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X [エックス] #1
X/1999, Volume 01: Prelude
As part of the X/1999 series, this volume features breathless action and stunning art. When Kamui returns to Tokyo, he learns that his childhood girlfriend Kotori and psychic Princess Hinoto are having strange dreams about his role in a coming apocalypse! Is he the angel of salvation, or the devil of destruction?
184 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 1992
About the author
Clamp
1,131 books3,022 followersŌkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]
Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]
Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]
Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]
CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.
In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.
In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]
Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]
Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]
Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]
CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.
In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.
In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
November 2, 2016
[This review includes volumes 1-9]
If you have ever read a CLAMP manga, chances are you're a cynical romantic masochist. And yes, that's a thing and if you have ever fallen in love with any CLAMP work, you know deep inside that you fucking are a cynical romantic masochist. It'd be easier to just blow past it now and accept facts. This particular manga series known as X, and then changed to X/1999 because there was also a Western series with the same name, is the famed 'unfinished' work by CLAMP that is more or less a magnus opei. It went on a very, very long-term hiatus since 2003 and in doing so, left the story lacking any real conclusion TO THIS DAY. Concerns about its increasingly violent scenes have been the issue why the series has been discontinued by the magazine it was published in because they're a bunch of sissies.
In any case, X/1999 definitely deserved better because it was simply brilliant with layers that would make this possible for several readings. Also, this has to be the most confounding, sophisticated and emotionally stressful series CLAMP had ever produced, and they have a long line of other emotionally stressful stories after this because they are dicks--and I say that with loving affection as a fan. Due to time constrictions, I was only able to finish the nine volumes collected. Now, I would have pushed through it and found a way to binge everything in one sitting, but that is not an advisable route when it comes to any CLAMP series.
I repeat: DO NOT BINGE A CLAMP SERIES because reading any CLAMP work in one sitting is not good for your mental and emotional health especially with this one. I'll try to give you a semi-spoiler-ish look at why you might want to read this--and why you must brace yourselves.
Essentially my reaction as I progressed through each volume is WHAT---WHY---WHAT THE FUCK?
Essentially me since volume 4
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Genre-wise, X/1999 is an apocalyptic fiction combining several elements of the story's own mythology with that of other secular elements, particularly Christian themes. At the heart of its plot is an ontological argument regarding Fate vs. Free Will. The very tagline of this series testifies to it, and serves as the main conflict for the protagonist Kamui who must choose between two fates; one that leads him to a path of goodness and redemption--and the other towards destruction and mayhem. The choice should be simple enough, of course, but X/1999 certainly draws it out to stress the weight and importance of making such a choice because it's not only a matter of doing the right thing but also coming to terms of one's capacity for both good and evil, depending on which part you nurture.
Kamui, this story's protagonist, is a surly teenage boy supposedly destined to either be the world's salvation or damnation when Armageddon hits in the year 1999. He is brash, immensely powerful and haunted; having witnessed the very detailed and brutal murder of someone at a young age. He has two childhood friends whom he considers the ones he loves the most, but had to cut off ties with them because he doesn't want them to get involved in the supernatural drama that is a prophecy about his life as the chosen 'Kamui'.
[CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE]
The conflict sounds predictable and comparable to other works focusing on the power of choice, and the possibility of how the end of the world hangs in a balance with said choice. There would be nothing particularly special about X/1999 in this regard, except that CLAMP also created an interesting mythos to make its own version of an apocalypse that not only concerns the utter devastation of the world as we know it, but also an intimate portrait of how the burden of making choices can truly be a matter of life and death. Kamui is not the only one who has to decide; the ensemble of intriguing characters that would also play vital roles in the 1999 End of the World. These are the collective seven seals and seven minions who more or less brought up to what their destines would be like once Kamui decides his fate, and theirs for that matter. They all have their own personal motives, tragic backstories and wish fulfillments that certainly allows readers to feel that this isn't just a one-man Kamui show but one that touches upon other players' own choices that could influence a smaller narrative against the backdrop of a much bigger and overwhelming one.
To see their lives unfold and unravel alongside Kamui's is where the emotional chord is being wrapped around the readers' hearts. The way these fourteen characters would act whether through their own accord or for some higher, preordained plan is a compelling and gratingly frustrating thing to read about because it would definitely make readers question about how much of their life they do control, or if they were ever in control about it in the first place. I would not be spoiling and discussing these characters individually because no introduction about them here would suffice, and discovering who they are for yourselves would be a more satisfying experience because one of CLAMP's strengths is creating memorable characters with nuanced personal histories and conflicts that move you to root for them no matter how hopeless the situations they find themselves in.
You think loving characters in Game of Thrones only to watch them fail and die is painful? Well, CLAMP characters will make you experience a different kind of pain that could be called 'cruel' if it wasn't also persistently bittersweet and ultimately an inevitable end.
On a lighter topic, since this is CLAMP, some unintended/ambiguous scenes of boy-love are ever present. This is mostly prominently featured in the relationship between Kamui and his childhood friend Fuuma who has a sister named Kotori whom Kamui also loves. It's probably the most painful relationship rendered on paper which may only be rivaled by other CLAMP pairings like Sakura and Syaoran of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and motherfucking Subaru and Seishirou from Tokyo Babylon WHO ALSO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS SERIES AS THE ULTIMATE QUEER VERSIONS OF ROMEO AND JULIET, ONLY MUCH MORE TRAGIC! Anyway, here's some ambiguously gay moments:
Amidst the vividly drawn dream sequences, perplexing symbolism weaved into these sequences, and the brutal depictions of killings that would definitely jump out the page, there are also separate chapters focusing on a particular character's story at the end of each volume. The most enjoyable aspect of this series are definitely the gorgeous illustrations of even the most mundane scenes. Aside from Tsubasa, X/1999 has to have the most detailed visual work and exceptionally so, considering the bulk of the plot alone and how two or three volumes usually delved on many pages of dream sequence and symbolism that would make readers head spin as they try to interpret them.
