Farewell to the Wings

Natapos na ang isa sa pinakainabangan kong manga mula nang malaman kong may mga scans sa internet. And it was definitely a ride.

Congratulations to CLAMP for coming up with a story like Tsubasa RESERVoir Chronicle. Hindi ko talaga naisip na sa bandang huli, maitatahi nila ang buong storya na at one point, naisip ko talaga na ang gulo pero exciting. Really hats off to these manga legends.

Kahit paano, naging satisfactory naman ang ending with Syaoran choosing to move on and continue to travel after becoming sort disconnected to everything. Tapos, sa wakas, nalaman na rin kung anong grand purpose ng earring ng black Mokona. At sa huli, thank god because I completely forgot na di pa nasasabi nina Syaoran at Sakura ang names nila. Nakalimutan ko na Tsubasa can also be a person’s name. Naluha ako sa scene na yun ah…

Siguro sa ngayon, ang malaking tanong na lang sa isip ko ay kung meron ba talagang parents si Syaoran kasi naging napakalaki (at talagang nakakalitong) loop yung pagiging parents ng clones kay Syaoran. Sana, may magbigay-linaw sa akin sa bagay sa yun.

Sa ngayon ang magpapagaan ng pakiramdam ko ay the fact that xxxHOLIc is still running. Sana magkaroon doon ng malinaw na sagot sa parents ni Syaoran/Watanuki. Kung hindi man mangyari, okay na rin. Masaya ako sa pagtatapos ng TRC.

Nakakabigla lang na parang nakabilis natapos ng TRC. Bitin na bitin. Gusto ko pang makita ang story nina real Syaoran at Sakura. Ano ba’ng naging bunga ng pagpunta sa Clow Country ni Syaoran? At bakit nga ba siya talaga pumunta? At ano ang nangyari sa death seal ni Sakura?

Di nga ako makapaniwala na yung mga bagay na naglaro sa isip ko ay sinagot at kahit paano binigyang-linaw sa isang chapter lang. Akala ko talaga tatagal pa ang TRC para lang ipaliwanag ang mga yun. I must say I’m impressed.

I remember starting reading TRC manga only last year and I started with the Tokyo Arc. Doon na ako talagang na-hook. Ang galing ng takbo ng storya and I think somewhere on the net I read that someone admired the story starting from the Tokyo Arc kasi nagsimulang gumalaw yung story on its own. Siguro nga kaya hindi ko talaga maisip kung paano matatapos ang TRC is because it was running unpredictably.

Mami-miss ko ‘tong story na ‘to. Hindi lang dahil nabitin ako kundi dahil ang galing talaga ng story. Kelan pa ulit magsasama-sama ang mga sikat na CLAMP characters di ba?

Congratulations to CLAMP and mucho arigatou for bringing a one-of-a-kind story to otakus everywhere!

*****JHAJR*****

The Many Fashions of the Dimension Witch

Just because Yuuko Ichihara is stuck in an unmoving time doesn’t mean she couldn’t move forward when it comes to fashion. In fact, only the opposite can be said of this Witch of Time and Dimension’s fashion sense.

In a very rare opportunity, animeHOLIC was privileged enough to be let inside this mysterious lady’s equally mysterious shop. And we didn’t have to pay much—only to have to put up this article for every otaku’s consumption.

The gracious star of two anime/manga series was very happy to show us some of the clothes she has worn in her long-running projects.

For it is very interesting—and highly unusual for an anime character—to be seen wearing a completely different wardrobe in each chapter/episode. And for Yuuko Ichihara, it seems that to be seen wearing the same dress twice is an unforgivable crime.

Having a very busy schedule, Yuuko was only able to show us eight set of clothes. But we will be forever grateful for the experience. (plus, we heard that xxxHOLiC and Tsubasa Chronicles mangas are about to reach the final curtain).

animeHOLIC presents the fashion of the Witch of Dimensions.

