart this chapter. On page ten when we hear Sakura say her unbeatable spell, I was nearly in tears. It's so nice to hear Sakura say that again. I can't help but believe her when she does. ^^

[Tsubasaholic]

If the word for born is the one that more precisely means hatched then perhaps the thing which will be born form the egg is Watanuki's future and not a bird. Eggs are symbols of beginning and potential. Thanks for that :)

[DontWakeMeUp]

I'm only learning, at the moment, so I've only been trying to translate the later chapters. I know all of the hiragana and katakana, but not much kanji right now. My friend is getting tutored and then she helps me when I need it (she's usually the one I ask to clarify things). My Chinese speaking friends are a help with the kanji as well.
And I have this really good dictionary/translator that translates words to characters and vice-versa, either english or romaji.
I'm planning on taking some classes over the summer or something...



And I could check the whole real/fake wording if someone could possibly find a raw where they mention the two of them...?
[hr]
産 is more in the literal sense of giving birth (umameru/san). うむ is umu, which is existence.

But from what my friends and I gathered, 生, alone, is used with food as "fresh" or "raw"... ._.
When used like 誕生, it means origin (tanjou/tanjiyou). 出生 refers to the production of something (shushou/shiyushiou), 生む is actually giving birth.

[Snowolf]

A very moving and interesting chapter. I don't know what the dream world and Watanuki have in common- some "prophet bond" maybe- but as he delves more and more into the dream world, he's finding himself to be learning a lot more about himself and others. This was more of a transitioning chapter, but I really liked it. The part that moved me was when Watanuki said "Those people...I don't know them....but my hand, and body- I...I just know them somehow". The body remembers, but the heart cannot.

But I don't understand Sakura's words- "It will be alright"? Is she referring to the incident that is currently taking place in TRC world? Or is she just comforting a very tensed up Watanuki? She obviously recognizes him as her son...hmm.

Hopefully the next chapter Wata-kun finds where Yuuko-san is and can get/reach to her. I really hope they end up in the same spot, rather then never seeing one another. I really can't fathom how xxxHolic will end so soon, when Watanuki's character transformation is not complete yet, some loose plot holes are still yet to be tied up, and Yuuko's mysteries have yet to be revealed. Hopefully, it'll go longer than TRC.

And that egg is really bothering me. I'm hoping it "hatches" to a one-time use power that allows Watanuki to travel dimensions and see Yuuko-san and the rest of the TRC cast (hopefully Doumeki-kun travels along :D). Thus, it won't hatch into "anything" but really a power? Like a little traveling thing?

Also, about Yuuko san in terms of the latest TRC chapters- Fei said that there was one person who also was severed along time dimensions, and now is free- this is Yuuko, obviously, as Sakura chan WAS saved from Syaoran, but does that mean she officially lives inside of time now, and has lost her powers/can die? I'm a Doctor Who fan and all, but this time reversal and alternate dimensions and outside-of-space-and-time concepts are baffling me. :D

Also, hi! I'm a new member to MH, and just wanted to say it's lovely to be a part of this discussion. :D

[Snowolf]

Whut? xxxHolic 177 got released on the 27th/28th, two/three days before the expected release. Hm....they steal the manuscript or something? *smirks*

But i really can't wait for the next chapter. It's getting intense! :D

[NymphStealer]

oh gah.. clamp changed their site up and now a pain to get round since takes forever to load the flash crap...
and also do they even know their own release schedule?!? they still show they 177 aint supposed to be out til the 6th but we all know that isnt right... anyhow heres the new schedule already w/ fixes...

03/30 - Young Magazine #18 - Chapter 177
04/06 - Young Magazine #19 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
04/13 - Young Magazine #20 - Chapter 178
04/20 - Young Magazine #21 - Chapter 179

[Tsubasaholic]

Hey snowolf! Welcome to the madhouse! Things are going to be gloriously crazy here with the end of xxxHolic and TRC and I'm happy you can join us :D

For what it's worth 'everything will be alright' or various variations on this depending on who's translating, is pretty much the motto of CCS Sakura. Her saying it is a massive sentimental moment for fans of CCS and a heavy implication that it is her (I think :s).

DWMU (your name takes ages to type) - You've been talking to your friends about this? That's awesome. The more opinions we get the better :) (and that goes for you too snowolf).