I would show them here but that would be spoiling a lot of important elements in the prophecy itself so I won't. Instead, let me just show a touching spread when Kamui decides to save the world so he can preserve the home of his childhood friends/sweethearts Fuuma and Kotori, and the love these three have for one another WILL TOTALLY NOT BECOME A WASTELAND OF ANGST LATER ON.
Nope. Not at all.
It's only been nine volumes so I can't have that much strong opinion about Kamui as a lead protagonist of this story. He started out rather unrelatable and even annoying, being quite stubborn and hotheaded, but as readers follow him in his quest for self-knowledge, it becomes pretty difficult to keep thinking he's just some whiny teenager, given the extent of his trauma and his losses along the way that just kept getting worse and worse. His arc in this story as the main one to follow can be very depressing and hopeless, but I would like to see how he fares once his character development progresses along. He's in a very vulnerable place where pain and despair mostly define it. However, the ninth volume changes that with his interaction with one Subaru Sumeragi, the protagonist for Tokyo Babylon which I reviewed earlier this year and subsequently unraveled from. READ THE UNRAVELING HERE.
There are so many things I want to reveal in this review to get you to read it, but I will abstain because it would just spoil too much of what CLAMP has accomplished in this series, as far as I've read in the volumes I got to finish.
So, I will just leave you guys with Sumeragi rehashing the painful experiences he had from Tokyo Babylon to give Kamui some context and perspective that there might be a way to survive the worst of heartbreaks no matter how impossible it may seem. And it's not like they have a choice--they're in a CLAMP story! They're royally fucked, basically!
Once I finish all the required readings for this year, I'm going to read more of X/1999 again. I'll be taking it slow though, considering there is no resolution of this series and I don't want to rush to its non-ending just yet, being discontinued and all, but from what I have seen so far, I really do believe it's worth the trouble.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
READ MY REVIEWS AT:
If you have ever read a CLAMP manga, chances are you're a cynical romantic masochist. And yes, that's a thing and if you have ever fallen in love with any CLAMP work, you know deep inside that you fucking are a cynical romantic masochist. It'd be easier to just blow past it now and accept facts. This particular manga series known as X, and then changed to X/1999 because there was also a Western series with the same name, is the famed 'unfinished' work by CLAMP that is more or less a magnus opei. It went on a very, very long-term hiatus since 2003 and in doing so, left the story lacking any real conclusion TO THIS DAY. Concerns about its increasingly violent scenes have been the issue why the series has been discontinued by the magazine it was published in because they're a bunch of sissies.
In any case, X/1999 definitely deserved better because it was simply brilliant with layers that would make this possible for several readings. Also, this has to be the most confounding, sophisticated and emotionally stressful series CLAMP had ever produced, and they have a long line of other emotionally stressful stories after this because they are dicks--and I say that with loving affection as a fan. Due to time constrictions, I was only able to finish the nine volumes collected. Now, I would have pushed through it and found a way to binge everything in one sitting, but that is not an advisable route when it comes to any CLAMP series.
I repeat: DO NOT BINGE A CLAMP SERIES because reading any CLAMP work in one sitting is not good for your mental and emotional health especially with this one. I'll try to give you a semi-spoiler-ish look at why you might want to read this--and why you must brace yourselves.
Essentially my reaction as I progressed through each volume is WHAT---WHY---WHAT THE FUCK?
Essentially me since volume 4
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Genre-wise, X/1999 is an apocalyptic fiction combining several elements of the story's own mythology with that of other secular elements, particularly Christian themes. At the heart of its plot is an ontological argument regarding Fate vs. Free Will. The very tagline of this series testifies to it, and serves as the main conflict for the protagonist Kamui who must choose between two fates; one that leads him to a path of goodness and redemption--and the other towards destruction and mayhem. The choice should be simple enough, of course, but X/1999 certainly draws it out to stress the weight and importance of making such a choice because it's not only a matter of doing the right thing but also coming to terms of one's capacity for both good and evil, depending on which part you nurture.
Kamui, this story's protagonist, is a surly teenage boy supposedly destined to either be the world's salvation or damnation when Armageddon hits in the year 1999. He is brash, immensely powerful and haunted; having witnessed the very detailed and brutal murder of someone at a young age. He has two childhood friends whom he considers the ones he loves the most, but had to cut off ties with them because he doesn't want them to get involved in the supernatural drama that is a prophecy about his life as the chosen 'Kamui'.
[CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE]
The conflict sounds predictable and comparable to other works focusing on the power of choice, and the possibility of how the end of the world hangs in a balance with said choice. There would be nothing particularly special about X/1999 in this regard, except that CLAMP also created an interesting mythos to make its own version of an apocalypse that not only concerns the utter devastation of the world as we know it, but also an intimate portrait of how the burden of making choices can truly be a matter of life and death. Kamui is not the only one who has to decide; the ensemble of intriguing characters that would also play vital roles in the 1999 End of the World. These are the collective seven seals and seven minions who more or less brought up to what their destines would be like once Kamui decides his fate, and theirs for that matter. They all have their own personal motives, tragic backstories and wish fulfillments that certainly allows readers to feel that this isn't just a one-man Kamui show but one that touches upon other players' own choices that could influence a smaller narrative against the backdrop of a much bigger and overwhelming one.
To see their lives unfold and unravel alongside Kamui's is where the emotional chord is being wrapped around the readers' hearts. The way these fourteen characters would act whether through their own accord or for some higher, preordained plan is a compelling and gratingly frustrating thing to read about because it would definitely make readers question about how much of their life they do control, or if they were ever in control about it in the first place. I would not be spoiling and discussing these characters individually because no introduction about them here would suffice, and discovering who they are for yourselves would be a more satisfying experience because one of CLAMP's strengths is creating memorable characters with nuanced personal histories and conflicts that move you to root for them no matter how hopeless the situations they find themselves in.
You think loving characters in Game of Thrones only to watch them fail and die is painful? Well, CLAMP characters will make you experience a different kind of pain that could be called 'cruel' if it wasn't also persistently bittersweet and ultimately an inevitable end.
