Anime: X (2001)

Although rather old and damn famous as a retro series, this title never made that much of an impact on me. I disliked its dualisms and slow pacing right away. Even after all these years my initial opinion about it hasn’t changed much, despite being bombarded all the time by people saying how great it is. In the contrary, I lost even the few specs of respect I had for its good ideas, since in all honesty they have all been reused a hundred times in later stories, mostly in light novels.

THE STUFF
- Animation is done by the king of anime series, studio Madhouse, so it looks great for its time.
- Direction is done by Kawajiri Yoshiaki, a man who likes moody, grim, and violent stories (Cyber City Oedo 808, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D – Bloodlust, Highlander, Birdy the Mighty). I used to like his style a lot but after all these years I lost interest in moody shows with poor presentation. And trust me when I say he gives too much attension to short bursts of great animation and interesting concepts but otherwise fails to keep them captivating for longer than an hour.
- Based on the manga by CLAMP, one of the most famous team of mangaka in the 90’s. Most of their numerous works have been adapted to anime and most of them were a hit in airing shares and sales. They have a style that combines the cute with the dark and know how to create spicy premises and hot romantic pairings. Sadly their stories are good only as far as premises go; their plots always fall apart under the lack of proper handling of their themes. You end up reading or watching just for the kinky situations and give up on the story. A note must be said here that they are primirely make shoujo shows with lots of action and romance that ends up appealing to both genders. But since the shoujo is their base template, it is expected to focus almost entirely on character chemistry and visual aesthetics than… well, anything else.

ART SECTION: 8/10 [Do you like my invisible wolf?]
Analysis: General Artwork 2/2, Character Figures 2/2, Backgrounds 1/2, Animation 1/2, Visual Effects 2/2

- Concerning the time the series aired, the animation was great, with high detail to both colors and shapes that don’t drop in quality in any given episode.
- The mix of a modern day Tokyo, along with mysticism and Judeo-Christian allusions was a nice spice. The idea using barriers during battles was still fresh back then and gave the feeling that it is not another Dragonball Z variant.
- None of the characters looks silly or stupid. They have a serious aura around them that usually fits with their powers and backdrop story. Plus, they have that bishonen look you may expect to see in girly series; so you may not like them if you prefer macho men and watermelon bimbos.
- The use of cinematics is high, from interesting camera angles to the use of lightning in order to express the mood of the moment. There are though several repeating frames and action clips that damage the overall feeling.

SOUND SECTION: 9/10 [Let’s leave the fate of the world for later and talk about the story of our lives first.]
Analysis: Voice Acting 3/3, Music Themes 4/4, Sound Effects 2/3

-The intro song is superb and really builds atmosphere around what the series is all about. The rest of the songs are equally tension building, although they lack variety and their repetitiveness may tire you.
-Voice acting is superb. It may sound too dramatic if you are not accustomed to the whiny Japanese style, but as a whiny Japanese style it is marvelous.
-Sound effects were ok, although I can’t say I loved them in any way. They played little importance in battles and even less before the atmosphere the music themes were offering.

STORY SECTION: 5/10 [My mommy doesn’t love me… Yes, the world is about to end too but who cares…]
Analysis: Premise 2/2, Pacing 0/2, Complexity 1/2, Plausibility 0/2, Conclusion 2/2

You basically get a bunch of guys fighting over the future of the world. There is the older movie version which rushed through everything in terms of characterization and has a weird ending. Then they turned it to a movie where they stretched the plot so they can flesh out everybody before they start killing them. And now this is over, I don’t see anything in the story that can be labeled masterpiece or epic or whatever tens of thousands of people thought they saw in it. Here are the reasons.

1. The main idea behind the series alienated me from the start.
- The fate of humanity is to be decided by one man alone, making all the rest of humanity to seem unimportant.
- If it is his fate, as they keep saying, then why do they offer him a choice? You are not given the luxury to choose if you have an unbreakable destiny to fulfill.
- If the lead was the one to choose, then why did destiny create another chooser in a heartbeat when the first had doubts about it?

