X, also known as X/1999, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Clamp, a creative team made up of Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona. It premiered in Kadokawa Shoten's shojo manga magazine Monthly Asuka in May 1992 and ran there until it went on hiatus in March 2003; it has yet to be concluded. The story takes place at the end of days in the year 1999. The series follows Kamui Shiro, a young esper who returns home to Tokyo after a six-year absence to face his destiny as the one who will determine humanity's fate.
Kadokawa Shoten collected and published the individual chapters in 18 tankōbon volumes, with five chapters published in the book All About Clamp. These chapters were released in their own 19th volume, entitled "Volume 18.5", as part of a "Premium Collection" version of the series in November 2023. All but several final chapters have been published. It has been adapted into a series of audio dramas. It was followed by a 1996 anime feature film by Rintaro assisted by Ohkawa in studio Madhouse. The same studio, now led by director and writer Yoshiaki Kawajiri, made a 24-episode anime television series in 2001. Since the manga never reached its ending, the two animated adaptations have their own takes of the series' finale. Viz Media published the 18 completed volumes in North America, while the film and the TV series been have released on DVD by multiple distributors.
The series is a foray into apocalyptic fiction; it combines elements from various end-of-the-world scenarios, both secular and religious, with its own mythos. Its themes include exploring the personality of humanity, relationships with others, and external conflicts like the impending Armageddon. It is considered one of Clamp's most iconic works in their early career, having sold more than 12 million copies and garnering mostly positive reviews for its story, large varied cast and appealing illustrations. Despite its female target audience, it also attracted male readers because of its focus on action.
Plot
In 1999, Kamui Shiro returns to Tokyo after a six-year absence to fulfill his mother's dying wish of changing fate. However, he keeps his distance from two childhood friends, Kotori and Fuma Monou, whom he originally treasured as a child. The end of the world is fast approaching as superhuman individuals will assure their victory. The clone Nataku steals the from Fuma's family temple, with his dying father telling his son that he is Kamui's "twin star". The Dragons of Heaven are the first to contact Kamui. Hinoto, the dreamgazer for the Japanese Legislature guides them. They are the protectors of the , spiritual barriers (in the form of buildings such as the Tokyo Tower) that hold the fabric of nature together. As long as the kekkai survive, Judgment Day is postponed. Writer Nanase Ohkawa, the group's head writer, seized the opportunity to script her long-in-development "end of the world" epic. Conceived while she was still in middle school, Ohkawa's original story focused on a group of warriors fighting a losing battle in the name of justice. While the idea never materialized, many aspects were carried over into Clamp's manga, including the lead characters of Kamui and Fuma. The title—"X"—was chosen because it has no fixed meaning. In mathematics, it is a common variable. Beyond mathematics, "X" is a generic placeholder whose value is secret or unknown. "X" is also a cruciform, an allusion to Christian mythos, and the representation of death and rebirth in Kabbalah. The ensemble cast, inspired on Kyokutei Bakin's Nansō Satomi Hakkenden,
Several of the series' characters were created using Osamu Tezuka's "Star System" technique, where old designs are incorporated in new characters, except for Kamui, who proved challenging because of his role. He was made to stand apart from other characters, and Ohkawa called his hairstyle and school uniform average. Clamp's lead artist Mokona believes this was influenced by the heroic character-type upon which he was based. In contrast, Kamui and Fuma were new characters whose designs were revised to fit their characters. <!--one author with the former fitting the idea of a suitable hero who would stand out by his looks.(Not sure what this means.)---> The fight sequences were inspired by the manga Dragon Ball, most specifically by author Akira Toriyama's use of white backgrounds. with Clamp's own modern mythology to tell the tale of the fate of the world. The Apocalypse of John inspires the X mythos with Tokyo standing in as a modern-day Babylon. Like the biblical city; Clamp's Tokyo is "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird", (Rev. 18:2 KJV) and is slated for destruction. He is prophesied to return to Tokyo and the one who will determine humanity's fate. His miraculous birth and his given name reinforce the construction of Kamui as a messiah. "Kamui", like "Christ", doubles as a title that alludes to the character's nature. Apocalyptic allusions abound with respect to nomenclature.
