Clamp "XxxHolic"

Good manga for girls 14+ 

Manga Xxxholic is one of the projects of the  famous studio CLAMP, staffed by female artists. What differentiates CLAMP’s works from the others? The worlds illustrated by them are more or less related. This feature is manifested most clearly in Xxxholic and Tsubasa Chronicle.

XxxHolic and Tsubasa Chronicle have completely different plots, which are linked by some common characters. Organic integration of the same storylines in both works, palpable connection between them even if they deal with completely different events, close interweaving of the characters and destinies, all this makes us to admire the boundless imagination of the creators.

One of the common characters of XxxHolic and Tsubasa Chronicle is Itihara Yuuko, a witch of measurements and an owner of a shop of desires. To make a more or less complete picture of Yuuko, it is better to read both mangas, as each manga is only one aspect of the events. However, Yuuko in Xxxholic is one of the main characters and her image is revealed a lot better than in Tsubasa Chronicle.

Yuuko-san, as she is called by the schoolboy Watanuki, is a young eccentric (seemingly anyway) woman who knows magic. Among other things, Yuuko manages the store of desires where Watanuki works. The shop is a small building, which can be accessed only by those who desire for something passionately. Yuuko helps people to attain the desired for the rewards in form of artifacts or some services.

The witch is very sharp-tongued which her favorite Watanuki. Despite the constant ridicule from her part, Yuuko is bound infinitely to her young employee. She teaches him gradually not only magic, but also other important things. Development of Yuuko’s character is slow and hardly noticeable to the reader, however, in the last volume she is not quite the same sarcastic, drunken, always eager for entertainment witch. There are in her character, oddly enough, more and more secrets, some of them still remain uncovered. The more Yuuko opens the more she becomes mysterious. Also the tragedy of her fate appears, and some romance becomes noticeable.

Unfortunately, the manga Xxxholic, as well as Tsubasa Chronicle, has not yet ended. Admirers can only hope that the creators come up with an ending not less great than the story itself.