Kimihiro Watanuki
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is a fictional character introduced in the manga ''
xxxHolic ''xxxHolic'' (stylized as ''×××HOLiC''; pronounced "Holic") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. The series, which crosses over with another Clamp work, '' Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'', r ...
'', created by the group of
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
artists known as Clamp. Watanuki is a high school student plagued by his ability to see spirits. In order to lose such powers, Watanuki begins to work for
Yūko Ichihara is a fictional character in the manga ''xxxHolic'', which was created by the artist group Clamp. Yuko is a witch who owns a shop where people come to have their wishes granted, and most of her jobs involve dealing with supernatural beings. At ...
, a witch who will grant his wish once he pays the price for her services. Such jobs often involve Watanuki encountering other spirits attracted by him. Apart from ''xxxHolic'', Watanuki is featured in the crossover manga '' Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'', which explores his origins. He has also has been featured in their
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
adaptations, spin-offs as well as other works by Clamp, most notably the sequel ''xxxHolic Rei''. The character was created by Clamp to fill their need for a main character who would observe Yūko's work and learn from her supernatural activities.
Jun Fukuyama is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He played Lelouch Lamperouge in '' Code Geass'', Yukio Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Koro-sensei in '' Assassination Classroom'', Ichimatsu in '' Osomatsu-san'', Yuta Togashi in '' Love, Chunibyo & Other Delu ...
voiced the character in Japanese, and
Todd Haberkorn Todd Michael Haberkorn (born August 16, 1982) is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games. Some of his notable roles include Keroro from ''Sgt. Frog'', Allen Walker from '' D.Gray-man'', Death the ...
did so in English. To indicate Watanuki's growth, the anime staff asked Fukuyama in later animated works as well as the film.
Shōta Sometani is a Japanese actor from Koto, Tokyo. He is known for his protagonist roles in ''Himizu'' and ''Parasyte''. Career Sometani was a child actor. He has worked in both film and television, gaining his first leading role in ''Pandora's Box'', ...
portrays the character in the television drama. Kimihiro Watanuki initially generated mixed responses from manga and anime publications, whose reviews criticised his behaviour, while his maturity and wiser characterisation in later chapters was better received. Similarly, his return in the spin-off ''xxxHolic Rei'' also earned a positive response for friendlier interactions with the cast, despite acting like his younger persona.


Creation and development

With the
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
''
xxxHolic ''xxxHolic'' (stylized as ''×××HOLiC''; pronounced "Holic") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. The series, which crosses over with another Clamp work, '' Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'', r ...
'' being conceptualized as the Clamp
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
that would connect to other works produced by them, its authors sought to create a character who would fit into the role of protagonist. They initially created
Yūko Ichihara is a fictional character in the manga ''xxxHolic'', which was created by the artist group Clamp. Yuko is a witch who owns a shop where people come to have their wishes granted, and most of her jobs involve dealing with supernatural beings. At ...
; they believed Yūko was so interesting she could be the series' sole main character but felt the need of having an additional. Such character would see Yūko's life and could ask her about the supernatural events. This led to the creation of Kimihiro Watanuki. The dynamic between Yūko and Watanuki was inspired respectively with
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. First serialized in 1969, the manga's chapters were collected in 45 volumes published by Shogakukan from 1974 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic ...
and
Nobita Nobi is a fictional character and one of the main characters in the ''Doraemon'' anime and manga series created by Fujiko Fujio. Known as Sidney, Specky and Noby in some English localizations of the anime, Nobita is usually depicted as an elementar ...
from the manga series ''
Doraemon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. First serialized in 1969, the manga's chapters were collected in 45 volumes published by Shogakukan from 1974 to 1996. The story revolves around an earless robotic ...
''. Unlike Yūko, Watanuki's personality and design were not difficult to write or illustrate by the manga authors. He is based on a real beautician the Clamp have not identified. The protagonist of ''Tsubasa'', Syaoran, has his own
doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...
commonly referred to as "The Other Syaoran", who at the same time is deeply connected with Watanuki for reasons that are revealed late in ''Tsubasa''. Across the series, these characters are developed and choose their own paths to establish their own identities. The constant interactions between Watanuki and the Other Syaoran were made to build up why both of these characters are important in their respective series as well as to explore more the crossover element ''Tsubasa'' has with ''xxxHolic''. While the two meet in the first series, they do not have personal conversations until the climax and the sequels through their friends, the two creatures known as
Mokona Modoki The ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' manga series and its respective anime, animated adaptations feature a large cast of fictional characters designed by Clamp (manga artists), Clamp. The series takes place in a fictional multiverse with Parallel ...
s. Anime Director
Tsutomu Mizushima is a Japanese anime director and sound director. Career Mizushima was born in Chitose, Hokkaido and raised in Hata, Nagano (now Matsumoto, Nagano). He produced independent films in high school. When he graduated from Nagano Prefectural Matsumoto ...
of
Production I.G is a Japanese animation studio. Headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Production I.G was founded on December 15, 1987, by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto as I.G Tatsunoko, a branch studio of the animation giant Ta ...
referred to Watanuki as his favorite character from the series because of his personality, saying that he identifies with him. He also commented on Watanuki's characterisation as having a notable arc while still retaining his attractive design known in Japanese as ''
bishōnen is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty poem '' Eight Immortals ...
''. The staff commented that one of the biggest attractions of the series is Watanuki's skills as a chef as they are well-illustrated and well-animated in the anime. This is most notable in his new way of acting, resulting in the development of a quieter personality years after Yūko's death. Producer Toru Kawaguchi was surprised with Watanuki's development in the narrative despite the difficulties handling his character. Voice actress
Sayaka Ohara is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Haikyō. Her major roles include Alicia Florence in ''Aria'', Milly Ashford in ''Code Geass'', Erza Scarlet in '' Fairy Tail'', Irisviel in the '' Fate/Zero'' and '' Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya ...
said that thanks to Yūko's teachings about fate, Watanuki could grow up as an individual.


