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February 19, 2009

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XXXHOLiC 173 !

XXXHOLiC 173 is out at ladydarkmoon‘s LJ and also at The Room of Requirement =)

Next XXXHOLiC chapter, next week!


I noticed the butterfly kimono from panel 1, Yuuko never wears the same clothes twice, LOL The only exception being the first encounter of Syaoran and Watanuki which are supposed to be the “same”.

Oh-oh, is Yuuko saying good-bye to Watanuki soon? O.o Is she here only for the sake of “that day”? Oh CLAMP, please don’t kill Yuuko XD

76 thoughts on “XXXHOLiC 173 !”

  2. The moment when Watanuki holds Yuukos arms was so… i don’t know, cute?? It was like “just give her the hug dammit D:!”
    I hope CLAMP doesn’t kill Yuuko, that would be so sad D:
    And by the way, xxxholic is getting deeper the more it goes on, it feels like the secret of life will be revealed in the end of it!!! xD
    Thanks for the updates chibiyuuto-san!!!

    Angy

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      • Actually, come to think of it:

        There were times when Sakura did some things like that when they were traveling, Mokona said it was because of the memories of the body. But Watanuki can’t even remember the taste of food he cooks, could it be that he never had a real body? So he only have “memories of heart” because he is inside a drean!!! Or something like that *feels dizzy* @_@

        Angy

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  3. I have a feeling that Yuuko isn’t exactly alive, either. One way or another, she has said before that the shop and herself are there ‘for the sake of the moment to come’… so yeah, I think that is bye-bye Yuuko. ;_;

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    • She said herself too? I thought it was only the shop… then yeah, she must be like Kaho but Kaho actually kept on living after her duty was over, LOL. I wonder if Yuuko will have a different fate.

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      • Well, I could be wrong, but I do think she did. At least I recall myself spazzing over that because, yeah, BYE YUUKO. ;_;

        At any rate, reading the comments below, I find it amusing how people think FWR wants to revive Yuuko, when he has pretty much stated she’s standing in his way before. I still think it’s Clow; Yuuko, on the other hand, is the person Clow tried to revive once and never fully succeeded, hence why I have an Ominous Feeling about her disappearing in the end. But that’s just my pet theory, anyway. 😮

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          • Well, yes, but Clow sides with Yuuko when it comes to the whole ‘the dead must not return’ thing, so he obviously goes against FWR’s plans. But considering how peaceful and resigned he was at the time of his death, one could say bringing him back (or anyone, for that matter) is definitely something he’d oppose, thus standing in FWR’s way. =/

            Besides,it has been implied that Clow has tried to revive someone and failed. Maybe he learned his lessons (aka CLAMP’s #01 dead rule) along the way. 😮

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        • Wow! I like your theories Lady Kikyou!

          Sometimes, I think Xing Huo might be the person Fei Wong Reed wants so much to revive! My guess is that Fei Wang once has created a clone of his beloved (maybe because she was dying) which is no other than Xing Huo. Somehow, Fei Wong’s duplication power had significant flaws and prevented him to create a “perfect clone”. For example, Shaoran’s clone was souless and, while creating Sakura’s clone, her original body was unintentionally destroyed.

          Therefore, Xing Huo is “only” a failed creation or an imperfect replica of Fei Wong’s true love now gone. Just like Yuuko said about Fei Wong’s assistants: “Those children are like fragment of unfulfilled dreams – chap 116”, i.e. Xing Huo is the remains of Fei Wong’s failed attempt to fulfill his dream of reviving his beloved. To achieve the complete ressurection power, he needs among other things Sakura’s power. Hence, when I said above “Xing Huo might be the person Fei Wong wants to revive”, I actually meant “Xing Huo’s original might be the person Fei Wong wants to revive”.

          Another hypothesis about whom Fei Wang wants to revive would be … himself! In other words, he wants to prevent his upcoming death and achieve eternal life just like Sheishirou seems to want. But I don’t think this theory is very strong or stand-alone.

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          • L-lol, people are reading this. XD

            As for Xing Huo’s original being the one FWR wants to revive, I’m not too sure. I mean, back in the chapters where we’re first told Sakura was a clone, I got the impression that all of his assistants (including Xing Huo) were failed cloning attempts that he gradually perfected over time until he got it right – thus C!Sakura-hime was born. There’s also that splashpage with Sakura and Hing Huo sitting back-to-back, and both their outfits and the insert text reinforced the connected contrast between them. And then finally, when FWR killed her, he mentioned something about her origins and how it wasn’t surprising that she had set Syaoran free – which, again, makes me think of Sakura. So my main guess is that she’s a failed Sakura clone.

