xxxHOLiC

Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student plagued by ayakashi spirits, both of which are invisible to everyone else but him. The series begins when Watanuki stumbles, seemingly by chance, into a shop that grants wishes. The shop is owned by Yūko Ichihara, a mysterious witch of many names and esoteric renown. For a price, she offers to grant Watanuki's wish to be rid of the spirits. The price, according to Yūko, must be of equal value; so, as payment, he must become Yūko's temporary, part-time cook and housekeeper.

xxxHOLiC (2006-2008) is a Japanese seinen anime series created as an animated adaptation of the CLAMP manga and broadcast on TBS, produced by Production I.G. High school student Kimihiro Watanuki (voiced by Jun Fukuyama) is haunted by ayakashi spirits that no one else can see, and he stumbles into the strange wish-granting shop of the enigmatic witch Yuko Ichihara (voiced by Sayaka Ohara). Her price for removing his curse is labor: he must work as her part-time cook and housekeeper. Each episode is built around a new client with a wish, a spirit, or a dangerous bargain, and the cost of every wish quietly reveals something about the people who make it. Classmate Shizuka Doumeki (voiced by Kazuya Nakai) and Himawari Kunogi (voiced by Shizuka Itoh) add warmth and friction to the everyday routine of the shop. The series spans two seasons and thirty-seven episodes, running as a stand-alone supernatural anthology woven into a larger arc. Fans of Mushishi and Natsume's Book of Friends will find resonance in its folklore-rooted, melancholic atmosphere, its quiet, psychological tone, and its patient mythology. Its dreamlike, contemplative register rewards close attention.

Audiences rate the series positively, with praise for its atmospheric, mythic storytelling and its quirky, episodic supernatural tales.

• Mushishishared supernatural wish-granting atmosphere, seinen tone, and episodic folklore encounters
• Natsume's Book of Friendsshared shop-based supernatural mystery with a mentor witch and a reluctant young protagonist
• Ghost Huntshared Japanese folklore spirits, moody psychological undertone, and Production I.G style of animation
• Paranoia Agentshared dreamlike surreal visual approach and quiet melancholic tone around supernatural encounters

Release Date

2006-04-06

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (800)

What is xxxHOLiC about?

A high school student bargains his way into service at a mysterious witch's wish-granting shop to escape the spirits that only he can see.

What is xxxHOLiC like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of xxxHOLiC as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as layered.

Is xxxHOLiC violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in xxxHOLiC as mild.

What did critics think of xxxHOLiC?

Audiences rate the series positively, with praise for its atmospheric, mythic storytelling and its quirky, episodic supernatural tales.

Which shows are like xxxHOLiC?

Shows with a similar feel include Mushishi, Natsume's Book of Friends, Ghost Hunt, and Paranoia Agent.

How long is xxxHOLiC?

xxxHOLiC: 2 seasons, 37 episodes.

Is xxxHOLiC still running?

No, xxxHOLiC has ended.

Where can I watch xxxHOLiC?

In United States, xxxHOLiC is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.