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X - The Movie Director: Rin Tarô Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen, Animated, Dolby Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Running Time: 98 minutes Studio: Palm Pictures/Manga Video Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2001-09-25 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 143 Average rating: 3.0 "The Movie vs. The Manga (comic)" I saw X first on a fansub, then I saw it on the big screen (in English) when it was released in the US. ANIMATION------ Overall, I loved the detail, motion, and setting. It was elegentaly done and very realistic. Most of the symbolic imagery was handled fairly well. Unfortunatley the manga goes into a bit more detail, or better handles some of the symbolic imagery. For animation however, it was the best the animators could have done. TRANSLATION ------ (Subtitle vs. English) The subtitling I felt was closer to how the manga was written. However, it only gave you enough detail to progress the story in the movie. A lot of little details were left out. The english version is a bit more basic, and I think anyone of the age 13+ could easily understand it. (It was TOO basic, and almost treated the audience like they were dumb) STORYLINE ----------- The manga's ending hasn't yet been revealed in the American released comics. However, the basic underlying storyline is the same for both. A young teenage boy is chosen (by fate perhaps) to become the one who will decide the future of the earth. The future can follow two paths, the path where mankind is dominant (yet does not overstep his boundaries by destroying the earth), or where earth tries to reclaim herself (man is removed through the picture through certain events). The outcome in the movie was pretty quick, and brutal (I'm not saying which one it is :P ). WHERE THE MOVIE SUFFERED THE MOST -------- 1) The gradual build of suspense... it isn't quite there. The movie is a 2 hour rush of 12+ (graphic novel) issues. The pace of the movie has a few slow scenes where some of the emotion and symbology are shown, and then rushes through other scenes (some combat scene's that's expected, but they don't leave you time to think during some of the more intellectual momements). 2) Character developement. The "cast" of characters is enormous. Excluding one or two small differences, the characters in the movie are essentially the same as the ones in the manga. In the movie you are introduced to them in bunches and too rapidly to form any kind of attachment or understanding of them. Only one or two key traces of their personality shine through, but that's not enough to make you really feel for the good guys. In the manga, there is more than enough time to see the humor, sadness, and profound impact of the potential future within the characters expressions and interactions. Sorata is extremley charasmatic and funny, but other than one or two quick-witted comments, you don't see that in the movie. ------- WHAT THE MANGA SUFFERS FROM ----- It's a bit too drawn out. As much as I love any forms of symbology (which they were all well done), they are repeated too many times. Instead of balancing the repetitive symbology with weight according to its depth/importance, the symbology for most everything is repeated so much it numbs you to the stories depth. This is especially with Kamui, and Fuuma. The foreshadowing is almost as blindingly apparent in the manga as in the comic. The storyline had some heavy overtones, but with this foreshadowing they take away some of the impact of Kamui and Fuuma's situation. Other than that, I love the manga (and its Kabbalistic comparisons & allusions). I also own every issue released here in the US. Lastly..... I RECOMMEND THE MANGA. HOWEVER IF YOU LOVE ANIME, WAIT UNTIL THE OVA IS RELEASED IN THE US. I only recommend buying the movie for die-hard Clamp fans, or "X" fans. "One of Many" ...Opinions on this film, that is. X is a truly debatable movie. Now, on one hand, we have the "hard-core" manga fans who claim that this movie is a travesty and a sham and OH DEAR LORD LOOK WHAT THEY DID TO IT -- perhaps, however, they *do* have a bit of a point. X is a rather epic manga series (not your typical shoujo, mind you!), up to volume eighteen of its Japanese release at this point, I believe. Admittedly, squeezing many volumes of an unfinished, heavily detailed manga into a single movie, AND keeping it somewhat coherent is a difficult task. The result is this movie, beautiful and delirious, as well as brutal and full of bloodshed. Also admittedly, X the movie can drag a bit at times, as it attempts to lay out a plot. The score, with the exception of "Forever Love" is unremarkable. Nearly all of the well-crafted manga character development has been left out. However, this movie is mostly well animated, and can succeed on a purely aesthetic level, or a comedic level if you like MST riffs. (Karen: "Arrrgh!", Aoki: "Ugh!", Kamui: "Noooo!", Subaru: "Haaa-TAH!". Nice subtitling job, Manga.) It depends on your preferences. After all, you can't please everyone. Omake (extra): Very shortly (9-24-02), the X TV series will be released in North America commercially by Pioneer. It is MUCH more faithful to the manga, with a slower pace, full plot and plenty of character development -- and suggest that if you were disappointed with this film, you should give X TV (or the original manga) a try. "The TV series is better" I don't have the DVD for this anime, but I have seen the anime itself a couple of times. Hey c'mon now, the anime's DVD features isn't what's important here, but rather, the anime itself overall. What can we say about, X? I'd say, it's definitely not for the discretion of the weak. Everything in this anime is geared towards adults. The story-telling, the character personas and the art/scene portrayals. This is one animation that is truly sadistic and depressive...in a great point of concept and perspective. It's just like watching your favorite day-to-day soap opera or a full-length romance film, only it adds a sinister twisted elements of betrayal, agony and violence. X, tells the story about a young boy who must decide the fate of Earth and of humans; He could either destroy it, or spare and save this corrupted world. Kamui Shirou, the protagonist, has been away and hasn't seen the only 2 people (and closefriends) he ever cares about for 6 years. He made a promise to protect and love them no matter what through eternity. And just who are these 2 individuals Kamui loves? Fuuma and Kotori Monou, 2 siblings who has known Kamui ever since they were little kids. 6 yrs. later, Kamui returns to Tokyo to fulfill his destiny and to prepare for this menacing threat he was foretold about. But that's not the worst part of it... For Kamui Shirou, it's himself. It's his soul's matter of 'fate vs. faith', being thorned apart by his own will and destiny...leading to his eventual loneliness in the end. Along with Kamui are these other psionic characters who also wields the vigorous potentials of psychokenesis, being able to come into people's mind and their dreams, freezing time and so fort. Definitely cool and unique fictional characters with super-unatural powers. The movie version from my opinion, only summarizes what the anime's storyline/plot is really about. But there's a few missing puzzles there and you can only understand it by watching the television series (X/1999) including characters not in the movie and an even more detailed story. The movie isn't that bad, except maybe for the bad English-dubbing part? "Can things get any cornier?" With a "cool" name like "X," you wouldn't know what to expect. I saw this movie in a theatre, not on the DVD, and let me say I was highly disappointed. The animation was OK, the plot seemed to have potential, but it was never fulfilled. It had so many loop holes that you were left confused when it's ended. "For a 90min movie covering this manga what do expect" X: The Movie wasn't what I expected it to be actually I hated it. After the first time I saw it I literally buried it somewhere in the deep bowels of my room. I mean the beginning isn't something that keeps you wanting to see the rest of the movie but if you do happen to continue with it you will find that it doesn't live up to all of it's hype. Good thing they are starting the DVD series. Maybe that will do this great manga justice.