Worn in Episode 01 of the anime and first seen in Chapter 01 of the manga, Yuuko’s red kimono decorated in yellow flower silhouettes may look ordinary but the touch of a big yellow bow that hugs the body like on giant gift makes it look more interesting.

Add to that, the sexy manner of opening the collar of the kimono, revealing the bust area of this very confident witch.

The piece is adorned by matching neck and wrist ornaments of metallic red and yellow material with the signature moon-shaped pendant for the neck ornament.

Yuuko shows a Chinese seductress in this tube cheongsam dress with a giant lily decorated on the bust area. Yuuko manages to make this already sexy dress even sexier by wearing leg-high boots.

She also adds a long sheet of fabric secured in her wrists and flows down to somehow take away the unwanted attention thrown on her long, white legs.

As with the sexy cheongsam dress, Yuuko wore this simple green fringe dress in Episode 02 and is seen on Chapter 02 of the manga. Yuuko loves to show some skin and the slit on this dress is nothing compared to the cheongsam.

It comes with a matching choker.

Perfect for a stroll in the park, this was first seen in Episode 03 and Chapter 15 of the manga. Simple enough, it’s a rich blue blouse with sleeves that looses halfway the arm and comes with matching rich blue boots.

Yuuko wears brown stockings to probably keep her leg from the sun because it might get too hot, ne?

The center of attention for this ensemble is the rose design on the blouse which springs to life on the choker.

Yuuko couldn’t be more mysterious-looking than with this indescribable wardrobe worn in Episode 04 and seen in Chapter 10 of the manga. It looks quite contemporary and the colors are very neutral and silent.

The sleeveless top can be zipped off to reveal a black tight-fit undershirt. The sleeves with serpent designs can also be taken off. The skirt looks very modern with its asymmetrical cut.

Yuuko wore this very elaborately adorned kimono in Episode 03 and on manga Chapter 16. This kimono couldn’t get enough of the embroidery with it covering just about every edge of the kimono. There’s even a choker to match with the same design.

But the best part of this kimono is what’s on the sash: several strings with hanging adornments appear in front of a moon design.

Out on the streets of, Yuuko wore this mini blouse with long ang loose sleeves in Episode 06 and Chapter 05 of the manga. It comes with a pair of brown pants that bear the same cloud design as the blouse.

Her choker is rather simple with just a strip of fabric the same color (and probably material) as the blouse. Oh and she wears a belt for added pzazz to the pants.

This last dress is the one that drove Yuuko to stardom. It is also her signature dress in her two series. This dress that no time in this world probably owned surely brings out the look of power and mystique from this Witch of Dimensions.

Adorned by the image of the crescent moon, and with the bottom of the skirt having what looks like an eye or the hand of a clock, and in black and white color, this dress is Yuuko’s favorite dress—and the only one that she probably wore twice!

*****

You wouldn’t wanna mess with Yuuko’s fashion style. It looks like for this one-of-a-kind witch, crime (especially of fashion) pays a very hefty price.

*****JHAJR*****

Duality in Unity: Yin Yang, CLAMP style

While many manga and anime artists inject the concept of two differing and opposing forces in their creations, they are never close to how often (and equally good) CLAMP does it.

Two opposing forces – one light, the other dark – usually make its way thru CLAMP’s creations, making for deeper and more complex characters and situations.

As Yin Yang naturally goes for CLAMP, a character can either be good or evil, darkness or light. A character goes through the struggles to make ends meet with its counterpart. In the end, it becomes clear that one may not completely exist without the other – a rather symbiotic relationship entangled in a web of strife and pain, and/or joy and peace.

This Chinese concept that can be described as governing the workings of the entire universe is what makes CLAMP’s stories and characters intriguing and endearing and is notable in each of the following CLAMP characters:

Hikaru Shidou and Nova (Magic Knight Rayearth)

Duality:
Nova had been waiting for Hikaru and when the Magic Knight did come back to Cephiro, she had been willing to do anything to keep Hikaru to herself. She was violent and selfish enough to pull Hikaru away from those who love her.

