xxxHOLiC (xxxHOLiC Rou) Manga Chapter 210

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

The young girl from the small box grants Watanuki four questions about herself since this false name is for the fourth month of the year.  Watanuki asks four questions of the girl, who answers them all.  Watanuki goes for a fifth question which the girl balks at until Watanuki points out that his name is really “April 1,” thus 4+1.  Reluctantly agreeing to answer a fifth question about herself, Watanuki figures out that the girl is in fact a heigushi.  With that, the girl vanishes and in the box lays the decorate item, used for a ceremony marking a building’s framework being completed and for subsequently praying for good luck and ward off bad luck.

Watanuki explains to Doumeki what the heigushi‘s purpose is and that this one had been disassembled.  Further, it was from an old building which is why it was able to take human shape.  Doumeki wonders what would have happened to Watanuki if he hadn’t been able to guess what the girl truly was.  Watanuki does imply that something bad would have happened but treats this like it was a game.  Doumeki asks if the heigushi is in fact a tsukumogami.  Watanuki states that this isn’t important as what is important is the heigushi‘s wish to be in a proper place and be used properly.

Doumeki inquires about what kind of building the heigushi should be placed on, suggesting that a temple that an acquaintance of his might be suitable since the temple’s main hall is being rebuilt.  Upon hearing more details, the heigushi gives an indication that it approves of Doumeki’s suggestion.   This means that the professor will have to give up the artifact, but Doumeki is sure he can explain the situation.  Doumeki asks about price.  Watanuki answers that an offering of sake should be made at the ceremony and that same sake should be brought to the shop as well.

With that, it is time for drinking and the heigushi uses its ribbons to indicate it will participate.  Just as Watanuki is going to get a third glass, he asks Doumeki if there are plans to reconstruct his temple. Doumeki says there aren’t.  Watanuki ponders this and states that they’ll have this conversation in the future and when the time comes, Watanuki will construct a heigushi.

Thoughts/Review:

For whatever reason, CLAMP continues to dwindle down the number of pages they are doing per chapter.  This being the month of December, I suppose they could be taking into account the high number of off days experienced by the weekly chapter writers and thus only produced 20-pages for this chapter. Hopefully, we’ll see bigger chapters in future as I rather enjoyed those.

As to the chapter here, the issue of what would have happened to Watanuki is never answered and from how I read things, it is implied that terrible things would have happened.  Watanuki can’t die so he wouldn’t have been killed but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened and if CLAMP might be doing a bit of foreshadowing here.

Regarding the heigushi, I like how CLAMP explains this in detail.  Actually, now that I think of it, they do this a lot in xxxHOLiC. So, even though so many of their stories deal with Japanese myths, customs, shinto beliefs, etc., I get the feeling that CLAMP wishes to educate Japanese audiences about their own heritage and in doing so, educate those of us outside of Japan.  Pretty cool when you think about it.  ^_^

CLAMP leaves us with a bit of a tease, implying that a future xxxHOLiC story may result in the destruction (or partial destruction) of the temple that Doumeki resides at.  We’ll see what CLAMP has in store for us.  ^_^

Otherwise, not a great deal to comment on as the ladies of CLAMP seemed to be taking it easy here.  The new year will mark the beginning of a new story and I look forward to it.  ^_^