Legal Drug Omnibus

Art: 5* (It's CLAMP, come on)Story: 3Pacing: 3Overall: 3 1/2*So CLAMP wrote another shonen-ai... Somebody hold me please.Why is this series called Legal Drug? No idea. Aside for the fact that the characters work at a pharmacy, there doesn't seem to be a specific link to drugs/medicine just from these first volumes. Knowing CLAMP, however, it'll probably be all explained in a much later volume (that doesn't exist yet because this series has been on a hiatus for way too long).Kazahaya (right) & Rikuo (left), the main ship.The story follows four guys who each have a special ability that normal people don't have. Kazahaya can see residual energy and memories when he touches something or someone; Rikuo can break/destroy small objects with his energy(?) and is also a bodyguard/protector for Kazahaya; Kakei has the gift of precognition and can see into the near future; and Saiga's abilities are kept in the dark, but it's said that he's an excellent investigator. Kazahaya and Rikuo both have a unclear background and are searching for “their most important person;” Kei for Kazahaya (his sister), and Tsukiko for Rikuo (we don't know their exact relationship at this point in the story).Girlriends? Sisters? Who knows.The boys work for Kakei at his pharmacy, but their main job is to go on various missions to find supernatural things/solve problems for mystery clients (think Yuko & Watanuki sort of dynamic).The similarities between this story and CLAMP's other works is quite obvious. Kazahaya and Rikuo are basically foils of Watanuki and Doumeki in [b:xxxHolic, Vol. 1 228063 xxxHolic, Vol. 1 (xxxHOLiC, #1) CLAMP https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388216406l/228063.SY75.jpg 236439], and even have some similarities with Fai and Kurogane in [b:Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 1 13570 Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Vol. 1 CLAMP https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386920662l/13570.SY75.jpg 15710]. Kakei, the mysterious pharmacy owner, is very similar to Yuko in xxxHolic. Saiga is the only one I couldn't find a definite look-alike for him, but then again Hisui and Kokuyo from [b:Wish, Vol. 01 936906 Wish, Vol. 01 (Wish, #1) CLAMP https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1406221143l/936906.SX50.jpg 921887] are pretty similar to him and Kakei... Regardless of the similarities, I think that this series is really enjoyable for CLAMP super fans.As with any CLAMP work, the story is pretty confusing when you first start reading it (but in my opinion, this is part of CLAMP's charm). Like with xxxHolic and TRC, you get thrown into a strange world without much foregrounding. The magic of CLAMP though is the crossover between series and the interconnectedness of the plots. I think that this series could be really amazing if ever CLAMP decides to continue working on it (vol 3 of [b:Drug & Drop, Volume 1 17261718 Drug & Drop, Volume 1 CLAMP https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381292560l/17261718.SX50.jpg 23858335] anyone?)Major Yuko vibes where Kakei is concerned, but also, this scene is realy promising for the future of the series! Kakei opened his shop specifically for Kazahaya, before he even met him. I want to know what Kazahaya's true purpose is in this CLAMP universe.Overall, it's CLAMP; what's there not to love? Sure, it's a bit confusing, but it gets better as the chapters progress. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series (whenever it gets written and published).