X (manga)
Encyclopedia : X : XM : XMA : X (manga)
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The manga is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten under the Monthly Asuka line. In North America, VIZ Media publishes it in English under the name X/1999. In Singapore, it is called X and is published in English by Chuang Yi, while Australia received both the American version X/1999 and the Singapore's X. It is now published in Italy by Planet Manga. In Indonesia, it's published by Level Comic.
In what was believed to be due to a dispute between CLAMP and the editors of Asuka, the manga was put on hiatus in Japan as of March 2003. Supposedly, Asuka felt the series was becoming too violent, however, CLAMP were unwilling to change their plans for X 's plotline. As a result, X and Gohō Drug, CLAMP's manga being serialised in Asuka at the time, were put on hold indefinitely. In an interview from PUFF magazine which can be viewed [here], CLAMP claims that while it was true Asuka believed the series was getting too violent, the primary reasons for X's hiatus were the Great Hanshin earthquake and the Sakakibara incident, both of which devastated Japan. As X portrays earthquakes as a sign of the end of days and contains depictions of extreme mutilation and decapitation, CLAMP decided it was not the right time to release the ending they had planned.
Plot
In 1999, Shirō Kamui returns to Tokyo for the first time in six years to honour his mother's final wishes. It is here he will fufill his destiny, yet all he wants is for others to leave him alone. According to the yumemi Hinoto, Kamui alone has the power to decide the world's fate, which depends on whether the kekkai which exist in Tōkyō remain standing.Kamui must decide to either become a Dragon of Heaven (also known as the Seven Seals) and protect humanity from supernatural destruction or join the Dragons of Earth (also known as the Seven Angels) to destroy humanity so the Earth can be reborn. While Kamui couldn't care less about the world, he feels he must protect childhood friends Monō Fūma and his younger sister Kotori. However, his choice to become a Dragon of Heaven results in tragedy when Fūma is revealed to be Kamui’s “Twin Star”, destined to be Kamui’s opposite number no matter which side Kamui chooses.
Kamui must reluctantly fulfill his destiny alongside his allies, the Dragons of Heaven, whose destinies are also ostensibly foreordained. They all soon learn the tragedy of loss and the painful price of victory. To save the world, Kamui must become certain of his resolve and of what he truly desires for himself, Fūma, and the world.
Theatrical Film
An X/1999 theatrical film titled X: The Destiny War and directed by Rintarō was released in Japanese theaters in 1996. Because the manga was less than half complete at the time of the film's conception, many elements of the plot and characters were simplified, and the primary focus of the story became the build up toward the Final Battle between Kamui and Fūma. As a result of this simplification, most of the characters receive little-to-no on screen development. Overall, the film is regarded more for its highly artistic fight scenes than its representation of the plot.In the movie, Kamui kills Fūma, and all the Dragons of Heaven and Earth die before the final fight. The dreamseer Kuzuki Kakyō is removed, either because he had not been fully introduced in the manga or his character's abilities were too static for duration of the film. In any case, he is replaced by Asagi Shogō, a water master (Kigai Yūto's ability to control water had not been revealed in the manga yet, so there is no conflict of abilities in the movie between the characters). It is Kamui who kills Fuma by breaking Fūma's blade in a swordlock and cutting through Fūma's neck in the process. This leaves Kamui heartbroken as he has lost all whom he's ever cared for, with the symbolic sakura petals flowing in the background.
The soundtrack for the 1996 movie was composed by Shimizu Yasuaki. The ending theme for the movie, Forever Love, was written and performed by X Japan. The X/1999 film received a U.S. theatrical and DVD release in 2001, distributed by Manga Entertainment.
