Kimihiro Watanuki

Infobox animanga character
colour = #DEDEE2
name = Kimihiro Watanuki
series = "xxxHolic"
""


caption = "Watanuki Kimihiro, as seen in xxxHolic (anime)"
first = Episode one, Chapter one
last =
creator = Clamp
voiced by = Jun Fukuyama (Jpn)
Todd Haberkorn (Eng)
Robin Kahnmeyer (Ger)
cause =
nickname =
alias =
species = Human
gender = Male
age = Somewhere around 15-17
born = April 1
death =
occupation = Student
title =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives = Sakura Kinomoto (mother, deceased) [Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle 201] Syaoran Li (father, deceased) Clow Reed (distant relative, deceased)
episode = nihongo|Kimihiro Watanuki|四月一日君尋|Watanuki Kimihiro is a fictional character in the Clamp manga, and anime, "xxxHolic". The manga is currently ongoing and the anime series started 6 April 2006. He is voiced by Jun Fukuyama and in English is voiced by Todd Haberkorn. He is almost always referred to by his last name.

tory

Watanuki is a high school student whose life has been a rather difficult one — not only have both his parents died, forcing him to live alone, but he is plagued daily by spirits that only he can see (both the ability to see them and the cause of their attacks are evidently heritable traits—apparently Watanuki's blood smells very delicious to spirits).

On one run-of-the mill day, while Watanuki is being attacked by a monster, he falls over and his hand touches a fence. Oddly, the monster is instantly repelled. Beyond the fence is a very strange house, and before he knows it, Watanuki has stumbled past the two fence posts and into the courtyard of the house. Two little girls appear at the front door and take him by the hand, welcoming him into the house as a guest. Watanuki argues that he only stumbled in by accident, but a strange voice replies that it was inevitable he stumble in—it was "hitsuzen". This voice belongs to the powerful sorceress Yūko Ichihara, and the home he has stumbled into is actually a store that grants wishes.

Yūko asks what Watanuki wishes for, and although he never asks for anything directly Yūko sort of telepathically knows that Watanuki wants to stop seeing and being abused by his "spiritual friends". Yūko agrees to fulfill his wish, but only for an equitable payment—he must work at her store as payment, and when his "diligence" has balanced out his wish, she will grant it. This marks the beginning of Watanuki's very involved part-time job, a fated meeting with a certain quartet from "", and so many "chance" happenings which occur not out of coincidence, but "hitsuzen".

Personality

Watanuki is known for a having both a volatile and caring nature to him. Depending upon the person he talks to, his emotions tend to be overly exaggerated. With Himawari he throws himself into the air accompanied by hearts and a "Himawari-chaaaaan!!" squeal. With Domeki, he almost always expresses irritation with various facial expressions, screaming, and arm motions that reminds Himawari of an angry cat. With the exception of these two and Yūko, Watanuki tends to address everyone around him with formality and kindness.

One of Watanuki's greater problems, especially early on in the manga, is his lack of self-worth. He found absolutely no value in himself and would often use himself to aid another, even if his life were at stake. An example of this is when he willingly gives up his right eye to the Spider's Grudge to save Domeki's, without considering how much his decision might hurt Domeki. He's forced to face up to this problem when trying to save the Zashiki-Warashi from the Joro-Gumo, when the spider matron harshly chatises him for his lack of consideration for both his own self and those who cared about him. Faced with the facts of how much he's hurt those around him, Watanuki begins to see some value in himself. He will still often use himself to save others, but now he is mindful of just how much his actions hurt other people.

At the shop

Life for Watanuki changes significantly once he starts working as Yūko's assistant (rather, her very indignant indentured servant) who not only cooks (wonderfully), cleans (diligently), and complains (constantly), but finds himself performing very odd jobs and learning more about the occult.

Existence

Volume 12 - 13 of the manga deals with the mystery surrounding Watanuki. Volume 12 already hinted that he is falling more asleep and dwelling in the dream world. In chapters 143 and 144, Watanuki admits to being bothered by the fact that he could not remember details of his life including his parents' names, his school year, and anything about people he meets outside of the shop besides Dômeki and Himawari. Nor is he ever seen eating or remembering eating. It is revealed in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle that Watanuki gave his memories to Yūko as the price to protect and help the travelers as well as to help locate both Sakura. It is revealed by Yūko in chapter 157 of xxxHolic that both Watanuki's and the clone Sakura's memories are sealed in black Mokona's left earring (Watanuki's memories of his parents, Sakura's memories of Syaoran). Not only is his memory of his past erased, but so is his memory of the exchange. After expressing doubts about his humanity, Yūko then assures him that he is in fact human, "like that boy [Syaoran] ", and shares a strong bond with him.

