Six years ago, Kamui Shirou and the siblings Fuuma and Kotori Monou were inseparable childhood friends. Following the sudden, horrific death of the Monou siblings' mother, Kamui was taken away from Tokyo by his own mother. Over the years, they lived peacefully while Kamui honed his innate telekinetic abilities. Upon his mother's death in 1999, her final wish leads him back to Tokyo to confront his "destiny."
When Kamui returns to the city, his demeanor has drastically changed, showcasing his enhanced powers through violent encounters on the streets. Various adversaries approach him asking if he is "Kamui," but their inquiries seem to carry a deeper significance than just his name. These fighters represent two opposing factions—the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth—both vying to recruit him. As Kamui uncovers clues about the apocalyptic "promised day," he realizes that the fate of the world rests in his hands. Depending on which faction he allies with, he can either choose to save the world—or destroy it.
X is written and illustrated by the four-member team of CLAMP. Although currently incomplete, CLAMP has expressed their intention to conclude the series one day if possible. It began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Asuka shoujo manga magazine in May 1992 and ceased publication in March 2003. The manga's depiction of events too closely resembled real-life disasters in Japan, contributing to its hiatus.
Chapters of X have been compiled into eighteen and a half volumes, with a total of twenty-one volumes anticipated. The series has been adapted into various anime that speculate about events before the manga's start or after its last published chapter.
The series was published in English by VIZ Media as 3-in-1 omnibus volumes from November 8, 2011, to August 13, 2013.
I'd recommend this manga if you're into tragic, supernatural, fantasy, and end-of-the-world themes. X/1999 has an amazing storyline (don't count the movie!)
I haven't read the entire manga, but I've read certain parts, mainly sections I was most interested in. In some ways, the manga is better than the anime because it includes details that were left out, such as more gore and torture scenes.
I hope it gets finished publishing soon; it's been a long time waiting (though not for me personally, but generally speaking).
I love this series the most among all CLAMP works, with Tsubasa Chronicle coming in second. Some people might not appreciate it due to the tragic and violent events throughout the story.
Regarding the story, I would rate it a 10 because I enjoy action, drama, supernatural themes, and end-of-the-world scenarios. What I love most is how the main character, Shirou Kamui, comes to accept his destiny. It's challenging for anyone to accept such a cruel fate looming in the future. After finishing the manga, I found it incredibly interesting. I truly hope this manga concludes soon, as each volume leaves you hanging and keeps you deeply invested until the very end to see who will ultimately triumph.
As for the art, I adore every aspect of it, though Kamui can resemble Ran/Lan from Clover at times. Meanwhile, Fuuma looks like several characters within the series.
The characters are well-developed with distinct personalities and motivations, which often depend on the powers they possess.
I find this manga highly enjoyable, especially because of its themes.
I really wish to finish this manga already; I've seen the last chapter in volume 19 where it went on hiatus. If you have the courage and determination to uncover the secrets behind Earth's suffering, then this is the manga for you!
Story: Out of all the series that CLAMP has created over the years, X happens to be their darkest and most violent series to date. As usual, CLAMP manages to create some unique and interesting ideas, as well as some surprises. What I also find intriguing is the whole conflict between the Dragons of Heaven and Dragons of Earth. To me, it feels like neither side is simply the "good guys" or "bad guys." The Dragons of Heaven wish to save mankind, but if they succeed, the Earth itself will be destroyed because of man's ignorance towards the Earth. The Dragons of Earth wish to eliminate all people from the Earth to save it from destruction. No matter what side you're on, this series has a great story that should never fail to keep your interest. If not the art will, which brings me to....
Art: The art here deserves a perfect score. Although it may be an older style, it is absolutely gorgeous throughout the manga. Whether it's a peaceful-looking scene, an action-packed fight, a dream sequence, or even a bloody scene of somebody getting hurt and/or killed, the pictures are beautiful to look at and well placed. Sometimes I even pick up my copies of the manga just so I can admire the art. It's really that pretty; I even plan on buying the art books next time I see them.
Character: Each and every one of the Dragons of Heaven and Dragons of Earth has their own unique backstory and reasons why they want to fight, all of which I found interesting to read about. There is character development here too, from what I have read so far.
