XXXHolics

You've read Chobits, you've watched School Detectives and you've salivated over Card Captor Sakura. And now you want more. Well, you got it, in the form of xxxHolic, the latest manga from CLAMP.
Watanuki Kimihiro is not an average high schooler. He lives alone, can cook better than anyone his age and he can see demons. His life is a mess until he stumbles into Yuko's spiritual shop. There, he begins work under the promise that she can cure him of his problems. But this isn't any normal after school job.
When you're dealing with a CLAMP manga, there are a few things you know to expect. But that's not always a bad thing. The art style in xxxHolic is some of their best, with intricate background and the occasional action scene. And of course, meticulously drawn, incredibly outlandish outfits for the female lead, in this case Yuko. In particular, the eye catches Yuko sporting some of the most complex dress designs ever seen. This attention to detail also applies to the characters, who are all unique, as well as expressive.
The story, on the other hand, doesn't start as strong as the art. While there are underpinnings of a complex story, they seem more to put Yuko and Watanuki together as foils. After that, it's almost a monster-of-the-week style you'd see in some generic shonen manga. A crossover with Tsubasa Chronicle doesn't seem to add much to the plot so much as to encourage readers to buy that series as well. If those beginnings are built on, we could be looking at a spectacular manga. But if the current format continues, it's bound to get stale by volume 3.
Fortunately, even if the story is a bit dry at this point, the characters aren't. The relationship between Yuko and Watanuki is an interesting one, to say the least. They play off each other well. We see little of Watanuki's classmates other than his love interest, Himawari, but there seems to be good potential for improvement.
If you like CLAMP's other works, you'll love xxxHolic. For a different take on the demon-of-the-week formula, it also excels. But if you're looking for a huge over-reaching story, I suggest you wait a few volumes to see if this can rise above it's start.