The impression I get from what our Japanese experts (hey, you know more than the rest of us!) are saying is that the phrase Yuuko uses is the raw "産まれない" and the relevant kanji "産" are more literal than abstract and the phrase could just as easily (and perhaps more accurately) have been translated as "nothing will hatch from this egg". That is REALLY interesting. . .

[DontWakeMeUp]

Tsubasaholic:
I read your post, and, at first, I was like, "lolwho'sDWMU". =|
Yeah, I've been talking to my friends about TRC for a while now. They've been studying Japanese and Chinese longer than I have, so I always verify everything with them.

EDIT//
Doumeki (page 2): "Kore kara ha nanimo umarenai ka...
dattara nan no tame ni..."."
(If nothing will be born from this, then what is it's purpose?) I thought that some of you may want to see the romaji.

So, it's pretty obvious now that he's just referring to a literal birthing.

Snowolf:
"Zettai daijoubu (da) yo" was CCS!Sakura's invincible phrase, and a recurring theme in CCS, as Tsubasaholic said. I think that besides just trying to reassure him that "everything will surely be all right," she could also be trying to help him remember. Since CCS!SxS are, from what we know as of now, their parents, then the phrase could have been something important within their family too (perhaps she always comforted him that way as a child?).

[Snowolf]

That's the one thing I love about CLAMP's wording: it's very subtle, and with the Japanese phrasing, it can mean one thing or the other. And they use that very cleverly. :D

Tsubasaholic: Thank you! I feel very welcome. The ending sure looks like it's going to be more omnipotent and "worldly" than anything we've ever seen from CLAMP and I can't wait to see what they've slapped us in the face with.


AH. So have any of you just finished the new TRC chapter that's come out? This makes things even more confusing....THREE Sakuras and THREE Syaorans? ???? Maybe one pair is Watanuki's parents, and the other is Syaoran's? As Sakura#2 said (i'm just going to number them- Sakura TRC version, the second Sakura who showed up last chappie, and the young schoolgirl version of Sakura is #3) stated, "she who is from a different world but is the same as me"- could this be that when Syaoran and Watanuki separated, they also had to create duplicates of the parents? I mean, it wasn't as if the parents were taken from Syaoran's dimension and put into Watanuki's.

I also have a theory referring to the "death" of Watanuki's parents- rather, they made the choice that they would sacrifice their time together for the sake of Syaoran and the rest of the TRC group to save the world, and left Watanuki, but certainly never died. I remember in the very beginning of xxxHolic that Yuuko-san said that Watanuki's parents died from a "supernatural incident".So then, how did they leave the impression that they died rather than left? Hm...I'm guessing they made the bargain with Yuuko....

Trust me, I'm a Doctor Who fan of all sorts, loving time-travel, dimensions, alternate universes, parallel universes, time reversal, and all that, but this is WAY over my head. :D

[DontWakeMeUp]

I thought that it was previously mentioned that he was given false memories so that he wouldn't try to go look for them or suffer, since as it would be extremely painful knowing that they're alive, but not being able to see them.

[kurofaikitty]

wow... gone for three days and i have two pages of posts to read... weird... holic forum usually doesn't even go a full page and a half @ most... yay!
kay, so snowwolf said, "And that egg is really bothering me. I'm hoping it "hatches" to a one-time use power that allows Watanuki to travel dimensions and see Yuuko-san and the rest of the TRC cast (hopefully Doumeki-kun travels along ). Thus, it won't hatch into "anything" but really a power? Like a little traveling thing?"

i don't think so. i'm satarting to think that recovering his memories might hurt watanuki. and if he goes to were the TRC ppl and yukko r... i think he might fall directly into FWR's trap. remeber, FWR wanted watanuki, since he was born from syao, for his evil-lame plots of doom. but yukko stopped him from taking the little wata-chan. if he went there now, that'd be very very very bad. very bad. even if doumeki was there with him. very bad! i cannot even express how dangerous that would be! waaahhhh! it better not be a tellaporty thing! eek!
must clam down... have u guy's noticed, that in the chapter (176 i think) where doumeki first showed us the egg again, it lookd smaller? as if it's tarting to dissapear. and if the egg is connected to watanuki, he might be starting to disspear as well. he's been crossing over into the dream world far too often, and even if haruk was there, it's still to much. and this time, was it even the dream world he went into? i think he's beggining to vanish.
i also think that doumeki knows more than he's letting on. if yukko knew she would be going to the TRC place (where ever the heck that is) i doubt she would have left watanuki in total darkness there. she may have told doumeki something about wata-chan's parents. it might be that doumeki has to stop him from going there.
(i still think he's gonna loose his memories tho.... crap.)
ah.... tsubasa and holic are too depressing today!! (and in TRC's case, confusing as hell...) must... read... fanfiction...

