Welcome to Astral Animations, where we'll examine the imports of Japanese animation currently available in the United States.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Kamui Shirou left Tokyo six years ago with his mother. Now, he has returned at his mother's command, returning to protect those he loves and has loved since they were children together: Fuma and Kotori Monou. He remembers them fondly: playing with them, going to festivals with them, just being with them. He remembers how, once upon a time, he swore that he would come back to Tokyo to protect Kotori. And he remembers how, once upon a time, his friend Fuma swore that while Kamui protected Kotori, he would protect Kamui.
Those innocent days are gone, however, and the three find themselves caught up in the struggle to determine the fate of the world. It is 1999, and the Dragon of Earth has begun to awaken. Through its efforts mankind shall be exterminated and the planet cleansed and purified. But in response, the Dragon of Heaven has begun its own attempts to stop its opposite through the seven seals, of which Kamui is one...or he may not be. For there is something strange about Kamui's destiny that not even the dreamwatcher, Hinoto, can fully understand.
In the meantime, Kamui's return to Tokyo has drawn the attention of the seven harbingers, who serve the Dragon of Earth. Two of them arrive at the shrine where Fuma and Kotori live, and there they attack Kamui. One opponent controls the wind; the other wields water. Kamui is outnumbered--though not necessarily outgunned--and he must also protect his two friends. The other seals arrive to aid Kamui, but in the confusion something or someone has stolen Fuma and Kotori away. Unwilling to shoulder the burden of saving the world, he has now had those he came to protect taken from him, leaving him angry and confused. Finally, only a visit to the dreamwatcher convinces him to at least try working with the other seals.
Fuma, meanwhile, has begun to learn other things, about himself and about Kamui. Despite the promises they made six years in the past, events are soon to drive terrible wedges between them as their fates drag them in separate directions. All is not yet lost, but it may soon be. Can Kamui save the world without losing his friends, or will saving his friends cost humanity the Earth?
X is a very dark, very polar movie. Everything is viewed in terms of extremes with no compromises available in between. Colors, therefore, tend to be practically non-existent. Practically everything seems to come in shades of white, black, grey, or red. What other colors there are tend to be darker and duller. This bleak color scheme adds to the impact of the message being conveyed, that it is time for the final battle to determine the fate of the world.
There were many times throughout the movie that the scenes became confusing and disjointed. This was probably intentional, as these scenes were always taking place in alternate dimensions or in the dreamscape of the minds of the characters. Still, having these images jumping all over the place with only the dialogue of the characters to explain what was happening can become rather tedious and trying. On the other hand, for those who are used to such sporadic imagery, then it isn't really that bad. Understand that it is all taking place in the mind and everything will be all right.
A warning to the wise: much of the red that appears in the movie comes from blood...lots of it. I'm talking pools and oceans of blood here, now. These are battles to the death, so of course there's going to be killing wounds all over the place. Still, sometimes the scenes were rather graphic. Maybe a bit too graphic in the long run. However, the impact on the viewer is definitely felt, and the reactions inspired by such scenes is warranted by the story.
This is a CLAMP production, and while I haven't seen a whole lot done by that studio, I did notice that there were times when Kamui looked an awful lot like Sakura's older brother in Cardcaptors or Card Captor Sakura. It's only natural, I suppose. At any rate, the artwork is most definitely inspired and powerful, and it's hardly a surprise that all the characters are beautiful, if not simply handsome.
X is available on VHS cassette from Manga Video in the subtitled and dubbed format. You can try contacting them directly, but I'm sure you'll be able to find the video at any videostore you visit...provided it has an anime section!
Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the links to order the subtitled or dubbed VHS versions. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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