2. All the above made no sense. Plus, choosing between total annihilation or complete indifference about the course of humanity was ridiculous.
- Where are the middle choices?
- How about a compromise of some sorts?
- Why just “kill them all” or “let them be, without changing a thing”? Aren’t there exceptions? Aren’t there any brilliant or good-hearted people that deserve to survive?

3. Everything in the series was separated into two. Two saviors, two kinds of dragons, two possible futures, two seers, two women dying in order to create swords... It was way too dualistic, and thus fake.

4. For me, the whole “end of the world” theme was just an excuse for the characters to battle one another against their will.

5. Said battles, were not epic as they promised to be. It was not two teams of seven people setting Tokyo into flames in a Dragonball Z fashion. They were more like skirmishes, duals always performed one-on-one and ending quite fast, just for the heck of killing off the cast one by one.

6. Their deaths or victories had nothing to do with the fate of the world, as the final fate of humanity was in the hands of the main leads.

7. Plot wise, there was practically story found only in the first two and the last three episodes. All the rest were just focused on getting to know the characters while leaving the dreaded apocalypse hanging out to dry.

8. Even when the ending came, it was nothing much to see other than the conclusion to the confrontation of the protagonists. By no means did I feel they were fighting for the fate of the world. What world? There was no world. It was just them, and their personal dramas.

9. Did I mention how rushed it was? Very! It left me unsatisfied.

10. The whole concept with the magic barriers and people fighting with superpowers in order to find a trinket has been redone a hundred times ever since in light novels.

CHARACTER SECTION: 6/10 [I am a simple man that levels buildings.]
Analysis: Presence 1/2, Personality 2/2, Backdrop 1/2, Development 1/2, Catharsis 1/2

The cast numbered around 30, with each one having a different personality, backdrop and goals about his/her life. I hardly have encountered a cast so enriched and developed. Anime casts usually are a bunch of idiots that have no past or whose personality is just a quirk or the special power they use. Over here, everyone is as he/she is as a result of past events and personal choices. Everyone reacts to someone’s death or tragedy and doesn’t mysteriously forget them by the next episode. Very good so far.

My issues go with how realistic or easy to bond with all these characters is. Yes, they have realistic personalities but they don’t act realistically at all.
I personally don’t understand how tens of thousands of people felt a connection to characters that can fly in the air, create magic barriers and level buildings by throwing energy beams.
- They are not people; they are angels or dragons or generally un-human beings.
- Having dramatic pasts doesn’t make them tragic, if they can simply wave their pinky finger and sent anyone who tormented them in the stratosphere or magically undo anything that was destroyed.
- They are driven by fate; all those dreams they have about the future are bull. If you have a destiny to follow, you don’t have dreams or hopes. You are a robot, bound to do the inevitable.
- And how exactly could their dreams be accomplished in the first place? If the Earth side won, all of humanity would be destroyed. If the Heaven side won, then humanity would simply destroy itself. One way or another, there was no way to see their dreams accomplished.

VALUE & ENJOYMENT SECTIONS: 4/10 [Destiny doesn’t value personal opinions or feelings.]
Value Analysis: Historical Value 2/3, Rewatchability 0/3, Memorability 2/4
Enjoyment Analysis: Art 1/1, Sound 1/2, Story 1/3, Characters 1/4

It’s freaking famous and loved by a gazilion people. I personally loved the artwork, the main musical theme, its characters and the general idea of the story. Yet, I totally loath the plot or the reasonong behind everything. It was kinder-garden easy to see how fake everything unfolded. Yeah, sure, anime don’t have to be realistic, yet this series was based on human tragedy forced by fate and I didn’t buy it. Also, the special powers everyone had were more interesting to watch than enjoy them fight, as the battles were too short. So, it was a half-good treatment for me.

VERDICT: 6/10
So, if the world wasn’t at stake, would you people feel helpless without some mysterious invisible force controlling your lives?

SUGGESTION LIST
Neon Genesis Evagelion if you adore Judeo-Christian allusions.
Angel Sanctuary if you fancy yaoi angels.
Choujin Locke if you dig bloody telekinetic battles.
Basilisk, Gantz and Battle Royale if you love stories about people forced to turn against one another in a brutal manner.
Fate/Zero, Shakugan no Shana, Campione, Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai if you dig the gimmick with the tournaments and the superpowers and the magic barriers.