TV anime series
Synopsis
X: The Series is an anime television series based on a manga created by the hit all-female mangaka group CLAMP. The show is directed by Kawajiri Yoshiaki (Ninja Scroll, ). The show was created by Madhouse Studio. It is distributed by Geneon.The story is set in Tōkyō. Six people, all possessing magical powers and most of them young people raised in temples, converge in the city. They are prepared to do battle as six of the Seven Seals, the Dragons of Heaven, to save the human race against a rival group (the Seven Angels or Dragons of Earth) who wish to destroy the human race in order to reverse the devastation of the environment.
Tōkyō appears to be the nexus of magical energy that protects the human race. It is protected by several barriers, namely buildings such as the Japanese Diet Building and Tōkyō Tower. By defeating each of the Seven Seals and destroying the barrier fields they generate, the Seven Angels intend to destroy the magical protection and thus end the human race.
A seventh young person, Kamui, has been sent to Tōkyō by the last words of his mother, who burns to death in their home in Okinawa. He meets the other members of the Seven Seals. In conferring with Princess Hinoto, a mysterious dreamseer who resides in the Diet Building, Kamui discovers that he must choose whether to become a Dragon of Earth or a Dragon of Heaven.
After much confusion and soul-searching, he decides to become a Dragon of Heaven, so as to protect the happiness of his childhood friends, Fūma and Fūma's sister Kotori. But he is horrified to discover that Fūma — his "Twin Star" — is "awakened" by his choice into becoming a "second Kamui." Fūma kills his own sister and becomes a Dragon of Earth, whom Kamui must destroy if the human race is to be saved.
Battles ensue, and a number of the Dragons of Heaven must kill their love interests and otherwise win pyrrhic victories. Fūma destroys them one by one, in deeply ironic and tragic ways, by granting their innermost wishes. It is never really shown why the Dragon of Earth Kamui should be a granter of wishes, but that is clearly his role and ability.
All the Dragons of Heaven are eventually defeated, and their barrier fields fall; likewise, all the Dragons of Earth are put out of the fight — all but Kamui and Fūma. They fight in a great climatic battle at Tōkyō Tower.
Initially, Kamui wishes to defeat Fūma or even kill him, but he fails, because the Shinken will never kill the person its holder wishes to protect.
All seems lost when Fūma runs Kamui through. However, Kamui has in fact planned this. He cannot wish to kill Fūma—that would never work; instead, he must sustain his original wish of bringing Fūma back. Fūma, as a granter of wishes, cannot prevent Kamui from realizing his true wish: to protect Fūma and the world he lives in. Although Kamui is dead, his wish lives on because he lives on in Fūma's heart. With Kamui dead, Fūma ceases to be a Dragon of Earth. Kamui's barrier field, never before seen, expands over the whole Earth, preserving humankind.
Music
The music for both the TV series and OVA (a.k.a. Episode 00), including the song "Sadame" (Destiny), was composed by Satō Naoki. The show's title theme "eX-Dream" is performed by the group Myuji and the ending theme "Secret Sorrow" is performed by Koizumi Kōhei.Episodes
