X/1999, Volume 14: Concerto

X [エックス] #14

by Clamp

While the seriously injured Subaru recovers in the hospital, the seer Kakyo sends Kamui a message in his dream - a cryptic warning about someone close to him. Meanwhile, Fuma and Nataku continue cutting a swath of destruction through Tokyo, and Hinoto's dreams grow more frightening. A dire future looms -- on that it may be impossible to change.

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

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

[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.

[Daniel Bosé · Rating 5 out of 5]

De los mejores tomos de X que leído hasta ahora. Fue algo muy rápido, intenso. Además de mostrar de una manera maravillosa las personalidades de los angeles de la tierra. Clamp nos muestra de una manera muy ""tranquila"" y casi cotidiana, un entorno de destrucción y caos. Convirtiendo algo sencillo e incluso bonito, en algo totalmente malvado.

Estoy amando como se está encaminando todo esto.

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

Molto carino la storia sta diventando sempre più interessante.

[✨Meryem✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a meh volume, until the last panel ! WTF

[Grace Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Shibuya Station. First this then JJK

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuto is bringing the humor to the Harbringers in little ways that he can. I loved how a scene of his commentary on the other Dragons of Earth was translated. It aslmost reminded me of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The reader is tempted to insert responses. “I always have time on my hands.” (We’re sure time is very grateful.) “Kusanagi never even calls.” (Aww…) “Sakurazuka is off doing what he does…” (Subaru!) “Kamui! Satsuki! Nataku!” (Uumph!) The Seven Harbings are quite the selfish lot, it seems. (Isn’t everyone in this manga?) At the same time the water master has layers, revealing how in tune he is with the element he wields. Yuto always acts like a gentleman, he constantly smiles, yet the mention of Kamui’s name for a newborn child brought a moment of strikingly sober reflection in his side story. This makes me wonder. Could Yuto be Kamui’s father? He’s older than he looks. He’s obliging enough to have met Tohru’s need to have a child for the sake of the Earth, yet it would fit his philosophy of going with the flow of Fate to get out of Tohru’s way, let her raise their child as he wishes, live close with the woman she loves and her family. Yuto might not be completely unmoved by Kamui’s plight, however absent a father he may have been. Speaking of Kamui, he’s getting a little reprieve due to his wounds, being watched over by Subaru, fussed over by Keiichi. Fuma continues to show layers as the Kamui of the Dragons of Earth, showing mercy toward a child who wishes to live even as he uses her to destroy a man-made barrier while taking out as many people as he can. After that he and Seishiro share an ice cream cone between bloody deeds. Speaking of layers, Hinoto is starting to show another side of herself, a side which acts almost like her waking self’s dark lover, trying to seduce her into sleep. Hinoto and her other self mirror Kamui and Fuma in a curious way, how Fuma tries to seduce and destroy Kamui. I wonder about Kakyo’s motivations in appearing to Kamui in his dreams even as he serves the other Kamui as a Dragon of Earth. Perhaps it has something to do with Hokuto who played a role in Kakyo’s past as one of the few bright spots in his secluded, trapped existence. Kakyo reminds me a bit of Sue in Clover. Is there a reason he needs to be caged? Or is it for the same reason Hinoto lives the existence she does, complete commitment to the role as dreamseer? I also find myself paralleling Kakyo’s reaction to Hokuto’s memory to Arashi’s to Sorata. Arashi is another isolated individual, raised and devoted to a cause, yet she’s starting to respond to Sorata, appreciate his perceptiveness and attentiveness to her. I ache a little for her already, given his destiny, because she’s the one who’s going to be walking wounded if he sacrifices his life for her. The CLAMP School Detectives returned and got a chance to help since Hinoto is having…difficulties, something I enjoyed seeing them do. I’m really loving the important cameo they’ve got in this series. All these elements were depicted in a gorgeous art style which emphasized the beauty of the characters, the surreal settings they sometimes were in. Most of the time this volume depicted manmade places, only too real when struck by the apocalyptic violence of the Dragons of Earth’s attacks. This heightened the drama and the dark humor involved with them. Once again I was drawn to each panel, discovering and rediscovering each character as I read.

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gagal. Lagi-lagi saya gagal membaca seri ini secara berurutan *seperti biasa* |||orz

Btw, jilid ini emang deh... bromance, bromance, BROMANCE di mana-manaaaa!!! (atau seenggaknya begitulah di mata saya) LOL
Berlayarlah kembali "kapal" Subaru-Kamui sayaaaa~~~ uwowowowowo!!!

