Under Construction!!!

X-1999
Sorry, the image is soooo big!!! I'll skrink it asap if anyone complains!

Okay...^^;; this ISN'T really a "Gallery" page...with only 3 pictures. ~^_^~ But that's all I have so far, I could have scan more but most of them can be found on other X/Clamp pages easily already, so why the repetition?

Anyways, here's my stupid "extremely LONG" two cents for the actual manga. Although I know many people have became CLAMP fans because of "X" (or better known as "X-1999" in US, well, I don't know much/care about US manga translation anyways... :P). However, "X" is somewhat a disappointment to me. Of course, the art quality is extremely great, and we can see Mokona's drawings improve tremendously (esp. between that BIG break around 94/95 when they're focusing on "Rayearth"). It's the story and the characters that disappoint me.... sadly I have to say, I don't quite like the two main characters Kamui and Fuuma. (oh no, I'm gonna get stoned by their fans!^^;;)

The basic story is like any typical "1999 End-of-the-world" myth with the Clamp's "typical" :P twisted plot, loaded mysteries and complicated character relationships. Well, seem to me that Clamp loves to challenge the "typical", "common" "cliche" type of stories and to make them seem exordinary, don't ya all think? Everytime they have a new works (even though most are developed during their "doujinshi" periods), the basic story plot are nothing creative and new, like RG Veda, Rayearth, Combination, etc... (I swear that I've seen tons of manga w/ similar plots before!!!) But Clamp could just make it so "different" with their interesting characters and twisting turns, and of course, with a shocking ending that's SO memorable!!! I guess that's why Clamp is so appealing to me: they could make extraordinary out of cliche/lame/common theme.

Well, back to X. I don't know why, most of those new characters just don't appeal to me, except Kotori and Arashi. Once again Clamp proves that they can create incrediblely charming female characters (to female readers). Yeah yeah yeah, even though Kotori is like those typical goody-goody nice all-perfect shoujo manga female character, she's just so cute and so adorable, and so sad too.....(I expected that she'll die someday, but not SO soon??? T_T) And Arashi is just so cool and so pretty. Oh, Satsuki too!!! She's just great!!!

About Kamui, I know that Clamp is trying to make him a very cool guy who has very cold/super cute looking appearance but warmed inside with a tragic past, blah blah blah.....I just don't buy that! I think he definitely over-victimized himself (ALL THE TIME, how many times did Clamp repeat his "tragic" flashback?????), as if the whole world owe him or something..... and it's just so annoying!!! Actually, there's nothing Fuuma really "bothers" me....it's just I think his characater design/set up is kinda a failure. To me, his character just seem so "flat", so "empty". I think for the 1st time, Clamp has really screw up a main character. Fuuma is like someone I simply don't "care"...he's just too "flat" (yes, I know, manga characters are just fictional 2D creation, but still Clamp is always so good in creating interesting characters with depths and personality!) It seems like Fuuma just turn so "evil" all the sudden (which is "supposed" to be shocking) and yet, I don't feel a thing..... Hopefully my bad impression will change as the story goes on.

More "bashing".^^; (once again, I apologize if I offend/upset anyone...), I'm just tired of the repetition of the same dialogues. Clamp is well-known for "draq" and "repetition", but X has gone way overboard.

How many times does that annoying phrase "Kamui, go to Tokyo, your fate lies there...." or "Kamui, you're Fuuma's...." and so on and so on. Sometimes when I read "X" I thought I'm flipping thru a black n' white illustration book: huge full page illustrative images with those repetitive "famous" phrases on every page....^^; (I'm exaggerated, but still not very far). It's not even "manga" anymore....

Enough is enough...^^;; The best thing about "X" is that we can see 2 of my favorite Clamp characters: Subaru and Seishirou (from Tokyo Babylon) again!!! Also, X is quite interesting that it's connected to most other Clamp works. (so does that mean all Clamp characters will die by 1999???^^;) Many Clamp characters have appear on X, discover that yourself!!!

Even though I have so much negative views on "X", yet, it's still Clamp, it's still an extremely fasinating and heart capturing serie! (I'm dying to know some of the mysteries!!!!!) so I'll still buy/support it. And I'm really looking forward for its Illustration book too! I think overall among Clamp's work, "X" has the most beautiful color illustrations (maybe side by side with RG Veda).

One more thing, about the movie, I've read the film comic and....uh....sorry again!^^;;; A "typical" (how many times have I use this word) beautiful-animation-that-lacks-story-plot-and-character-developing "Dejavu" thing! Anyways, the manga is nothing like the animation movie, if you never read the manga before and you're disappointing by the movie, I'd recommend you READ the manga!!!!! It's MUCH better!!!

Also, I can't help but mentioning "X-Japan" (the band who sing the movie theme song "Forever Love" and all the songs in "Double X"). You might not know, I'm actually very into Japanese Rock/Visual Rock. And X-Japan is the 1st band that introduced me to such wonderful J-Rock world (They were under the name "X" until 1993, I've been listening to them long time ago, so I'm quite surprise to see they're "linked" with Clamp all the sudden???!!!^^;;;) And one of my favorite X-Japan songs is actally "X" too!!! "PSYCHEDELIC VIOLENCE! CRIME OF VISUAL SHOCK! WE ARE....WE ARE...XXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Now let's do the "X-Jump"!!!!!! ^_^

To know more about X, here's a very COMPLETE page:Rabi's X Page

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