Casting

In Japanese,
Jun Fukuyama is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He played Lelouch Lamperouge in '' Code Geass'', Yukio Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Koro-sensei in '' Assassination Classroom'', Ichimatsu in '' Osomatsu-san'', Yuta Togashi in '' Love, Chunibyo & Other Delu ...
voices Watanuki. He was first cast for
Bee Train , commonly referred to simply as Bee Train, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kōichi Mashimo in 1997. Since their involvement with '' Noir'', '' .hack//Sign'', and '' Madlax'' (among other series) they have a strong following in the yu ...
's adaptation of ''Tsubasa'' but had no problem in contrast to Yūko's actress. Fukuyama was attracted by how his character was often part of the ''
tsukkomi The following glossary of words and terms (generally of Japanese language, Japanese origin) are related to ''owarai'' (Japanese comedy). Many of these terms may be used in areas of Japanese culture beyond comedy, including television and radio, ...
'', a Japanese inspired comedy gag where Watanuki acts irritated when dealing with people most notably Yūko. He also enjoyed interacting with the main cast and thus was glad that the series spawned the sequel, ''xxxHolic Kei''. In casting Fukuyama, the producers had him try a more innocent tone, in contrast to other roles he had played. When first cast to voice Watanuki, the differences between his character and Yūko's surprised Fukuyama. Although Fukuyama noted Watanuki tends to get irritated, he still had multiple traits that appealed to him. During the first audition, Fukuyama was looking forward to his role and was pleased when he was hired. Fukuyama regarded Watanuki as an
audience surrogate A narrative technique (also, in fiction, a fictional device) is any of several storytelling methods the creator of a story uses, thus effectively relaying information to the audience or making the story more complete, complex, or engaging. Some ...
lead because of his interactions with Yūko and the rest of the cast. Fukuyama aimed to work originally in ''Tsubasa'' based on Watanuki's role and felt in retrospective that he also enjoyed ''xxxHolic'' during its debut. His role in ''xxxHolic Rō'' also impressed the actor based on how much Watanuki changed because of his work as the shop's owner to the point the audience would want another sequel focused on Watanuki. During the ending of the anime by
Production I.G is a Japanese animation studio. Headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Production I.G was founded on December 15, 1987, by producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and character designer Takayuki Goto as I.G Tatsunoko, a branch studio of the animation giant Ta ...
, an episode focused on Watanuki's childhood that moved multiple members of the staff. Fukuyama was impressed by it and expressed curiosity about what happened if something else took place that was not shown to the audience. Fukuyama enjoyed his work and felt nostalgic for it years after the final
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
was released. For the character's role in '' Blood-C: The Last Dark'', Fukuyama needed to portray Watanuki as a mature despite not aging from his appearance in ''xxxHolic''.
Todd Haberkorn Todd Michael Haberkorn (born August 16, 1982) is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games. Some of his notable roles include Keroro from ''Sgt. Frog'', Allen Walker from '' D.Gray-man'', Death the ...
voices him in the English dub of the anime series. Haberkorn said that Watanuki would be the most ridiculed character in his career based on how he often ran away from '' yokais'' something that other characters he voiced are in charge of doing. In the live-action drama,
Shōta Sometani is a Japanese actor from Koto, Tokyo. He is known for his protagonist roles in ''Himizu'' and ''Parasyte''. Career Sometani was a child actor. He has worked in both film and television, gaining his first leading role in ''Pandora's Box'', ...
plays the character of Watanuki. He regarded his character as dignified based on his knowledge of the series and thus felt pressure in portraying him. Nevertheless, he expressed gratitude other members of the staff assisted him, including the director and
Anne Watanabe is a Japanese fashion model, actress and singer, the daughter of film actor Ken Watanabe and his first wife Yumiko. In her modeling work, she is known by the mononym Anne.Kuhn, Anthony"For Japanese Women, The Past Is The Latest Fad" Career Wat ...
who portrayed Yūko. Clamp also looked forward to the appearances of Watanuki and Yūko in the live-action version.


