Just because CLAMP has made the story of X to be such a mystery, we readers always have to practice our imagination until the next volume is published. As a result, many readers have become some kind of experts when it comes to X and its characters, working very hard to guess the outcome of the thrilling story. (You should have known this already if you are a member on the CLAMP Mailing List.) Although the gain from making the correct prediction could only be a sense of pride, it has also become one major characteristic of X and other CLAMP stories: How many manga artists could have caused such a "guessing hit"? Besides, X has provided a very good resource for writing Fan Fiction. I guess those who love writing X Fan Fiction must have been quite knowledgeable in X, right? The following is something I found about Kakyou, hope you would like it.

"Kakyou Kuzuki"
Let's first look at what meanings Kakyou's name has. "Kuzu" is the formal character for number nine in Chinese, yet it also means "black gemstone." "Ki" is "moon" in Japanese. Well then, does "Kuzuki", a Japanese surname created by CLAMP, simply mean "Nine Moons"? Let's look at the given name as well. "Ka" is "tooth," and it could be associated with ivory, and things that look like a tooth, such as the crescent moon. And "Kyou" is "dawn," but it also means understanding or making others understood -- this seems to be quite suitable for Kakyou as he is a Dream Seer. Thus, the whole name should be related to the moon and dawn. We know that the sun will soon be gone at sunset. Kakyou is a person who wish to end his life, and he is also the Dragon of Earth, one of the Seven Angels. It is just fit to use the setting moon to describe him. Yet, unlike the setting sun, a moon can still be seen even after dawn! Have you ever seen the moon in the early morning sky? What is left visible is usually the crescent. Conclusion: changing from the moon of the night into the crescent at dawn, then gradually disappearing, this must be the meaning of his name or even his destiny in the story of X! (Poor Kakyou *sob*) How clever is Nanase Ohkawa of CLAMP to make up such a beautiful name for my most favourite Kakyou! A beautiful name for a beautiful person... (KatKo has become so happy that she almost float to where Kotori and her mother are...) Actually, I just found out that Kakyou was named after CLAMP's cat, which the artists adopted when they were doing CLUSTER and starting MKR. No wonder KatKo loves Kakyou soooo much =^.^= !

Kakyou's Personality
Even though Kakyou is still in a coma, and has appeared to be lack of interest, he could in fact be quite sentimental and affectionate. Don't get him wrong just because he has said: "Since my 'heart' has died long ago, I don't feel lonely or so." He is definitely not a person who can't feel like Seishirou! Kakyou has comforted Kotori several times in the past, and has helped her in her "last wish." A person who can help others could not have no feelings at all. The truth is that when Kakyou lost the most important person to him, feeling lonely just won't do any good, and for a faithful person like him, it would seem impossible for him to feel lonely or wanting for another individual again. However, is Kakyou an escapist whose only wish is to die? Well, I believe that as one of the Seven Angels and knowing the future, Kakyou must have already known his fate. Moreover, he is still "conscious" in his coma, ceaselessly foreseeing a future of the whole world but without "that person" in his dreams. Should he be considered an escapist even so? If I were him, I would rather wake up and do a lot of things to keep my mind off any dreams or unhappiness, escaping those "real dreams" (hey, we are still in the X dimension, remember?). Furthermore, his choice of becoming the Dragon of Earth for Fuuma in exchange for death on that "foreordained day" is not unlike gambling. That is because regardless whether Fuuma would carry out his promise or not, Kakyou's wish requires Fuuma to overcome Kamui and come back alive to kill him. And let us not forget that Kakyou does know about the future, and his deal with Fuuma may imply that he is hoping something could be changed about the future. "I wish the Earth could 'change.'" (X 10) Consequently, Kakyou is the Dragon of Earth -- because only the Kamui of DoH would kill him, perhaps? Having decided to die and having chosen the person to kill himself, this isn't something we the commoners could easily understand. However, I recall the "Bushido" of the Samurai, who would rather kill themselves in honour than to linger in shame. Just in a coincidence, Kakyou now appears as one wearing the kimono... Nonetheless, suicide, death-seeking or waiting to die are all pessimistic, none of us should practice any of them! After all, we don't have any excuse since we aren't any "Dream Seer." By the way, Kakyou has a strong conscience, too. In the beginning, he was with short hair and wearing a long coat, and always stayed at the seashore in his dreams, showing others the reflection of his mind instead of his true self. Later, Fuuma came to pull him out of his "fantasies," and it is when Kakyou begins to appear as having long hair and wearing kimono. We don't really know if he has waken up or not, but perhaps he knows what his present look is through Fuuma and so he changed his looks in his dreams, too. Also, right after he has decided to join the Dragons of Earth, he starts entering Hinoto's dream, and "meet" Kamui by his own will, taking a more active role. In his dreams, feathers and crystals seem to have special meanings... The analysis of Kakyou's personality ends here.

