Beautifully animated with engaging stories and lovable characters, the latest volume of xxxHolic satisfies the need for a little back porch philosophy and a little magic.  While volume 5 continues with a quality series, the one element that could be considered missing is, perhaps, that elusive, overarching plot.  Most likely I am simply spoiled by the manga and its hints at much larger goings-on, which has been developing nicely over the last twelve volumes.  Granted, the manga-verse is a busy place; it makes sense from a production point of view to pull out the standalone story arcs and turn them into single episodes for the anime.  After waiting four dvd volumes for the plot to show up, it's safe to assume that xxxHolic is just that: an episodic series.  I almost wish it was more, but for what it is, the series handles itself very well.

Kimihiro Watanuki leads a perfectly normal life.  He goes to school, has a crush on a cute girl, is a domestic god fit to rival Martha Stewart, and possesses the ability to see spirits.  They are attracted to him like flies to honey, making his life...interesting.  Perhaps he isn't so normal after all...  An unexpected trip into an unassuming little shop changes everything for Watanuki, when he meets the space-time witch, Yuko.  Yuko can grant any wish, for a price.  There is always, always a price, and for Watanuki, Yuko's fee is a part-time job in her shop.  Once she feels he has met her requirements, she will grant his wish to never be affected by spirits again.  In the meantime, however, Watanuki's existence just went from quirky to downright odd.

All manner of people and creatures visit Yuko's curious shop, seeking solutions or just visiting.  One woman is compelled to break even the simplest of rules.  Another wishes for a photograph to disappear.  Yuko invites Watanuki and his friends to a snowball challenge, with a wish-granting treasure box as the prize.  Watanuki finds himself in over his head when a gift from one of Yuko's friends involves him in a parade of demons.  The variety of the stories made this one of the more entertaining volumes.  The snowball fight is particularly amusing, and the photograph episode is downright creepy, exploring the nature of fear and what, exactly, makes something scary.  Yuko's final comment, "...there's more than one way to end a life," sounds almost prophetic, and after that episode, certainly sent a chill down my spine.  Some tantalizing hints for what could be in store for Watanuki are sprinkled in amongst the demons on parade, but they might be more meaningful for those who are reading the manga.

xxxHolic has been a treat to watch, and volume 5 continues to feature quality artwork that remains visually interesting.  The slender, lanky characters are graceful and work well against the backgrounds, which are truly delightful.  Large, softly colored patterns overlaid on solid blocks of color are a modern twist on traditional Japanese woodblock prints.  An architectural element, a vase, or a plant used to divide the image on the screen is eye-catching and often significant, when characters are separated in a scene.  Be on the lookout for the wonderful repetition of smoke and butterflies. 

With the exception of a few less-than-stellar episodes to date, xxxHolic has been consistently entertaining, offering lovely artwork, engaging characters, and varied plots.  While there might not be an overarching plot, each episode in the volume is self-contained, and tells a complete, well-crafted story.  xxxHolic is worth buying for drooling over Yuko's costumes alone, and the series itself is pretty good, too!

Details: Runtime 100 minutes, contains episodes 17-20.  Extras include an image gallery, textless songs, and trailers.  Volume 5 release date is September 9.