In Chapter 201 of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, during Syaoran's flashback explaining his travel in time in order to save Sakura (among other concepts), a key piece of information is revealed about the relationship between Syaoran and Watanuki. According to the chapter, Watanuki was created in order to fill the time Syaoran turned back and to fill in the void left by the relationships that Syaoran paid as his price to travel back in time. Watanuki is, in essence, "another Syaoran", as it is said by Fei Wong Reed to Syaoran that "He is no brother. He is you "yourself"." Watanuki becomes the son of Syaoran's true parents (Sakura and Syaoran from CCS), as Syaoran's relationship with them was sacrificed. Fei Wong Reed says that the "distortion" between Syaoran and Watanuki would cause pain to both Syaoran's parents and Watanuki himself; however, Yūko contradicts him by saying that the future has yet to be ordained. [Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle Chapter 201]

Relationships and connections

* Yūko Ichihara - Watanuki's employer at his part time job in exchange for a wish he had. Their relationship is more of a master-slave and Mentor-student than anything romantic. She likes to tease him often, going as far as flirting with him or acting seductive, which irritates Watanuki more often than not. Yūko teaches him through experience (often humiliating if not near life and death situations) how he can grow and mature and seek his purpose. In chapter 144 she appears surprised by his offer to grant "her" wish, and the two embrace after she assures him of his humanity.

* Shizuka Dômeki - A classmate, who Watanuki sees as his rival mostly for Himawari's affections. He is Watanuki's polar opposite in terms of personality; while Watanuki is reactive and easily annoyed, Dômeki is generally calm and to the point with everything he does. Around Dômeki, Watanuki is safer when encountering any malicious spirits since Dômeki is a spirit repellent. Despite Watanuki's rants as to how annoying it is to be with Dômeki, Watanuki seems to willingly stay in his company and will make food for Dômeki, himself, and Himawari when he says he will not. He often accompanies Watanuki in his assignments, ask him to make lunch for him, gets him to do chores and saves him most of the time in trouble, much to Watanuki's annoyance. However, it was already foretold that Watanuki will meet someone like Dômeki and their relationships are said to run deeper.

* Himawari Kunogi - Watanuki's crush. She is always friendly towards him and appreciates his kindness. However, she avoided any further relationship with him because of her bad luck. Himawari goes to the same school as Watanuki and Dômeki.

* Zashiki-warashi - A Vestal Sprite of pure and innocent spirit. Naive and shy, she is easily moved to tears and has fallen in love or is infatuated with Watanuki. She gave him a Valentine's Day chocolate, but took it from Dômeki's body (later returning it to Watanuki). She risked her life trying to get Watanuki's eye back from the Spider Queen, but the Queen's evil spirit was poisonous to her. Watanuki saved her life in turn. In Chapter 121, Zashiki Warashi appears again with the Ame Warashi to check in on Watanuki after a tragic accident from volume 10, chapters 118-119. Watanuki remarks that her voice had "changed", or had become "firmer than before."

* Kohane Tsuyuri - The 11 year old prodigy in Spirit exorcism. She is introduced in Volume 9. No one has called her by her first name as long as she could remember. Watanuki being the first to call her " Kohane-chan" and be the one to give her first true act of kindness and in return she becomes the first person to call Watanuki by his first name, Kimihiro, since the death of his parents. She and Watanuki somewhat share a bond and Yūko has commented that their powers are the same; though she doesn't attract spirits, unlike Watanuki. She can also sense that Watanuki is not like normal human beings and that he could understand spirits like she does. Watanuki is very concerned about her well-being, even going so far as to make her a pair of gloves. He was most worried after seing an injured Kohane after the TV show incident where she was labeled as a fraud. Also he senses the indifference she has with her mother.

* - It is not fully explained yet what the connections are between the two, but it is indicated that the futures of both Watanuki and the Syaorans of "Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles" are closely intertwined. He met the clone on Volume 1 of TRC as well as xxxHolic, and in chapter 119 of xxxHolic, Watanuki was able to see a short glimpse of the real Syaoran. Also, Sakura, after meeting Watanuki in a dream, states that Watanuki is very much like Syaoran. In chapter 140, the real Syaoran asks him "not to disappear" when Watanuki blacks out. In chapter 168 of TRC, Syaoran tells Watanuki that "You and I are closer than anyone else." Then in Chapter 181 of Tsubasa, Watanuki already paid a price so Syaoran and co. could find both Sakuras. He did this so he could pay back Syaoran and to let go of his haunting past. Again in chapter 181 of Tsubasa, Yuuko says to Syaoran [when she reveals that a price has been already paid for a wish he wants] , "From the person who is closer to Syaoran than anyone else." In chapter 201, of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, it is revealed that Watanuki is infact a duplicate of Syaoran, born from Syaoran's wish to go back and save Sakura from death. He was created to have the relationships Syaoran gave up, in order to save Sakura. He became the son of Syaoran's parents (Sakura and Syaoran from Cardcaptor Sakura), and holds all the relationships Syaoran should have had, if he had not made his wish.

