xxxHolic Rei volume 1 Review
by Geordi Demorest
Review: Yuko has never really been one of my
favorite leads in a manga and this volume spotlights one of her biggest flaws
as a protagonist: she takes this whatever will be will be attitude which makes
her difficult to root for. Instead she chooses to spend her time talking in
circles and indulging in alcohol and smoking to pass the time while her clients
fall metaphorically apart. That said, xxxHolic rei’s first volume has an almost
hypnotic grasp over its readers and is the perfect book to read before going to
sleep.
This new series
returns Yuko to being the owner of the wish granting shop while Watanuki
resumes being her flunky. While it’s clear something is amiss throughout the
entire volume no one cares to explain it to the audience. Plot has never been
one of xxxHolic strong suits. The aspect that ultimately compels the reader to
continue is the strange relationship between Watanuki and Domeki. Watanuki
spends the entire book asking for answers while Yuko would rather be vague and
give non-answers that confuse both Watanuki and the reader.
I preferred when
Watanuki was the shopkeeper because he was a lot more clear on what his goal
was and was much more proactive in helping his clients that Yuko continues to
be. In conclusion, I would say, that this would be a good jumping on point for
new readers to the series. For those of us who have continued the series until
now, well, there’s really no escaping for us at this point.
Grade: B-
xxxHolic Rei is available in
print and digitally from Kodansha Comics.
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