Seinen xxxHolic by CLAMP

[Tsukisama]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic Manga Release Schedule

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

I sense a growing merger in the two storylines.

 

[Nice]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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

 

[Uozumi]

Re: xxxHolic Manga Release Schedule

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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.

---

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]

Re: xxxHolic 164 Discussion/165 Prediction Thread

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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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. 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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

@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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

@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]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

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.

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

Oh CLAMP is confusing.

 

[howi]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

Tsukisama / TerraShira,

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

 

[Tsukisama]

Re: xxxHolic 167 Discussion/168 Prediction Thread

Tsukisama / TerraShira,

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

We actually have a section related to TRC as well in the Shounen section. There you will find a thread devoted to TRC chapter 202 in which I and others have posted our thoughts.

 

[KaNx]

xxxHolic 168 Discussion/169 Prediction Thread

Chapter 168 is out, you can grab it here.

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

 

[howi]

Re: xxxHolic 168 Discussion/169 Prediction Thread

KaNx,

Errr... You mean ch 168^

Thanks anyway!

 

[endless_dream]

Re: xxxHolic 168 Discussion/169 Prediction Thread

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...