Other apocalyptic standards like earthquakes are employed, but the apocalypse of Clamp's manga trades the religious element for an environmental theme. Inspired by the Gaia theory that the Earth itself is one living organism, Ohkawa crafts an endtime brought on by humanity's abuse of the planet. The constant earthquakes the Dragons of Earth cause resulted in a negative backlash from readers and editors because of similar incidents in real life.
Themes
The conflict between the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth is at the heart of the series. X deals with societal issues. Being set in the present provides an outlet for the authors to reflect and comment on Japan's state of affairs. and establishes a dual nature to its characters and concepts. it represents Kamui's potential for destruction. and became a standard motif in her writing.
The published chapters were collected in eighteen tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on 29 July 1992, and the eighteenth on 17 September 2002. On 26 September 2006, Kadokawa Shoten published Clamp Newtype Platinum, a special Clamp edition of the magazine Newtype. The issue includes the "X 18.5" supplement, a re-print of five previously uncollected chapters. The series was expected to reach twenty-one volumes upon completion. The "X 18.5" chapters were later released as part of the book All About Clamp on 22 October 2009. In July 2001, Viz Media removed the series from Animerica Extra because of licensing issues, but it later returned in its March 2003 issue. Viz Media released the eighteen completed volumes, ending in 2005. Beginning in 2011, Viz re-issued the series in North America as three-in-one volumes, unflipped, titled X. In Australia, the series is licensed by Madman Entertainment.
Music video
On 21 November 1993, SME Records released , pronounced "Double-X" in English, a short film based on Clamp's manga, set to the music of rock band X Japan. X<sup>2</sup> features a slideshow of X artwork set to a medley of X Japan's songs: "Silent Jealousy," "Kurenai", and "Endless Rain" with the "X" music video directed by Shigeyuki Hayashi.
Feature film
The X feature film, directed by Rintaro and co-scripted by Nanase Ohkawa, premiered in Japan on 3 August 1996. Rintaro is not certain but believes Kadokawa Shoten's editors asked him to do the film because of his work on Harmageddon, a 1983 film that employs different themes from the X manga. The supernatural thriller focuses on the roles Kamui, Kotori, and Fuma play in the Apocalypse. The film was given a limited release in the United States in early 2000 and released to DVD on 25 September 2001. X: The Destiny War, a comic book based on the feature film, was released on 30 September 1996. The X Japan song "Forever Love", composed by Yoshiki, was chosen as the film's theme song; and was later used by the former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi in a campaign advertisement in 2001.
Victor Entertainment released the X from June 1996 to December 1996. The seven audio dramas, scripted by Nanase Ohkawa, focus on the thoughts and motivations of the individual Dragons of Heaven and Earth. The feature film's voice actors perform the Character Files. They were created to promote the film.
TV series
Yoshiaki Kawajiri directed the episodes from the X anime television series, which was first announced on 18 October 2000. Kawajiri aimed to portray Kamui and Kotori as stronger than their manga counterparts. However, he still wanted to highlight their psychological weaknesses across later episodes. In anticipation of the series' premiere, was released direct-to-DVD on 25 August 2001. Written and directed by Kawajiri, An Omen tells the story of the upcoming battles through the prophecies of Kakyō Kuzuki, dreamgazer for the Dragon of Earth, and acts as a primer for viewers unfamiliar with Clamp's manga. Twelve DVD volumes from the series, each containing two episodes were released in Japan from 25 February 2002 to 25 January 2003 by Bandai Visual. Naoki Satō composed the series' music; two original soundtracks were released.