Shounen and shoujo animes have very different flavours as a general rule. Shounen tends to place more importance on fighting scenes and makes the protagonist suit this theme. Shoujo will look at the effect these things have on characters and concentrates on the cast a bit more.
This anime is where the two meet as X TV has beautifully depicted fighting scenes while being very character driven.
It probably will have more of a shoujo feel to some people as the story develops a little bit slower than most shounen and the cast is full of bishounens and bishoujos. I find that the prettiness of the characters suit this theme of apocalypse here very successfully as the contrast with the mood is explored intensely.

X TV has some of the best looking animation I have ever seen in a TV series. The framerate is excellent in keeping with the intense battles. The backgrounds are not only well drawn but also have intricate detail. 3D graphics are not excessively used and as a result do not feel out of place. The character design has an elegance that really suit the series and the costumes range from fun to completely cool!
The reason this particularly breathtaking series does not get a full score for animation is in the reused footage. Scenes are repeated way too often and they are always the same ones. Other scenes which deal with similar issues could have been used to vary the repetition a little but that never happened.
Some scenes are interesting to watch again though as when the story progresses and a scene from the start is repeated, you can see how the show has built on that and how much more significant it has become.

I love the music in X as it sets the mood of the series spectacularly. The intro has a very good energy and vibe that keeps with the intense themes very well. The intro also depict scenes that show you what the series is about at its core with pictures of Kamui and Fuuma being prisoners of each other. This also serves in creating an interest in the series and that works really well.
The background tunes here were also great and kept with the mood quite well. Some background were very good pieces on their own too and they feel like signature pieces for the series.
The voice acting was excellent for just about the entire cast as everyone depicted their character with grave tones and warped humanity without ever sounding melodramatic, which is to be applauded with these themes.

The story of X is one of the most interesting for either Shounen or Shoujo anime. I really believe that it is one of the reasons it sits so well with fans of either genres. The story is about a battle between the dragons of Heaven (the 7 Seals) and the dragons of Earth (the 7 Angels). At the start we are introduced to Kamui and as he is at the core of the battle, he has to choose with side he will fight on. When he makes his decision, things are really set in motion and the series just becomes more and more interesting.
Themes of dreams, wishes and destinies are explored not only well but atmospherically to create a higher sense of depth.
There is a point in the middle where the pace of the series slows down a little so you understand certain characters a bit more. This slower moment of the series might annoy some viewers but it is necessary to grasp what some cast members are fighting for.
At times, the characterisation is so good in these scenes that they give more depth to the story.

The cast of characters is an immensely interesting one here. They all have very distinct features in their personality that makes them interesting individuals as well as heroes/antiheroes. Subaru and Seisshiru are great examples of that as their aim is not really to comply with what their purpose is but rather recover the balance in their relationship. Other cast members seem to have forgotten themselves in their foretold destinies but take a stand for it when they become affected with the turmoils and love of someone else.
The story is so good that the characters really come forward as strong and well explored as they could be.
The 7 Seals are given more of a chance to shine though which is a bit of a shame since the other group also had interesting characters. There is a silver lining as what you get to see of the 7 Angels is interesting enough to get you to care about them and be moved when they do what they need to as well.

I have really enjoyed this piece and think it is a vast improvement on the X movie. It just goes to show that the X movie was actually just a preview for this great series. Its depictions of powerful themes like separation, loneliness, self-worth, determination, love and acceptance are never over played for emphasis and it never talks down to the viewer, making it one of the most heartfelt animes I have seen. A high recommendation.

Overall, X was a good series that fell short of its potential for being a great one. There were some very interesting points raised, and there were always a lot of reasons to keep watching, but the pacing was often too slow and it seemed like there wasn't enough time given to the important stuff.

Story / Character:
The story was very interesting, and seemed to be relatively original, both in the general theme and how they handled the events that occur during the series. The idea of addressing the pollution of the planet isn't new, but putting that as an apocalyptic setting, throwing in a bit of religion, having the characters attempt to fight against what is seen as an absolute and inevitable destiny, and bringing up the question of whether the human race even deserves to be saved definitely is a new twist.

