| | Alternate title : xxxHoLiC Second Season
Studio : Production I.G.
Length : 13 Episodes
Year : 2008
Genre : Comedy - Mystery - Magic - Drama
Synopsis :
xxxholic Kei continues right where season 1 left off, all your favorite cast members are back, the lovely girls, Doumeki, and Himawari, and of course Watanuki and Yuuka. Back for another season of mystisim, and almost romance. Watanuki and Doumeki start things off with a bang by offending a spider and being cursed.
Alternate Synopsis :
(by AJtheFourth)
xxxHolic Kei continues the first season of xxxHolic as Watanuki, the hapless spirit seer, continues his servitude to Yuuko, the owner of a shop that grants wishes. Hoping that one day, Yuuko will grant his own wish, to take away his ability to attract spirits, he becomes her errand boy, accompanied by his rival, the exorcising archer Doumeki. Maru, Moro, and Mokona are all back, as well as Watanuki's cheerful crush, Himawari.
Added : 2008-04-05
Synopsis by : Molenir
Last update : 2008-11-27
Last update details : Modify info
Score : 8.75
Number of reviews : 4
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : Suga Shikao - Nobody Knows
Ending #1 : Seamo featuring Kozue Ayuse - Honey Honey
Release(s) :
2008-08-15 -- Episode(s) 13 by Shinsen-Subs. BT Link
2008-08-15 -- Episode(s) 12 by Shinsen-Subs. BT Link
2008-08-14 -- Episode(s) 11 by Shinsen-Subs. BT Link
Found 78 releases. Click here to [ Find them! ]
Hits : 13650
[ Go Back to Main Page - Go Back - Post review ]
| |
Spot a mistake ? Want to send fresh information ?
[ Message an admin ]
Got a synopsis?
[ Send a synopsis ]
Found the latest episode?
[ Submit a new release ]
|
Posted by : Terentius 
Posted on : 2009-02-20  
Having thoroughly enjoyed the first season, I expected much of its sequel.
Animation
There wasn't a vast improvement in comparison to the first season. Unlike most standard fare these days, the colour palette was very dark. There wasn't a scene that went past where black wasn't a prominent colour. The character designs as expected from Clamp were distorted in bodily proportion, but not to the same severe degree in the first season.
Story
Whilst the first season relied heavily on many mutually exclusive stories and plots, this second season was much more cohesive and sequential. Each episode connected with the next with some very compelling plot developments that eventually showed more than just the shallow dislike that Watanuki had for Doumeki. The spiritual world still played a huge part in the day to day dealings of Watanuki, but thankfully more has been placed on the 'real-world' environment of the cast.
Characters
Despite its length of 13 episodes, there was just so much more in terms of character development than in the first show. Expounding on what I had touched upon earlier the relationship of Wataknuki and Doumeki was explored in far greater detail. Additionally, the rather doll-like Himawari was shown to have more than just a charming smile and a pretty face. As mentioned in the previous reviews, Kei finally delivers in the area that xxxHolic was so bereft of… characterisation.
Music/Sound
The OP was sung again by Suga Shikao. Again, I really enjoyed the song and even though it sounded out of place to the relatively dark tone of the show, I felt it provided a nice counter-balance to it. The same applies to the ED, but I didn’t have the same amount of joy listening to it. The score as usual was atmospheric and added to the mood.
Summary
What was lacking in 24 episodes was present in its sequel of 13 episodes. I felt that Kei could have had a longer run but in this day and age it isn't so much the quantity but the quality of what is on screen. For its misleadingly short length, this nevertheless was one very interesting and compelling watch. I would recommend watching both seasons, but for once it isn't an absolute necessity.
Posted by : du5k
Posted on : 2009-01-09
I remember finding the first season of xxxholic rather boring, probably because it’s just about a lot of Japanese mystical stuff I didn’t really care about. But what made me enjoy this season of xxxholic is because how the main characters are really affected by the events caused by the mystical beings, not just briefly interacting with them like in the first season. The different arcs of the story also had a lot of connection with each other, like how main characters of a particular arc plays a smaller role in another. But what I enjoy most is increase character development compared to the first season, like the bond between Watanuki and Doumeki.
… I still find their tsukkomi-boke routine rather lame, although it serves to lift the mood in the series.
I don’t find a distinct improvement in the animation style, but at least the unique and weird body proportion of xxxholic isn’t so obvious in this season. I enjoyed the opening theme, whose singer sang the opening of the first season. That song is the only reason I managed to last through the first season. The ending theme is rather cool but feels out of place.
There’s no need to watch the first season to watch this series, because the story isn’t linked, although there are some recurring characters. I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous season, so if you liked the first, this is a must try.