Enjoyment: As stated above, with a great story, great art, and great characters, when you put it all together, I thought this is certainly a very enjoyable read. X is definitely CLAMP at their best. I'm not exaggerating the perfect scores here either.
As I am writing this, I have only read the first 15 volumes of the manga out of 19. Although I have yet to read them all, I know X still remains unfinished after all these years, which I find very unfortunate (X being one of CLAMP's earlier works that started in 1992). There is a possible reason behind why this happened. It is because the magazine that was serializing X believed that X was way too violent and had asked CLAMP to tone it down. CLAMP refused, and the series was dropped. Because the series was under contract with the publishing company, there are no other alternatives at this time to get the rest of the series released. There is hope though; it's been rumored that CLAMP still plans to continue X, and they might do it after they complete Tsubasa Chronicle and xxxHolic.
If you have been looking for a very dark yet beautiful series to read, then give X a try. If you're a CLAMP fan, then this is one series you should definitely check out, especially because it even crosses over with Tokyo Babylon and CLAMP School Detectives. Also, many characters and elements from X later reappear in Tsubasa Chronicle. But keep in mind that X may not be for everybody due to its very violent content, and there's certainly lots of gore and violence here. You have been warned.
If no one could ever hurt or kill anyone, why would people become blinded to the most important things?
- A Dragon of Earth, X/1999
I can't imagine why anyone could dislike CLAMP or X. You don’t have to like X, but they must have something you would enjoy. Also, you should really read Tokyo Babylon before this one. It is a prequel and just as beautifully tragic, with several characters and their stories coinciding in X that you may not fully understand without reading it. Check out my review for that one.
The story revolves around Dragons of Heaven versus the Dragons of Earth. But is it really that simple? The Dragons of Heaven want to save mankind. The Dragons of Earth want to save the Earth. Saving mankind destroys the earth, and those saving the earth must destroy mankind. This is a battle of morals. There is no clear good or evil in this epic battle of destiny. Both paths could lead to the end of everything.
There’s also a strong ambiguous love connection for some characters. While not outright for any male characters (yet), CLAMP’s works often include love that can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone, regardless of age or gender. There are hinted undertones of shounen ai. While this makes me love CLAMP even more for their support of loving whoever is most precious to us, some people may not appreciate these allusions. Most people seem to focus on the amount of blood and violence in this manga anyway. Moving on.
While X is supposed to be their darkest story yet, to me, it just feels like the truth. And the truth strikes home. This story is so compelling that I’m not sure how you won’t pick up another volume. I became so immersed that I felt involved in this whole world-ending business, and half the time, I was crying. Trust me; this story is too good to pass up.
The art in X falls under their older category (1992-2003), and I find their older works far more appealing than their newer ones. Something about them is cleaner, more artistically beautiful. Compare one of these volumes to Tsubasa or xxxHolic, and you’ll see the difference. The characters in X have a more sensual feel than in their newer work. Each character is unique to their power and personality. There’s a harsher, darker, thicker accent to the lines in their older works. You won’t want to look away from this artwork. Believe me.
I love all the characters in X, even those who are supposed to be "the bad guys." There truly aren’t any "bad guys" in X. There’s certainly development, especially in the group Kamui eventually picks. If you get emotionally invested in your characters when you read, be prepared. You will come to love your favorites and root for someone to win. But more than likely, you’ll want everyone to win in the end.
I love X/1999. Honestly, I do. And would anyone understand if I said I’m rooting for the Dragon of Earth leader? I feel like I know what his wish is for, and I feel like he’ll get it in the end, which will make me so sad. Some may not like it, but I’m on the Dragon of Earth side. Never thought I would be, but I understand where they’re coming from. As you can see from my involvement with the characters, I really wish they would finish the series. I hate that it isn’t finished. It’s such a beautiful piece of work, filled with angst, drama, romance, and action. I’ve never been adverse to lots of blood and gore, and if that’s a problem for publishers, slap a warning on it. Please publish it!
X didn’t disappoint me in any way. Perhaps because it hasn’t been completed, but that is a problem I hope will one day be fixed.