Appearances


In ''xxxHolic'' and ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle''

Watanuki is a high school student who has the ability to see spirits, and the result disturbs him. One day he stumbles, seemingly by chance, upon the wish-granting shop of
Yūko Ichihara is a fictional character in the manga ''xxxHolic'', which was created by the artist group Clamp. Yuko is a witch who owns a shop where people come to have their wishes granted, and most of her jobs involve dealing with supernatural beings. At ...
. She promises to end his ability to see spirits if he works part time in her shop until his work equals the value of his wish. Since he lives by himself, he can cook and clean, which pleases Yūko. Besides doing domestic tasks for Yūko, Watanuki often completes jobs of a spiritual or magical nature. Yuko's often insane requests usually enrage him, though he pays close attention whenever she is serious with him. While around his crush, Himawari Kunogi, Watanuki is usually cheerful and excited, whereas around
Shizuka Dōmeki The fictional characters appearing in the manga and anime series ''xxxHolic'' were developed by Clamp (manga artists), Clamp, a group of four mangaka, manga artists. The series takes place in modern Japan and focuses on various supernatural theme ...
he is much more irritable. Yūko advises Watanuki to become closer to Dōmeki though, as he can exorcise spirits. In the course of his work, Watanuki encounters spirits who take his right eye for the destruction of a web. He then shares Dōmeki's eyesight, which allows him to detect evil spirits. As thanks for his services, the spirits give Watanuki a protective pet fox named Kudagitsune. He meets a young medium named Kohane Tsuyuri and attempts to bring her a new life after learning how much abuse she has suffered. After nearly dying falling from his school's second floor, Watanuki learns he is related to a teenager named Syaoran, who paid Yūko for his health along with Himawari and Dōmeki. Watanuki learns this happened because of her bad luck, but still wishes to be with her, confessing his feelings for her while healing. In ''xxxHolic'' and ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'', it is revealed Syaoran created to replace his identity after he decided to turn back time. Syaoran paid the price with his imprisonment by the sorcerer Fei-Wang Reed. As a result, Watanuki became the child of Syaoran's parents and filled all the relationships Syaoran would have had. Filled with guilt, Watanuki gave up the memories of his past as the price to find Fei-Wang and help Syaoran. As he could not remember his parents, Watanuki's developed dark feelings, which led to spirits to chase him. Across the story, Watanuki overcomes his selfishness and becomes concerned about granting Yūko's wish. Watanuki's origins and interactions with Syaoran are also explored in ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' where Syaoran constantly tell Watanuki to develop his will to live. When Yūko dies, Watanuki resolves to take care of the shop so he can wait for her return. During the climax of ''Tsubasa'', Watanuki and Syaoran have to pay a price to survive Fei-Wang's dying curse with Watanuki's price being the "time in him", meaning he will never age. Following Yūko's death, Watanuki becomes the new master of the shop and takes up Yūko's job of granting wishes to the shop's customers during the last volumes of ''xxxHolic'' subtitled ''xxxHolic Rō''. His personality changes as he adopts some of Yūko's quirks and habits in order for his body to remember her, afraid of forgetting her. He is also unable to leave the shop, the price he paid to become the owner. Over the following years, Watanuki's powers become stronger, since he retains his ability to see spirits. He works with help from Dōmeki, who brings him materials from the outside along with Kohane. However, Watanuki has to cut ties with Himawari because of the way her bad luck would affect the shop. In the manga's finale, Watanuki has a dream of Yūko that serves as a message that Watanuki has become able to leave the shop thanks to his growing powers. Realizing it has been over a century, he instead decides to remain in the shop, still waiting to see Yūko visits again in person rather than in a dream.