Plot-wise: 9
Story Style: 8
Production Quality: 7
Value: 9
Posted by : ErwinRommel
Posted on : 2008-11-11
The previous reviewer is correct in that this season delivered. The flailing Kimihiro Watanuki is no longer the Achilles heel of the anime. The new character Tsuyuri Kohane is this anime's weakness. The way her voice actress delivers her lines are very weird and bland. Lastly, Ichihara Yuko, simply being herself, rounded off this superb season.
It's difficult to talk about a story and its direction in an anime like xxxHolic. Disjointed and lacking in direction, there is no overall plot that connects the two seasons except that they involve the same characters. This season, like the one before, is broken down into several chapters. Each of the chapters is focused on the following characters: Watanuki Kimihiro, Tsuyuri Kohane, and Kunogi Himawari. While this approach is beneficial in a manga, it does not work well in an anime. Many times it just makes the show aimless and a waste of time. I know of only one anime close to xxxHolic where this approach is acceptable: Ghost Hunt. For that show it is absolutely mandatory because the author intended each story to be a standalone while for xxxHolic this is not true. The authors CLAMP needs to give this series a solid story and a proper ending.
Somewhere between the first season and the second season Kimihiro Watanuki appears to have matured as a character....or he just doesn't flail his arms as much. It also helps that the spirit world is not as strong a presence here as in the previous season. The focus is on Watanuki and the other two listed above. This has done wonders on this season because we actually get to know more about our characters instead of being constantly bombarded by spiritual eye candies when a weak plot rears its head. Now Watanuki isn't some boy in a wondrous land but rather an orphan who lost his parents yet treats his life cheaply.
The introduction of a new character has both benefits and drawbacks. It is beneficial to the series by giving Watanuki another chance to shine, but overall Tsuyuri Kohane is actually kind of boring. Kohane is a child that has the ability to see ghosts and is constantly exploited by her mother. When her mother splashed boiling hot tea into the face of Kohane's beloved Watanuki, her response was a disappointment. Kohane's response went something like "You can hurt me but if you hurt my friends again..." which demonstrated a certain amount of restrained anger. It isn't the choice of words but rather the delivery of them. The actress did not show any emotions. This holds true for many occasions. The delivery of Kohane’s lines was either awkward or lacking in emotions. Kohane is a shy and exploited person...not a robot. In some respects she is very similar to Ichihara Yuko and it would've done the character some good to have the same creepy aura.
If you've already watched the first season then by the time you read this review you have watched xxxHolic: Kei. This season expanded on the characters introduced and adds a new one. The focus is less on the spiritual world and that helped in freeing more time to letting the audience getting to know Watanuki. Kohane's addition is the one exception. She works well in the manga but is poorly done in the anime.
Hence 8/10
Posted by : AJtheFourth
Posted on : 2008-11-09
Ahh...xxxHolic, thank you for finally delivering on your promise.
I feel as if many people, present company included, watched a few of the first episodes of the first season, sighed a collective 'meh,' only to inexplicably revisit the series and end up liking it enough to continue watching.
For me it was the suggestive undertone of the first season, which did not go nearly as far as I'd hoped in the way of character development, but lays small hints that there's something more going on plotwise than Watanuki's hatred of Doumeki and fawning over Himawari.
Or possibly I was hoping to see further development in Doumeki and Watanuki's relationship.
Either way, 'xxxHolic Kei' finally delivers on that promise made in the first season, with major plot and character development.
Animation: Once again, the animation is very stylized and pretty. There are many darker settings that are portrayed admirably, not amazingly, and I found myself wishing that they were amazing. If the 'stick-figure style' of the characters bothered you in the first season, it will continue to bother you in 'Kei.' Overall the animation is good, not fantastic. 7/10
Story: Finally! Unlike the nearly isolated episode structure of the first season, 'Kei' is organized into three distinct story arcs, all of which caught my attention and held it. If you managed to hang on this long, you won't be disappointed by the plot development. Even readers of the manga (of which I am one) will be entertained to see how the story unfolds from episode to episode, especially with the plot points that are revealed. Those looking for the crossovers with 'Tsubasa' will be disappointed, (the two shows are made by different companies) but I was actually impressed with how they maintained the integrity of the storyline. Not all of your questions are answered, just the exact amount to keep you satisfied (and coming back for a potential 3rd season). 9/10
Characters: The character development, Watanuki in particular, is what really makes 'Kei' interesting. I also enjoyed watching Doumeki and his unfolding friendship with Watanuki. Yuuko plays a larger (in importance not appearance) role, as the agent of Watanuki's development. 10/10
Music: I disliked the opening and closing songs of 'Kei,' and I'm not really sure why, they just seemed underwhelming. The background music in the episodes; however, continues to be a highlight. 8/10
Overall: The story and the character development are what were missing in the first season, and what make this second season so good. 9/10
|
|
|
|
|
There are currently, 272 guest(s) and 12 member(s) that are online.
You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here
|
|
|
|
|