Hikaru never knew the existence of Nova until she made it back to Cephiro. Since then, despite Nova’s tormenting, Hikaru did not falter. She never wanted to hurt Nova and she managed to find a way to stop Nova from causing too much harm for her and for everyone.

Unity:
Nova turned out to be a sentient being magically formed from the guilt and pain that Hikaru unknowingly left in Cephiro after destroying its Pillar. When Hikaru learned about this, Nova’s strength started to falter. In the end, Hikaru pulled Nova back into her heart where she originally belonged.

Two Syaorans (Tsubasa Chronicle)

Duality:
When Syaoran was held captive by Fei Wong Reed, he met his clone and gave him a part of his heart. When he finally escaped Fei Wong Reed, he met his clone again and took back the heart that he had lent.

Clone Syaoran lost his mind after Syaoran took his heart during their inevitable meeting. He became obsessed with gathering Sakura’s feathers and would do anything to achieve his end, even if it means killing his original counterpart.

Unity:
In their final battle in Clow Country, Clone Syaoran gave his final blow to Syaoran much to Fei Wong Reed’s amazement. He took Syaoran to Fei Wong Reed but Syaoran managed to stab the powerful magician. Clone Syaoran never intended to kill Syaoran and had stabbed his own foot instead. When Fei Wong Reed used his magic to kill Syaoran, Clone Syaoran took the blow and died. But not before asking for apology from everyone.

Kamui Shirou and Fuma Monou (X1999)

Duality:
Kamui came back to Tokyo to either grant the world’s end or save it from utter destruction. The time that he chooses a side between the Dragons of Earth and the Dragons of Heaven, another star will appear to become his counterpart.

Fuma have always looked after his sickly sister. Living together in a temple, he never had any negative thoughts and have always shown kindness. But when Kamui finally chose a side to fight with, Fuma unwillingly became his counterpart. He lost all his senses and succumbed to violence and hate.

Unity:
In a cruel twist of fate, only one must survive between Kamui and Fuma. It was obvious that Kamui would succeed, for Fuma had become very different and did not possess the stronger will. Kamui was able to kill him and quickly after the skirmish, cradled Fuma’s decapitated head in his arms.

Yue and Keroberos (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Duality:
Keroberos is the guardian of the Clow Book and the Clow Cards that reside in it. When a young girl accidentally dispersed the Clow Cards and became the Cardcaptor, he stayed by her side to teach her everything he knew about Clow’s magical cards. His power comes from the Sun.

Yue is the final judge for the Cardcaptor. He possesses the powers of the Moon and of all the Clow Cards under it.

Unity:
Keroberos and Yue have always been on the lookout for the new Cardcaptor. They made sure that the right person was given the tedious task. As the new Cardcaptor’s allies, their mission is to serve and protect the Cardcaptor at all times.

Chii and Freya (Chobits)

Duality:
Freya was a persocom born out of the loneliness of a married couple who never had their own child. But soon, Freya developed emotions close to that of humans. But alas! her love was unrequited and she fell ill.

Chii was created to make Freya feel better. At first it was good. But Freya could not control her emotion and broke down. Chii then took Freya’s heart and decided to find someone who would be able to love her unconditionally.

Unity:
Chii and Freya have since shared the same mechanical body. Freya’s memory looked after her little sister and confronted Hideki about his feelings for Chii. In the end, they both found someone who would love them no matter who or what they were.

Syaoran and Watanuki Kimihiro (Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHOLIC)

Duality:
Syaoran came to Clow Country for a mission to save a princess. When he failed to do so, he wished for time to flow back and let him do the mission again and successfully. Fei Wong Reed granted his wish but for a hefty price. He was magically imprisoned and was cloned for Fei Wong’s personal gain.