On a lighter topic, since this is CLAMP, some unintended/ambiguous scenes of boy-love are ever present. This is mostly prominently featured in the relationship between Kamui and his childhood friend Fuuma who has a sister named Kotori whom Kamui also loves. It's probably the most painful relationship rendered on paper which may only be rivaled by other CLAMP pairings like Sakura and Syaoran of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and motherfucking Subaru and Seishirou from Tokyo Babylon WHO ALSO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS SERIES AS THE ULTIMATE QUEER VERSIONS OF ROMEO AND JULIET, ONLY MUCH MORE TRAGIC! Anyway, here's some ambiguously gay moments:
Amidst the vividly drawn dream sequences, perplexing symbolism weaved into these sequences, and the brutal depictions of killings that would definitely jump out the page, there are also separate chapters focusing on a particular character's story at the end of each volume. The most enjoyable aspect of this series are definitely the gorgeous illustrations of even the most mundane scenes. Aside from Tsubasa, X/1999 has to have the most detailed visual work and exceptionally so, considering the bulk of the plot alone and how two or three volumes usually delved on many pages of dream sequence and symbolism that would make readers head spin as they try to interpret them.
I would show them here but that would be spoiling a lot of important elements in the prophecy itself so I won't. Instead, let me just show a touching spread when Kamui decides to save the world so he can preserve the home of his childhood friends/sweethearts Fuuma and Kotori, and the love these three have for one another WILL TOTALLY NOT BECOME A WASTELAND OF ANGST LATER ON.
Nope. Not at all.
It's only been nine volumes so I can't have that much strong opinion about Kamui as a lead protagonist of this story. He started out rather unrelatable and even annoying, being quite stubborn and hotheaded, but as readers follow him in his quest for self-knowledge, it becomes pretty difficult to keep thinking he's just some whiny teenager, given the extent of his trauma and his losses along the way that just kept getting worse and worse. His arc in this story as the main one to follow can be very depressing and hopeless, but I would like to see how he fares once his character development progresses along. He's in a very vulnerable place where pain and despair mostly define it. However, the ninth volume changes that with his interaction with one Subaru Sumeragi, the protagonist for Tokyo Babylon which I reviewed earlier this year and subsequently unraveled from. READ THE UNRAVELING HERE.
There are so many things I want to reveal in this review to get you to read it, but I will abstain because it would just spoil too much of what CLAMP has accomplished in this series, as far as I've read in the volumes I got to finish.
So, I will just leave you guys with Sumeragi rehashing the painful experiences he had from Tokyo Babylon to give Kamui some context and perspective that there might be a way to survive the worst of heartbreaks no matter how impossible it may seem. And it's not like they have a choice--they're in a CLAMP story! They're royally fucked, basically!
Once I finish all the required readings for this year, I'm going to read more of X/1999 again. I'll be taking it slow though, considering there is no resolution of this series and I don't want to rush to its non-ending just yet, being discontinued and all, but from what I have seen so far, I really do believe it's worth the trouble.
RECOMMENDED: 8/10
READ MY REVIEWS AT:
April 6, 2024
Great book. I recommend it to everyone :)
March 30, 2017
Gorgeous art and the only kind of apocalyptic fatalist urban fantasy fiction I want to read
February 12, 2020
Review for volume 1-18
While arguably less famous than some of CLAMP'S other works such as Card Captor Sakura, Tsubasa and xxxHolic, I personally believe X/1999 to be CLAMP's true masterpiece. It is all the more a shame that this series has been left as incomplete with only little hope of there ever being a conclusion. While on one hand, I would recommend this as a masterful manga, it always comes with the grain of salt that you will be left with more questions than answers.
Kamui returns to Tokyo where, much as he would like to see them again, he avoids meeting his childhood friends Fuma and Kotori. Strange things seem to happen around Kamui - earthquakes one after the other shatter the city. Soon, mysterious people called the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth try to recruit Kamui to join their cause: one to save the earth, and one to destroy and reform it.
Although one shouldn't expect any less from CLAMP, X/1999's art is stunning. The characters are beautifully drawn with intricate details and there is no other word than dedication to describing the Tokyo backdrops. The art does change significantly between the first and latest volume, which is quite natural to a longer running series.
Kamui certainly doesn't start off as the most likeable protagonist. But that changes fast enough once we become more familiar with his circumstances and also see his change toward others. Although this story has a lot of action, I believe it is foremost a character-driven plot. In addition to the seven Dragons of Heaven and the seven Dragons of Earth, there is still quite a vast cast of important and also lesser characters. What makes X/1999 so special is that they all have their legitimate intentions and wishes. If you like grey characters, well, this series consists of nothing but. There is really no saying which character is in the right or wrong - as the characters themselves point out - there is no ideal outcome in which everyone can be happy.
Not only are all characters relatable, they all have their own story to tell and are anything but flat characters. There must be at least one character everyone can adore, and - ok - relatable or not, I confess, I don't like Satsuki - at all. But apart from her? I can't say there is a single character who I don't care for. You'd wish each and everyone one of them could have their happy ending - unfortunately, you know it won't happen. And to make matters worse, we likely never will find out. I think, X/1999's status of being incomplete will forever be one of my personal biggest manga tragedies.
On another note, for those who have read Tokyo Babylon and/or CLAMP School Detectives, characters from both make a comeback in this series and the truly open ending of Subaru and Seishirou receives a somewhat decent conclusion. I say somewhat because, although their story continues and comes to a close of sorts, the last volume of X/1999 takes on a new turn which could go anywhere, so it's questionable whether it can really be called a satisfying conclusion.
November 19, 2022
X/1999: the year is 1999. Two sides of seven hot people each must decide the fate of the Earth. One side favors human survival, the other the survival of the Earth. Which side will win? Well, spoiler alert, we will never f*cking know because the manga never completed and the anime and movie have opposite endings. This is an enticing first entry into the series that never ends, and it's not as messed up as 95% of what comes after.
LET'S HAVE FUN!
LET'S HAVE FUN!