            I also have a crack!pet theory that Xing Huo and Kyle are clones of Clow’s parents, since he’s supposed to have a Chinese mother and an English father and GODAMMIT DOES KYLE LOOK LIKE CLOW. Blame it on the shippy splashpage, lol.

            As for FWR trying to prevent his own death, I think it’s plausible. Then again, that would make him the first CLAMP villain without emotional, ‘noble’ motives. 😮 Hmm.

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            • Yeah, I agree with this. The first time I saw that splash page, I was like, ‘oh, really now. that’s interesting.’ The Chinese thing threw me a bit, but still, that picture was very deliberate way of saying, hi, these girls are similar! very similar! think about it!

              One thing though…I can’t remember if we saw Xing Huo ‘before’ the whole wish mess and Sakura was cloned. Was she there when Syaoran, Jr made his wish? I really can’t remember. Will have to go back and check.

              Then again, TRC = timeline, what timeline? So really, anything’s possible at this point.

              Ooo, but I like that Xing Huo/Kyle theory! Very interesting. I always wondered where the hell Kyle fit in. ^_^;;

              From a comment further up- oooo, where did it imply that Clow tried to revive someone? I don’t follow TRC as closely as Holic (thinking this needs to be rectified soon) so was it in there?

              For a dead guy, Clow sure gets around a lot. :/

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  7. I noticed that kimono too, before Watanuki pointed it out. I was like wtf? What’s with the cryptic response of “Indeed, the dream will soon end.” Is Watanuki just dreaming all of this…? Somehow? >_>;

    I’ve had the feeling that Yuuko’s going to die for a long time now.
    Think about it… think about all the times Yuuko’s had Watanuki take over jobs… And ALL the jobs Watanuki has assisted Yuuko in. She was basically training him to take over the shop! This last chapter made me even more sure that that’s how it’s going to turn out. So in order for Watanuki to take over the shop, Yuuko won’t have to necessarily disappear (otherwise the shop would as well), so I think she will be killed, either from exhaustion of her own powers, backlash, or by FWR.

    I don’t really think Watanuki will disappear, considering ALL the precautions that’s being taken so that he can still exist. So I don’t mind if the theory I said above turns out to be true, because it would be a very interesting ending for Watanuki.

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    • Actually since XXXHOLiC started I had thought that Watanuki would take over Yuuko’s place. The master-student relation was pretty clear from the beginning.

      I don’t think Watanuki will disappear either, like you said, a LOT of precautions have been taken to avoid that, I think it’s a given that he will “belong” in his place.

      As for taking over her spot, quite possible, specially considering the latest events. I don’t know what will happen to Yuuko, though, but this chapter surely shook me a little…

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  9. I love that kimono, it’s so beautiful. I also think that Yuuko will disappear somehow so Watanuki will take over the shop. I’m not certain that she’ll leave through death, though CLAMP might well kill her, just to make us cry.

    It’ll be a shame if they do, I really want to see Kazahaya and Rikuo meet her XD

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  11. I’m gonna copypasta from my journal where I had an epiphany whilst replying to a comment.

    Yuuko mentioning that parting is inevitable as well as meeting? Whilst looking all pretty and windswept? And Watanuki grabbing her wrist in panic? She’s a goner.

    In fact, now that I think about it…Yuuko is wearing her ‘dream world’ kimono-and Watanuki noticed. Maybe she’s ALWAYS been gone. Maybe she’s been a dream from the start and things are almost at the stage where ‘the dream ends’. And she IS part of the dream so when it ends is when she’ll disappear. The shop seems to be part of a dream, so it would make sense if she was, too.

    And then Yuuko asking Watanuki if he ‘likes it here’ in the shop? Yeap, she gonna leave him the shop, somehow. I don’t know how, because it doesn’t exist. But maybe she’ll have enough power left (especially if she disappears herself) to make the shop real for him.

    This is the first time, whilst reading HOLiC, that I’ve wanted to give Yuuko a hug. Watanuki is usually the target!