[aquamaryna]

Doumeki (page 2): "Kore kara ha nanimo umumorenai ka... dattara nani no tameni."

Actually, that's not exactly correct. It's more like,

"Kore kara ha (or you could write "wa") nanimo umarenai ka...
dattara nan no tame ni..."

When you change from the dictionary form of the verb you can't leave the u/ru/etc. in the new verb. Does that make sense?

And in this case, 何 would be read as "nan". I think there are very few exceptions where you would say, "nani no." It's pretty much always "nan no."

Hope that helped :)

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Any teories where Yuko is?

[Tsubasaholic]

snowolf - EVERYONE is confused by TRC at the moment. The forum is in a complete uproar over 217. I'm almost wondering if it's an April Fools prank by Clamp. . .

Dr Who is awesome! They never do anything really challenging with time travel on that show though.

If people are looking for a time travel flick that is, if possible, more confusing than TRC they should watch Primer. That film is IMPOSSIBLE

Lady Sakura-chan - Isn't Yuuko in some strange cutoff time of her own where she was all along but we didn't know it until a few chapters ago or something like that?

Of course Doumeki knows more that he's lettign on. He's that kind of guy

[DontWakeMeUp]

aquamaryna:
Ah, thanks; I missed that. >.<
Stilllearning,andIdiditinhaste.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

OMG PRIMER. That movie is like 5 times as bad as tsubasa. I might get it a little better if I watched it again, but I spent like the entire 2nd half going WTF.

And yay doctor who! They SHOULD do something awesome with time travel on there...

And, to continue my random string of comments that have like nothing to do with holic, I'm feeling kinda ridiculously proud of myself for understanding what aquamaryna was saying about that Japanese stuff.

Ok, now to something more related to holic... I think I agree with tsubasaholic about where Yuuko is, but... It seems like that cut off time where she was was confined to her body. She could be in the dream world or something like that... I don't know.

[aquamaryna]

aquamaryna:
Ah, thanks; I missed that. >.<
Stilllearning,andIdiditinhaste.

You're welcome. I'm not blaming you for making a mistake, just correcting it. Lord knows I do nothing but make mistakes in my Japanese. xD It's a long long road to "fluency".

[Snowolf]

Glad to see some Doctor Who fans btw! Speaking of which, Doctor Who- I was referring to the Martha and Ten episode where the Master goes back in time and rewrites Earth's history so he becomes ultimate ruler (PWNAGE) and then teh Doctor and Martha go back and rewrite it AGAIN so it really never happened- that episode. It confused me for a bit. :D

Anyways, back on topic: What kurofaikitty said could be true. That would be sad though- I've liked the idea that Watanuki is able to do something rather than just be a passive character and be a spectator. The fact that he's actually teaching someone is great, and he's helping out is great too. (Of course, being a passive character is one of things I love most about xxxHolic- it really gives time to allow Watanuki to develop and flourish as a true individual and character.)

Yeah, TRC just whacked me in the face there, no doubt...I'm still at a complete loss at what to say. I mean, THREE? Really? REALLY? *sighs* CLAMP may be pulling out the greatest April Fool's Joke on all of us fans in all the history of awesome manga. :D

Back to xxxHolic: I really want Watanuki to be a part of this though. As much as I liked him sitting back and observing all these small and poignant things about humans as told by Yuuko san, I want him to do something. I've always had a feeling, ever since I've started reading the series, that Watanuki would join up with the TRC group later on. And the fact that the last chapter ends with Watanuki crying out "Yuuko san!" really points to the possibility that he might be going there, even if it is in dream-mode.

