Hello everyone,
Sorry again for the waiting (Aiyoku no Eustia is proving itself too absorbing 
), but here we are for another review of a rather old, but very popular and good anime series called XXXHolic based on an original work by the famous CLAMP (also famous for Tsubasa and the design of the characters in Code Geass)
Let's start with a synopsis :
Kimihiro Watanuki is a young boy with a cursed gift. He has the ability to see evil spirits, and somehow they seem attracted to himself. One day he meets a misterious woman who names herself Yuuko. She claims to have the means to end his torment, but she never works for free, and she wouldn't help him until he works for her enough to pay for her services. Thus he starts to work in her shop and discovers that in that place, nothing is what it seems.
Yeah, the main storyline looks pretty plain and to be honest the whole story doesn't shine in any places. But the good of this series is in their stories, sometimes dramatic, sometimes comic, sometimes with a moral story, etc...
As you may have already noticed, this series is highly episodic with little arcs (sometimes of one single episode) with the "wish of the day", and it's not like I don't like this kind of series. (especially when it's done in a great way like this time)
It's just that they get boring as the time pass as you can't expect much development in them. XXXHolic removing all the useless arcs would probably be easily done in a single 13 episode series instead of 2 series + OVAs.
The characters are many, but only a handful of them are recurring enough to be worthy remember, each one of them has a rather complex backstory and is generally likable in the long run. There is some emotional growth in this series, especially in Watanuki's personality.
Unfortunately this piece is somehow mitigated by the continue skip in the original material by the anime (due to time constriction likely) making you wonder "oh, was we at this point?!" or "And where did he got that?"
My favourite characters are Moro and Maru (the two little cute dolls/girls "working" at Yuuko's shop), but that's probably as they are the only decently cute character appearing in the series (Himawari is too strange, Yuuko too lady) apart maybe for the Zashiki Warashi that got really few screen time.
The graphical quality is excellent, that is if you can bear the particular CLAMP style. I especially liked Moro and Maru's design in the anime. The animation has been mostly good, with some screw up in some episode probably fixed by the DVD release.
The sound quality is good as well with many great names working on this series like Jun Fukuyama in Watanuki's role, Shizuka Itou in Himawari Kunogi's role, etc... (liked especially the Sumi Mutoh work as the Zashiki Warashi)
Concluding, , this is one of the classics of the anime world and is a suggested one if you like mistery series with a driving comedy factor.
See you soon,
feal87
P.S. I'll be honest...I hate Yuuko. 