▪	RELEASED BY:		DEL REY
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		CLAMP
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / BW
		▪	PAGES:		185
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		07/17/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/01/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN

Clamp has been producing manga for fifteen years.  In that time, many great titles have appeared on shelves for fans to read, and a number of them have been adapted into successful anime series.  Among them is XXX HOLIC, which along with TSUBASA make a kind of tag team storyline.  They each stand alone as great stories in their own right.  However, there are links between characters and elements of the plot that actually bring the two together.  Having read both since the beginning, it is easy to recommend them to fans. 

Set in the present day, XXX HOLIC is about Kamihiro Watanuki, who, in trying to deal with certain paranormal abilities, agrees to work at a shop run by the space time witch Yuko Ishikawa.  Yuko gives Watanuki relief from his visions in exchange for… services rendered.  Readers of TSUBASA will know that Yuko’s services don’t come cheaply.  Usually the price is giving up something of equal value to that which is gained, and as Yuko never negotiates, that which is given up can be quite substantial.  In the case of Watanuki, this means working in Yuko’s shop and doing the cooking, cleaning, shopping, and any other jobs that often turn into either adventures or object lessons in themselves.  Occasionally he greets his tasks with scorn, but his loyalty wins out every time and he always does the job to the best of his ability, especially where the cooking is concerned.  (Beware, readers.  You may get hungry reading this manga!) 

Watanuki, when not doing Yuko’s bidding, is trying to win the affections of Himawari, who appears oblivious to his efforts.  She is sweet to Watanuki, yet she also seems to be interested in Domeki, a familiar of Yuko’s and eternal tormentor of our hero.  Himawari makes a welcome break in the tale, giving some fun to the readers watching Watanuki falling over his feet in L.O.V.E.  She also makes a great foil to the hedonistic Yuko, who is the living embodiment of ‘use ‘em and abuse ‘em’ in her dealings with those in need of her services.  As the ‘episodes’ in this story unfold, both these characters appear as foils to our hero. 

In Volume Nine, Watanuki’s adventures return to the kind of format seen at the beginning of the manga, with more self contained stories combined within the pages of the book.  In the first story, Watanuki has inadvertently ‘purchased’ a dream when sharing his first dream experience of the New Year in a conversation with Himawari.  Only where most ‘purchased’ dreams are usually pleasant ones, this one that Watanuki has acquired is a terrifying nightmare.  Yuko must help him deal with the dream and find a buyer for it before it literally consumes him.  No sooner has he recovered from that experience, Watanuki becomes involved with a girl who can also see the spirit world, but who also has a manipulative mother bent on exploiting her ‘gift’.  Watanuki persists, however, and another adventure begins.   

The artwork in XXX HOLIC does not fit in readily with the traditional Clamp style.  It is bold with striking designs and patterns built into the images that remind readers of Aubrey Beardsley’s expressive, sweeping illustrations from the late 19th century.  The look works so well with this manga, though, that it is hardly a knocking point.  The stark high contrast images, the rigid use of box frame compositions, and willowy lines stretching across a frame give this manga a richly stylish appearance.  However, before anyone panics and wonders if this is departure for Clamp, don’t worry.  The trademark Clamp facial features are still there.  There’s something about the way Clamp artists design these features that makes their work immediately recognizable. 

In terms of plotting, this volume is a swift read, and wonderful for its use of magic in telling the story, and imaginative settings for acting it out.  It is no exaggeration to say elements of this manga are truly out of this world.  However, it works so well in the context of this story that it, along with the imagery, gives the work a dreamy feel from beginning to end.

EXTRAS:
Del Rey has once again included its translation section for readers in this volume.  What is missing, however, is the usual preview of the next volume, due out in the fall of this year.  One suspects that XXX HOLICV may be winding up, though, as the Del Rey website has no listing beyond Volume 11 at this time.

IN SUMMARY:
Enchanting, mysterious, and lyrical.  XXX HOLIC combines magic and a sense of wonder and imagination with a beautifully stylized design that will bewitch readers the moment they open this manga.  It is Clamp at its surreal best.