Amazon.com: Tokyo is the city where the final battle between the Dragon of Earth and the Dragon of Heaven will take place in the Japanese anime film X, directed by Rintaro (a.k.a. Tarô Rin; Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion) and written by the all-woman writing team Clamp. The Dragon of Earth wants to wipe out humankind because of the damage people have inflicted on the Earth, while the Dragon of Heaven is fighting to protect civilization. At the center of all this is Kamui, the chosen one, who must pick a dragon to fight for.
Full of dreams and flashbacks that pop up out of nowhere, the structure of X could be considered confusing and needlessly complex--if the story weren't so simple. Obviously, we're supposed to root for the Dragon of Heaven to win and save mankind, but the funny thing is, the Dragon of Earth has the better argument. If it were a debate, humanity would lose. But it's not a debate, it's an action film, and many of Tokyo's most famous buildings get destroyed in the battles. As with most anime, the women are either girlishly cute or slutty, but luckily in X, there are no graphic rapes; the love interest is merely crucified three or four times. It may not be the greatest anime film out there, but at least it's never boring. --Andy Spletzer
could have been worse...but not by much... So the series is fantastic! Lots of character development etc. to make you just LOVE all the characters (no matter how evil they are). The movie...yeah...about that. They developed two characters (the main two, Seishirou and Kamui) and they didn't even do a good job. Not only that but they kill off two supporting characters in the first five minutes. The only entertainment value this has is for drinking games involving counting how many times Kotori dies.
The series is worth watching. The movie...well...that's your choice...
If you must see X. See the series. X has a pretty good idea behind it. Backing it up is superb animation and interesting characters. But if you want the full benefit of X your time and money is better spent on the series. Now I didn't find the series all that great to be honest but it is worth seeing.
X begins when a guy named Kamui is told he must return to Tokyo to defend it. There are two waring sides; Dragons of Heaven, whose purpose is to defend the earth. Dragons of Earth, whose purpose is to destroy the earth. 7 fighters represent each side. They battle using supernatural attacks. An interesting twist is also added to the battles. A barrier is conjured up by one of the Dragons of Heaven. To take the battle into another dimension so the city isn't harmed. However if the Dragon of Heaven is killed, all of the damage that was done in the dimension. Will effect the real world.
The animation is very dark and it really fits the mood of the movie. And although very crisp and well done. The animation still has flaws. Such as eyes and eyebrows on top of hair, so the animation is not flawless. The biggest problem with this movie. Even though everything concerning the main plot is explained. It still feels like something is missing.
Now I don't think the movie is worth the time. But it can give you a great idea on what you're about to spend alot of your cash on. I say rent this and see if this is the type of anime you want to be bothered with. But there are some differences between this and the series. So the series will still feel fresh all the way to the end.
If you haven't seen the series/read the series.. You'll probably like this.
I'm far from an 'anime nerd' but this is one of my favorites, right up there with Perfect Blue, The Professional, 8Man, Wicked City, Fist of the North Star, etc. While nothing can really touch, IMO, the Streamline classics, this is definitely enjoyable.
I have never seen the series or read the manga, so this was fresh for me and the story works just fine. It makes your brain work a little bit, but that's ok and one of the reasons I watch anime flicks from time to time.. most of then usually have a plot that requires some mental interaction on the part of the viewer.
The animation and imagery are well done and extremely cool, the story - as mentioned - definitely holds your interest, the fight scenes are awesome, especially the finale.
For as inexpensive as you can scoop this here on Amazon, it's definitely worth a look, especially if you have no knowledge of the tv series/manga.
Oh, the destruction! First off, I'd like to credit this movie with very skilled artwork! There isnt a moment where the dedication of the animation staff isn't under question. That being said, it was still wonky. Being a Seishirou/Subaru fan, I was gravely disappointed in their almost immediate demise, not to mention the fact that Seishirou went nameless and untitled. Subaru Sumeragi, 13th head of the Sumeragi clan, was fighting who? why? Doesn't matter, they died. D< I would also like to not the various changes between the TV series and the movie. Realizing, of course, they are seperate entities in themselves and the main story hasn't been changed, but much of the story has been distorted. I cant help but feel a grave sense of loss and "WTF?!" when watching this... The main fights, how certain character's die, even one of the Dragons of Earth is completely different! Alas, yet another reason for Kakyou to wallow in his corner of woe. This movie could have been better, but condensing such an immense story line into two-off hours isn't a task to be taken lightly- Seeing as it's the fate of the world and all. Unfortunately, this might have been a task better unattempted. On that note: rent it, borrow it, but I dont recommend buying it unless you need a coaster. It's preordained to be a movie to make your eye twitch.
An Epic Let Down I used to own the Unflipped Manga, and recently replaced my copies. Rereading it inspired me to buy the movie. I knew it would not compare with the beautiful art by the CLAMP artists but the movie was horrible. The sense of plot you can get by reading the Manga was destroyed harshly, though the frame work of the idea is still there vital details are missing and so it misleads you about the entire goal. There is utterly no character development and its a dispassionant episode that is hastily thrown together. The art is still beautiful, but that is all. The imbalance causes collossal dissatisfaction.
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