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xxxHolic watch order

Kimihiro Watanuki can see spirits and hates it, so he stumbles into the shop of Yuko, the Dimensional Witch, who grants wishes for a price. To pay for his, he works as her housekeeper, getting pulled into supernatural cases with his rival Domeki and his crush Himawari. CLAMP's moody supernatural series, running alongside Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.

First time? Watch season 1 and Kei, then the OVAs Shunmuki and Rou. The movie is a standalone extra, and the Tsubasa crossovers are optional.

Story order

The movie stands apart from the TV continuity and introduces the cast its own way, so it's listed after season 1, where it's easiest to enjoy. The OVAs follow Kei in the order they continue the story.

  1. xxxHolic (Season 1) TV, 2006, 24 episodes

    Watanuki starts working for Yuko and each episode brings a new client, spirit or curse, with his bond with Domeki slowly growing. Mostly episodic, and it leaves out the manga's references to Tsubasa, which was airing on TV at the same time.

  2. xxxHolic the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream (optional) Movie, 2005

    An hour-long standalone story: Yuko, Watanuki and Domeki are invited to a strange mansion full of collectors and their treasures. Released as a double feature with the Tsubasa movie, a year before the TV series. Not tied to the TV continuity; optional.

  3. Tsubasa the Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (crossover) (optional) Movie, 2005

    The other half of the 2005 double feature, starring the Tsubasa cast. Only for Tsubasa viewers; optional.

  4. xxxHolic: Kei (Season 2) TV, 2008, 13 episodes

    Same staff and cast, and much more serialised: the spider curse that costs Watanuki the sight in one eye (episodes 1–3), the child medium Kohane (from episode 5) and the truth about Himawari (episodes 11–13). Closer to the manga's main plot.

  5. xxxHolic Shunmuki OVA, 2009, 2 episodes

    Two OVAs originally released with the manga in Japan. Domeki's grandfather Haruka appears in Watanuki's dreams and sends him and Domeki after a set of items, which leads Watanuki into a dream world. It links straight into the Tsubasa OVA Spring Thunder Chronicles.

  6. Tsubasa: Spring Thunder Chronicles (crossover) (optional) OVA, 2009, 2 episodes

    The Tsubasa side of the Shunmuki story, re-using some of its scenes, where Watanuki makes a trade that matters later. Needs the Tsubasa series to follow; optional here.

  7. xxxHolic Rou (and Rou Adayume) OVA, 2010–11, 2 episodes

    A time skip: Yuko is gone and Watanuki now runs the shop himself, waiting for her, with Domeki still at his side. Episode 2, Adayume, has Watanuki looking into Domeki's dreams. The big events that lead here happen in the manga, not the anime.

Release order

The movie opened in 2005 as a double feature with the Tsubasa movie. The OVAs were released with special editions of the manga between 2009 and 2011.

  1. xxxHolic the Movie: A Midsummer Night's Dream (optional) Movie, 2005

    An hour-long standalone story: Yuko, Watanuki and Domeki are invited to a strange mansion full of collectors and their treasures. Released as a double feature with the Tsubasa movie, a year before the TV series. Not tied to the TV continuity; optional.

  2. Tsubasa the Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (crossover) (optional) Movie, 2005

    The other half of the 2005 double feature, starring the Tsubasa cast. Only for Tsubasa viewers; optional.

  3. xxxHolic (Season 1) TV, 2006, 24 episodes

    Watanuki starts working for Yuko and each episode brings a new client, spirit or curse, with his bond with Domeki slowly growing. Mostly episodic, and it leaves out the manga's references to Tsubasa, which was airing on TV at the same time.

  4. xxxHolic: Kei (Season 2) TV, 2008, 13 episodes

    Same staff and cast, and much more serialised: the spider curse that costs Watanuki the sight in one eye (episodes 1–3), the child medium Kohane (from episode 5) and the truth about Himawari (episodes 11–13). Closer to the manga's main plot.

  5. xxxHolic Shunmuki OVA, 2009, 2 episodes

    Two OVAs originally released with the manga in Japan. Domeki's grandfather Haruka appears in Watanuki's dreams and sends him and Domeki after a set of items, which leads Watanuki into a dream world. It links straight into the Tsubasa OVA Spring Thunder Chronicles.

  6. Tsubasa: Spring Thunder Chronicles (crossover) (optional) OVA, 2009, 2 episodes

    The Tsubasa side of the Shunmuki story, re-using some of its scenes, where Watanuki makes a trade that matters later. Needs the Tsubasa series to follow; optional here.

  7. xxxHolic Rou (and Rou Adayume) OVA, 2010–11, 2 episodes

    A time skip: Yuko is gone and Watanuki now runs the shop himself, waiting for her, with Domeki still at his side. Episode 2, Adayume, has Watanuki looking into Domeki's dreams. The big events that lead here happen in the manga, not the anime.

Explained

How does xxxHolic connect to Tsubasa?

Yuko's shop is where Syaoran's group in Tsubasa pays to travel between worlds, and the manga's later story ties Watanuki and Syaoran together. The TV anime leaves almost all of that out: season 1 was not allowed to show the Tsubasa cast while that show was airing. The links only surface in the 2005 double-feature movies and in Shunmuki and Spring Thunder Chronicles.

Why does Rou feel like it skips a lot?

Because it does. Between Kei and Rou, the manga covers Yuko's fate and the full Tsubasa crossover, which the anime never adapted. Rou jumps to years later, with Watanuki running the shop. Reading the manga from roughly where Kei ends fills the gap.

Is the movie canon?

It's a standalone story that doesn't connect to the TV series' continuity. Watch it whenever you like; it's an easy, hour-long taste of the series.

Is there a newer version?

Not in anime. There's a live-action TV drama from 2013 and a live-action film by Mika Ninagawa from 2022, both separate from this guide.

Is it dubbed?

Funimation dubbed the first season and the movie. Kei and the Shunmuki and Rou OVAs never got an English release.