Read
October 6, 2011I debated back and forth whether I wanted to be honest on Goodreads and list all of the Japanese comics I had read. Eventually, I decided it would probably be for the better to just include them all, because that was a part of my life, man. That was a phase, and it was an awesome phase, at that. I remember getting my braces tightened and then my mom taking me to the bookstore so I'd feel better, where I'd plunge into a volume of Clover. I had a thing for CLAMP back in the day. Now, not so much. In fact, CLAMP kind of frustrates me.
But I keep all of my old CLAMP comics for nostalgia's sake, I guess. All my editions of X put me out $20, back in the day when they used to switch the comics from their original state. I bought it in a comic store because at that time, you couldn't buy manga in a bookstore.
I don't think I could possibly give these ratings, seeing as it's been so long since I read them. Maybe someday, I'll crack into them again. I recall that while I initially enjoyed X, as I got older, the series frustrated me more and more. So, there you go, honesty at Goodreads, I had a manga phase that included X. I feel slightly less like a hermit crab hiding away in a shell.
But I keep all of my old CLAMP comics for nostalgia's sake, I guess. All my editions of X put me out $20, back in the day when they used to switch the comics from their original state. I bought it in a comic store because at that time, you couldn't buy manga in a bookstore.
I don't think I could possibly give these ratings, seeing as it's been so long since I read them. Maybe someday, I'll crack into them again. I recall that while I initially enjoyed X, as I got older, the series frustrated me more and more. So, there you go, honesty at Goodreads, I had a manga phase that included X. I feel slightly less like a hermit crab hiding away in a shell.
December 14, 2014
The story and book is ok for the most part but often the pictures are way too dark and not only do the guys have insanely broad shoulders when compared to the rest of their bodies but their upper bodies seem as stiff as that of a mannequin. Not to mention that sometimes there is weird dialogue that people in late 20th century Tokyo surely did not use.
The expository dialogue at the end of this didn't help either. Well I know the anime already so I know the basic story and had no interest in finishing this.
The expository dialogue at the end of this didn't help either. Well I know the anime already so I know the basic story and had no interest in finishing this.
Read
June 24, 2022my first manga! lent to me by pear, read on brighton beach 💖
April 24, 2010
I began to read this one after Kamui appeared in Tsubasa Chronicles, I thought Kamui had a story that was worth to know, now I think I was right.
The relationship between Kamui and Fuuma/Kotori, how ironic it's that the best friends are meant to fight each other, and the most impactant thing was, each of them are doing it because they think they are doing the correct thing...
and what is the correct thing to do??
- save the human kind and let the earth to die or
- save the earth and let the human kind to die??
Sometimes I think it's selfish think ether way...
After reading Tokyo Babylon there was something still untold..There's also Subaru in this one, so what was the end of his story??
This manga is my favorite of all times, since it talks not only about love, friendship, but about the reality...
Who will survive the end of the world? I still don't know, because this series is still on hiatus!!
The relationship between Kamui and Fuuma/Kotori, how ironic it's that the best friends are meant to fight each other, and the most impactant thing was, each of them are doing it because they think they are doing the correct thing...
and what is the correct thing to do??
- save the human kind and let the earth to die or
- save the earth and let the human kind to die??
Sometimes I think it's selfish think ether way...
After reading Tokyo Babylon there was something still untold..There's also Subaru in this one, so what was the end of his story??
This manga is my favorite of all times, since it talks not only about love, friendship, but about the reality...
Who will survive the end of the world? I still don't know, because this series is still on hiatus!!
November 2, 2021
Years ago, my younger sister bought a small collection of this manga in Chinese edition although she doesn't know the language or understand even the simplest Chinese character. I think it's her love of animes and mangas that brought her to this series, which kind of rubbed off on me as well as the artwork's lovely and emotive. Also, I was caught by the seemingly poignant apocalyptic or dystopian feel of the story that focuses on a young man named Kamui (I was only guessing the plot then; like my sister, I don't understand Chinese).
Her book collection was actually a nice subject for my art hobby during the times I enjoyed messing up with pencils and paintbrushes. I truly had fun sketching Kamui, Kotori, and the other characters, and am hoping that I'll be able to read this series in English, too.
Her book collection was actually a nice subject for my art hobby during the times I enjoyed messing up with pencils and paintbrushes. I truly had fun sketching Kamui, Kotori, and the other characters, and am hoping that I'll be able to read this series in English, too.
December 30, 2020
I read this series for the first time ~15 years ago and I wanted to do a reread for some time now to see how I'll perceive it after so many years. This is a mostly introductory volume, giving us the setting and some lore of this world. Kamui is a vexing brat at this point, we'll see if I'll love him as much in this reading as I did the first time... The artstyle is very indicative of the times it was created in but I still enjoy it, I always was a fan of CLAMP. I'm already hooked on the story and I'm eager to continue!
February 14, 2022
Relectura 20 años después de este manga (madre mía cómo pasa el tiempo). Me he hecho con la antigua edición de planeta y Uf, menuda serie. Una pena que nunca la acabaran las Clamp porque este tomo es una maravilla: personajes, historia, ese dibujo que pese a ser meganoventero es precioso (cómo les gustaban las tramas y los detallitos en cada viñeta). La edición de planeta no me hace justicia, pero no tenemos una mejor.
Una maravilla
Una maravilla
March 11, 2019
This manga has been sitting on my shelf for probably close to 18 years? I'm not sure why I never read it before now...
I vaguely remember getting this because my friend liked CLAMP manga (etc) but I had never really delved into the world of manga or anime - and I still haven't! I enjoyed the story and the art, however the fighting noises reminded me to much of the Adam West version of Batman which really took me out of the story.
This goes on the donate pile for me - but if I ever saw some of the other volumes at the library, I wouldn't be adverse to borrowing them
I vaguely remember getting this because my friend liked CLAMP manga (etc) but I had never really delved into the world of manga or anime - and I still haven't! I enjoyed the story and the art, however the fighting noises reminded me to much of the Adam West version of Batman which really took me out of the story.
This goes on the donate pile for me - but if I ever saw some of the other volumes at the library, I wouldn't be adverse to borrowing them
December 1, 2020
La mejor obra de las CLAMP con diferencia.