The basic storyline is that there are humans with magical powers and a destiny: seven Dragons of Earth, who want to destroy humanity and put an end to the destruction of the planet, and seven Dragons of Heaven, who want to save the human race. They are fated to fight against each other, with the Dragons of Earth destined to eventually emerge victorious and bring about the Revolution.

The main character of the series is Kamui, who is told that he is destined to choose to fight for one side and attempt to lead them to victory. He starts out being completely disinterested in the very idea of being involved in the conflict, and only changes his mind once his friends are put into danger by the conflict. His character really adds a lot to the series, as you can see him progress from a total asshole into a real hero, and it actually all makes sense.

Along the way towards the Final Battle, there are a bunch of sub-conflicts, recollections and histories. Some of these are really interesting, and they help to give the storyline even more weight. For instance, the computer girl who wants to know why it is wrong to kill humans, and the inability of anyone to come up with a truly satisfactory answer, forces you to think about whether just maybe she might actually be right.

The most powerful idea of the series is the fact that everyone is always trying to fight against destiny and make their personal wish come true, even when it seems impossible. How they come to terms with the denial of everything that they want, or keep fighting even when they know that they are going to die, or find themselves unable to bear the weight of their destiny, brings out their inner nature and forces you to make a connection with them.

The characters that you meet are really interesting, and by the end I felt like I could see inside their heads and understand what they are all about. Still, I would have liked a bit more attention paid to the Dragons of Earth, as the DoH (Dragons of Heaven) seemed to get an overwhelming majority of the screen time, and some of the DoE just seemed less real and less important, because the series just didn't care about them nearly as much.

The downside of the experience, however, is that oftentimes the series simply plods along instead of really accomplishing very much. The last six or so episodes, and the first two or three, were very good, but the middle just wasn't quite up to snuff. I didn't need to see a whole episode about the whiny girl with the invisible dog that nobody else can see, and I definitely didn't need an entire highlight episode (17), when that could easily have been accomplished in half of an episode. Ultimately, they producers could have sliced out at least four to five episodes in the period starting with #4 and ending with #17. In a few of them, you could really tell that they were stretching out their content in order to fill an entire twenty minutes, when what they had might have been only good enough for about ten.

Also, there were a lot of questions that really should have been answered at some point. What exactly was up with the whole "Twin Star"? During the series, certain people's personalities alter, and somehow get taken over by something else (another personality, a mystical force, ...?) but there's no real explanation as to what is going on there. I get Sorata's entire personal history, but no answer to that? Not exactly a great decision there. Also, throughout the entire series, there wasn't a single explanation of why any of the Dragons of Earth joined that side. Sure, Konoe got a very short explanation, but she wasn't actually one of them, or even particularly important at any point in the second half of the series.

The one other unfortunate aspect is the almost complete lack of action until very late in the series. The entire world is at stake, everyone's emotionally charged, and yet the first Dragon to kick the bucket dies in EPISODE SIXTEEN!

Ultimately, there was just too much setup and fluff, and not quite enough action and not quite enough meat to the story to get it to take the leap from good to great. Still, it was a very good story that kept me wanting more up to the very end, and the characters were almost all interesting and nicely varied, even though I thought that the distribution of "face time" was a bit off.

Animation:
Excellent throughout. The characters were very well drawn as were the scenes. You could really tell how much effort was put into the animations; even a few years later it still looks beautiful.

Sound:
The OP was very good, and I thought that everyone's voices were also very good on the dub. The main background score is absolutely awesome, the best I've ever heard by a long shot. True, it's probably used a touch too often, but it's so good that it really isn't much of a problem.

Value:
It was a good series, but I'm not planning on watching it again any time soon. There were good points, but there's too much filler for me to want to sit through again. Next time I watch I'll fast forward through the boring parts.

Enjoyment:
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this series. It wouldn't make the list of my alltime favorites, but it's still better than most that I've watched. It could have been great without the mistakes it made, but it is still a very good show. If you're looking for just one show to watch then pass, but if you're a fan of good anime series this ought to be right up your alley.

Epic.
If I had just one word to describe X, that would suffice. But luckily, I have much more than that, and I'll try to put this space I've been granted to good use.