Pioneer Entertainment distributed the series in North America in March 2002. Geneon collected the series and the OVA in eight DVD volumes released between 24 September 2002 and 25 November 2003. Two DVD box sets of the series were also released on 11 January 2005. In 2006, Geneon released the X TV Series Re-Mix, on five individual DVDs released between 11 July 2006 and 14 November 2006, as well as a DVD box set on 11 July 2006. The DVDs came with re-mastered video and audio, including remastered and remixed 5.1 Dolby Digital AC3 surround sound for both the Japanese and English tracks. In September 2009, Funimation announced that it had acquired the rights to the anime series and OVA. They were re-released in a DVD box set on 15 June 2010 using the original Geneon dubbing (provided by Bang Zoom! Entertainment) for the English-language audio track. It is licensed by Siren Visual in Australia, and MVM Films in the United Kingdom.
Video games
Two video games were developed:
- is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works and published by Namco for the PlayStation on 22 August 2002. The features a story mode, set in the television series continuity, and a versus mode, which allows players to compete against each other using any of the Dragons of Heaven or Earth. The game was not released outside Japan and it has two different endings.
- X: Card of Fate, a card battle video game for the WonderSwan Color, was released on 27 June 2002.
Reception
Popularity
The X manga series was a commercial success in Japan, with over 12 million copies in circulation; while in North America it often appeared on The New York Times Manga Best Sellers of 2012 and ICv2 lists.
Critical reception
The manga's plot and cast were praised. Animerica regarded it as one of Clamp's most iconic works from their early career. According to the site, "Part of the appeal of the X manga series is its surreal blend of Taoist, Shinto, and even European mysticism with real-world locales and historical landmarks familiar to Japanese fans." According to Anime Nation, X "appears to defy the conventions of "boys' manga" and "girls' manga" because of multiple features provided by the authors such as violence and romance that will appeal to many types of reader. Anime News Network noted that while there are no explicit homosexual relationships, the shōjo appeal might give the reader this impression when the male characters interact, something the shônen demographic might not like.
Sequental Tart found Kamui's identity mysterious; he is featured as a caring child to Kotori Monou in a flashback, but he appears as a rude teenager when meeting her again. His fight scenes were noted to be violent in contrast to the lighthearted moments that seem to work as comic relief. As a result, the reviewer said that it is difficult to analyze the series' first volume. Comic Book Bin said that despite the aspects of the work and the way the subplots are handled, X still maintains an interesting narrative. Kamui's growing character arc was the subject of a positive mention as Manga News also enjoyed his early appearances and the formation of the Dragons of Heaven as they befriend each other. Reviewers felt Fuma Monou is one of the most brutal antagonists of Clamp's career and in shōjo in general because of this gruesome murder of Kotori and how he then causes earthquakes to destroy Tokyo. Anime News Network found that the series had many types of characters for Dragons of Heaven and Dragons of Earth that are given enough screen time in the buildup to the Holy War to interact and fight until the manga's eighth volume when the narrative takes a different route. As the second half begins, the same website also noted that the narrative becomes progressively darker because of the number of dead characters as Clamp moves the plot towards the Armageddon; they also mentioned the events that causes all the deaths.
Fans reading the series have wondered whether Clamp was hinting at a romantic relationship between Kamui and Fuma. Sequental Art commented on homoerotic tones during a few scenes. In response, in the book Understanding Manga and Anime writer Robin E. Brenner claims Clamp had no intention of suggesting a romantic relationship between the two as he compared them with the more explicit relationship Subaru had with Seishiro. Manga News noted the pair had one of the most anticipated fights in the series because of the long history they have in Tokyo Babylon and called their final duel tragic. In Manga: The Complete Guide, Jason Thompson wrote "even without a proper ending, the series has a lot going for it", and felt the major storytelling centering around destiny was appealing despite not finding it Clamp's best strength.
Clamp's illustrations such as the dream sequences, Seishiro's horror-based spells, and the outstanding designs of Kamui and Hinoto were also the subject of praise. The Fandom Post also enjoyed the artwork, mostly praising the way action sequences are drawn Because of the manga's long serialization, critics noted that the artwork evolved, making it as appealing as later Clamp works like Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and Angelic Layer. However, Anime News Network felt the violent imagery portrayed by Clamp throughout earthquakes and murder scenes in X was too disturbing for the Monthly Asuka demographic and cancelled it. Although the manga returned following its controversial cancellation, the planned ending was even more gruesome causing its cancellation again.