January 24, 2022
Comenzó con todo! La verdad es que Kamui es uno de mis crushes de juventud y ansiaba regresar a la historia y refrescar la memoria.
May 3, 2022
I'm hyped !
August 10, 2023
re-reading for the first time since high school. i still love the art. this is very much an introductory volume, so there isn't much story yet but god. i used to think this manga was the absolute coolest thing.
September 8, 2021
Buenas buenas, hello there!
Bueno, aquí tenemos el "final" de X, después de tanto tiempo, pude terminar uno de los grandes mangas de CLAMP. Es raro, porque me acuerdo que hace años yo intenté leer el manga e incluso ver el anime, por lo tanto, me parece super raro no haberlo hecho en ese momento y si ahora (lo más raro es que eso fue hace como 9 años, WTF).
La historia me gustó, tiene muchos personajes buenos y AMO que hayan decidido seguir la historia de Tokyo Babylon acá. Me gusta mucho el paralelismo que hay entre la historia de Subaru y Seishiro, con la de Kamui y Fuma (aunque de todas formas, al final no les dan tanta bola, porque Seishiro y Subaru no aparecen un carajo). Además, aparece Hokuto, muy bueno!
Personajes:
Dragones del cielo:
-Kamui: bueno, kamui me gusta mucho. Me interesa porque basaron el diseño de Lelouch en él ajajjaja Eso ya le da puntos. Al principio, es medio hdp pero después te lo quieren pintar todo bueno y pobrecito jajajaja no se por qué lo hicieron así las niñas clamp, pero igual me cae bien. Es una pena que no sabemos cómo querían terminar su historia (pero podemos creer que el anime es canon y listo, aunque se muere... rip literalmente jajajaja). Pero igual, como protagonista, esta bien.
-Sorata: la verdad es que lo amo, en el anime lo matan, pero podemos creer que no (re que el mismo lo dijo TwT) Me gusta como personaje, pero no me cerraba tanto que tuviera tanta skinship con Kamui, como que no. Hace muy linda pareja con Arashi <3
-Yuzuriha: bueno esta niña me cae bien, me parece re cute y aguante inuki (aunque también lo maten ajjajaja pero ojo, reencarna ajjajaa) Me gusta la relationship con el dragón de earth. Son cutes y bueno, me gusta que le dieran protagonismo!
-Arashi: bueno al principio, pensé que no me iba a gustar el personaje, pero se hace querer. Me gusta que sea tímida y al final se termine enamorando de Sorata (aunque se muera TwT). Lastima que el manga quedo abierto a por qué no podía sacar más la espada (encima justo después de que tuvieron relaciones...)
-SUBARU: HOLA MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO. Amo amo amo la historia de Subaru. Me parece que CLAMP lo ama y por eso le dieron su historia mega re trágica (si clamp te da final feliz, es porque no les importas (?). Es una lastima que no tuvo casi nada de interacciones con Seishiro y encima me lo tiraban a Kamui arriba. Pero creo que dejaron más que claro que Subaru esta muy enamorado de Seishiro. En cuanto se muere, ya no puede hacer Kekkais porque ya no le importa nada. Me alegra mucho que tuvieran una continuación y me intriga mucho que al final del manga lo pintaron de dragón de la tierra. ONDA QUE! Realmente las amo a las clamp y me gusta mucho el personaje de Subaru. Creo que el y sei-chan fueron los que me hicieron leer y seguir X. Me encanta también la idea de que se sienta culpable por no poder matar y seguir amando a Seishiro, ya que mató a su hermana. Además, amé el mini cameo de Hokuto, amé que Hokuto se esta muriendo y sigue queriendo a Sei-chan. Me rompió el corazón. Realmente estaba dispuesta a hacer todo por Subaru TwT
-Karen: amo a esta mujer. La historia de su infancia me hace querer llorar y también me gusta que siempre trataba de cuidar a Seiichiro (el que se parece al papá de SCC). Sé que en el anime la matan.... no me sorprende, pero me parece un lindo personaje <3
-Seiichiro: este hombre me cae muy bien, me parece muy lindo también jajajjaa Me preocupaba que se muriera o algo, pero por suerte en el anime no se muere y el manga quedo sin final, porque estoy segura que con lo morbo que son las niñas clamp, lo hubiesen matado. Onda tiene esposa e hijos, es el blanco perfecto para clamp jajajajaja
-Princesa Hinoto: la verdad este personaje me daba bastante paja, al principio re gd y después al final, resulta que pobrecita, le robaron el cuerpo... meh, me aburrió un poco.
Dragones de la tierra:
-Fuma: bueno bueno, me gusta el personaje de Fuma. Hay que hacer una diferencia igual, porque el personaje que aparece al principio y el "Kamui" son muy distintos. El primero, no aparece nada, así que no tuve tanto cariño, y el segundo, me parece un muy buen villano. Lit cada vez que aparecía tenía miedo de que fuese a matar a alguien ajajjaja No se que onda con eso de que podía como cumplir deseos y se parecía siempre a otros personajes.... pero dentro de todo bien.
-(Kotori): hago un paréntesis en Kotori porque no es dragón de nada, pero no me quería olvidar. La mina me da un poco de pena, pero me parecía medio inútil. Igual las imágenes de la piba en pedazos fueron tremendas. Kudos para clamp. Me parecía que era cute con Kamui y bueno, again, una pena que la mataron.
-Nataku: al principio re nada, al final también ajajajajaj Es uno más de los personajes sin género de clamp jajajaj se suma a la lista. Al final lo mataron pobre, pero bueno. Repito, fue medio nada.
