X

In the fight between the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth, the dream seer Princess Hinoto predicts the end of humanity. A central entity, 15-year-old Kamui Shirou, is to choose whether to ally with the Dragons of Earth and destroy civilization to protect the planet or with the Dragons of Heaven to save mankind.

Following his mother's last wish, Kamui returns to Tokyo after six years of self-imposed exile. There, he attempts to steal the Sacred Sword from the temple protected by Kyougo Monou—the father of his childhood friends, Fuuma and Kotori. However, after Kamui's venture fails, a mysterious person manages to obtain the sword instead.

Believing Kamui to be the man in her prophecy, Hinoto sends the Dragons of Heaven after him to rally him to their cause. Although Kamui first rejects his destiny, the incessant attacks by the Dragons of Earth against those he holds dear push him to decide whether the lives of his friends should prevail over the fate of the Earth and finally pick a side.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shirou, Kamui Main

Suzumura, Kenichi Japanese

Monou, Fuuma Main

Suwabe, Junichi Japanese

Sumeragi, Subaru Supporting

Sugita, Tomokazu Japanese

Sakurazuka, Seishirou Supporting

Kawano, Otoya Japanese

Arisugawa, Sorata Supporting

Madono, Mitsuaki Japanese

Sumeragi, Hokuto Supporting

Yukino, Satsuki Japanese

Kishu, Arashi Supporting

Yuzuki, Ryouka Japanese

Monou, Kotori Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Kasumi, Karen Supporting

Soumi, Youko Japanese

Nekoi, Yuzuriha Supporting

Sakuma, Kumi Japanese

Maruyama, Masao Producer

Sasaki, Shirou Producer

Kawajiri, Yoshiaki Director, Script, Storyboard, Key Animation

Hamasaki, Hiroshi Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Reviews

Jan 17, 2021

MimiThePiggyOrc

Recommended

I love clamp, but they are awful at completing a story. I watched this as a teen growing up I enjoyed the art style, animation, and the different personalities of every character. When I watched it I thought it would have an amazing ending which sadly it didn't I had to search to even find the ending for the manga. it is disappointing to love an anime, but find out that the studio didn't finish it or came up with a rushed ending. The story honestly isn't the best what saves this anime is the art style, characters, and the era it aired in. If ... this aired today it would have probably flopped. I would advise those interested in finishing the show to read the manga since it has a solid ending.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Feb 1, 2025

build-a-buta

Mixed Feelings

If you've seen Tsubasa Chronicles and liked some of the side characters, you might take an interest in learning more about their "original" selves' past. This is probably the series' strongest selling point (despite coming before TRC).

That said, X-1999 is solid primarily from a philosophical viewpoint. Its storytelling, on the other hand, leaves crucial gaps that are never really explained but are kind of smoothed over with a butter knife with a crumpled note from the producers saying, "Don't think too hard about it, just go with the flow." Which is a shame--the anime provides the audience with a powerful message, but its execution makes ... you feel a little empty after watching it. Watching X-1999 is a bit like eating an extravagant entree at a high-class restaurant only to be given a 99¢ ice cream bar for dessert.

The OST, created by Naoki Sato, is a mix between riveting and forgettable soundtracks. In particular, "Hyper Battle 2" really evokes a particular feeling from its audience. Kind of like Mirage of Blaze, there's a lot of hidden gems that'll catch your ear. The OP and ED weren't bad, but weren't amazing either.

The characters are...some of them are explained more than others. The latter half does a sort-of decent job at providing insight into the characters, but only as a means to an end. The former half establishes the characters and settings, but does a weird mix of drawing things out with stating and restating things we already know, glossing over things the series THINKS we should know, and finally doing somewhat of a proper job of progressing the story. Given that, at the time of this review, the manga is still on hiatus with no plans to continue, it's a miracle this anime received a decent ending, I suppose.

Would I watch it again? Maybe. This was on my CLAMP bucket list, and after watching the whole series I do see the CLAMP charm all over it. Tragedy, romance, betrayal, action, dubiously slash-y moments, the works. Honestly, it preformed better than a lot of anime nowadays. But maybe it's because it was such an experience with such a unique plot that the ending left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, I can't recommend it, but it's a disservice to NOT recommend it. The anime does an excellent job at leaving a lasting impact on its audience, but by no means is a "complete" anime. But if you find the summary pulling at you, why not give it a try, see how you feel.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Oct 25, 2020

The_Namer

Not Recommended

Funny

Preliminary (11/24 eps)

X is a frustrating experience. Kawajiri directed some of the most stylish anime features of the 90s, but X is proof that a good director can't save a poorly written story. For a story about an imminent apocalypse, there is a complete lack of momentum or tension. The 14 major characters mope around having lengthy flashbacks to their tedious backstories. Plot points are stated bluntly in dialogue ad nauseum (eg. when "Kamui's dark shadow" is identified, we are told, in those exact words, five times in the same episode). Entire scenes are repeated over and over. When the plot ... does advance a little, it is telegraphed multiple times with a prophecy (even for something as mundane as a sword being stolen), and then the event just abruptly happens without any logical reason... because destiny. Destiny is a dangerous concept to build a story around because it can become a crutch for lazy plotting, and in X it certainly does. Watching this show wasn't just boring, it actively annoyed me.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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