xxxHolic
Ep.8 "Contract"
This is one of the more interesting episodes of xxxHolic to watch. It shows Western viewers a horror myth that we're familiar with, we get a semi-Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle crossover and a vague hint at Himawari's true nature (but don't blink or you'll miss it!).
Something else worth mentioning is the opening scene which is taken straight out of the manga story, thought those who have seen the xxxHolic movie, which was released before an xxxHolic anime series was even announced, will probably feel a strange sense of deja vu watching Watanuki do the Spring cleaning. This is because the writers of the movie (the same guys that work on the anime series actually) decided to use several parts of the manga in the movie to complement the movie's original xxxHolic storyline.
The Spring cleaning is one example and the opening of Episode 1 is another (both Yuko's narration and Watanuki being attacked by spirits) though both have been slightly changed as to not appear exactly the same.
Moving on. Watanuki's been given the enormous task of moving all of Yuko's belongings outside the shop for some cleaning. He's obviously not very happy about this but does so, sticking to his strong work ethic. Maru and Moro are also helping out by beating an old rug whose butterfly design seems to be alive (and also in the opening credits!). Ah, but what are they using? Well, one item is Yuko's bat from Episode 6 and the other is Faye's staff which he gave to Yuko as a trade for some mystical help in Tsubasa Chronicle Episode 9!
It becomes apparent here that while the Tsubasa crossovers will still be happening in continuity with their repercussions being felt in both series, these events will actually happen in the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle anime series and be referenced in xxxHolic. Simply put, Yuko chats to Syaoran and the gang off camera.
Speeding things up now, a woman enters the yard and expresses her interest in the antiques, though one item caught her eye, an old metal, sealed tube. Yuko expresses hesitation in giving it to her and only agrees to do so if the curious woman promised to never open it. She agreed and got herself a free antique... though Yuko seems a bit cynical towards the woman and her conviction not to open it. Yuko also states that Watanuki didn't see it until the woman did, suggesting that a strong seal was on the item and that only the woman was meant to see it.
The next day at school, Watanuki is talking to Domeki about the tube when the woman from the day before appears! She explains that she's starting as a student-teacher today and how a coincidence like this is nothing new to her as lucky things always happen to her. She seems really happy and excited with her new object as she's carrying it with her and suggests that she intends to find out what's inside in the future.
As she's walking away, she bumps into Himawari and drops the tube! Himawari catches it, however a strange thing happens. The tube seems to warp in Himawari's hand. Watanuki sees this, but doesn't have time to think about this as the tube opens and reveals a Monkey's Paw! The woman wastes no time and wishes for it to rain until sunset. It does.
The next next day, everyone at school is shocked to see all the water in the pool missing. The woman sees this and decides to wish for something more material like a mirror she recently saw in a store that she wanted to buy. She wishes for it and it immediately appears behind her! She becomes very excited but suddenly remembers Yuko's warning... which is quickly pushed out of her head by all her self confidence. Bad move!
Later at the shop, Yuko gets a phone call from a mystery friend who owns an antique shop. He called to let her know that one of her butterflies (from the rug) ended up at his shop again, but also mentions in passing that one of his mirrors went missing, a mirror that no ordinary person should have.
The next next next day, Watanuki and Domeki both try to convince the woman that using the monkey paw would be bad for her, but she simply tells them that that only applies to other people and that only good things happen to her. However, later on she gets very frustrated in the library writing her thesis. She just can't come up with something interesting to write about... until she thinks of the monkey paw.
At sport that day, she again runs into Domeki, Watanuki and Himawari and tells them that her thesis that she finished has received rave reviews from her lecturer and that it may even be published! They're all happy for her until she mentions that she used a monkey paw wish to gain the inspiration for the thesis.
That moment, in the storeroom of the shop, Yuko comments to herself how the "rolling stone" has sped up and continues to roll down hill.
The next next next next day, the woman is panicking at the subway station. Apparently she slept in and is going to get busted big time (Japanese companies are very anal about being on time). She thinks to herself how good it would be if there was an accident or a delay so she would at least have an excuse. Suddenly, one of the monkey paw's fingers snaps in her handbag and the woman next to her falls in front of the train to her death.
When she gets to school she's a wreck and everyone seems to notice. She heads into an unused room to think things over when she gets a phone call from her lecturer. Seems the thesis she wrote was an exact copy of another student's rough draft which was handed in two weeks ago. She freaks out even further and then starts to think what might happen concerning the woman who died this morning. The police might think she pushed her! Suddenly someone begins to knock loudly on the door. Louder and louder it gets until the woman can't take it any more. She holds up the monkey paw and wishes for it to make all her problems go away.
It does. It wraps itself around her neck and strangles her to death.
The knocking on the door was simply students trying to open it (it was sealed) though Himawari comes along with the boys and opens it all by herself only to find an empty room, though the woman's mobile remains unnoticed on the floor.
Later at Yuko's, Yuko discovers the monkey paw has returned to it's place in her storeroom. She rewraps it and comments how the woman was no more special than everyone else. However, she notes that the monkey paw got it's wish in the end even if the woman didn't.
Today's Crossovers
 Here we have it! The first Tsubasa crossover in xxxHolic! How did Yuko get her hand on this staff? Why, Faye traded it to her for a mystical spirit ball in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Episode 9.
My Original Impression
Saturday, May 27, 2006
This episode confirms it (I guess). There won't be any direct Tsubasa Chronicle crossovers in the anime series, though all the events that occur because of Tsubasa Chronicle will still be included. You see in this episode we see Maru and Moro using Fay's staff that they got via a trade in Tsubasa Chronicle Episode 9 but while we saw the whole trade in Tsubasa, here in xxxHolic the whole thing happened off screen. This may seem weird as the Tsubasa guys haven't been mention in this series yet, but when you think of the xxxHolic and Tsubasa movies, we actually see Yuko meeting Syaoran and Sakura in a flashback and we can see another take on this in Tsubasa Chronicle Episode 2 I guess if xxxHolic did it again it would be a bit redundant.
So yeah, crossovers are happening off screen, but the results are still shown (e.g., fay's staff).
I really don't mind this at all actually. It allows xxxHolic more time to develop on it's own and there are always the movies for direct crossovers.
As for this episode, it was done very well. The monkey paw creepiness was kept as we the death at the end of the episode. Lots of little details here and there.
4 stars from me.
Next week looks like our first anime-unique story arc! Seems to focus on Domeki.
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