-SEISHIRO: bueno bueno bueno, me quiero matar. AMO A SEISHIRO. El señor este es lo más. Realmente me hizo dudar mucho si me gustaba más el o Subaru, eso demuestra que la rompe. Lo amo mucho y me gusta que al final te dieran a entender que estaba enamorado de él. Me gusto el mini capítulo que pusieron en el que mató a la madre, porque ahí te tiran la posta. Me gusta que digan que se puso triste cuando subaru perdió el ojo y que le diera Subaru la carga de ser el próximo Sakurazukamori. Me gustó que se dejo matar porque sabía que subaru no lo iba a poder matar. Me gustaría creer que sus últimas palabras fueron dedicando su amor a Subaru. Realmente es una muy bella pareja y tienen un lugar muy grande dentro del universo de clamp. Los amo 3000 <3
-Kakyo: bueno, este chabon me irritó bastante. Me gustó que nos dio la chance de ver a Hokuto, pero bastante gd. Me daba mucha paja los diálogos de él, Hinoto y su hermana. Paja total.
-Satsuki: esta chabona también me irritó. Me da paja el diseño, me da paja lo que dice, me da paja la onda robots, me estresaba. Para colmo mató al perro, así que nada. Morite Satsuki.
-Yuto: la verdad es que este personaje no apareció tanto. PERO ESTABA RE BUENO, un muy lindo diseño. Me caía super bien. Me dio paja que le hicieran medio una insinuación con Satsuki... la que faltaba!
-Kusanagi: amé a este hombre, era super bueno y hacen una muy linda ship con Yuzuriha (aunque la niña tiene solo 14.... re clamp, no hay sorpresas ajajajaja). Pero me gustó mucho el personaje <3
Bueno bueno, se me hizo super larga la reseña. Pero quería tomarme el tiempo para hablar de todos los personajes, porque son muchos. Me encanto que X tuviera varios crossovers, fue muy lindo ver a los 3 detectives de clamp <3
Como historia estuvo bien, es verdad que repite mucho y bueno, es una pena que no tenga final. Me parece que se lee bastante rápido. Si bien tiene 18 tomos y me leí los primeros 9 y seguí con otras historias, logré leerme el resto de los tomos rápido.
Creo que lo leería en algún futuro, aunque me interesa mucho ver el anime y las películas o lo que tenga. Me parece una historia clave de clamp y la recomiendo.
Mucha intriga por seguir leyendo los trabajos que siguen. Amo poder terminar un manga tan importante y que quería leer hace bastante. También muy agradecida de tener el desenlace (casi) de la historia de Subaru y Seishiro <3 Las amo CLAMP <3 <3 <3
Bueno, aquí tenemos el "final" de X, después de tanto tiempo, pude terminar uno de los grandes mangas de CLAMP. Es raro, porque me acuerdo que hace años yo intenté leer el manga e incluso ver el anime, por lo tanto, me parece super raro no haberlo hecho en ese momento y si ahora (lo más raro es que eso fue hace como 9 años, WTF).
La historia me gustó, tiene muchos personajes buenos y AMO que hayan decidido seguir la historia de Tokyo Babylon acá. Me gusta mucho el paralelismo que hay entre la historia de Subaru y Seishiro, con la de Kamui y Fuma (aunque de todas formas, al final no les dan tanta bola, porque Seishiro y Subaru no aparecen un carajo). Además, aparece Hokuto, muy bueno!
Personajes:
Dragones del cielo:
-Kamui: bueno, kamui me gusta mucho. Me interesa porque basaron el diseño de Lelouch en él ajajjaja Eso ya le da puntos. Al principio, es medio hdp pero después te lo quieren pintar todo bueno y pobrecito jajajaja no se por qué lo hicieron así las niñas clamp, pero igual me cae bien. Es una pena que no sabemos cómo querían terminar su historia (pero podemos creer que el anime es canon y listo, aunque se muere... rip literalmente jajajaja). Pero igual, como protagonista, esta bien.
-Sorata: la verdad es que lo amo, en el anime lo matan, pero podemos creer que no (re que el mismo lo dijo TwT) Me gusta como personaje, pero no me cerraba tanto que tuviera tanta skinship con Kamui, como que no. Hace muy linda pareja con Arashi <3
-Yuzuriha: bueno esta niña me cae bien, me parece re cute y aguante inuki (aunque también lo maten ajjajaja pero ojo, reencarna ajjajaa) Me gusta la relationship con el dragón de earth. Son cutes y bueno, me gusta que le dieran protagonismo!
-Arashi: bueno al principio, pensé que no me iba a gustar el personaje, pero se hace querer. Me gusta que sea tímida y al final se termine enamorando de Sorata (aunque se muera TwT). Lastima que el manga quedo abierto a por qué no podía sacar más la espada (encima justo después de que tuvieron relaciones...)
-SUBARU: HOLA MI PERSONAJE FAVORITO. Amo amo amo la historia de Subaru. Me parece que CLAMP lo ama y por eso le dieron su historia mega re trágica (si clamp te da final feliz, es porque no les importas (?). Es una lastima que no tuvo casi nada de interacciones con Seishiro y encima me lo tiraban a Kamui arriba. Pero creo que dejaron más que claro que Subaru esta muy enamorado de Seishiro. En cuanto se muere, ya no puede hacer Kekkais porque ya no le importa nada. Me alegra mucho que tuvieran una continuación y me intriga mucho que al final del manga lo pintaron de dragón de la tierra. ONDA QUE! Realmente las amo a las clamp y me gusta mucho el personaje de Subaru. Creo que el y sei-chan fueron los que me hicieron leer y seguir X. Me encanta también la idea de que se sienta culpable por no poder matar y seguir amando a Seishiro, ya que mató a su hermana. Además, amé el mini cameo de Hokuto, amé que Hokuto se esta muriendo y sigue queriendo a Sei-chan. Me rompió el corazón. Realmente estaba dispuesta a hacer todo por Subaru TwT
-Karen: amo a esta mujer. La historia de su infancia me hace querer llorar y también me gusta que siempre trataba de cuidar a Seiichiro (el que se parece al papá de SCC). Sé que en el anime la matan.... no me sorprende, pero me parece un lindo personaje <3
-Seiichiro: este hombre me cae muy bien, me parece muy lindo también jajajjaa Me preocupaba que se muriera o algo, pero por suerte en el anime no se muere y el manga quedo sin final, porque estoy segura que con lo morbo que son las niñas clamp, lo hubiesen matado. Onda tiene esposa e hijos, es el blanco perfecto para clamp jajajajaja
-Princesa Hinoto: la verdad este personaje me daba bastante paja, al principio re gd y después al final, resulta que pobrecita, le robaron el cuerpo... meh, me aburrió un poco.
