I think they did a good job in dealing with Himawari’s story, it’s a heavy-dialog sequence but they made it attractive by switching some flashbacks with different angles of Himawari and playing with the colors so that it wouldn’t look boring.
Tampopo is the cutest thing, its voice in the dream is cute too X3
Himawari looks so much prettier with her hair down like that, she looks overall very pretty in this episode (I guess that’s thanks to Tsutomu Mizushima’s direction).
We had the scene where Ame Warashi and Zashiki Warashi appeared in the manga but Ohkawa cut that because Ame Warashi talks about Watanuki’s existence and it must have to do with Tsubasa.
Even though the resolution of the raw I downloaded is very low, the animation looks really good.
I was surprised that there were no significant plot changes in this episode, apart from a few adaptations it’s exactly like the manga version. I would think that, being the climax of the series, that they might want to give it an original ending, but it doesn’t seem to be the case here. They left the door wide open for a continuation, they solved Himawari’s mystery but Watanuki’s story still remains without a proper conclusion.
We see Watanuki, Himawari and Doumeki on their way to school and back at the shop we see Yuuko toasting for no specific reason. Everything has that “happy ending” feeling to it but, at the same time, it feels incomplete, and I don’t think they can give it a proper conclusion in the next episode (which seems very random), but we’ll see.
The CLAMP members watched this episode in Ohkawa’s room in real time, see below.
From Ohkawa’s Private Board:
Truth
The 4 members of CLAMP (plus friends) watched XXXHOLiC episode 12 in my room.
Since I wrote the script, they would ask me a few things here and there.
I think the ED theme “Honey Honey feat. AYUSE KOZUE” fits really well XXXHOLiC◆Kei.
When I think about Watanuki’s feelings for Himawari-chan, I feel it might work [the song].
真実
「XXXHOLiC」１２話、CLAMP４人（＋お友達）で私の部屋で見ました。
自分の脚本だったので、あれこれいうのも何ですが。
EDの『Honey Honey feat. AYUSE KOZUE 』は、
本当に「XXXHOLiC◆継」のEDにぴったりの曲だったと思います。
四月一日のひまわりちゃんへの想いとか考えると
ちょっとうるって来たり。
By the way, later she deleted the line: “Since I wrote the script, they would ask me a few things here and there”, no idea why O.o And eww at Ohkawa thinking Honey Honey fits XXXHOLiC XD
Thank you ashura_sama for your help! ^__^
From Nekoi’s Private Board:
In the same day, Nekoi made the following post:
Huh, already?
Is this the end of XXXHOLiC◆Kei?
Wait Nanase
There is one more episode (laughs).
The title is “Repayment”.
Director Mizushima, no (laughs), the Thunder Beast appears.I will watch it next week Tsubaki
It’s the Tunder Beast, I can’t wait for it.
え、もう？
これで「×××ＨＯＬＩＣ・継」終わり？
待って ななせ
あと、１話あるよう(笑)。
「報恩」ってタイトル。
水島監督、違う(笑)、雷獣様がでる。来週も見てね 椿
雷獣がようやくでるね、楽しみだね。
Either Nekoi has no idea of XXXHOLiC anime plans or she knows something and is teasing us… LOL at Ohkawa comparing Mizushima with the Thunder Beast xDDD
And these are two recent posts by her where she made two drawings of Wish and I couldn’t resist not to post them.
Just a drawing
Nostalgic people.
絵だけです。
懐かしい人達。
For once
Something pretty that I wanted to draw for once.
一度は
美形とかいうものを一度くらいは
描いてみたいものよ・・・
I’m not so sure about this last one, sorry about that xD
Pretty, isn’t it? I’m sure Wish would be even prettier if it were drawn nowadays.
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22 thoughts on “XXXHOLiC◆Kei #12 Review, from CLAMP’s Private Boards”
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Chibi Yuuto's CHRoNiCLEs 
Nekoi’s Wish art is very pretty! Wish they’d release an art book of all their misc drawings like this one. *.*
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>Wish they’d release an art book of all their misc drawings like this one. *.*
Indeed, in higher resolution, please! It’s amazing that even their most simple drawings look amazing.
