xxxHolic
Ep.10 "Lamplight"
I love how this series seems to progress almost in real-time with Japan as it airs. For example, in Episode 1 the sakura trees in front of Yuko's house were in full bloom as were most of the sakura trees in the Tokyo region at the time the episode aired. Within a month of Episode 7 airing, numerous hydrangea festivals were in full swing in the real world (haven't checked one out yet, doesn't really interest me) and the rainy season has just begun.
As this episode opens we see Yuko suffering a Japanese summer which are honestly just terrible (take my word for it) and Maru and Moro fanning her with cheap plastic fans that everyone seems to purchase at convenience stores (I refuse to use one personally). This real-time aspect just adds that much extra to the feel of the show to people watching the show in Japan. It also adds another aspect of Japanese culture, the four seasons, to the many references in xxxHolic that are used. Some obvious (i.e. White Day), some not (i.e. Hikikomori in Episode 6).
Anyway, Watanuki appears carrying an ice dessert for Yuko which she immediately starts to eat. Watanuki is a bit upset that he's spending his whole Summer working for Yuko instead of hanging out with Himawari. Yuko simply asks him why he doesn't ask her out on a date to which Watanuki says that he wouldn't know how to act in private with her. Yuko immediately takes the initiative and announces that they'll all partake in a group outing and that because it's Summer, the theme will be ghost stories! Naturally not only is Domeki invited, but the gathering will happen at his temple!
The night of the gathering arrives and they all meet at Domeki's temple. Yuko and Watanuki are both in yukatas and Watanuki is delighted to see that Himawari is also wearing one. He is however angry at Domeki, also wearing a yukata, who seems to be having a good conversation with Himawari.
Yuko says that Watanuki should really try to be friends with Domeki though her words fall on deaf ears.
Once they get inside, Watanuki is a bit uneasy as he notices someone is using the room next to the one they're using. Domeki thinks it should be okay as long as they don't make too much noise.
Yuko begins the evening's events by lighting a candle and instructing everyone to do likewise from her candle's flame and to place their candles, one in each corner of the room.
Himawari then begins her story about a son who loves his mother a lot and his father. The family was very happy but it turned out that the father had been seeing someone else. The mother and the father had a fight which resulted in the father killing the mother. The father was very worried as he knew how close his wife and son were however for days the son didn't ask about his mother's location at all. Eventually the father couldn't take it anymore and asked the son why he wasn't curious. The son replied that his mother had been by the father all the time.
Next up is Domeki who tells a story his grandfather told him. There was a student who moved into this old building. However he couldn't sleep at night due to creaking footsteps he could hear in his room. Finally he got some spiritual wards for his room. That night, due to the wards, the spirit could not walk on the floor, so the student could now sleep. But then the spirit said; "Now I've got you". I guess the spirit couldn't posses or kill the guy until he was asleep. Pretty scary. I like that story!
Suddenly some loud noises are heard in the next room. Domeki finally reveals that the person he mentioned earlier that is in the room is actually a dead person. It seemd to be tradition that Domeki keep the body at the temple until the ceremony. The noises get louder, Watanuki freaks out and Yuko reveals that the body is one of the players needed for the 100 Ghost Stories to be told correctly.
Next up is Watanuki who tells a story of a ghost encounter that actually happened to him when he was younger. He was walking down a street and reached a four corner intersection. While he stopped at the corner a strange man walked past him. He thought it was strange as the man was carrying an umbrella despite the weather being sunny. Watanuki ran down the road and stopped at another four corner intersection. Suddenly the same man walks past exactly as at the previous corner. He starts to get scared now and runs down the road to the next intersection where the same man walks past again... however this time the strange man's eyes look at Watanuki as he walks past..
Himawari and Domeki wonder what the meaning was to this strange event and Yuko and then Domeki mention that the number four is unlucky in Japan as it's said the same as the word for "death", shi. Hospitals in Japan don't have a number four room and some buildings in Japan don't have a fourth floor. Interesting to note that in Watanuki's story the intersections had four corners, he was going to walk to the next one (the fourth) but he didn't, there are four people at the 100 Ghost Storytelling event, four candles, and the room they're in had four corners.
All of a sudden the silhouette of the man appears behind the wall and jumps up into the roof. Himawari notices that it's making four noises. Watanuki panics. Suddenly the whole room begins to shake and the candles go out, leaving them all unprotected. Ghost hands start to stretch through the wall and several of them grab Watanuki. Yuko tells Domeki to pick up his bow and aim at the ghosts. Even though he has now arrow, he does so and a mystical golden arrow forms on the bow which he fires at the ghosts, killing them. Larg, the black Mokona quickly opens his mouth and sucks the remains of the ghosts inside itself. Everyone except for Yuko is very surprised at this.
Later that night outside Domeki's temple they all reflect on the night's events while eating watermelon. Yuko explains that the body was the "guest" for the ghost stories, Watanuki as the spirit attractor was the star, Domeki as the exorcist was also a member of this "cast" and Himawari.... is a secret! (Definitely something going on with Himawari here!)
Today's Crossovers
The Spirit Ball Those who have seen the ninth episode of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and wanted to know where Yuko got that spirit from should pay extra attention to Mokona in this episode. The spirits that he eats at the end of this episode actually get compressed into that very ball, though off screen as with most of the other direct Tsubasa crossovers in the anime.
My Original Impression
Friday, June 09, 2006
The animation in this episode wasn't as slick as it was in the last few but still rather good and complemented by a rather faithful adaption from the manga source. Here we see the ghost storytelling night with Yuko, Watanuki, Himawari and Domeki as well as Mokona. All happens as it does in the manga, though I think all the ghost stories told were written for the anime. They were well done though and rather creepy.
Something I'm glad they kept was Mokona eating the ghosts at the end which he spits up in the form of a spirit ball to help Syaoran and the gang in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Episode 9. A bit strange though that they already had Faye's staff in last week's episode before the item they traded it for was even created. ;) (they trade the spirit ball for Fay's staff). I guess in anime continuity they traded another spirit ball. ;)
Next week looks like a combination of the Valentines Day arc and a new anime only storyline. Curious.
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