X/1999, Volume 10: Fugue

X [エックス] #10

by Clamp

A tale of dark poetry and prophecy foretelling the end of the world and the fate of the lone young man who holds Earth's destiny in his hands In the tenth volume the sacred sword's twin is discovered, and Hinoto's dreamgazing has become increasingly more disturbing...and dangerous. When karmui joins her for a session, can Kamu's fragile senity handle the food of emotion?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Supernatural, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Dark

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.

In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.

In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.

Reviews

[Daniel Bosé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya están las cosas mucho más claras.

[✨Meryem✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's not what was in Tsubasa. I'm confused now

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for volume 1-18



While arguably less famous than some of CLAMP'S other works such as Card Captor Sakura, Tsubasa and xxxHolic, I personally believe X/1999 to be CLAMP's true masterpiece. It is all the more a shame that this series has been left as incomplete with only little hope of there ever being a conclusion. While on one hand, I would recommend this as a masterful manga, it always comes with the grain of salt that you will be left with more questions than answers.

Kamui returns to Tokyo where, much as he would like to see them again, he avoids meeting his childhood friends Fuma and Kotori. Strange things seem to happen around Kamui - earthquakes one after the other shatter the city. Soon, mysterious people called the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth try to recruit Kamui to join their cause: one to save the earth, and one to destroy and reform it.

Although one shouldn't expect any less from CLAMP, X/1999's art is stunning. The characters are beautifully drawn with intricate details and there is no other word than dedication to describing the Tokyo backdrops. The art does change significantly between the first and latest volume, which is quite natural to a longer running series.

Kamui certainly doesn't start off as the most likeable protagonist. But that changes fast enough once we become more familiar with his circumstances and also see his change toward others. Although this story has a lot of action, I believe it is foremost a character-driven plot. In addition to the seven Dragons of Heaven and the seven Dragons of Earth, there is still quite a vast cast of important and also lesser characters. What makes X/1999 so special is that they all have their legitimate intentions and wishes. If you like grey characters, well, this series consists of nothing but. There is really no saying which character is in the right or wrong - as the characters themselves point out - there is no ideal outcome in which everyone can be happy.

Not only are all characters relatable, they all have their own story to tell and are anything but flat characters. There must be at least one character everyone can adore, and - ok - relatable or not, I confess, I don't like Satsuki - at all. But apart from her? I can't say there is a single character who I don't care for. You'd wish each and everyone one of them could have their happy ending - unfortunately, you know it won't happen. And to make matters worse, we likely never will find out. I think, X/1999's status of being incomplete will forever be one of my personal biggest manga tragedies.

On another note, for those who have read Tokyo Babylon and/or CLAMP School Detectives, characters from both make a comeback in this series and the truly open ending of Subaru and Seishirou receives a somewhat decent conclusion. I say somewhat because, although their story continues and comes to a close of sorts, the last volume of X/1999 takes on a new turn which could go anywhere, so it's questionable whether it can really be called a satisfying conclusion.

[Once upon a Dream · Rating 3 out of 5]

Io dico basta a dire ogni trenta secondi che Kamui deve scegliere tra i draghi del cielo e delle terra e che il destino del intero mondo dipende solo da lui...ogni 2 pagine viene detta questa frase e ANZI è l'unica cosa che si è capita del manga 😭
- I personaggi sembrano tutti uguali e sono privi di carattere tranne due o tre che si salvano. (Kotori è insopportabile)
- La trama boh a parte questa cosa di Kamui non c'è altro.
- Yaoi forzato che non ci sta a fare nulla.
- Troppi personaggi introdotti di cui si sa poco o nulla.
- scene no sense
MA non demordo e continuerò fino alla fine (spero) questa serie di manga perché voglio proprio vedere se è da bocciare o meno, perché nonostante queste cose negative ci sono anche cose abbastanza positive e infatti questo volume mi ha piacevolmente sorpresa alla fine.

[Zana]

