X: Karen and Nataku

I read X, Vol. 6: 3-in-1 (X (3-in-1))

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Manga Review: X: 3-IN-1 EDITION Volume 5

X 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 5
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

CARTOONIST: CLAMP
Story and Script and Book Design: Nanase Ohkawa
Art/Cover Illustration: Mokona Apapa
Art Direction: Mick Nekoi
Art Assistance: Satsuki Igarashi
TRANSLATION: Lillian Olsen
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4045-0; paperback, Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
560pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S. $22.99 CAN, £12.99 UK

X, which is also known as X/1999, is a shojo manga from the manga creating collective, Clamp (or CLAMP). The series debuted in the May 1992 issue of Monthly Asuka and follows a young man who must deal with the fact that his destiny will determine the fate of humanity. VIZ Media is currently publishing the series as “X” in their omnibus 3-in-1 editions, which collect three volumes in one large-sized paperback volume.

The series focuses on Kamui Shiro, a powerful young esper (someone with powers based on extra-sensory perception). He is at the center of a prophecy foretold by Hinoto, a young blind woman. She is Japan’s greatest seer, and she has foretold the end of the world. There are two competing forces battling over Earth. The Dragons of Earth (The Seven Angels) believe that the conflict between man and nature cannot be resolved peacefully, so man, as destroyers, must be destroyed.

The Dragons of Heaven (The Seven Seals) believe that the conflict between man and nature can be resolved peacefully. Hinoto hopes to win Kamui, who possesses tremendous arcane powers, to the side of the Dragons of Heaven. Kamui just wants to protect the two people most important to him, Fuma Monou and his sister, Kotori. Fuma, however, is also called “Kamui,” and he has sided with the Dragons of Earth.

X 3-in-1 Edition: Vol. 5 collects X/1999 Volumes 13 to 15. In X/1999 Volume 13, one of the Seven Angles attack a city, and Yuzuriha Kishu raises a kekkai (magical barrier) to protect the city. That Angel confronts Yuzuhira with a big question, “Why is it wrong to kill people?” Inuki’s attempt to protect Yuzuhira comes at a great cost. Also, the city of Shinjuku is attacked. Plus, the history of Karen Kasumi is revealed.

In X/1999 Volume 14, Kakyo Kuzuki, the male Dreamgazer of the Dragons of Earth, visits Kamui Shiro. Fuma attacks the cities of Ebisu and Shibuya, in the continuing bid to destroy Tokyo. Hinoto receives an unwanted visitor, and the kekkai protecting Tokyo continue to fall.

In X/1999 Volume 15, Kakyo meets Hokuto Sumeragi and develops strong romantic feelings for her. Yuzuhira declares her love for Kusanagi. Kamui battles Fuma, and an insidious plot grows inside the Dragons of Heaven.

In my earlier readings of the X 3-in-1 Edition manga, I found some things to like about X/1999. Of course, I latched onto the battle scenes, with all their displays and depictions of magical energy, either exploding on some pages or igniting across double-page spreads.

However, I found much of the graphical storytelling to be raw. The compositions were full of sound and fury, as if CLAMP were letting everything fly loose in a fury of pencil art and inking. At this point in the series, however, the story and the art are polished, and the storytelling is clear and concise. I feel the passions of the characters, and the hotter blood of conflicts and motivations come through to me. Now, X/1999 is gripping and engaging reading. I’m ready for more, which I wasn’t before now.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: X 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 2

X 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA

CREATORS: CLAMP
Story and Script and Book Design: Nanase Ohkawa
Art/Cover Illustration: Mokona Apapa
Art Direction: Mick Nekoi
Art Assistance: Satsuki Igarashi
TRANSLATION: Lillian Olsen
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4041-2; paperback, Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
584pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S. $22.99 CAN

CLAMP (or Clamp) is an all-female manga artist group and studio. The group began in the mid-1980s as a self-publishing collective of amateur artists. The group’s first professional work, RG Veda, apparently was started when the creators were still amateurs. Some of their best known titles are Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and xxxHolic.

Originally entitled, X/1999, X is a shojo manga created by CLAMP. The series, which debuted in 1992, follows a young man who must deal with the fact that his destiny will determine the fate of humanity and the Earth. VIZ Media is currently publishing the series in their omnibus 3-in-1 editions, which collect three original Japanese volumes in one large-sized paperback volume or graphic novel.