Animation

The animation for X TV is great even today, and truly outstanding for a TV series produced in 2001. The character designs and backgrounds are much more detailed than they have any right to be, and don't lose any of their finesse even during the frequent fast-paced action scenes. Some may take issue with the decidedly bishounen appearance of most male protagonists, but I believe that they fit the story and overall mood better than the brawny heros from your run-of-the-mill shonen series could ever hope to.

Yet, even all that would not be worth a 10 in my book. However, X TV has one feature that sets it apart from most, if not all, anime series I've seen up to now - and I've seen more than my fair share. That elusive quality is an excellent, markedly artistic direction. Never before have I witnessed cuts so clean, camera angles so fitting. Every frame speaks volumes about the amount of thought, talent, and - dare I say - soul that went into its production. Each source of light is carefully placed in relation to the actors and events depicted, and used to great effect. Every strong color resonates with the rest of the picture to form a pristine union.

X TV is truly a sight to behold, regal at some times, lush at others.


Sound

Not unlike the visual part of the show, X's music is already splendid when judged on it's own, yet attains an even more marvellous quality by being masterfully employed throughout the key scenes. Violins rise and ebb away, wind instruments force the pace and slow down seconds later, but you don't even notice any of that as you are engrossed by the significance-laden events happening before you. Still, the music manages to enhance the emotional impact of the story and animation at all the important times, and does so in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and not distracting in the least.

The other factor that decides the sound rating, the characters' voices, does further solidify an overwhelmingly positive impression. To my mind and ears, all the seiyuu fit their characters perfectly, a feat made even more impressive by the sheer amount of personalities involved with The End of the World.

So why did I not rate this category with a 10? The answer is the one that some of the other reviews mention as well: There is an ever-so-slight lack of variety in the music. A few songs are repeated a bit more than what I'd consider absolutely perfect. While this problem is most likely only noticable when watching six or more episodes back-to-back, I still decided to deduct one point - mainly because the overall addictiveness of this series makes it quite likely that you'll watch a significant number of episodes successively.

Despite this minor quibble, X TV sounds majestically, thereby doing justice to both its animation and storyline.


Story

The whole world being at stake is not something that surprises even the most casual anime-fans, but seldom is the fight for it as stirring as it is in X TV. The most important driving force behind the happenings in this series are the decisions, the wishes of its cast of characters. And like their emotions, the storyline remains steady only for short intervals, and suddenly sways toward unreckoned events at every opportunity.

Nevertheless, as with the other aspects of this anime, there always seems to be some greater plan behind everything happening in X. Every death has a meaning and a profound impact, and the certainty of that is what makes them bearable. The true brilliance of the story gradually unveils itself throughout every single episode, showing another unique feature of X: Not only is there no a single filler episode, to me it felt like there was not a single minute, not a single frame wasted.

Some of the dialogues and scenes in this anime would feel pretentious and excessive were they shown in any other series. Only in the emotional and philospohical framework provided by X can they take on their full meaning. This is made possible mainly due to two mainstays that are never compromised - X taking itself seriously, and you taking it seriously. The former is accomplished by staying realistic and consistent inside the boundaries set by its universe, and the latter, while probably never guaranteed for all watchers, is eminent for most because of the emotional bond fostered between them, the series' characters, and their cruel and often bloody fates.

All the same, there is one point that I would have wished to be explored some more, and that is the reason and history for and behind all that comes to pass in this anime. I realize, with this being a character-driven anime and the inherent time constraints of the format looming as always, that further exploring this aspect was probably impossible, yet I can't help but long for more. However, that is probably the price one has to pay for finishing an outstanding anime.

All in all, X TV's story manages to be grandiose without becoming overblown, to brilliantly engage heart and mind while still being accessible.


Characters

Some series have well developed characters. Some series have a large cast of diverse characters. Some series have believable characters. Good series generally have one or even two of these qualities. X is one of the few that occupy the elusive space where all three converge.

Seven dragons of heaven, seven dragons of earth, and numerous others that either seek to affect them or are caught up in the events, united by fate. Each of them unique in their background, motivations, attitude and aptitude. Listed like that, it almost seems an insurmountable task to detail each of their personalities in a scant 24 episodes. Yet the creators of X managed to do just that, and do it remarkably well. This is one of the results that arises from the total and absolute utilisation of every minute of screen time that I alluded to earlier. Also, many episodes focus on one or two specific characters, thereby allowing the viewer to gain an even more in-depth understanding of their motivations and perspective.

