xxxHOLiC Second Collection

Product Description "From the day you were born, you have always been different from those around you?" For high school student Watanuki, this statement could not be more true! Between rain without end and ghostly visions from beyond, the young man is getting used to not being used to anything at all. His role as Yuko?s minion seems as close to normal as anything, and the haunted teen trudges forth within this strange world of weaving wishes. Many stop by to peruse the witch?s goods, but more often than not the lesson must be learned the hard way. Greed, lies, manipulation, and broken promises. There is always a price to pay? Amazon.com As xxxHolic (pronounced "Holic") continues, life doesn't get any easier for poor, put-upon Watanuki. He has to obey Dimensional Witch Yuko's incessant demands to run errands, fetch saké and prepare elaborate snacks, and deal with presence of quiet, athletic Doumeki (whom he loathes) and perky Himawari (whom he adores). These comic contretemps provide a backdrop for Yuko's supernatural dealings. In the course of his duties, Watanuki visits an oden (stew) stand run by a fox spirit and helps the lonley soul of a dead child find rest. He and Doumeki watch with horror as an ambitious student teacher at their school unleashes the terrible power of a monkey's paw, believing she can control it. The characters in xxxHolic are less endearing than in some of the other anime series based on manga by the four-woman collective Clamp. But the better stories have an eerie, sensual grace that sometimes recalls Mushi-Shi.(Rated TV PG: comic violence, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon