October 27th, 2010 
AstroNerdBoy xxxHOLiC (xxxHOLiC Rou) Manga Chapter 209
SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:
Watanuki takes a call from Himawari-chan, thanking him for the chrysanthemum wine, which she and her husband shared. She talks of how her husband loved the wine and how he still seems to prefer the foods Watanuki makes over the foods she makes. She mentions that she and Doumeki paid Kohane-chan a visit with some of the wine and that Kohane-chan has become a beautiful young lady.
Sometime later, Kohane-chan is at the shop and is trying on a kimono that Watanuki is letting her borrow for a tea ceremony. He remarks on how beautiful she has become which causes her to blush. She wonders if it is OK to borrow this and Watanuki assures her it is.
Doumeki swings by with a request from one of his professors, who wants to consult with Watanuki about an item the professor has in his possession. Because Doumeki has stated that Watanuki is an expert combined with Watanuki’s having helped previously, the professor trusts him with identifying the item.
The item is a small, thin box which when opened, causes a young girl in Shinto garb to appear. The girl appears disappointed that she’s been handed off to someone else again and she notes that “Watanuki” is not Watanuki’s real name. After explaining that the professor who “owned” her was a good man who taught folklore, the girl decides that this is enough and that she will reveal what she is to Watanuki.
Thoughts/Review:
Well now, well now.
I’ll go ahead and get this out of the way and state that I’m disappointed that CLAMP made Himawari-chan a married woman. I guess that’ll give Watanuki x Doumeki shippers something to celebrate. In the meantime, I can’t say that CLAMP hadn’t established this turn of events. After all, they’ve avoided having Himawari-chan in the story beyond being on the phone or being mentioned. She was only drawn as part of a flashback and apparently, they only get to see each other on his birthday. So, she goes on and marries someone else but I can’t help but think that maybe Watanuki might still be number one in her heart.
Interesting that Himawari still has physical contact with Kohane-chan. I had expected Himawari to not be so close but this sounds like she’s not that far away.
Speaking of Kohane-chan, is it me or has CLAMP potentially opened up a new shipper class with her? I say this because Himawari mentions Kohane-chan becoming a beautiful young lady and then Watanuki complimented her, which caused her to blush, complete with those romantic bubbles often used in anime and manga. It would not surprise me if Kohane-chan had romantic feelings of some sort for Watanuki considering it was he who helped her so long ago. I can’t see Watanuki actually having romantic feelings for Kohane-chan though.
So, I’m routing for a Watanuki x Zashiki-Warashi pairing. *nods*
When the “little girl” was revealed, CLAMP cleverly drew her in such a way that one couldn’t help but think, “Is Yuuko-san about to return?” After all, they had just completed the section of the chapter where Kohane-chan is wearing a kimono from the shop and Watanuki had remarked that it looked like something that Yuuko-san had worn. So, CLAMP had name-dropped Yuuko-san and then drew the little girl to resemble her for a moment before fully being revealed. I couldn’t help but smile at how CLAMP had yanked my chain a bit. ^_^
Anyway, just what is this little girl? She seemed distressed that the professor who had her (her “residence” being that small, thin box) had apparently passed her onto someone else who knew nothing of her. Clearly, she’s a supernatural being of some kind but I’m not sure what kind of being she would be, especially in Shinto garb like that. Watanuki didn’t appear to know what she is because if he had, I think he would have stated. So, nothing to do but wait until the next chapter to get that answer.
CLAMP went light this month with only a 27-page chapter, including the chapter cover page. That’s almost a 50% page reduction from the first couple of monthly chapters and the smallest one they’ve done yet. Kinda disappointing but if that’s all there is, that’s all there is. After all, I think CLAMP has other irons in the fire as well.
So an interesting start to a new story arc with a disappointing revelation about Himawari-chan.
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Kohane and Watanuki would make a great pairing, but if Watanuki stays in the shop with his time stoped, their relationship will end in tragedy. In that sense Zashiki-Warashi would be the perfect couple for him since its a spiritual being that doesn’t age or age slowly.
