xxxHolic
Ep.15 "Opening"
Right after an introduction to the concept of "waves" by Watanuki (his first episode introduction?) this episode picks right up where the last one left off with Watanuki, Domeki and the two twins on a double date at the movie theatre.
Twin B (as I named her in the previous episode guide) is muttering to herself about how she just wants it to hurry up (what "it" is is unknown) until suddenly blood begins to drip from her forehead!
Watanuki notices and immediately asks her if she's okay. Twin A also expresses her concern and Domeki, keeping a calm head, takes her outside.
Watanuki asks Twin A if her sister had injured herself this morning. The answer is negative. He then begins to think if the spirits in the theatre caused it, or something else supernatural.
Out in the foyer (check out the posters on the wall!) Watanuki notices how happy Twin B is when Domeki lends her his handkerchief. Perhaps "it" was her confession of love for Domeki?
At the shop Yuko and Watanuki discuss the incident at the theatre. Watanuki realises that the chains that people can control are... words. You can't ignore them, or take them back and people use them to restrict themselves continually throughout their life.
Watanuki remembers the woman buying meat and looking for her contact lens.
While Watanuki and Yuko are having this conversation (I do like these serious discussions they have) Mokona, Maru and Moro are having a crazy/cute game of Japanese cards (looks like a mix of Hana Fuda and Snap) with a Mokona deck (several references to the white Mokona, Soel, from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle!) and we actually see Moro and Maru have a little bit of a fight and express more a different emotion rather than "zombie" or "cute". A fun scene.
After some advice, Watanuki actually drops by Domeki at his archery range (where he hits the target). They ask each other is they're going to see the twins again. Domeki could go either way despite one of them having a handkerchief of his and Watanuki was thinking of explaining Twin B's situation to Twin A however he doesn't think they will believe him.
Domeki cuts him off and says that if he starts to question if telling them will work, he's doing nothing more than Twin B. He offers to go with Watanuki as support.
They decide to meet at Twin A's work (while she's working). Twin B gives Domeki his new handkerchief and he buys her a coffee in return (and remembers the drink she ordered the other day which makes her day!). Watanuki also has a word with her and tells her to stop limiting herself before she actually tries things. She seems so much happier after all this and Watanuki thinks he did good, but later that day Yuko states that words don't just chain the people that use them.
The next day, Watanuki, Domeki and Himawari meet Twin B in the park but they thought she was Twin A she was so happy! They all agree to meet at her new job at a maid cafe!
Later on when Domeki and Watanuki get there they find that Twin B has reverted to her old negative self. They don't understand why until Twin A appears and mentions that she's been coming by a lot to check up on her sister who she doesn't think can do the job. She fires insensitive comments at Twin B left, right and centre about how she isn't good at talking to people and drops things all the time. Twin B starts to shake, then drops a cup onto Domeki's arm. This causes her to snap and she kneels on the floor catatonic.
Yuko appears out of nowhere, licking her lips in a strange way, and talks to Twin B. She grants her wish; to be different.
Later that week, Domeki and Watanuki meet up with Twin B again who is a completely positive person now and... has had her hair cut and placed in a bag for Watanuki (as pay to Yuko). She has the courage to ask Domeki out and even smiles when he politely rejects her. Twin A comes along and jokes about the situation in a positive way, taking the piss out of herself. Looks like they've both changed!
On the walk home, Yuko and Mokona join the guys and convince Watanuki to cook a really complex lunch. "If you say you can't do it before you even try, it'll be impossible!"
Today's Crossovers
 Can a show crossover with itself? When the guys went out into the foyer to check on Twin B, the promotional posters for the xxxHolic anime series itself were hanging on the walls, though a different title was printed on them.
 The cards Mokona, Maru and Moro were playing with were full of white Mokona references. Mokona even talks about the white Mokona in one of the game's sentences!
My Original Impression
Monday, July 17, 2006
This episode was really nice! It drew the twin arc to a close and kept it very close to the manga while throwing in a cool Soel (white Mokona) Tsubasa reference via a hillarious card game between Maru and Moro which was created just for the anime as far as I can tell.
The animation was a step up from last week and the whole thing flowed well, but the content of the story didn't really effect the overall story and character development that much at all.... that's what next week's episode if for which will feature the pipe fox spirit (still in uber fox mode!) and the vestal spirit! Tanoshimi!
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