When Syaoran wished for time to flow back, Fei Wong Reed granted it despite being a big taboo. Thus, Watanuki was born. Watanuki was created to fill the void in Syaoran’s relationship with people especially his parents that was created after Syaoran’s final wish. Therefore, he became Syaoran in Japan while the real Syaoran can never go back.

Unity:
Syaoran is Watanuki. Watanuki is Syaoran. The two share a common fate. A strong reason why Syaoran reminds Watanuki to never disappear.

The Dragons of Earth and Dragons of Heaven (X1999)

Duality:
The Dragons of Heaven is a group of people with special abilities that they could use to protect humanity. They believe that humanity is just as precious as the Earth and therefore must be out of harm. Any misunderstanding for the Dragon’s of Heaven can be peacefully resolved.

Bearing no strong ties between humanity, the Dragons of Earth believe that the very planet had been suffering because of man. Therefore, this group would stop at nothing to fulfill their mission of protecting Earth at the cost of human life.

Unity:
On the Promised Day, a great battle between the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth would happen, deciding the fate of Man and Earth.

*****JHAJR*****

The Inevitable Crossover: A Cross-Examination of Shunraiki and Shunmuki

Finally, two animes perform something that it should have done since it started airing.

It was quite unfortunate that the anime version of Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHOLIC had to (in a matter of speaking) “divorce” each other during its air because of anime studio differences. But now, with Production I.G. (xxxHOLIC’s studio) having taken over Tsubasa Chronicle, it can only be expected that the two animes will form a strong, tighter relationship and finally the story that has started to intertwine can be realized for the growing and much-anticipating fans of the two CLAMP hit shows.

And they did.

This year, the beloved characters of Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHOLIC have made a comeback and stronger than before with their stories coinciding with each other in two-part OAVs (OAD for Tsubasa) – a first for the two series. Crossing over each other, one could only expect a bigger story out of the two – a treat for fans who have long awaited an anime continuation to the two stories. But what is this negative vibe wafting in the air regarding some parts of the released videos?

Tsubasa Chronicle: Shunraiki

Summary:
The story takes place right after the Celes Arc in the manga with Fay finally confronting his past. The team survives King Ashura and the inevitable destruction of Celes and land in the country that is closest to Kurogane’s heart (though of course he won’t admit it).

When they end up in Nihon Country, vampire hunter Seishirou reappears looking for the vampire twins and fights the real Syaoran. Fuuma also reappears to give an artificial arm to Kurogane courtesy of Tomoyo from Piffle Country. Fay, on the other hand, loses his magic to pay back Kurogane for saving him.

Clone Syaoran then makes his appearance, looking for Sakura’s feather. The two Syaorans are able to enter the Dream World where Sakura’s soul lay. In a determined fight to the end, the two give their last strike and the middle of the skirmish, Sakura places herself in their midst, taking in the blade of Clone Syaoran’s sword.

As she disappears into Cherry blossoms, Sakura tells the real Syaoran that she is not “his Sakura” and that she is just like Clone Syaoran. As she bids farewell to Clone Syaoran, Sakura finally disappears, cutting off what she was about to say to him for the last time.

Right after the skirmish, Syaoran, Fay, Kurogane and Mokona set out to travel to Clow Country where Fei Wong Reed hides in place where time has stopped moving.

Review:
Did you notice how pink seems to be a theme color in Shunraiki? From Sakura’s clothing to the tree and much of the background images, most have different shades of pink (well, some are light purple, but it is close enough to be pink sometimes). Not only am I not fond of the color, seeing too much shades of pink really disturbs me, not to mention stresses my cornea.

Then there’s the first part of episode one. This is where a distinction between TRC manga readers and non-readers is marked. For those who follow the story in the manga, the sudden and sharp turn from the Infinity and Celes Arc could be accepted. But how about those who never followed the story in the manga? I think it was unfair for Fay to not have his side of the limelight with his back story. Various things that have happened in the Infinity and Celes Arc would have given light to some of the things unexplained in Shunraiki.