Kayaknya yang dulu ngebangkitin "kapal" Subaru-Kamui saya tuh emang jilid ini. Mesra(?) banget mereka berdua, terutama panel Subaru ngiketin dasi Kamui <3 Mereka emang "kapal" pertama saya di seri ini >///w///< sebelum saya akhirnya nyerah dan kembali ke canon "kapal" yang sangaaaaaaat mainstream Sakurazukamori-Subaru dan Fuma-Kamui. Soalnya Subaru dan Kamui itu terlalu mirip, sifatnya yang keterlaluan menyayangi satu orang dan gak akan berpaling ke siapa-siapa lagi itu... bener-bener terlalu mirip. Dua orang yang terlalu mirip tuh (terutama soal keburukan-keburukannya), menurut saya gak bisa jadi pasangan ideal. *apasih* *ngomongin kapal aja jadi sedalem ini*

Daaaaaan saya sukaaaaa Segawa!!! Bersyukur Kamui punya temen sebaik dia di sekolah~!
Saya bahagia juga karena di jilid ini ada pernyataan cinta dari Sorata ke Arashi <3 OTP yang berhasil jadi canon di serial lain ufufufufu!

Saya suka kemunculan temen sekelas Sakura Kinomoto... eeer... siapa sih nama temennya yang muncul di jilid ini? Yang ketemu Fuma dan sempet maen boneka kodok bareng ehehehe... (meski masih di jilid yang sama Fuma ngancurin Shinjuku sambil makan es krim bareng Sakurazukamori--adegan yang sangat menyebalkan bagi saya, macem dua bos mafia jahat merayakan kemenangan bareng)
Rasa-rasanya mulai jilid ini saya makin nyadar kemampuan Fuma sebagai "Kamui" itu mengabulkan permohonan setiap orang.

Dan saya tetep suka duo Ibu Karen dan Pak Aoki. Dua orang dewasa di Naga Langit <3 Saya bener-bener mengagumi Bu Karen karena meski dia mencintai (atau lebih tepatnya, menyimpan perasaan khusus kepada) Pak Aoki, beliau gak ada niat untuk mengungkapkannya mengingat Pak Aoki sudah berkeluarga. (Kayaknya) Sulit jadi perempuan terhormat seperti beliau.

Di sisi lain, Hinoto mulai jadi jahat. Haaaah... bener-bener suram banget sih komik ini.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

X Clamp #14


Tindakan Karen yang melawan para naga bumi sendirian, membuat Shuichiro marah padanya. Dengan melukai diri sendiri agar tetap sadar dari obat tidur yang diberikan Karen pada dirinya, Shuichiro membantu Karen menghadapi Nataku.

Sementara itu Fuuma yang telah menjadi dark Kamui semakin kuat dengan banyaknya keinginan para manusia dan juga keinginan para naga langit dan naga bumi. Bahkan keinginan Kamui untuk merebut kembali Fuuma lebih memperkuat dark Kamui. Banyak tempat-tempat penting yang memiliki kekkai pelindung dihancurkan olehnya dan para naga langit tak dapat mencegah kehancuran yang terjadi.

Di sisi Kamui, dalam mimpi Kamui yang aneh, Kamui bertemu Kakyou (naga bumi) yang memberitahunya tentang kekuatan dark Kamui yang semakin meningkat. Diberitahukan pula oleh Kakyou kalau Kamui dapat bertemu Fuuma, jika pedang suci digunakan dalam pertempuran.
Di mimpi Kamui lainnya, pertemuan Kamui dengan putri Hinoto yang terluka membuat Kamui mempertanyakan keputusannya untuk menjadi Kamui sang pelindung bumi dibandingkan sebagai Kamui sang penghancur. Bahkan pertemanannya dengan para naga langit dan teman barunya di sekolah membuat Kamui berpikir ulang tentang tujuannya memilih sebagai pelindung bumi.

[Adrian Santiago · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contexto medio plano y aburrido pero que comienza a amarrar las batallas y destinos de los personajes.

Creo que la historia gira mucho sobre los deseos. Si Clow y Yuko sabían los desastres que pueden ocasionar, los personajes de X ni se diga; pasan por sobre las muertes de miles con tal de "ver feliz a quien aman" y cosas así.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this volume: Other/mirror selves, Fuma and the plushie, some Sorata and Arashi, setup for Karen's next fight.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad that Kamui found a friend in school named Keiichi Segawa.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the Subaru/Seishirou 'arc' was rather short, I was in tears by the end, because I totally did not imagine that ending... The rest of the book is rather emotional as well.

[Ricardo Marín]

5 / 5