xxxHolic
Ep.13 "Transfiguration"
This episode marks the beginning of the more important xxxHolic episodes where a lot of the hidden plot points come to light and the characters start to develop at a higher rate than previously seen. Here we are introduced to not only a recurring threat but also a very cool alternate form (think Kero's true form) for one of our fave characters!
The episode starts with a quiet, yet eery shot of a girl on top of her school looking at a bird fly past. Slowly, as the camera pans down, something strange happens... her shadow sprouts wings!
Earlier that day, we find Watanuki and Himawari working together in an outside art class. The whole class had been assigned the task of drawing a self portrait and Watanuki as usual is feeling frustrated that he can't focus his energies on Himawari. Himawari apparently draws an amazing picture but cleverly we don't get shown hers or Watanuki's artworks! (I love how the writers do the unexpected like this and just don't go through the motions like on some other series.)
As they're drawing they turn their attention to three girls drawing together. The one in the middle is the same one from the beginning of the episode and her friends think her drawing kicks arse! So being the good friends they are, they ask her to draw theirs as well. Himawari comments on how the girl is kind to everyone. I'd have called her a doormat personally.
Just then, we flash back to the present on the rooftop and find these two girls come to get the third to come with them.
Elsewhere her drawing has sprouted small wings.
After school Watanuki ends up walking home with Domeki and also, apparently, the pipe fox spirit who has been hiding in Watanuki's shirt and can't seem to get enough of him! Watanuki is afraid that Yuko will think that he had stolen it and is freaking out a bit. Domeki leaves him be, but not before placing his order for lunch tomorrow.
A few minutes later, Watanuki happens upon the the girl from before who's two friend's are now asking her to buy them drinks from one of Tokyo's many vending machines. Thankfully this time she says "No." but the girls comment on what a strange thing that is to say (OH MY GOD!). As she's walking away, the pipe fox spirit and Watanuki notice that the girl's wearing what looks like cosplay wings on her back however, we're now shown her drawing again as the two wings grow even larger.
Watanuki ponders about this for a moment but something catches his eye, a feather which he picks up and places in his pocket.
As he arrives back at the shop Yuko confronts him and asks him about the contents of his pocket. He assumes she's talking about the fox spirit and apologises immediately however Yuko was asking about something else. Watanuki takes out the feather and Yuko immediately burns it and warns him that if he isn't careful, he could become "dinner".
The next day at school, Watanuki and Domeki are talking about the girl when she walks up to them and tells them to get out of her way. She's obviously becoming angrier and meaner and Watanuki notices that her wings look bigger and Domeki mentions that he can't see them which suggests that she may be a kind of spirit.
Later on, Watanuki drops by the shop to invite Yuko to a Summer festival but finds only Maro and Maru. He decides to ask them instead but to his surprise they both go into a serious tone of voice and explain that the shop is different from the outside world and that they wouldn't survive outside the shop's grounds as they have no souls. Before he can give this revelation any thought, the pipe fox spirit begins to tickle him and Maru and Moro revert back to their playful selves and begin singing about Watanuki's new "girlfriend".
Watanuki heads off to the festival alone thinking about what just happened. His mood is lightened though as when he arrives, Himawari is waiting for him! His mood is then dampened though when he finds out Domeki is also waiting for him.
As they walk around the festival, the eventually decide to try the goldfish catching game but Himawari is called away by a group of her friends from school (the first time we see her friends!) so Watanuki is left to play with Domeki. Before they can start though they're distracted by a commotion a few metres away. It appears wing-girl has picked a fight with someone that bumped into her and didn't really appologise. The man calls her "weird" and she responds by hitting him over the head with the toy riffle she was playing with. Her two friends drag her away.
Watanuki and Domeki chase them and eventually find the girl, minus friends, near a dark temple. She confronts Watanuki about him staring at her and yells at him to apologise. Fed up with waiting, she attacks him with a box cutter (an unfortunately often used weapon among Japanese school children lately, making this episode very relevant) but Domeki grabs it and tells the girl that she should apologise to Watanuki. Suddenly her face goes blank and the giant wings which have now grown even larger, squirm their way out of her back and start attacking Watanuki!
Suddenly, the pipe fox spirit flies out of Watanuki's yukata, starts to glow and then morphs into it's true form, a rather large nine tailed fox! It quickly blasts a fireball at the wings and easily devours the burning carcase.
Yuko appears and begins to explain to the boys what the wings were; a fallen angel parasite which attaches itself to weak willed humans who wish to be stronger. Unfortunately, after the wings leave the body, the human's soul is laid to waste.
The girl's picture no longer has wings.
Today's Crossovers
None today!
My Original Impression
Sunday, July 09, 2006
While this episode had everything from the manga, I felt as if something was missing. The pacing seemed to really drag in parts and the added idea of the girl's drawing changing just seemed clichéd and didn't make much sense.
Maru and Moro were given some more depth though which was great and the pipe fox spirit did transform, something was just missing. That and the animation was a step down from last week which is surprising considering how important this episode was.
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