Other appearances

Outside the ''xxxHolic'' and ''Tsubasa'' manga, Watanuki appears in the film '' xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2005), where he visits a collector's mansion and investigates the mystery behind multiple disappearances. The video game ''xxxHolic ~Watanuki no Izayoi Sowa~'' also features Watanuki. He is also a prominent character in the novelization ''Another Holic'' by
Nisio Isin , often stylized as NISIOISIN to emphasize the palindrome, is a pseudonymous Japanese novelist, manga author, and screenplay writer. Nisio debuted in 2002 with the novel ''The Beheading Cycle'' (the first in his '' Zaregoto'' series), which ea ...
. In the
original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
(OVA) ''xxxHolic Rō'', Watanuki, as the new shop's owner, receives a tape with Yūko's voice. In the second OVA, ''Adayume'', the spirit of Dōmeki's grandfather,
Haruka Haruka may refer to: People * Haruka (given name), a Japanese given name * Haruka (model) (born 1975), Japanese fashion model Music * "Haruka" (Melody song) * "Haruka" (Scandal song) * "Haruka" (Tokio song) * "Haruka" (Yoasobi song) Other us ...
, asks Watanuki to investigate his grandson's dreams now that his son is marrying Kohane. Accepting Haruka's constant teachings as his payment, Watanuki later meets Dōmeki, who tells him that Kohane's most important person is Watanuki, regardless of marriage. In August 2011, Clamp wrote the one-shot ''xxxHolic Shi'', where Watanuki meets real life singer
Shikao Suga is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo known for writing the theme songs for several anime, movies and commercial ads. His name in kanji is . He uses katakana as his professional name. Prior to career Suga went to in Suginami, ...
, who performed multiple themes for the ''xxxHolic'' animated adaptations. Suga wishes to become more famous, but Watanuki makes the singer become confused about the price needed for that. Watanuki appears as the protagonist of the manga ''xxxHolic Rei'' as Yūko's assistant. While seeing several of Yūko's cases, Watanuki realises his boss is waiting for him to make a decision that he ignores. He remembers he is living in an alternate dimension where Yuko is not dead. After saying goodbye to her, Watanuki returns to reality to give Syaoran a group of items he found in the alternative world. In ''Tsubasa World Chronicle'', he meets Syaoran and gives him the items, but is saddened having to lose Yūko again.
Shota Sometani is a Japanese actor from Koto, Tokyo. He is known for his protagonist roles in ''Himizu'' and ''Parasyte''. Career Sometani was a child actor. He has worked in both film and television, gaining his first leading role in ''Pandora's Box'', ...
plays Watanuki in the live action TV series. He also appears in other works from Clamp, including the seventeenth episode of the anime adaptation of ''
Kobato is a Japanese manga series by Clamp. It was first published in Shogakukan's manga magazine '' Monthly Sunday Gene-X'' from December 2004 to August 2005, under the title ''Kobato (kari)''. It was later serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's '' ...
'', where he receives a package from one of the series' characters. In the book ''Soel and Larg: The Adventures of Mokona Modoki'', he awakens the two creatures known as
Mokona Modoki The ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' manga series and its respective anime, animated adaptations feature a large cast of fictional characters designed by Clamp (manga artists), Clamp. The series takes place in a fictional multiverse with Parallel ...
. One of them stays in the shop while the other is used by protagonists from ''Tsubasa''. Other works include a CD drama where Yūko tells Watanuki how she created the two Mokonas with a sorcerer named
Clow Reed This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement stud ...
. In the manga '' Drug and Drop'', he hires its two protagonists for a job involving an encounter with a supernatural being. In ''
Blood-C ''Blood-C'' (stylized as ''BLOOD-C'') is a 2011 Japanese anime television series co-created by studio Production I.G and manga artist group CLAMP. It is the second anime series in the ''Blood'' franchise following the 2005–2006 seri ...
'' anime series, he appears as a
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
contacting the protagonist
Saya Kisaragi is the main protagonist of the ''Blood-C'' anime television series co-created by studio Production I.G and manga artist group CLAMP. Saya Kisaragi is first portrayed by her false life as an innocent and clumsy girl who acts as a shrine maiden ...
. He meets in person in the feature film '' Blood-C: The Last Dark'' (2012) where he grants her wish to obtain a new sword. In the ''Holitsuba'' CD drama series, Watanuki appears as a high school student from the titular school. In December 2015, Clamp collaborated with
Victor Entertainment is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Entertainment operates the RC ...
to create a music video involving a theme by Suga. Clamp drew Watanuki and Yūko, who feature in the video.


