X

Publisher
Manga Entertainment
Director
Rintaro
Production
Madhouse
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Running time
100 mins
Year
1996

X

By John Huxley
23rd May 04

X, or X/1999 as it was known in Clamp's manga version, is an apocalyptic tale that doesn't shrink on the details. Unlike anime such as Fist of the North Star, which was set many years after an apocalypse, X shows us how and why, and follows the characters key to the instigation of this event. Right from the opening scene we are told that Kamui Shirou's destiny is to hold the fate of the world in his hands. Childhood friend of siblings Fuuma and Kotori Monou, Kamui moved away from Tokyo after their mother's tragic death. Some time after he departed, his own mother died before informing him of his own fate. Returning to Tokyo to keep a promise made on his departure, he vows to protect Kotori and Fuuma protect Kamui in return.

Before long, this promise becomes a whole lot more difficult to keep - Kotori has been kidnapped by a group calling themselves 'The Dragons of Earth', hell-bent on cleansing the earth of all life, to start anew with a clean sheet. These five are destined to fight with The Dragons of Heaven, seven that protect the earth. These dragons are not mythical beasts, but real people with fantastical powers. They all have some special ability, such as mastery of fire, water or lightning, but the seven Dragons of Heaven can call a huge shield to protect the surrounding area from damage, transporting it into an alternate reality. Should the Dragon of Heaven die, this shield will vanish and the damage becomes reality.

I've only scratched the surface of this long, winding plot. The /1999 manga was a relatively long series, while this film only lasts around 100 minutes. Something had to give, and the director Rintaro decided to concentrate on the ending, the final battle between good and evil. Although this prevented the 'anime that doesn't end' scenario, it has instead created an anime that feels uncomplete, or at least the viewer feels as if she/he has isn't getting the complete story. Now, I've read the manga, so maybe I'm being a little too presumptuous, but I still feel that most people will realise that this story is incomplete. Having said that, Rintaro does go to some length to try and fill in the gaps for you. Dream sequences, a staple of the X/1999 manga, are faithfully recreated here (mostly during the introduction) and do help explain some of the more confusing plot elements. By the end, everything is wrapped up in a neat little package (most of it, anyway) and the story complete. It is what has gone before that is lacking in this version of the story.

That aside, what is here is very good. The animation is top quality, using computer effects to good use and a colour pallette that gives a great, downbeat atmosphere. The artwork is faithful to Clamp's own, including the odd proportions of some of the male characters (especially Fuuma - he looks like he's wearing stilts) and the pointy-chinned, starry-eyed females. The backgrounds are lovingly painted urban landscapes (since this is set in Tokyo). In short, it looks great. Gorgeous, even.

The fight scenes are more Dragonball than Streetfighter, although they compare to neither. I'll admit that the shield idea is a neat one, and the moves that they do pull are fantastic to look at, but there is no real energy to the combat. One character will send a wave of fire towards another, they will dodge before countering with a lightning attack...this is nothing we haven't seen before. Not to say that these are poorly directed fights, far from it, just that they are not the best out there. Still, the fights are only filler compared to the narrative.

If you've ever read any of Clamp's other works, such as Magic Knights Rayearth, you'll pretty much know what to expect here. Lots of astrologically driven plot devices, school children and plenty (and I mean plenty) of floating things - feathers, sakura petals. If it floats, it's here. These are mostly used to make the dream sequences look pretty, but I'm told they also have a meaning. Falling sakura petals denote coming of age or loss of virginity. Not that I really care. The dream sequences are laid on heavy due to the appearance of 'dreamwatchers' who, you know, watch dreams. These are the characters that predict the future, kind of like reading palms or tea leaves. You might get a little confused as the story jumps around from present day to dream sequence to flashback and back again, but as I said before, everything wraps up nice and neat at the end. Speaking of which, it might not be quite what you were expecting. The dreamwatchers foretell that two Kamui's will fight to the death for the fate of the earth. I won't tell you who the other Kamui is, but I will tell you that the results aren't exactly the most heartwarming.

Lots of people die. And when I mean lots, I don't just mean a few central characters. I seriously don't recommend this to anyone who has just experienced a recent death in the family. Go watch Catgirl Nuku Nuku instead, that will cheer you up to the point of projectile vomit. Anyway, my concluding comments: I'm really struggling to give X a definitive mark out of 10 because I think that your enjoyment will vary depending on your knowledge of the manga. I've read it, so I had a background to start with, I knew most of the events that the characters only mentioned in passing. To me, X was an nicely animated version of the manga. To someone who hasn't read it, it might just be a confusing epic adventure. I've heard that a series is also available, so it might be wise to check that out first if you don't fancy reading the manga.

-- John Huxley 23rd May 04

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