Dragones de la tierra:
-Fuma: bueno bueno, me gusta el personaje de Fuma. Hay que hacer una diferencia igual, porque el personaje que aparece al principio y el "Kamui" son muy distintos. El primero, no aparece nada, así que no tuve tanto cariño, y el segundo, me parece un muy buen villano. Lit cada vez que aparecía tenía miedo de que fuese a matar a alguien ajajjaja No se que onda con eso de que podía como cumplir deseos y se parecía siempre a otros personajes.... pero dentro de todo bien.
-(Kotori): hago un paréntesis en Kotori porque no es dragón de nada, pero no me quería olvidar. La mina me da un poco de pena, pero me parecía medio inútil. Igual las imágenes de la piba en pedazos fueron tremendas. Kudos para clamp. Me parecía que era cute con Kamui y bueno, again, una pena que la mataron.
-Nataku: al principio re nada, al final también ajajajajaj Es uno más de los personajes sin género de clamp jajajaj se suma a la lista. Al final lo mataron pobre, pero bueno. Repito, fue medio nada.
-SEISHIRO: bueno bueno bueno, me quiero matar. AMO A SEISHIRO. El señor este es lo más. Realmente me hizo dudar mucho si me gustaba más el o Subaru, eso demuestra que la rompe. Lo amo mucho y me gusta que al final te dieran a entender que estaba enamorado de él. Me gusto el mini capítulo que pusieron en el que mató a la madre, porque ahí te tiran la posta. Me gusta que digan que se puso triste cuando subaru perdió el ojo y que le diera Subaru la carga de ser el próximo Sakurazukamori. Me gustó que se dejo matar porque sabía que subaru no lo iba a poder matar. Me gustaría creer que sus últimas palabras fueron dedicando su amor a Subaru. Realmente es una muy bella pareja y tienen un lugar muy grande dentro del universo de clamp. Los amo 3000 <3
-Kakyo: bueno, este chabon me irritó bastante. Me gustó que nos dio la chance de ver a Hokuto, pero bastante gd. Me daba mucha paja los diálogos de él, Hinoto y su hermana. Paja total.
-Satsuki: esta chabona también me irritó. Me da paja el diseño, me da paja lo que dice, me da paja la onda robots, me estresaba. Para colmo mató al perro, así que nada. Morite Satsuki.
-Yuto: la verdad es que este personaje no apareció tanto. PERO ESTABA RE BUENO, un muy lindo diseño. Me caía super bien. Me dio paja que le hicieran medio una insinuación con Satsuki... la que faltaba!
-Kusanagi: amé a este hombre, era super bueno y hacen una muy linda ship con Yuzuriha (aunque la niña tiene solo 14.... re clamp, no hay sorpresas ajajajaja). Pero me gustó mucho el personaje <3
Bueno bueno, se me hizo super larga la reseña. Pero quería tomarme el tiempo para hablar de todos los personajes, porque son muchos. Me encanto que X tuviera varios crossovers, fue muy lindo ver a los 3 detectives de clamp <3
Como historia estuvo bien, es verdad que repite mucho y bueno, es una pena que no tenga final. Me parece que se lee bastante rápido. Si bien tiene 18 tomos y me leí los primeros 9 y seguí con otras historias, logré leerme el resto de los tomos rápido.
Creo que lo leería en algún futuro, aunque me interesa mucho ver el anime y las películas o lo que tenga. Me parece una historia clave de clamp y la recomiendo.
Mucha intriga por seguir leyendo los trabajos que siguen. Amo poder terminar un manga tan importante y que quería leer hace bastante. También muy agradecida de tener el desenlace (casi) de la historia de Subaru y Seishiro <3 Las amo CLAMP <3 <3 <3
January 31, 2019
This series has to be one of CLAMP's most gorgeous art pieces. It's visually stunning and very different from their typical manga style. It has a more horror/mystery feel to it, and while its main characters may be high schoolers, the normal cutesy feel of CLAMP is not present. The first manga leaves the reader with an ominous feeling of dread. Capitalizing on the 1999 'end of the world' scare that was going on around the time it was published, this series combines the modern-day world with ancient prophecy, conspiracy, and secret powers that could threaten to destroy all we know. It was great to reread this and remember how I was influenced by the series as a whole the first time I read it. There are a bunch of beautiful characters, crazy fight scenes, a gore-y side of CLAMP we don't typically see, and a plot that forces the reader to reevaluate what's truly right and wrong. It's deep, compelling, mysterious, beautifully drawn, dramatic...and it's still not finished. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that, for whatever reason, CLAMP stopped at #18 and has never picked it back up, leaving many to speculate exactly how this series is supposed to end. The anime/movie makes guesses, but, really, no one knows. However, since many characters from X return in CLAMP's Tsubasa series, we know X is still on their minds and hearts. Maybe, one day, we'll get a finale....
August 31, 2012
Back in 2001, in the height of my deep, devoted love-affair with this manga, back all those years ago in the prime of my youth when I had self-taught myself enough Japanese to read the raw scans every month, I made a comment on my blog that all I wished for (ha!) was for this series to be finished before I was 30.
Well, in true CLAMP fashion we see how that turned out...
Sometimes I wonder about that love-affair. I'm not actually sure how good it is from a more objective point of view. It is full of CLAMP-cliches, but the comforting familiarity of that self-referentiality was part of what made it work. You could count on CLAMP for certain kinds of melodramatic tragedy.
*nostalgic sigh*
I have not reread the series since those days. I retain a tender soft spot for it, particularly those middle volumes that were just so bloody PRETTY (pun intended). I feel I have to preserve my memory of it as it is (was?), at least until the end is nigh. The final volumes may never arrive, but... I still can't give up on it, even now.
N.B. This review is of the Japanese editions. I never read the English releases, so I don't know how the quality of the translations and art reproduction compare.