Reception

Initial reactions to Watanuki led to Clamp illustrator
Tsubaki Nekoi , is a member of the all-female manga-creating team Clamp. She is the co-director and her duties in the team include applying screentones and correcting manga illustrations. She was also the lead artist (a role that normally falls to Mokona) on ...
find that Watanuki was very popular with female readers. Nekoi believed this was because of his kind-hearted personality rather than his appearance, while head writer,
Nanase Ohkawa is a member of the all-female manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term i ...
, felt it was because of his multiple skills. In a ''xxxHolic'' poll published in ''The Official xxxHOLiC Guide'' from 2009, readers voted Watanuki the most popular character in the series. Critical reception to the character has been generally positive. Although Polley Dan of ''
Manga Life was a manga magazine published monthly by Takeshobo in Japan since the November 1984 issue (published in October 1984). Its original title was , and the change to ''Manga Life'' was made to better compete with '' Manga Time'', a rival magazine p ...
'' felt Watanuki seemed "a little bit weak to be the lead character", he and Ed Sizemore of ''Comics Worth Reading'' found that his interactions with other characters and his development across the series as elements to be praised. Matthew Alexander of ''Mania Entertainment'' liked most notably how caring he became towards Yuko's as he wonders about her. ''Manga News'' was harsher, stating that Watanuki lacks depth and sensitivity, describing him as superficial with a "humorous side, bordering on hysteria". Carlos Santos from ''Anime News Network'' criticised
Todd Haberkorn Todd Michael Haberkorn (born August 16, 1982) is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games. Some of his notable roles include Keroro from ''Sgt. Frog'', Allen Walker from '' D.Gray-man'', Death the ...
's work as Watanuki's English voice actor for making the character sound annoying rather than funny. When the manga revealed that Watanuki is related to '' Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle''s lead Syaoran, critics looked forward to Watanuki's role in ''Tsubasa'' too. Despite ''Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle'' ending, MangaNews stated that readers should check ''xxxHolic'' as it was still being written as such series had yet to finish Watanuki's story. In regards to how Watanuki's relationship with Domeki is handled, Kathryn Hemmann said it is widely discussed and accepted by Japanese fans of the series. Japanese fans have drawn several ''dōjinshi'' fan manga that imagine this relationship as open and explicit, something common within several apparent relationships explored in Clamp manga. The ''Manga News'' site praised Yūko's death in ''xxxHolic'' because of the newfound will to live Watanuki finds in her last moments. ''Manga News'' claims that Watanuki became a tragic character in the finale because of his loneliness, as his close friends died while he kept the shop, still waiting for Yuko's return. Clamp received multiple letters from fans who were saddened by Watanuki's decision to remain in the shop in self-exile, even after one hundred years, rather than return to society when given the option. Clamp were pleased with the readers' comments, realizing people cared for the character's fate. As a result, Clamp clarified that the self-exile was the happiness Watanuki wanted. ''Manga Bookshelf'' found Watanuki as a realistic teenager due to how he has a tendency of becoming irritated in contrast to another of Clamp's characters,
Subaru Sumeragi is the fictional protagonist of Clamp (manga artists), Clamp's manga series ''Tokyo Babylon''. The head of the , Subaru is a young ''onmyōdō, onmyōji'' in charge of exorcising demons and helping spirits reach the afterlife, while living with ...
from ''
Tokyo Babylon , also known as ''Tokyo Babylon: A Save Tokyo City Story'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Clamp (manga artists), Clamp. It follows Subaru Sumeragi, the head of the Sumeragi clan, and his sister Hokuto, as they work t ...