But I don't understand one thing- Maru and Moro- if the shop still exists, then they should be around (though in incorporeal form, as suggested when Yuuko is talking about Watanuki's past) so maybe they could help out. As for Mokona, I really have no idea where he is. He wasn't there with Yuuko-san, so....hm......*ponders*

[freedomrise]

I've got this random theory, which is not very plausible at all, but I'll post it anyway. In chapter 202 of Tsubasa, Fei Wong Reed stated that Watanuki resembles the child Clow Reed just as Clow had anticipated. I know it is flawed in so many ways. But could it be that Watanuki may grow up to become Clow, and more I look at Fei Wong Reed, the more his face shape resembles Doumeki's. Yuko in this sense is just like Himawari. She is unfortunate and stuck in between the two men. It's just like a cycle. Himawari become Yuko and helps Watanuki become Clow Reed, who tries to save Himawari from dying but failed. Doumeki tries to achieve what Watanuki didn't.

I'm being confusing aren't I?

[Flipper]

According to Chibi Yuuto's live journal 178 is scheduled for release on 04/06 http://chibiyuuto.livejournal.com/

[Sorry, faulty source:(. See NymphStealer's previous post for a re-edited (more plausibly) correct version.]

It's almost too good to be true! Seeing this made my day.

[NymphStealer]

well this is where clamp gets confusing on their site that they updated 4/1 actually has this
03/30 - Young Magazine #18 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
04/06 - Young Magazine #19 - Chapter 177
04/13 - Young Magazine #20 - Chapter 178
04/20 - Young Magazine #21 - Chapter 179
but 177 came out on the 30th of march instead and at the end of the chapter it said next one wasnt til the 13th of april. The reason they change those was to release both TRC and holic on or closet to the main characters b-days most likely. that doesnt mean clamp is always true to what they put at the end of chappys on when next release is as it has switched up before, but fairly confident next one isnt until the 13th... then again i wouldnt be surprised if they changed it again as they are weird like that.
so i updated their site release schedule to go w/ what was already released and what the end of 177 said.

[Flipper]

Ahh, I see. I had a feeling it was too good to be true:). Not sure what's to be trusted now, I'll just have to wait and see I guess.

[watanuki01/04]

I have this feeling that the next chapter will be BIG!! The end of this chapter is just asking to lead onto something good! Maybe on his search for Yuuko, he wanders into the treasure room?? I still think Mokona is hiding in there along with all the important items that contain feelings that Yuuko has collected.

Oh, and BTW, Hello to the Dr Who fans! New episode out in the UK next weekend so look out for it!

[Tsubasaholic]

I'm. In. Freaking. POLAND!!! I want the new Dr Who!!!

freedomrise- I'd noticed the resemblances as well and was seriously wondering what it meant. Especially as FWR wears a monocle over the same eye as Doumeki would. I don't think it literally IS them, but there's a connection for sure.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Somehow I can`t imagine Doumeki being Butt-chin. When it comes to jokes, what if Clamp suddenly reveal that Yuko is evil and wants Wata-chan killed and Doumeki is Butt-chin and kills Syaoran and Sakura? The evil will rule in Tsubasa and Holic forever!!!! Then I will seriusly rip Clamp apart!!!!!:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns:guns

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

I had a really random notion the other day that Yuko was secretly in league with FWR. But traitorous people do not lie when talking to themselves. And besides, Yuko is far to sensible for that.

[Tsubasaholic]

I dunno. . . I think treacherous people could easily lie when talking to themselves. I don't think Watanuki IS Clow and Doumeki IS FWR (he's FAR to mentally unstable for that. Doumeki is one of the most together people in the manga). I'm just wondering why Clamp is implying a connection like crazy

[Uozumi]

oh gah.. clamp changed their site up and now a pain to get round since takes forever to load the flash crap...
and also do they even know their own release schedule?!? they still show they 177 aint supposed to be out til the 6th but we all know that isnt right... anyhow heres the new schedule already w/ fixes...

03/30 - Young Magazine #18 - Chapter 177
04/06 - Young Magazine #19 - No xxxHOLiC scheduled
04/13 - Young Magazine #20 - Chapter 178
04/20 - Young Magazine #21 - Chapter 179

Given what CLAMP has said about March 30 being skipped but it wasn't, maybe this old schedule is actually the right one?

[watanuki01/04]

Maybe, like Watanuki is related to Clow, Doumeki is related to FWR. I don't think FWR was always evil, something tragic made him what he is. It can happen to the most mentally stable person!

[Tsubasaholic]

Watanuki IS related to Clow. He's the child of two people who Yuuko repeatedly says are of Clow's bloodline which means he is related to Clow.