Well, in true CLAMP fashion we see how that turned out...
Sometimes I wonder about that love-affair. I'm not actually sure how good it is from a more objective point of view. It is full of CLAMP-cliches, but the comforting familiarity of that self-referentiality was part of what made it work. You could count on CLAMP for certain kinds of melodramatic tragedy.
*nostalgic sigh*
I have not reread the series since those days. I retain a tender soft spot for it, particularly those middle volumes that were just so bloody PRETTY (pun intended). I feel I have to preserve my memory of it as it is (was?), at least until the end is nigh. The final volumes may never arrive, but... I still can't give up on it, even now.
N.B. This review is of the Japanese editions. I never read the English releases, so I don't know how the quality of the translations and art reproduction compare.
October 17, 2022
(review for the whole series up to vol. 18)
Gorgeous art and one of the best stories in manga along with an extremely frustrating cliffhanger (it’s been on hiatus for almost 20 years with just a few volumes until the ending)… X is heavily atmospheric and driven by its strong cast of characters placed in tragic situations — its genre is apocalyptic urban fantasy.
What makes X special is its contrast between beauty and tragedy and its exploration of duality: light and dark, life and death, free will and fate. There is no notion of “evil”: rather, conflict occurs because different characters (or even the same character…) want different things.
CLAMP shines in this series with character and relationship building. The backstory chapters are some of the strongest (one of the later ones pretty much broke me), and there are heartwarming, sad, and tragic scenes of friendship and romantic love in spades.
And pretty much every page (except the ones with excessive gore, though those are beautiful in their own way too) is eye candy. While I’ll be forever sad that this manga will likely never get the conclusion it deserves, it combines some of my favorite storytelling tropes with beautiful art and tragedy, unquestionably deserving a spot in my favorites list.
Gorgeous art and one of the best stories in manga along with an extremely frustrating cliffhanger (it’s been on hiatus for almost 20 years with just a few volumes until the ending)… X is heavily atmospheric and driven by its strong cast of characters placed in tragic situations — its genre is apocalyptic urban fantasy.
What makes X special is its contrast between beauty and tragedy and its exploration of duality: light and dark, life and death, free will and fate. There is no notion of “evil”: rather, conflict occurs because different characters (or even the same character…) want different things.
CLAMP shines in this series with character and relationship building. The backstory chapters are some of the strongest (one of the later ones pretty much broke me), and there are heartwarming, sad, and tragic scenes of friendship and romantic love in spades.
And pretty much every page (except the ones with excessive gore, though those are beautiful in their own way too) is eye candy. While I’ll be forever sad that this manga will likely never get the conclusion it deserves, it combines some of my favorite storytelling tropes with beautiful art and tragedy, unquestionably deserving a spot in my favorites list.
May 24, 2019
Si bien es cierto que la historia no está del todo bien pensada y que existen ciertos giros que son tan "manga" que dan ganas de darle una bofetada a alguien, también es cierto que el dibujo es increíble y que los personajes son una bomba: desde Kamui a Arashi, desde Nataku a Sorata, pasando por los maravillosos cameos de Seiichiro y Subaru de Tokyo Babylon y regalándonos a dos de los personajes más carismáticos y enrevesados del mundo manga hasta ahora: Fuuma Monou y Yuto Kigai. Merece la pena leer los tomos publicados aunque nunca sepamos el final... porque si somos fans del manga es que también somos un poco masocas, ¿no?
December 12, 2017
I bought the German translation of this manga once as a holiday souvenir. Having no experience with manga, I picked it purely because of its inspiring art. Especially the more atmospheric drawings are truly gorgeous, borderline psychedelic; they could easily go as individual art pieces that you'd love to hang on your wall.
The story is 'emo' and mythical. The word 'epic' is overused these days, but it is fitting for X in a traditional sense of the word. It's not for me, but that's personal taste.
The story is 'emo' and mythical. The word 'epic' is overused these days, but it is fitting for X in a traditional sense of the word. It's not for me, but that's personal taste.
November 6, 2011
There's so much known about this series, in both the anime and the movie format, that it's hard to judge the manga on its own merits. Knowing what happens next kinda takes the suspense out of it and in most cases, it's like watching a train wreck because you know who will die and how. But the art is amazing and the story hooks the reader even though it feels like there's actually very little revealed in the first book.
January 22, 2018
It is rare that I hate something as much as I hate this. I read it because my friends loved it and kind of pushed it on me. I couldn't stand how the characters didn't have any actual motivation, they just did whatever they were "supposed to do." That's just lazy writing, and it didn't even make for an interesting plot so there's no reason to maybe give a pass. And, honestly, I don't like CLAMP's art style. Tried to like it when I was younger, but it really doesn't impress me at all.
September 29, 2007
I was disappointed to find this was flipped; so very little of the manga that I read these days is. (The other main exception being Blade of the Immortal.) Am still not a fan of this period of CLAMP's art, but it's mildly entertaining while I wait for more Tsubasa and xxxHolic. Plus, there's Sorata and Arashi!
October 19, 2013
Read all current volumes (19) and was not impressed compared to other CLAMP works. The story backtracks more than it goes forward, and I swear scenes and conversations from the first volumes are regurgitated ten volumes later. I love the art, the characters, and the concept, but the progression is just too frustrating for me. That, and I wasn't aware that the arc was UNFINISHED.
March 6, 2024
This is absolutely magnificent stuff. CLAMP makes use of a great variety of panel sizes and perspectives that builds a superb atmosphere and tension. Multiple pages of double-page spreads makes the scope expansive and troubling. The art is great and the story is so mysterious and really has a sense of finality and the end of things. What a great start to a great manga.
January 6, 2022
Read all of them. Found it long to get to the point at first but if you thought it out you find some really well written characters with interesting backstory and the queerest rivalry I’ve ever read. This is positive. I absolutely loved it and am crushed that there is no real ending.
January 5, 2015
Wasn't very impressing compared to CLAMPS other works but worth continuing. The art is a bit dated along with the dialogue (very cliche) but the premise is very intriguing.
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