Another thing that is making me uncomfortable is the complicating story of Sakura. Again, for those who do not follow the manga, Sakura revealing herself to be a clone is something that could make them go “WTF!?! I’ve been following the story of a clone all this time?” And now, with Sakura gone, how’s the real Sakura going to replace any feeling of endearment granted towards the clone Sakura? Just when the story is starting to make sense, Sakura’s death creates a beginning to a new story with a new (and real) Sakura.

But then again, this is CLAMP we’re having here. They’ve seem to come up with complicated twists and survive them all. Hopefully all loose ends would be tied before the end of the series. And all that would have to wait.

The visuals may not be as striking as Tokyo Revelations, but Shunraiki sure has its own charm to make it worth the watch. The fight scenes are good enough. Sakura’s last scene was dramatic – and you gotta hand it down to them for having the courage to kill a lead character. That alone is enough to make fans and non-fans watch out for the next installment.

And of course, as proven by Tsubasa Chronicle, the music by Yuji Kajiura simply fits the entire feel of the Tsubasa Chronicle world.

Screenshots available here.

xxxHOLIC: Shunmuki

Summary:
Watanuki and Kohane-chan work on preparing a meal for themselves as well as the fortune teller lady and Doumeki. Doumeki has a gift of expensive sake so the lady says she’ll have to drink it with her best cup. Doumeki and Kohane-chan go to retrieve it. While doing this, Kohane-chan inquires into the relationship between Doumeki and Watanuki since Watanuki is always getting upset. Doumeki recounts how their first meeting had Watanuki kick Doumeki but Doumeki saw Watanuki in a different light when he cradled a dead cat and commented on dying alone. Kohane-chan notes that Watanuki is no longer alone.

Doumeki and Watanuki leave that evening for Yuuko-san’s place, bringing the leftovers. Yuuko-san and Doumeki talk briefly of Watanuki’s accident where he fell out of the school window and after Doumeki leaves to help Watanuki, Yuuko-san reflects further on the aftermath of Watanuki’s accident as well as the moment that the 2nd Syaoran-kun arrived at her shop.

Meanwhile, Watanuki meets with Doumeki’s grandfather (Haruka-san) in a dream state. Haruka-san has a quest for Watanuki, so the following day, Doumeki and Watanuki check out the storage room on the temple grounds. Watanuki is looking for five items, the first being a book. Locating a book, Watanuki finds himself suddenly fishing with Doumeki, apparently having gone to sleep. That evening, the two are packing up to leave when a down burst occurs. They find a Japanese inn right nearby and the young lady who answers the door seems surprised to see them. A group of women inside offer hospitality of the inn to Doumeki and Watanuki, who accept to get out of the rain.

In a room, they dry off when the girl comes by to see them. She warns them to leave. The lamp in their room goes out, so Doumeki and Watanuki go to obtain more oil. They see a well-lit room and discover that the women inside are in fact bird-people (a type of youkai). Seeing they are discovered, the women give chase, planning to eat Watanuki and Doumeki. As they flee, Doumeki throws the fish bait at the bird-women, which causes them to stop in order to eat the bait. Doumeki and Watanuki escape, so Watanuki wonders if maybe the young lady has a bird connection with Doumeki. Doumeki remembers raising some chickens in elementary school, but they ate them all. With that, Watanuki and Doumeki find themselves back in the storage shed, having lived out the story of the book they found.

Summary courtesy of Astronerdboy

Review:
I love xxxHOLIC, but I don’t know why I don’t feel as much connection to this. Is it perhaps because the story is not very strong and put together? Or perhaps it’s one those independent stories again (meaning not in the manga and sort of like fillers). Well, the first parts were pulled out from the manga but I guess that’s only where I feel excited upon seeing the episode.

I thought the scene with the bird women is a reminder of how slowly the story has moved even in the manga as compared to Tsubasa Chronicle. So in this video, it seems there was no focal point to the entire story or a strong attachment to the cross over that is supposed to happen.