I've said this on the other forum, but I think FWR is drawn more like someone from xxxHolic than from TRC. He also looks scarily like Doumeki. Does anyone else think it's interesting that when Clamp had the perfect chance to show us what an adult Doumeki would look like, they instead decided to make Haruka look like the teenage Doumeki? Also, Doumeki has the egg and is therefore going to be VERY important

I would just like to repeat that I am NOT saying Doumeki is FWR, I don;t think that is the case.

[Flipper]

I've said this on the other forum, but I think FWR is drawn more like someone from xxxHolic than from TRC. He also looks scarily like Doumeki. Does anyone else think it's interesting that when Clamp had the perfect chance to show us what an adult Doumeki would look like, they instead decided to make Haruka look like the teenage Doumeki? Also, Doumeki has the egg and is therefore going to be VERY important.

When I first read Xxxholic, I thought it was because that was the only memory he had of Dômeki (I know it's his grandfather, but that was the only physical form his mind could manifest that could be similar to Haruka). Later, I realized that you could meet people in dreams, whom you've never met, so that theory went down in flames. Since then I've always thought that it's to make it easier for Watanuki (I know it's a rather shallow and simple thought). As the latest episode featured some heavy foreshadowing on the importance of the egg, I'm certain it's time is drawing near, not too long left till the next episode...:(



I would just like to repeat that I am NOT saying Doumeki is FWR, I don;t think that is the case.
I really think (hope) this isn't the case.

[PirateFiend]

Okay, if TRC 218 is out, where is xxxHolic 178??? :(

[NymphStealer]

Given what CLAMP has said about March 30 being skipped but it wasn't, maybe this old schedule is actually the right one?

Yes so far the one I posted is accurate and the site flipper linked has also updated their schedule to show that one since well there was no xxxHOLiC that came out mon. that I know of. It just got confusing since Clamps site isn't showin accurate information about when 177 came out. Hopefully the next update to their site info they won't make last minute changes confuse us all again... hee hee.....

[Tsukisama]

Okay, if TRC 218 is out, where is xxxHolic 178??? :(

CLAMP has irregular releases that do not always match up for the two manga being released concurrently. To see when xxxHolic will be released, check this thread (http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7204).

[howi]

Flipper / Tsubasaholic,

There're few other characters look like Doumeki too: how about Kurogane ?

[PirateFiend]

Ah. The schedule I had was behind--it had the break in a different place. Guess it was updated. Thanks. :)

[Tsubasaholic]

howi - Look at the eyes. You'll see what I mean. And I'm not just talking about the way they both have weak vision in the same eye.

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

Yea... Strange.
I've always kinda wondered this, but do people think there's some link between sakura and himawari? You know, sakura's good luck, himawari's bad luck... I assume someone has considered this before. I don't know what kind of link. All I can think is the same as wata and rsyaoran, but that makes no sense. Unless... Something scary about time rewinding, and how there seem to be two clows, and rsakura isn't there but csakura is, and whether a person taking someones place in time needs to take their place in the same world... But then she would have needed to have been born in clow, and that'd just be weird. I dunno. It's like himawari would have replaced rsakura when rsakura was captured, and clow was wound back, but instead csakura did... It'd be nice to have a more specific time frame. I think I'm going to start making one. It's going to look very strange.

[DontWakeMeUp]

I'm pretty sure that someone had mentioned some sort of connection between Sakura and Himawari many chapters ago, but it was never really elaborated on...
It seems as though we're all finding more and more connections between characters. o.O

[Tsubasaholic]

Himawari has never had enough. . . presence to feel really important. I don't think she has bad luck though. None of the things that happen around her are ever because of her. I think she speeds up people's karma rather than actually giving them bad luck. The MUST be a connection between her and the clones though, she was given one of the eggs and that alone counts as a connection. Why though. . .?

Does anyone else think it's ironic that the Sakuras are supposedly "lucky" and yet the R!s have had a time exceedeed in tribulation only by the C!s who two of the most star-crossed people EVER? Don't say C!Sakura's unlucky because she gave up her luck. Before Infinity ever happened she'd lost her momories of her most precious person and her realisation that she loved them (hah! Take that amnesia!) coincided with them relapsing into mindless/heartless monster who, quite literally, dumped her and walked away. Yes, Sakura is fortunate indeed.

