| XxxHOLiC Shunmuki: First Half (Zenpen) | |
| Season Special, Episode 1 | |
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| Air Date | February 17, 2009 |
| Episode Guide | |
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Next Last Half (Kōhen) |
Zenpen (前編) is the first episode in the Shunmuki OVA series.
The opening theme in this episode was Sofa.
The ending theme in this episode was Cherish.
Plot[]
Watanuki stands confused looking inside a room. The doors to the outside open and he sees Yuuko standing underneath a blooming cherry tree. She tells him that this is a dream.
Watanuki is in a kitchen cooking with an older Kohane. Kohane’s grandmother enters the kitchen and compliments them on the smell of the soup. Watanuki hears a crunching noise. He enters another room and yells at Doumeki for crunching loudly when he eats. The four sit down to lunch. Doumeki presents the grandmother with a bottle of sake. Doumeki and Kohane go to look for special cups to drink the sake out of. She comments on how much Watanuki has changed and how he has in turn, changed the people he meets. Including Yuuko.
Kohane talks with Doumeki about his and Watanuki’s friendship. She says that Watanuki is no longer alone; she found happiness after meeting him. After lunch, Kohane and her grandmother see the two boys off. Kohane hands Watanuki a bento box to give to Yuuko and Mokona.
As Watanuki and Doumeki walk back to Yuuko’s shop they talk about how Kohane has changed. Watanuki reflects on his past, when he fell out a window and Doumeki gave him equal the large amount of blood he lost. Watanuki stutters out a “thank you” to Doumeki. When they reach the shop, Mokona bursts out quoting Watanuki saying “thank you.” Yuuko appears having also overheard the conversation and tells Watanuki she is glad he finally thanked Doumeki. Watanuki heads to the kitchen to get dishes for dinner.
Yuuko and Doumeki sit on the back porch and talk about the changes in Watanuki. Yuuko thinks back to the people who made a sacrifice for Watanuki to live. There were three people involved: Doumeki, Himawari, and Syaoran Li (the original). She reveals the closest living being to Watanuk is Syaoran. The scene then switches to one in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OVA: Shunraiki. Sakura is asleep in the cherry tree outside Shirasagi Castle in Nihon with her companions watching over her. And then Syaoran says "Don't dissapear..." he's talking about Watanuki when saying this. Yuuko notes that soon Watanuki’s entire existence will be returned.
Watanuki sits outside his room next Haruka Doumeki--the spirit of Doumeki’s grandfather. He thanks Haruka for saving him when he was in a dream world after falling out the window. Watanuki asks if there’s anything he can do to thank him. Haruka asks Watanuki to search for five things.
Watanuki and Doumeki enter the book storage house at the Doumeki Temple. Watanuki says they are looking for a modern era storybook. Doumeki finds the book and hands it to Watanuki. They are transported to a pond where they are fishing. Doumeki tells Watanuki he fell asleep. The boys end the evening with no fish. Rain begins to fall down heavily. The two espy a nearby house and walk towards it.
Watanuki calls out and a girl answers. A group of women appear. The apparent owner tells Watanuki and Doumeki to make themselves at home. Watanuki and Doumeki are sitting and drying off in a room, when the girl tells them to leave the inn as soon as possible. The light goes out and Watanuki and Doumeki go in search of more oil. They pass by a room in which the women are talking. Their shadows change from women to large birds. The bird women talk about breaking apart and eating the two boys. Watanuki and Doumeki run for their lives chased by the bird women holding knives. Doumeki asks Watanuki what happens because he thinks the story is similar to one he read before. The bird women surround the two, but before they are eaten, Doumeki throws some food behind him. The birds all surge towards the food allowing the boys to escape.
Watanuki and Doumeki are then returned to their own world. Doumeki realizes they were inside the book he found. His grandfather had told him that anyone with power who touched the book would cause the story to become real. If they had been eaten in the book, they would have been gone in real life as well. Watanuki complains that looking for Haruka’s things will be too difficult, but vows to find them anyway because he promised.