X (manga)
X (エックス, Ekkusu), also known as X/1999, is a Japanese manga series created by Clamp, a creative team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona. It premiered in Monthly Asuka's May 1992 issue and ran there until the magazine's editors showed concern with the increasingly violent stories and canceled the series in March 2003. Kadokawa Shoten collected and published the individual chapters in 18 tankōbon volumes, with the last five chapters not published. A foray into apocalyptic fiction, it combines elements from various end of the world scenarios, both secular and religious, with its own mythos. The story takes place at the end of days, in the year 1999. The series follows Kamui Shirō, a young esper who returns home to Tokyo after a six-year absence to face his destiny as the one who will determine humanity's fate.The series is intended for a female audience, so X is drawn in the ornate style characteristic of shōjo manga but with the emphasis on moral conflict and gruesome violence expected of seinen works. The story is influenced by the works of Go Nagai and Kyokutei Bakin. It has been translated into English, Portuguese, Chinese, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Polish and Spanish and adapted into a series of audio dramas, an animated feature film and television series.
TV series
The X TV series directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) was announced on October 18, 2000. In anticipation to the series premiere, X: An Omen (エッ クス - 前兆, Ekkusu - Yochō) was released direct-to-DVD on August 25, 2001.[citation needed] Written and directed by Kawajiri, "An Omen" tells the story of the upcoming battles through the prophecies of Kakyō Kuzuki, dreamgazer for the Dragon of Earth, and acts as primer for viewers not familiar with Clamp's manga.[18] The series premiered October 3, 2001 on WOWOW satellite television.The television series is considered a better adaptation than the feature film. The 2001 incarnation makes use of its longer running time and episode format to explore the original mythos and works the characters' back-stories into the narrative through the use of flashbacks.
X finished its run on March 27, 2002, totaling twenty-four episodes.[citation needed] Two days later, Pioneer Entertainment claimed ownership of the series for distribution in North America. On July 11, 2006, Geneon released the X TV Series Remix, a box set with re-encoded video and audio, including 5.1 surround sound for both the Japanese and English tracks. The series has been broadcast in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Latin America. In September 2009, Funimation Entertainment announced that it had acquired the rights to the anime series and OVA, and will re-release it in 2010 using the original Geneon dubbing for the English-language audio track.