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    • >She’s a goner

      LOOOOOOL I love you xD

      I like your theory! It has a LOT of depth. I’m with you on leaving the shop to Watanuki, but the shop’s destiny is uncertain after the “day that has to come”. I mean, will it fade away? Either way, it does seem like Watanuki will take her place, with or without a shop.

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    • /thread hijacking

      Yuuko mentioning that parting is inevitable as well as meeting? Whilst looking all pretty and windswept? And Watanuki grabbing her wrist in panic? She’s a goner.

      Th-this. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at that.

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    • when i read your theory i loved you =D
      Because, that makes sense, yuuko’s shop doesen’t really exists, and, is a part of the dream, but i feel so bad if Yuuko dies, Please CLAMP stop the angst really! You killed Clonie, Fai, Kurotan’s parents, R!Sakura’s body and Clonie Sakura’ soul, ;__; and… Clow (??) because he’s dead is he?

      I was thinking, maybe all of this dream, was planned by Clow and Yuuko, maybe she’s dead already and FWR wants to take her magic or something about her..

      thanks once again chibiyuuto-sama!

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    • I VERY MUCH ENJOY YOUR ICON. W-wow♥

      And to be more on topic, I agree with pretty much everything that you put there. That last scene was just too deep to have not been implying her death, especially with the panicked wrist-grab. I’m with you on her using the last of her power to leave the shop to Watanuki as well. ;_;

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  12. Good point, if the shop fades away after the “day that has to come”, maybe Watanuki will have to build his own shop or something, LOL.

    And there’s Maru and Moro, too. They are soul-less and they are keeping the shop up. I think they’ll be important in the end.

    I remember an early theory saying that when Yuuko dies she will split her soul in 2 a la Clow and one will go for Maru and the other for Moro.

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  13. Yeah, I agree that it makes sense and that is what usually happens (and I can see it happening). But it’s CLAMP, we never know, they always betray our thoughts so they might come up with something entirely unexpected.

    >It’s totally my theory that Yuuko is the one who FWR is trying to bring back – or prevent her death in the first place, I’m not sure. =3=

    Really? But he hates her…. unless he’s pretending, but he attacked her, I’m not so sure about that.

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  15. thank you very much for sharing! ~
    Nooooooooo! I never ever while reading holic thought about Yuuko dying…I always thought of her as immortal ;____; as if she was “untouchable” because she always seemed so almighty… b-because she’s that cool…but in the end yeah, it might turn out that she will die just like clow did…saying something like ‘it’s my time’…and not actually getting killed…somehow I can’t picture yuuko being beaten to death by fwr…>____<

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    • Maybe exactly because we have such image of her that CLAMP may want to surprise us and be gone with her.

      I agree with you that she won’t be beaten to death, rather dying because it’s her time indeed.

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    • Totally agree w/ you. It never came to me that she would die T_T.

      I remember that she’d met Clow before, does it mean that she’s suppose to be very old, since Clow is someone from the olden days. Or she met him through other ways…

      Oh, it’s so confusing…

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  17. …whenever she has her wings I think Butterfly Effect. lol

    I don’t know how Watanuki can listen to her talk about that day all the time and not want to know about it. Geez, if it drives us crazy then you think he’d care just a little tiny bit…xD

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    • Actually, I can’t be certain, BUT I think this is actually the 1st time Yuuko mentioned “that day” to Watanuki…
      Though I will agree with you: I don’t understand how characters in xxxholic can be so “well, I don’t exactly know what Yuuko is talking about but I will just go with the flow” -___- *cough* especially Doumeki, Yuuko kept on telling him about “you need to be there for Watanuki”, “the shop is serve as a purpose for that day” NUMEROUS times. And yet, he just accepted it and NEVER asked of it [I mean yeah, that’s what we expected of him to help Watanuki out regardless of reasons but still… ]

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      • Confucius propaganda?

        But I do think you’re right about this being the first time she actually mentioned that day to Watanuki….I think I was just thinking about the more general since back when Yuuko was all butterfly the other time they spoke, Watanuki said that he had a lot of questions but he’d wait. I suppose it’s supposed to show the trust he places in Yuuko….which is great and all….but I still want to know about the day…lol You would think she could soliloquize that to herself by now…xD

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  18. Is it just me or she says in the last page that the “dream is ending (now)”?