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Such a cuuute drawing *___* Wish would be indeed gourgeous if it were drawn nowdays!!
Thank you for the info ^__^
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Her art has evolved so much!
You’re welcome!
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WISH is an awesome personal favorite of mine and loved seeing art done by Nekoi once more, no sure about Hisui’s hair though… I preferred the original.
I only have episode 12 left to watch! 😀
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Wish has such a great story, I’m sure it would be even cooler to read it now that Nekoi’s art has evolved to this level.
>no sure about Hisui’s hair though… I preferred the original.
For real? I liked this one a lot!
>I only have episode 12 left to watch! 😀
Yay! I wish there was a better raw out there, we’ll have one eventually.
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In the manga Hisui looks a lot more gentle and I prefer the original hairdo.
WISH’s plot is simple but so incredibly beautiful, plus the ending was loved, I did cry a bit.
I’ll wait for a better raw.
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S/he does look “sexier” in this drawing.
>plus the ending was loved
What I like about the ending is that, it IS a happy ending, but Kouhaku had to pay such a heavy price to have it.
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He does look sexier (I always refer to androgynous characters as he for some reason) but what I liked about Hisui was that maternal softness that is lacking in this drawing.
Well, Kohaku did have to sleep for 100 years or so, but when I awoke, he didn’t become chibi at night anymore! 😀
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>he didn’t become chibi at night anymore! 😀
I didn’t remember that detail. Very suggestive xD
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Indeed, probably would give Kouhaku some well deserved Hanky Panky with Shuuichirou-kun.
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I think Koryu is the one who didn’t change back anymore 🙂 It’s actually mentioned that Kohaku DOES go back to chibi at night because she didn’t develop her skills during her sleep, while Koryu’s did.
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You don’t like Honey Honey? It’s as fun song. 🙂
Aw, like Ohkawa, I thought the lyrics and the song also were very fitting, since they chose to climax the season with Himawari’s story; Watanuki accepting everything about Himawari and having fun everyday he sees her, etc.
I guess in general it doesn’t fit, since it is not a romantic series as a whole. Anyway, Watanuki in a suit is lovely.
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I don’t like it XD But I don’t hate it either!
It really is a fun song, I guess that’s why I don’t think it suits XXXHOLiC XD
But I see her point, if you take the lyrics and mirror Watanuki’s feelings for Himawari with them, it really fits ^^
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I think it wouldn’t kill to have a few references here and there. We had Fye’s staff in season 1 and that’s it =/
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KOKUYOU AND HISUI ARE AWESOME!!!
Awwww I loved so much them, it’s so great that she draws them sometimes…ç___ç
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*IGNORES EVERYTHING AND OMG WIIIIIIISH*
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i love the drawn i really miss amwarashi and kimihiro’s parents tell him not disapear!! ;________;
I love the drawn Wish is so very good!! and the son of the demon and the archangel is so beatiful side history!!!
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ChibiYuuto-kun! Did you miss me? LOL. I’ve been AWOL from your journals recently, internet connection went down and all that, plus finals were rather hell-ish.
Anyway! Thanks again for the update on xxxHOLiC Kei! I need to start catching up on it.
And *squee~!* Watanuki in a suit! *saves*
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I liked the episode very much!!! I’m glad to see Himawari-chan’s true smile in anime.
Cool Watanuki-kun, Wish characters, and pretty pic.s!!
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Oh, gosh. Remind me…Thunder Beast? What volume was that in? I don’t remember. D:
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I’ve seen…finally…XXX Holic Kei 12 ♥
I love it, all the episode was drawn very well, the animation was good (as good as it can be in XXX Holic). It touched me.
I especially love Tampopo’s birth. So cute. And Himawari’s talks.
But I wonder how they’ll finish the anime. (I hope I could see #13 today ^_^)
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