xxxHOLiC◆継 Episode 05

SPOILER Summary: Watanuki is eager to use his knowledge of Doumeki wearing a female kimono as a child against him, but is foiled by Doumeki’s frank acknowledgment of the subject. Watanuki is frustrated that he didn’t bring the picture back from his dream as photos of Doumeki from his childhood are sealed. As Watanuki, Doumeki, and Himawari eat, Watanuki gives Himawari a Strawberry Mousse. He thinks back to his conversation with Yuuko-san regarding Himawari-chan, including how he’d willingly buy a nightmare of hers. As such, he looks at Himawari slightly differently for a moment.

Himawari mentions the TV program where a young girl exorcises spirits and is going to do one at a Sakura tree. She feels for those who can see those things. Later when Himawari and Watanuki walk home, they see a young girl standing under a Sakura tree. Watanuki feels a connection with the girl but before they can talk, the girls mother angrily comes forward, accusing Watanuki of trying to ruin things. The girl is the one from the TV program that Himawari saw and the girl’s mother, despite trying to protect her daughter, seems distant from her.

Watanuki reports this to Yuuko-san, who tells him that the girl’s power is real and that whatever happens from here on out is up to him. At school, Doumeki reveals that through Watanuki’s right eye, he was able to see the girl. Apparently, he can see things whenever Watanuki experiences a strong emotion. After school, Watanuki walks home in the rain and sees the girl under the tree again. There’s a ghost in the tree and while not evil, it is the one the TV program wants her to take care of. After she and Watanuki talk a bit, they walk to Doumeki’s temple, where the ghost follows and takes residence in a new Sakura tree so as not to be a nuisance at the old place.

The girl goes to leave and Watanuki lends her his umbrella so that the girl, who’d wished to see Watanuki again, will have an excuse to see him again. They exchange names (TSUYURI Kohane is the girl’s name) and discover their names are similar in that the Kanji is also used for calendar dates. She feels better when Watanuki addresses her as “Kohane-chan,” because it has been ages since people even called her by her name, much less used the “chan” honorific. Kohane returns home where her mother is angry that Kohane was out in the rain. The phone rings and Kohane’s mother is talking to the TV producers, arguing over how much she should be paid for Kohane’s appearances and such. Kohane looks depressed as she sees her normal monk vegetarian meal, then takes a look at the room filled with items her mother acquired by using Kohane. Kohane returns to her room where she embraces the umbrella that Watanuki gave her.

Thoughts: I’m confused. Watanuki’s eye turns golden for a moment when Doumeki mentions seeing from it? What the smeg is that all about? My understanding is that his eye is always golden in color in the manga, but maybe I’m wrong.

I don’t know who the seiyuu is for Kohane, but she really sold the character for me right from the start. Not only that, but while I always felt badly for her in the manga, the anime made it doubly so, not because the writers changed or added anything, but the visuals as well as hearing Kohane’s mother just added impact, and frankly, that’s what a good anime adaptation should do. I feel so bad for Kohane, who’s really unloved at this point.

Outside of the eye issue, I feel that through five episodes, Production I.G has done a really good job this time. Too bad they didn’t feel the need to keep it real for the first series.