But this is only the first half with the next installment coming out in June so who knows how the entire story is going to fair.

One very noticeable good thing is the visuals – it’s a lot better than in the TV show. And alas! They finally made it cross over to Tsubasa, even for just a couple of seconds. It’s like a prelude of what’s to come in the next episode.

Screenshots available here.

*****JHAJR*****

Of CLAMP and Copycats

Whoever said “imitation is the best form of flattery” should be thrown into jail if he were alive to this day. Just imagine the completely wrong inspiration people have derived from that adage.

The world today deals with the worst case of piracy since such a problem came to be. From digital media to print, the problem born out of simple imitation has transpired and affected our lives like one potent and stubborn virus.

A giant target of piracy for years had been the anime industry. Piracy clung to it and sucked the life out of it. Unfortunately, the industry was never able to fight back. From audio CDs to full-length movies and posters to manga, no area of the industry was left unharmed.

China – a country with laid back copyright law – for instance, continuously provide leeches (those without a sense of copyright respect and gets their service penniless) with an increasing – and equally disturbing as well as financially debilitating – amount of access to piracy.

Around two years ago, the country had given another blow to the anime industry but specifically targeted a group of creative women mangakas popular throughout the world. This is where the name CLAMP comes into the spotlight – but one where they don’t get any credit at all.

China’s most popular publisher Joustar came to bring much excitement to teens with their line up of teen-oriented manga, this despite being relatively new to the industry.

But it wasn’t long until people recognized that Joustar had been making some unlawful actions – which were right in front of their products.

It would be foolish not to notice the sharp similarity between Joustar’s manga covers and those of one of the most popular mangakas of today’s generation. The poses, the situation, even the background are obviously screaming plagiarism.

What’s more surprising is that it seems Chinese publishers love to copy CLAMP artwork. From old titles like Tokyo Babylon to new and currently running mangas such as Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and Kobato, they have been stealing CLAMP ideas right in front of CLAMP fans in their country.

This thus begs the question: Was it lack of talent that drove these artists to copy other people’s hard work? Were they unknowing of any damage that their action would cause?

It was never publicly known whether any legal action from CLAMP was done against the Chinese publishers. It wasn’t even known whether CLAMP ever knew of the existence of the plagiarism.

Having been in the manga industry for more than two decades, CLAMP has made a significant contribution and has gained world renown. Thus, an equal amount of respect is one thing they deserve. This form of imitation over CLAMP’s original and hard-worked art is not only un-flattering, it’s insulting.

Reference:

A Tradition in Plagiarism

Lost Magician Image Gallery

*****JHAJR*****

100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Everything is inevitable. And for the witch dimension Yuuko Ichihara, nothing in life is without a reason for being.

Every word, every action happens for a reason. An unlikely encounter leads to something; an impulse manifests into an action; and every action produces a consequence of equal weight.

This mysterious knowledge is what drives various souls into Yuuko’s shop looking for a way to see through their dilemmas. And Yuuko awaits them in her front door, all-knowing of their desires and ready with the solution.

But life is one hard bargain and this dimension witch knows this truth more than anyone else. Hence, she reminds her customers of the hefty charge involved in the deal.

“Are you ready for the price?”

Yet for some, price is never a question. There are customers ready to make a deal despite the heavy consequence. Ready to risk it all, they’d do anything to get rid of their problems. And how can a bargain-loving witch refuse?

From the most typical stranger to the most unlikely of travelers, Yuuko’s shop welcomes them all.

Here are some of Yuuko’s more ordinary customers and how her outstanding service helped them one way or another.