* - She and Watanuki share the same birthday (April First). He keeps Sakura's soul company in the dream world she escaped to following her separation from the TRC group, but their relationship and his role in the story is still not defined.

* Watanuki's parents - They died when he was very young. In volume 12 of the manga after a talk with Sakura in his dreams he realizes that he cannot remember his parents' names. It has been revealed in Chapter 181 of Tsubasa, that he helped Syaoran and co. by giving up his memories of his past, as a future payment after Syaoran had paid a price to help Watanuki when he fell out a window. That's why he doesn't remember his parents' names at all. In XXXHolic Kei they were made a partial appearance in Watanuki's dream state after his fall from the school building. However unlike in the manga where they were able to speak to Watanuki, the anime showed their hand pulling Watanuki up and patting his head before disappearing. In chapter 165 after Watanuki served Yuuko and Mokona some potato nigoroshi, Mokona mentioned how Watanuki's cooking tastes like his fathers. A picture of the 2 small Mokona's is later shown with Clow Reed

* Clow Reed - In some speculations Watanuki looks like a teenage version of Clow Reed or that of Eriol from Card Captor Sakura. In chapter 165, it is heavily hinted that he is a distant relative of Clow Reed

Watanuki's background

In chapter 2 of Volume 3 (Chapter 30), there is a hint that Watanuki has a higher purpose to the xxxHolic universe than to simply do Yūko's handiwork and have his wish granted. In the final panel, Yūko cryptically remarks, "Watanuki is a good kid, didn't we both think that? Clow..." This strongly suggests that Watanuki's arrival at the store was expected and possibly prepared for, just as Clow Reed and Yūko prepared the Mokona's for the Tsubasa group's arrival and Sakura's staff (the Sakura of Cardcaptor Sakura) well in advance. Yūko also mentions that her store was created specifically for a future event. At this point, the audience can only speculate as to what said event is. It is also worth mentioning that Watanuki and Sakura share the same birth date: April 1. It can also be noted that Watanuki's given name, Kimihiro, means "Prophet", Yūko's fortune teller friend comments this is a good name for him. Watanuki also displays some precognitive abilities, notably the morning before he lost his eye he has a dream where half his field of vision is blocked out.

In later chapters of the manga Yûko allows Watanuki to experience things on his own to contribute to his growth and maturity. This was explained in Volume 8 of the manga, where the change of his character was shown when he saved the Zashiki Warashi from the Spider Queen. This was noticed by other supernatural beings as well.

Watanuki loses sight in his right eye after it was eaten by the Spider Queen/Ruler of Spiders in Volume 8, and Watanuki now shares half of his right's eye vision with Dômeki. Chapter 121's colored first page reveals that his eyes are now heterochromatic with one blue eye and one golden eye - gold being the colour of Doumeki's eyes.

In chapter 152 of "Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle", Watanuki is revealed to be in a dream world with Sakura's soul. Yūko states that he "will become a chance that will change the future again." When Kurogane asked who that person is, Yūko only said, "That's an unrelated story...for now", hinting that Watanuki may one day encounter the TRC group.

Another area of concern that Watanuki has now been lately falling into dream like state regardless any time of the day or circumstances, such as when Kohane's mother splashes hot water on him after he temporarily blacked out.

In Chapter 181 of Tsubasa, Yuuko reveals that Watanuki has sold his memories to Yuuko. She says, "...Also he paid me the same price in the past as the princess who traveled with you [memories] . And he has forgotten about his own past, the names of his parents... Even about having handed the price over to me. For the sake of the same wish you have [as Syaoran has] ."

It xxxHolic chapter 157 it is revealed that Watanuki's wish to know both Sakura's locations in exchange for his own memories was granted "before" his "first" time entering the shop, meaning that Watanuki had already met Yuuko before the story began, but his memory of that event was erased. The feather removed from Kohane apparently contains Sakura's memory of Syaoran. The black Mokona's earring contains Watanuki's memory of making the wish to save two futures.

In chapter 158 the old woman fortune teller hinted that Domeki was the destined person she foresaw before that he would be friends with. She also stated that Watanuki has matured but as well as Yuuko changing in herself, the images later shows a postcard sent from Yuuko.

Also, in chapter 165 of xxxHolic, it is hinted that Watanuki's distant relative is Clow Reed. This could be true, as they look slightly the same. In chapter 201 of "Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles", the final revelation of Watanuki's true identity is revealed via a flashback of Syaoran's. Syaoran, in order to save his Sakura, made a wish to turn back time top alter her destiny. However, such a powerful wish came at the cost of his freedom and happiness. Watanuki is born from this wish to fill in the "void" left by Syaoran's time traveling, and is described as his "other self" that was never meant to exist. Thus, he would fill in Syaoran's place as the child of his parents. Fei Wong Reed remarks that the child would bring suffering to their parents as well as himself, but Yuuko appears and assures Syaoran that the future has yet to be ordained.

ources

References