Deep characterization is but one of the requirements that have to be fulfilled for a perfect rating in this section, the other being character development. However, X TV doesn't disappoint here as well. Starting with the main character Kamui, many of the protagonists - and, as is to be expected from a truly great series, many of the "antagonists" as well - undergo profound changes either as a direct result of traumatic events, or, perhaps even more interestingly, because of a personal conclusion reached after a long thought process.

By virtue of the resultant authenticity that most characters enjoy it can be very hard not to bond with them. That is of course not a bad thing by itself, but it can lead to rather excrutiating emotional situations during some of the more unpleasant scenes of the anime. And of those there are plenty, from bloody fights and deaths over backstabbing to betrayal. As I described earlier however, all those strong or brutal scenes serve some defined purpose in the overall story and the development of the characters - this is reassuring and also a bit solacing to know in case the worst comes to the worst.

Rembember, the strong emotional impact that makes such consolatory thoughts necessary stems from one reason:
The characters in X TV are as numerous and diverse as they are well-developed.


Value

Value is always a hard category to judge as it is terribly subjective, complex and ill defined. I'll try anyway. X has a lot going for it in the rewatchability department: Marvellous camera perspectives, lush drawings, fast action scenes and great characters you can identify with.

However, there is one thing that will you'll miss more with each subsequent watching of the series: The element of suspense and secrecy that kept you on the edge of your seat trying not to be surprised by the next turn of the story during your first time through. And because that is one of the many elements that come together to make watching X a downright magnificent experience I decided to detract 2 points from the score in this category.


Enjoyment

I relished every moment that I spent enjoying X, and I believe that there are quite a few anime fans that feel - or will feel, for the lucky ones - the same. If you have any appreciation for the fine arts at all it is hard not to lose yourself in admiration of the talent and heart that went into this production.
Many an anime has striven to tell an epic fantasy story, but none have succeeded as completely as X.


Wether it is the deep red sun setting behind Tokyo tower, the magnificient design of the Shinken, the philosophy behind infallible dreamseeing or the morbid beauty of a hand piercing a heart, you are sure to take something with you from watching X TV.

A well thought story with some unexpected turning points which sadly also bring out the bad sides of this anime.
You can see a deep character introduction as well as developement. You'll also see many flashbacks and some other scenes that get repeated a couple of times but strangely, these things that normally would be annoying for the audience, are instead quite perfect for the story.
And now the disappointment - it would seem that after all the characters have been introduced(its been done quite richly as I already said, 1 episode for 1 character) then it'll become a royal rumble, where the Dragons of Earth and Heaven fight it out for the future of Earth.
But instead, there will only be 1 vs 1 matches which won't last very long.
It excels in story but is quite inferior in the action part which should be way better considering the powers that the characters possess.

Animation and sound are both better than just good, the drawing style of the characters is something that I really liked, I couldn't imagine any other style for the story. The opening song was also quite memorable and the voice talents did their job well, well...maybe the voice talent for the main character should think of a better way to express himself in dramatical moments.

I suggest watching "X 1999" before watching this, but it matters little, the story remains the same, alhtought there are some differences and in my opinion the TV series is quite boring at some points despite of the magnificent story. It's just that it progresses so slowly...but in the final episodes they really rushed it, I guess that's the style of CLAMP :)

The ones who have seen the predecessor - "X 1999" and liked it, then "X TV" gives you the chance to see the longer and more complex version of the movie.

My first anime series I've seen in jap dub/eng sub.
I haven't seen the movie, but enjoyed the series nonetheless. The drawing is very detailed and on a pretty high overall level. This series has it's focus manly on character development, so it's rather slow at the beginning. In my eyes, there's too little overall action. I mean, it's about the final battle, they could've come up with some great action. This one has the CLAMP style, meaning they pack nearly all story in the last 4-5 Eps. Definitively not an anime for everybody. The music is extraordinary, although it's repeated pretty often.

If you liked this, you might want to see Witch Hunter Robin. And of course the movie, although it's supposed to be crap

CU,
lamer_de