[Lady Sakura-chan]

Hello everyone! I came up with this today, because Yuko don`t have thread of her own. She is a wonderful character, deep personality, she is beautiful, powerful and is so...I just admire her a lot.

On this thread, everything about Yuko will do. Her clothes, her orgin, her magic, her relationsship with Clow, everything with Yuko is welcome. Tributs for Yuko is also welcome here, because things are not looking go for her now!

I know that they are members here who burns of love for her. My goal is to unite as many Yuko-supporters as possible!!! Are you with me!?:wtf:wtf:wtf

[ShirubiaLamperouge]

I agree about Himawari never really seeming important, although... Meh. With the eggs, the egg (well, bird now) she has is like holic, it affects her as an individual, without any massive world changing effects. And, to round off the metaphor, what if the second egg is like TRC, with the big scary world-twisting-ness. That was an interesting end to a sentence.

I was going to say that luck is relevant to things that are based on chance, but then, so much WAS based on chance. Sakura goes down to the ruins randomly to see Syaoran (although maybe that was like set in her programming or something, to be there at that time), and then just before rsyaoran shows up in Tokyo larg says "will "syaoran" make it in time?" after talking about the seal on csyaorans eye. So maybe her luck just affects gambling and general safety (how it made sure they didn't go to any particularly dangerous worlds)...?

[Flipper]

That really depends on your personal perception of luck. Some people consider every action dependant on luck, for example; if somebody drops something infront of you and you stop to pick it up, that could delay your arrival at the destined location, which could alter other things leading to a chain reaction. This on the other hand clashes with hitzusen, so in this sense Sakura's luck could be related to things that are dictated by chance alone, for example; the tossing of a die (disregarding the fact that the die could be rigged).

These small details are what drives us crazy, it's like Tsubasaholic said, if we would just disregard the smallest of notions and read the story it wouldn't be as confusing but what else should we do inbetween chapters?:)

[howi]

Lady Sakura-chan,

Another fan of Yuuko here ;-)

I don't about others but Yuuko, the character, to me has been changing my perspective quite a bit from the beginning... from a sexual, arrogant, selfish, calculated figure to more sensual, respectful, witty, philosophical one. She's like connecting the dots of all CLAMP's series and unsolved mysteries.

Perhaps we'd start gathering the links to her wallpapers, avatar, etc.?!

[Longyen]

The egg, was just a copy of the egg tanpopo came out of, so I really think tanpopo will have some contributation to the storyline, besides being a companion for Himewari.
Oh, and I think it looked like the dream world, because Watanuki was seeing them through a dream, and that was why they were transparent.
And about watanuki being like the clone, it is a very interesting thought that they both have one blue eye, one....well....other eye. The clone syaoran has one brown eye and watanuki has one yellow eye, but it's still generally the same. But the major difference is that how they got their other eye. Syaoran taking it by force and Watanuki being given it.
I will be so happy when Fei Wong Reed comes into the xxxholic saga, because it only mentioned him once (and it could hardly be called a mention!)

I really something bad didn't happen to Yuuko-san.

-This is my first time posting stuff on manga helpers!

[longyan]

Somehow I can`t imagine Doumeki being Butt-chin.
Is it a but-chin?!?!?!?!? I always thought it was just a verry small goatee! lol

[Vande]

The new chapter is out, you can grab it here (http://mangahelpers.com/m/xxxholic/chapters/178/)

When you're done, discuss it here and predict what the next one's going to be all about ^^

[Vande]

178 raws are already out so it's screwed again XD

[watanuki01/04]

Well the food lady seemed really angry!! What did she learn about Watnuki after easting his rice balls i wonder?

Anyway, more importantly, It's almost certain now that Doumeki knows whats going on. He wasn't bothered at all by the shop disapearing was he?

[frostmourne4]

Doumeki either knows, or only Watanuki can see it.

[DontWakeMeUp]

I wonder why she's upset/angry about having eaten them. >.>

[freedomrise]

The shop itself isn't disappearing, but the kekkai around the shop is definitely completely gone now. Either Watanuki specifically said Maru and Moro because he now knows they are the ones holding the shop/kekkai in place or they are just the first names to come out of his head.

I am wondering where Mokona is actually, it's not related to the shop nor binded by Yuko. So technically it shouldn't disappear. Perhaps it's back to it's container in the treasure room.