xxxHolic
Ep.11 "Confession"
Those that have read this episode's arc in the manga will be interested to know that while almost everything makes it in the anime adaption, the holiday has been completely changed from Valentines Day to Ohagi to better suit the original screening of the anime episodes as mentioned in my guide to Episode 10.
For those that haven't read the manga, the original story revolves around a girl spirit who has a crush on Watanuki and feels compelled to give him a Valentines Day present. Due to this episode screening in June however, they've changed the gift giving occasion to Ochigen which doesn't have a specific date, but is more in June and July in general where people give gifts of appreciation to friends and more commonly, co-workers.
The animators play on this change by actually mentioning it in the script! You see while the holiday has changed the spirit's intentions (romantic gift) remain the same. Another character corrects her mistake causing her to become hilariously embarrassed and provides the readers of the manga with a rather clever inside joke.
Anyway, as we get started, Watanuki is laughing in evil comic fashion over how wonderful his little Ohagi's (Japanese bean treats) are coming along. As soon as he's finished, he quickly heads over to Yuko's shop where he's greeted by all three women of the house (i.e. Yuko, Maru and Moro) bowing down in his presence, obviously expecting presents of some kind. He gives them their presents which Mokona also enjoys (he eats like, 90% of them).
Mokona quickly thanks Watanuki for his meal but calls him a nickname we hadn't heard before, "Wata"! I love it personally. Fits Larg's (black Mokona) cute but streetwise personality so well and definitely flows better in fast casual conversations than the four syllable "Watanuki".
Due to some not so subtle suggestions from Yuko, Watanuki realises that he should give his piece to Himawari so he sets off to her house as happy as happy can be! Unfortunately, she's not home. Haha. As he's sulking a soft, small blue light hovers behind him (he doesn't see it).
Now at the park, Watanuki screams and wails about how it's not fair that Himawari didn't eat his gift. His situation is only made worse however when he realises that while he had been carrying on, Domeki had eaten his it! This makes Watanuki madder of course and naturally Domeki doesn't worry about it one bit.
During the screaming, Watanuki notices a blue light flying near him (the same as before). It slowly floats over to the next swing where a girl is sitting. Watanuki and Domeki are both surprised as they were sure there was noone sitting there before.
What follows is a rather funny, yet also touching scene where Watanuki assumes because all the other girls seem to like Domeki, this one does too! However things take a more serious turn when the girl begins to quietly whisper about not having a gift to give and then happily declares that she's found one... within Domeki! Before anyone can react, she's reached inside Domeki's chest and magically removed the Ohagi he had just eaten!
Watanuki screams at the girl, but before he can speak to her she becomes incredibly embarrassed and runs away as millions of blue lights envelope her and lift her up into the sky.
Yuko arrives on the scene, scares the Hell out of Watanuki and explains that, yes, that girl wasn't human.
Apparently, Domeki's soul had been stolen as well and unless they get it back he will remain like this forever. Yuko offers Watanuki help, but of course she'll charge him for it!
Suddenly a giant bird being flown by Mokona lands in front of them. Watanuki climes on and they both fly into the night sky to search for the girl.
Within minutes Watanuki spots her floating in front of the moon. However when they reach her a gang of little men on flying surfboards attack them from every angle. Mokona does a good job of fending them off but eventually Watanuki is removed from the bird and falls down, to his doom.
He's saved however by the girl he was chasing which surrounds him in those blue glowy things and lowers him onto a rooftop. It is here that she reveals that her Ochigen gift was for him all along and not Domeki at all! Before Watanuki can react, the Rain Spirit (from Episode 7) returns and vents her frustration on Watanuki's lack of response and the fact that the girl, who apparently is a Vestal Spirit, was giving the man she loved a gift on the wrong Japanese holiday!
[Throughout this whole scene, Mokona is chasing the little men (who are revealed to be Karasutengu) to hillarious results.]
With the gift giving out of the way, the spirits depart. While flying though, the Vestal Spirit says something to Watanuki, though he can't make out what it is.
Mokona and Watanuki return to the park (and destroy Yuko's sandcastle [!] in the process) and quickly give Domeki his Ohagi and soul back. he revives quickly and Yuko begins to tell him how Watanuki saved him.
Later, Watanuki finally receives a postcard from Himawari... via Yuko. Interesting.
Today's Crossovers
None today!
My Original Impression
Friday, June 23, 2006
This is my fave xxxHolic episode to date. Loved the new music themes and the whole pacing and script was spot on and very creatively done!
Mokona showed new depths, both seriously and comedically and one of xxxHolic's major characters was finally introduced! not one fault with this episode! A+
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