'', who is portrayed as a character who lacks his self values and is generally calm when interacting with his friends. In early chapters, Watanuki is portrayed as lonely child who attracted a spirit and befriended him. The inclusion of spirits being attracted to him is also a major theme in the series as it contrasts his lives with humans. However, Watanuki is deeply connected with his classmate Shizuka Domeki who assists him during problems. In once occasion, Domeki is forced to exorcise a spirit that is socializing with Watanuki at the same time his health is drained. Watanuki coming in terms with Domeki's actions serves as a major focus on his growth in the narrative. Although ''xxxHolic'' is classified as ''
seinen manga is an editorial category of Japanese comics marketed toward young adult men. In Japanese, the word means "youth", but the term " manga" is also used to describe the target audience of magazines like '' Weekly Manga Times'' and '' Weekly Man ...
'' (aimed towards adults), Watanuki is still compared with a more traditional ''
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
'' character in the book ''Manga Cultures and the Female Gaze'', as scholar Kathryn Hemmann finds that his portrayal and design make him more suitable for female readers. The same book listed him as an opposite to
Sakura Kinomoto is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, '' Cardcaptors'', she is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the s ...
from ''
Cardcaptor Sakura , abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Nakayoshi'' from the June 1996 to August 2000 issues, it was also published in ...
'' due to how different are their lives despite sharing similar traits, placing emphasis on Watanuki's loneliness. Domeki is also seen as another opposite to Watanuki due to their different built and linked their close bond to that of a ''shōjo manga'' romance. As the narrative passes, Yuko makes a major bond with Watanuki who is interested in granting her own wish instead. Hemmann further argued that while taking Yūko's role, he surpassed the "gendered limitations of errole", which was cast as a gendered archetype of a witch. Watanuki's changed characterization following Yūko's death was commented multiple times, with critics finding him to act similar to his mentor, and more mature, making him a fitting new protagonist. Similar to how Watanuki was compared to the teenager Subaru from ''Tokyo Babylon'', his older persona was compared with the adult Subaru from the ending of ''Tokyo Babylon'' and '' X'' as both became similar to the people they loved but still suffer from grief as time passes. The portrayal of Watanuki in the spin-off ''xxxHolic: Rei'' was the subject of mystery based on how he is most active by ''The Fandom Post'' and ''Anime News Network''. His relationship with his two friends remains awkward according to them, based on how they act suspicious of his actions. This led the writers to the point it felt like this reboot might attract older fans. Nevertheless, both reviews as and ''Comic Worth Reading'' felt that Watanuki's actions were appealing. ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
''s Richard Eisenbeis was critical of the Watanuki's cameo in the ''Blood-C: The Last Dark'' movie, describing it as low-quality
fan service , fanservice or Example: A frame (numbered "25") from the English opening sequence of '' New Cutie Honey'', in which character Danbei Hayami fires a Rocket Punch as main character Honey Kisaragi lies topless and prone in the background, i ...
. Eisenbeis felt
Shōta Sometani is a Japanese actor from Koto, Tokyo. He is known for his protagonist roles in ''Himizu'' and ''Parasyte''. Career Sometani was a child actor. He has worked in both film and television, gaining his first leading role in ''Pandora's Box'', ...
's portrayal of Watanuki's character was appropriate, but believed Anne Watanabe who played Yūko overshadowed him.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watanuki, Kimihiro Anime and manga characters introduced in 2003 Fictional characters based on real people Fictional characters missing an eye Fictional characters with amnesia Fictional characters with extrasensory perception Fictional characters with heterochromia Fictional domestic workers Fictional hermits Fictional servants Fictional shopkeepers Male characters in anime and manga Orphan characters in anime and manga Teenage characters in anime and manga Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle characters XxxHolic characters