| Episode | Title | Original Airdate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English (Official) | Kanji | Romaji | ||
| 00 | An Omen | 前兆 | Zencho | OVA, Unaired |
| 01 | A Reunion | 再会 | Saikai | 2001-10-03 |
| 02 | A Nightmare | 夢見 | Yumemi | 2001-10-10 |
| 03 | A Pledge | 約束 | Yakusoku | 2001-10-17 |
| 04 | A Sacrifice | 影贄 | Kagenie | 2001-10-24 |
| 05 | A Destiny | 宿命 | Shukunē | 2001-10-31 |
| 06 | Kouya | 高野 | Kōya | 2001-11-07 |
| 07 | Cyber (Civer) | 電脳 | Denno | 2001-11-14 |
| 08 | Gemini | 添星 | Tensē | 2001-11-21 |
| 09 | Onmyou | 陰陽 | Inyō | 2001-11-28 |
| 10 | Inuki | 犬鬼 | Inuki | 2001-12-05 |
| 11 | Border | 境界 | Kyokai | 2001-12-12 |
| 12 | Alternative | 選択 | Sentaku | 2001-12-19 |
| 13 | Return | 覚醒 | Kakusē | 2002-01-09 |
| 14 | Gathering | 集結 | Shuketsu | 2002-01-16 |
| 15 | Guardian | 守護 | Shugo | 2002-01-23 |
| 16 | Slaughter | 虚無 | Kyomu | 2002-01-30 |
| 17 | Wish | 苦悶 | Kumon | 2002-02-06 |
| 18 | Newborn | 新生 | Shinsē | 2002-02-13 |
| 19 | Inferno | 煉獄 | Rengoku | 2002-02-20 |
| 20 | Ripple | 恋歌 | Koiuta | 2002-02-27 |
| 21 | Current | 流浪 | Ruro | 2002-03-06 |
| 22 | Betrayal | 背信 | Hēshin | 2002-03-13 |
| 23 | Earth | 天地 | Tenchi | 2002-03-20 |
| 24 | Legend | 伝説 | Densetsu | 2002-03-27 |
Voice Acting
| Character | TV Anime (2001) | Motion Picture (1996) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | English | Japanese | English | |
| Seiichirō Aoki | Toshiyuki Morikawa | David Lucas | Hideyuki Tanaka | David Harris |
| Sorata Arisugawa | Mitsuaki Madono | Rafael Antonio Oliver | Koichi Yamadera | Mike Fitzpatrick |
| Shogō Asagi | Toshihiko Seki | Rupert Degas | ||
| Hinoto | Aya Hisakawa | Ellen Wilkinson | Yuko Minaguchi | Stacey Jefferson |
| Kanoe | Kaho Kouda | Melissa Williamson | Junko Takahata | Denica Fairman |
| Karen Kasumi | Yoko Soumi | Wendee Lee | Mami Koyama | Toni Barry |
| Yūto Kigai | Michiaki Furuya | Ethan Murray | Kazuhiko Inoue | Nigel Whitney |
| Arashi Kishū | Ryoka Yuzuki | Lia Sargent | Emi Shinohara | Teresa Gallagher |
| Kakyō Kuzuki | Yuji Ueda | Terrence Stone | ||
| Tōru Magami | Kikuko Inoue | Julie Pickering | Masako Ikeda | Liza Ross |
| Tokiko Magami | Misa Wantanabe | Victoria Pryne | ||
| Fūma Monō | Jun'ichi Suwabe | Crispin Freeman | Ken Narita | Adam Henderson |
| Kotori Monō | Mamiko Noto | Michelle Ruff | Junko Iwao | Larissa Murray |
| Nataku | Motoko Kumai | Mona Marshall | Rika Matsumoto | Don Fellows (uncredited) |
| Yuzuriha Nekoi | Kumi Sakuma | Victoria Pryne | Yukana Nogami | Anne-Marie Lawless |
| Seishirō Sakurazuka | Otoya Kawano | Dave Mallow | Touru Furusawa | Garrick Hagon (uncredited) |
| Kamui Shirō | Ken'ichi Suzumura | Steve Cannon Ian Hawk (Young) | Tomokazu Seki | Alan Marriott |
| Kusanagi Shiyū | Masaki Aizawa | James Lyon | Jyouji Nakata | Jeff Harding |
| Hokuto Sumeragi | Satsuki Yukino | Julie Pickering | ||
| Subaru Sumeragi | Tomokazu Sugita | Dave Lelyveld | Issei Miyazaki | Bill Dufries (uncredited) |
| Satsuki Yatōji | Houko Kuwashima | Karen Strassman | Kotono Mitsuishi | Anne Marie Zola (uncredited) |
See also
External links
- [X: The Selection of Destiny]
- [}}}] (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- [X: The Series on the Internet Movie Database]
- [X: The Movie on the Internet Movie Database]
- [X: The Series on the Anime News Network]
- [X: The Movie on the Anime News Network]
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