    I mean, she’s been saying that the dream will end soon for a while now, but this time there is no soon. Could it be that the climax of xxxholic begins in the next chapter? Or am I just misinterpreting her last sentence in Japanese?

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    • That’s what I was thinking too. I don’t remember, what did she say before? Mou sugu? I’m interpreting it to mean that the dream is in the process of ending, or that it’s going to end VERY soon instead of just plain ol’ soon.

      I don’t want the dream to end ;_;

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  20. I was wondering when I saw Yuuko in that outfit, and I can’t remember, did Watanuki lose his glasses or something? I noticed when I noticed Yuuko in her butterfly outfit since it used to be that when Watanuki appeared without his glasses he was dreaming, I guess CLAMP is doing that to blur the boundaries more.

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  22. >I think Clamp’s going to pull the “he did it all for love!!1!” card like with Zagato in MKR (platonic love or romantic, whichever) since they love to shock us |D

    Definitely ^_~

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  23. I don’t personally think it will be Yuko but Watanuki who will disappear. I think when he wakes up from dreaming that he will become one with Sayoran.

    Regarding FWR I think he wants to resurrect the orginal version of the women he ran thru with a sword after she sent Sayoran to Yuko.

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      • Yes, it does say “mou,” which does indeed usually translate as “already”, but that just doesn’t seem to fit with what we know of the plot (i.e. has the egg been used? is it the day that must come?) imho, so I looked up the word and it does have a secondary sense of “soon” or “quickly,” so I went with that. I could be wrong, though–we’ll find out next week, I guess.

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        • No, I think you’re right. In my classes though whenever they’ve talked about translating “mou” they would say that another way is to write it as “now” rather than already. But I don’t think it translates into the English meaning of the word “now” either. But I think using “mou” definitely indicates that it’s much sooner than “sugu” or something.

          I don’t know. I’m talking out of my ass here. ^^;;;

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          • Yeah, it’s definitely one of those many common Japanese words that just doesn’t map on to conversational English at all (like my arch-nemesis ちゃんと). It means “now” or “already” or “soon” in the sense of imminently or impending, which isn’t terminology English speakers throw around normally. もう specifically also relates to the different conceptions of tenses in the two languages, I’d say.

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  25. Theories

    I’ve always expected Yuuko to disapear in the end, but not without her own wish getting granted and I think it will be to see Watanuki become a part of the real world. She really seems to care about him, especially when you consider ALL they have been through together she is very protective of him and the thing she probably wants most of all at this point is to see her and Clow’s mission suceed and for Watanuki to become a part of the world outside of the dream.

    The dream ending I also believe is the scene we saw at the beginning of Tsubasa in the tube, which is currently in the shop, which will begin to fall apart at some point when Maru and Moro can not continue to hold it together. The Dream ending is not only the end of Watanuki falling asleep and having a duel existence, but it’s also the day Fei Wong will attempt to grant his own wish and revive someone.

    As long as Yuuko goes when she says it is her time I will be happy for her, a “calm” death is better than something violent, even though it will be very sad.

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      • Re: Theories

        I think it will be both. It will be the day Watanuki becomes Watanuki as just Watanuki and not the replacement for Shaoran’s void. And it will also be the point where he stops being the “boy who dreams with the butterfly.” That will be the day he will begins existing in the waking world as a real person.

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        • Re: Theories

          I thought that his connection with RSyaoran was kinda…permanant. It didn’t even occur to me that he would stop being “Syaoran”. ^^ But, if he did, I think that would be a good thing for Watanuki 🙂

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  26. What if Yuuko is already dead and what we see is just an illusion, just like what Yasha Ou was with the feather? Only here to see the end of the dream and then dissappear, like a dream left behind to fulfil her own wish.

    It’s sad to imagine but it might be. I don’t think she’ll be around after the end of the dream.

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  27. Yeah, this really could make sense, especially since Yuko appears to have been around for quite a while, though up to this point I thought it was due to her powers (like with CCS Clow). It would be sad to see her die, but it seems pretty likely. Also, if Yuko does die, I really can see Watanuki taking over her job. And also, I’ve been wondering lately, considering his parentage and the possibility of him taking over from Yuko, could it be possible that Watanuki has some kind of dormant magical abilities of his own which he doesn’t know about yet?

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  28. >The only exception being the first encounter of Syaoran and Watanuki which are supposed to be the “same”.

    Well, that and her “Dimension Witch” outfit, right?

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