The series centers on Kamui Shiro, a powerful young esper. Hinoto, a young blind woman, is Japan’s greatest seer, and she has foretold the end of the world. Kamui is at the center of this prophecy. There are two competing forces battling over Earth. The Dragons of Earth (The Seven Angels) believe that the conflict between man and nature cannot be resolved peaceful, so man, as destroyers, must be destroyed. The Dragons of Heaven (The Seven Seals) believe that the conflict between man and nature can be resolved peacefully. Hinoto hopes to win Kamui, who possesses tremendous arcane powers, to the side of the Dragons of Heaven. Kamui just wants to protect the two people most important to him, brother and sister, Fuma and Kotori Monou.

As X: 3-in-1 Edition, Vol. 2 (which reprints Japanese Vols. 4-6) begins, Sorata Arisugawa and Yuzuriha Nekoi, two of the Seven Seals, accompany Kamui to see Hinoto in her lair beneath the Diet Building in Tokyo. Hinoto has a lot to tell Kamui, but is she telling him the entire truth about his destiny? Seishiro Sakurazuka, one of the Seven Angels who previously attacked Kamui, confronts him again. The Dragons of Earth plot to protect their stolen prize, one of the Sacred Swords. Kamui is reunited with Kotori and her brother Fuma, and Fuma has something important to tell Kamui.

Once again, I am brief in my summary of this second volume of X: 3-in-1 Edition. Of course, there is so much more to the contents of this volume – subplots, flashbacks, big reveals, and new characters galore.

X is clearly an early work by CLAMP. It is not as polished as their later works, but the creators’ passion for this project is glaring and makes for a live-wire reading experience. There are times when the images, graphics, and visual storytelling just pounded my imagination. CLAMP packs pages with explosions of energy, debris, flowers, tones-upon-tones, and various effects. This is emotional and psychological in nature more than it is straight linear storytelling, but it is fun to read.

B+

Review: X 3-IN-1 EDITION Volume 1

X 3-IN-1 EDITION, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA

CREATORS: CLAMP
Story and Script and Book Design: Nanase Ohkawa
Art/Cover Illustration: Mokona Apapa
Art Direction: Mick Nekoi
Art Assistance: Satsuki Igarashi
TRANSLATION: Lillian Olsen
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
ISBN: 978-1-4215-4041-2; paperback, Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
584pp, B&W with some color, $19.99 U.S. $22.99 CAN

CLAMP (or Clamp) is an all-female manga artist group and studio. The group began in the mid-1980s as a self-publishing collective of amateur artists. The group’s first professional work, RG Veda, apparently was started when the creators were still amateurs. Some of their best known titles are Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and xxxHolic.

One of CLAMP’s most famous/infamous series is X, which is also known as X/1999. The series debuted in 1992 in the manga magazine, Monthly Asuka. X follows a young man who must deal with the fact that his destiny will determine the fate of humanity. VIZ Media is currently publishing the series as “X” in their omnibus 3-in-1 editions, which collect three volumes in one large size paperback volume.

X 3-in-1 Edition: Vol. 1 introduces the major players. After the recent death of his mother, Kamui Shiro moves back to Tokyo following a six-year absence. His dear friends, Kotori Monou and her older brother, Fuma Monou, find that Kamui is not like they remember him. Now, sullen and withdrawn, Kamui seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he actually does.

According to the blind seer, Hinoto, the fate of humanity rests on Kamui’s narrow shoulders. Meanwhile, the Seven Seals, who are Kamui’s allies, and the Seven Angels, who are to be his adversaries, gather. The year 1999 will be the year of the great battle in which Kamui will decide the outcome. Or will he? Could there be another?

I was brief in my summary of the first volume of X 3-in-1 Edition, but so much more happens and practically all of it is fun to read. X is not as polished as Clamp’s later work, and its unrefined nature shows on every page. However, there is something very alluring about this rawness. Lacking the ability or, more likely, desire to be subtle, Clamp filled X with high-strung characters whose emotions are not hidden or quiet. The conniving are really conniving. The sullen are particularly sullen. And when a young woman is in love, as Kotori is, she’s ready to stand by her man and make him soup if he won’t eat what she has already cooked.

The art emphasizes big panels which usually contain battle scenes. Those battle scenes depict energy and magic unleashed in a fast and furious display. What the art lacks in draftsmanship, composition, and figure drawing, it makes up for in sheer bravado. The characters are likeable and though the subplots are a mess, X is that kind of large scale fantasy that attracts readers – like me.

B+