It was all so very 1990s… until suddenly it was about global warming and whether humanity deserves to continue. Huh.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dragons of Earth are assembling, paralleling the Dragons of Heaven. Fuma and Kakyo join Kanoe in her lair along with Yuto and Satsuki. Nataku makes the bold move of listening to the Sacred Sword, acting independently and taking it to his Kamui. Kusanagi decides to follow him and Seishiro just shows up the lair, acting like he’s quite familar with the place if not the other Dragons of Earth. Kamui and the Dragons have gathered already to seal the Sacred Sword hidden beneath the CLAMP School mascot in a moment of whimsy by the former chairman Nokoru is forced to acknowledge. Even Sora-chan was impressed with the goofiness. After that it’s the battle of the dreamseers, Hinoto vs. Kamui, both trying to dazzle Kamui with visions and hidden truths. In spite of deciding to be a Dragon of Heaven, Kamui may still have choices to make, choices which matter to both Hinoto and Kakyo. Kakyo expresses the same ideology as Kusanagi does, taken to a further extreme. Humanity is killing the Earth bit by bit. The Earth cries out for a change. For all this truths, Kakyo was moved by Kamui’s truth, by Kamui’s beauty when he said that the Earth was the ones whom he loved. It was hard not to be touched by how angelic Kamui looked at that moment when he made his personal stand. Perhaps a little of Subaru’s sweetness lingers in Kamui’s heart? Kakyo certainly seems effected by Kamui. Perhaps a little of Kotori’s love lingers in Kakyo’s heart or perhaps it’s simply Kakyo’s own response. He claimed to see both Kamuis as the same crystalline entity caught in a rotating motion. Does he still see them that way after speaking to Kamui in the dream? Whatever Kakyo wanted to say to him, Hinoto didn’t want Kamui to hear. She showed Kamu visions of how much Saya, Kotori and Fuma’s mother loved Tohru, his own mother, loved her enough to sacrifice herself for her. She showed how Fuma started to change, becoming Kamui’s twin star. I wonder if Fuma would have been just as sinister if Kamui had chosen to Dragons of Earth? Or if being Kamui can be a sinister state of being? Kamui’s choices, his love, and his exposure to Subaru may have transformed him into a gentler creature than he could have been. Or is there some deception in the truths Hinoto showed Kamui? She admitted that she lied about Kotori that there was no way to save Kotori. She admitted she lied, not for the sake of the Earth, but her own wish. She seems so earnest, so benevolent when she says these things. Such a duplicitous display of sincerity or perhaps a sincere display of duplicity? Hinoto said so many things which rang true about Kotori and Fuma, Kamui’s desire to protect them, and the desire to protect, yet it feels somehow like a half truth, ringing with enough heart to distract Kamui from looking deeper. Is Hinoto warning Kamui with her confessions that she’s still duplicitous? Is there a deeper truth hidden behind the truths revealed?

It’s questions like these which keep me riveted along with the stunning artwork, exquisite detail which reveals more and more as I gaze at the panels. Funny how both Nokoru and the former Chairman of CLAMP Academy retain a hint of their former whimsy while going about the grave task of helping Kamui and his mother cope with their tragic destinies. Out of all the depictions we’ve had of Kamui, I think his loveliest rendering was in this volume, the one I felt touched Kakyo’s heart, even in the middle of his despair. Kamui, Hinoto, Kakyo, and Saya were the ones who stood out the most strikingly from the panels this time, adding to the aestheticism of many a surreal spread. Once again, CLAMP presented another volume of this series which was stunning, thought-provoking, and left me hungry for more.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

X Clamp #10


Akhirnya pedang suci di segel di jantung perguruan Clamp. Kamui pun memutuskan merebut Fuuma kembali (karena Fuuma berubah menjadi sosok jahat pengganti posisi takdir Kamui). Untuk itu Kamui menemui putri Hinoto untuk mengetahui kebenaran tentang takdir Kamui, masa lalu yang tragis yang berkaitan dengan orang-orang terdekat dan disayangi Kamui, serta alasan utama kenapa ibu Kamui harus menemui ajalnya.

Di lain pihak, Fuuma yang sekarang berwujud dark Kamui telah berkumpul dengan para naga bumi (Kakyou sang pengintip mimpi, Satsuki Yatouji pengendali komputer, Kusanagi Shinn yang berteman dengan Yuzuriha salah satu naga langit tanpa mereka sadari posisi masing-masing sebagai musuh), Nataku manusia kloning, Sakurazukamori musuh bebuyutan Onmyouji ketua klan Sumeragi. Mereka berkumpul di kediaman nona Kaede yang notabene adalah saudara putri Hinoto. Entah kenapa nona Kaede sangat menginginkan kehancuran dunia.
Dan legenda akhir dunia pun di mulai.

[Adrian Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

LLevando lo que decía; ahora se agrega el cambio climatológico y la cuestión; es más bello el mundo poludido por humanos o la propia naturaleza? kamui merece ser el "bueno" en la historia, si solo se preocupa por salvar a Fuuma? La princesa, obligada a servir a otros sin una vida, qué es lo que realmente desea?

Ahora agrega un toque de sinceridad, las mentiras que nos decimos y que decimos a otros, a veces porque es nuestra ogligación o "destino", pero en el fondo qué queremos realmente de nuestras vidas? Y nos podemos atrever a hacerlo, aun si los demás llorar, sufren o no lo aprueban?

[SzaraReadsComics · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how up until now, the conflict was presented in a way that made the reader unquestionably root for the Dragons of Heaven. Then, we're on volume 10 and we learn what the motivations of Dragons of Earth are and nothing seems as black and white anymore.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay for the Arashi backstory at the end!

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it very much because it talks about the end of the earth and it's getting there.

[andie]

grey cover black x
isbn 9789812606983

[Ricardo Marín]

5 / 5