Anyway, the fact that he remains in the shop means that his love for Yuuko is the stronger in the end. Although I wonder what kind of love is the one he holds for her…
As iv only recently read the story about a week or so ago i dont know alot of how everythings going on (im just confused on alot of things) but to me the Watanuki and Zashiki-Warashi pairing does seem most likely, as i think Watanuki sees Kohane-chan more of like a sister but still not sure =p
Well… considering the widening (physical) age difference between the two, it was harder and harder to believe that Himawari and Watanuki would ever end up together. I get the feeling that he might end up outliving all his friends by years if not decades.
It’s the same with Kohane as well. I was a Kohane/Watanuki shipper originally, back before he took over the store. Considering the fact that she’s no longer in the category of ‘statutory rape’ anymore, a relationship between the two would finally seem ideal. However, she’s already a college student, and like Himawari, she’s only going to get older. So sad…
It would seems, somewhat as a default, that out of the ‘available’ girls out there, the Zashiki-Warashi would probably be the most compatible.
Though, from all of this, the biggest question for me was, “How was Himawari able to find a husband, who didn’t died from all her bad luck?” I used to think she and Doumeki would pair up, since he’s immune to the misfortune surrounding her…
Personally, I don’t think Watanuki will end up with anyone romantically. Not just because of his now supernatural circumstance but also, since he is following in Yuuko’s footsteps, he will likely not choose anyone or anything – he no longer has the option of love.
I could’ve sworn they had already mentioned Himawari’s husband in a previous chapter. Maybe I’m thinking too much of the recent ova…
@Ransom — If CLAMP follows their normal love of wild plot twists, Watanuki will end up being Clow Reed and he’ll end up with her again somehow, someway, and repeat the process. ^_^;;;
@Nick — You are new to the xxxHOLiC manga?
@Tim — I was thinking a situation like happened in Highlander where McCloud married the woman who grew old and died while he remained young.
I was a Kohane/Watanuki shipper originally, back before he took over the store. Considering the fact that she’s no longer in the category of ‘statutory rape’ anymore, a relationship between the two would finally seem ideal. However, she’s already a college student, and like Himawari, she’s only going to get older. So sad…
Yeah, and very possibly more so for Kohane-chan, who cares deeply for Watanuki (whether that translates to romantic love or not, I don’t know).
Though, from all of this, the biggest question for me was, “How was Himawari able to find a husband, who didn’t died from all her bad luck?”
Well, that was my thought as well. I figured that at best, Himawari-chan would remain single but that didn’t happen. Maybe Watanuki did something for her husband to allow him to be with her. However, based on how things changed for Himawari-chan after she became a customer of the shop, I couldn’t imagine her going for any other guy other than Watanuki. Boy, was I wrong.
Theron said…
Personally, I don’t think Watanuki will end up with anyone romantically. Not just because of his now supernatural circumstance but also, since he is following in Yuuko’s footsteps, he will likely not choose anyone or anything – he no longer has the option of love.
Well, there’s always Yuuko-san, right? ^_~
Ultimaniac said…
I could’ve sworn they had already mentioned Himawari’s husband in a previous chapter. Maybe I’m thinking too much of the recent ova…
You’re thinking the OAD. That was were the idea was first planted and though that story was an original, it had enough of the stuff that CLAMP eventually did (the moving forward into the future; Doumeki’s job at the university, Kohane-chan’s being a student there, Watanuki’s calls with Himawari-chan) that the mention of her husband in that OAD had me afraid that this would indeed happen. I expressed a hope that this would not be the case but alas, it was prophetic (I guess CLAMP may have been very involved with that story). I just really hope that this is not how Yuuko-san returns. *_*
from very early on, i was routing for a Watanuki and Zashiki-Warashi pairing ^_^
Yeah, I guess I was as well once Zashiki-Warashi was introduced. Her stories after that were always rather sweet.
@ANB — Yea even tho i read all of it so far im still confused on it lol