: Lady Lie (episode 2)

Right after Yuuko met Watanuki and made the poor guy her maid, a lady came into the shop unknowing of her action. She’s been having a problem with moving her pinky. Yuuko asked her about any habit that she couldn’t quit but she dismissed it. She could never remember any. Yuuko handed her a ring and asked that she wear it all the time. It turned out that everything happened because of a bad habit of lying. Yuuko told her never to take off the ring and when she did, a black cloud engulfed her and rendered her unmoving in the middle of traffic. She paid the mistake with her own life after getting run over by a truck.

: Virtual addiction (episode 6)

Yuuko learned about the problem of a woman she met over the internet and decided to drop by the woman’s house when she and Watanuki went strolling in Ginza. The woman had an online addiction and this had started to cause problems with her family. Yuuko, who just bought a baseball bat, decided to help the woman by destroying the computer. Although Yuuko knew that the woman could buy another computer after she and Watanuki have left, Yuuko made sure that the woman had said she would try to cure her problem by herself.

: The Rain child (episode 7)

In the middle of a rainy day, a peculiar lady in an umbrella dropped by Yuuko’s shop to ask for Watanuki’s help. Watanuki and Doumeki came to a giant hydrangea plant that oddly produced red flowers. Upon closer investigation, Watanuki found a child’s corpse underneath the plant and almost took him with her. The dead had been making the flowers red. Days after the 10-hour struggle for Watanuki’s life, the rain child brought a “tube fox” as payment to Watanuki.

:Five wishes (episode 8)

Passing by Yuuko’s shop, a lady was mesmerized by the bunch of artifacts she saw in the front yard. She came in and took notice of a cylinder. Yuuko gave it to her with the promise to never open it. When it was accidentally opened, inside was the legendary “monkey’s hand” which the lady had read about capable making every wish come true. She started wishing for things she desired and for every granted wish, the finger snapped broken. Once she had used all of her wishes, the hand took her own life, grabbing her in the neck.

: Twin trouble (episode 14)

Watanuki and Doumeki met a pair of identical twins with opposite luck. One was optimistic and cute while the other tries to compete but to no avail. She just kept on bleeding whenever she looks down on herself for not being like her younger sister. Watanuki introduced her to Yuuko and the solution to her dilemma was to look different from her twin. She decided to have her hair cut and gave the strands to Yuuko as payment. What the twin had was apparently the problem of being tied down to words coming from her younger twin though neither of them noticed it.

: Picture-perfect crime (episode 20)

A woman came to Yuuko’s shop begging to help her throw away a picture that had been haunting her since her sister’s death. One time, Watanuki saw the woman’s sister in the picture eerily moved and be pushed to her death. The woman turned out to have ill remorse over what had happened. Yuuko granted the woman’s wish – and the picture disappeared like dust – but brought down a heavy consequence. The woman must never be captured by any electronic device or the moving image in the picture will be witnessed by everyone. And with the technology of today, there is only one thing for the woman to do to keep herself safe: lock herself forever.

: The kidnapped spirit (kei episode 3)

The Karasu Tengu, a group of spirits that look after the Zashiki-Warashi, came to Yuuko for help one day. Turned out, Zashiki Warashi was kidnapped and taken to a place where good spirits cannot enter. Watanuki and his fox tube pet went to the place and found Zashiki-Warashi trapped on a giant spider web. Watanuki finally met the ruler of the spiders who has been keeping his right eye – the payment for destroying the spider’s web in Doumeki’s family temple. Before leaving Yuuko’s shop, the Karasu Tengu had given their payment to Yuuko – the fan of the Tengu, which Yuuko said was too much for saving the Zashiki-Warashi.

: Hearing Things (kei episode 8)

A young lady came to Yuuko’s shop, hoping to find a solution to the frightening sounds she hears in her house. Yuuko gave her a bell but it seems the thing was not working. It only made the sounds worse. Yuuko added another bell. In the end, the young lady had to keep a handful of bells with her. But the frightening sounds got even worse. Soon, the room was exorcised and the young lady turned out to be a ghost that does not belong in that room. So her wish to make her place less frightening came true.

*****JHAJR*****