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Clamps’ xxxHolic tells the story of Kimihiro Watanuki, a young man who sees and is followed by harmful spirits. Hitsuzen, a force that is not quite fate or inevitability, leads Watanuki to a special shop run by a woman named Yuko Ichihara. Yuko’s specialty? The granting of wishes. Yuko’s work doesn’t come cheap though, and in order to have his wish granted, Watanuki must work in Yuko’s shop until he can pay for his wish fulfillment.

The story is told through a series of vignettes, and is therefore easily translated into an anime series. Each of the four episodes in the first collection are self-contained stories in which Yuko and her two assistants Maru and Moro (who have a sweet Lolita look, despite the fact that their names mean something along the lines of ‘exposing yourself in public’) grant various wishes, all the while playfully tormenting the very excitable Watanuki.

The art is fantastic, and closely resembles the manga. And though the Manga serves as a link amongst the various worlds of Clamp, the anime only makes sly nods towards the other titles. The opening title is lovely, and the song “19-sai” by Suga Shikao works well. The English voice over is excellent. The stories are fluid and fun to watch, following the first three books very well, considering all cross-over stories are left out. The anime captures the manga, between Watanuki’s Jack Skellington-like body flailing and Yuko’s provocative outfits, Domeki’s yin to Watanuki’s yang and Himawari’s sweet nature.

The DVD doesn’t have many special features, and the total running time is about an hour and a half. But despite the small content, the DVD is excellent; the show is very watchable and fun.  I giggled, I was sucked in, and once the first four episodes were over, I immediately wanted more. xxxHolic is a must have for the fans of the manga. And for those who aren’t, it’s still fun.

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