Kakyou's Appearance
First of all, Kakyou's beautiful look is purposefully created by CLAMP, not simply because CLAMP can draw beautiful characters. When CLAMP wants to indicate a male character to be a handsome specimen, his physique or hairstyle are not as important as a pair of lustrous eyes and long eyeslashes. Sorata and Daisuke don't have the above features (sorry, Sorata and Daisuke fans!). Kakyou does not only have the above characteristics, he also has a pair of golden eyes! However, those which look like the cat's eyes seem to occur only when he is using his Dream Seer's powers. In normal times, he would appear with the beautiful but sad gaze. other than that, from his casual look in modern dress to his serious but otherworldly beautiful kimono appearance, Kakyou has always been emanating an aura of lonely sadness (and those clothing just can't hide his wide shoulders too! ^_^). About his hair, I prefer him with long hair because there is another character who might look better than he does in short, fair hair, namely Nokoru Imonoyama!!! (KatKo is also a big fan of his!) It's this long hair of his that has made Kakyou to be a beauty among both males and females. (Yes!) Some of you may now think that Kakyou would look more like a westerner. However, according to the Books of Enoch, the offspring of angels and mortal women had fairer skin and hair than normal human beings (I won't discuss any further about such non-biblical accounts here, let's go back to X then). Kakyou is the Dragons of Earth and one of the Seven Angels, which means that he IS an angel, therefore, it shouldn't be too unreasonable for CLAMP to design Kakyou with such features. Hmmm... speaking of his long hair and lustrous eyes, I suddenly remember another anime character: Amaterasu in Five Stars Stories, probably because he is also well-known for his beauty as both male and female. (^_^) All in all, although Kakyou is a patient in coma, he is still taller than Kamui-chan! ("Grow up!" Kamui-chan, or Yuzuriha will become taller than you too.)

X : Wheel of Fortune (This X is the number 10 in Roman numerals)
Kakyou is placed on the 10th X Tarot card, the Wheel of Fortune, representing changes and opportunities. Fortune telling isn't what I want to study here, but let us see what would it mean for CLAMP to place Kakyou here. Kakyou's name (see above) has involved the meaning of changes. Now that he is presiding over the Wheel of Fortune, it further shows that he is to bring changes to the story of X. CLAMP uses the pair of black and white dragons to represent the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth, replacing the Devil, who is symbolized by a serpent and who had tempted Eve according to the Bible, on normal Tarot cards. Yet, they preserve the four creatures. The only thing that is worthy of our attention is Kakyou himself. He has replaced the Sphinx, the mythical creature which symbolizes wisdom and the invisible change that occur in equilibrium. And just what changes CLAMP want Kakyou to bring forth? We must wait for the future manga then.

The Kakyou-less X Movie
Although it seems a pity that Kakyou is not in the X animation, those who have seen it don't have much good feedbacks. I suppose it's because Kakyou is not in it ne? (^_^) The one who has substituted Kakyou is Shougo Asagi, a Dragon of Earth controlling water. Same with long hair, also designed by CLAMP, yet sadly this energetic, impulsive guy just can't match the charismatic Kakyou. However, we must forgive CLAMP and the director Rintarou, as Kakyou had not appeared in the manga series by then, and it is simply impossible to explain Kakyou's role in that short period of time. Never mind, we are satisfied with our X manga... Of course, adding the X Character File 5 will be the more perfect!

Kakyou's Awakening
If you have carefully read X7 or listen to X Character File 5, then you would have found the answer already. Please note: Kakyou will sleep until "the day WHEN the end of the Earth IS DECIDED," NOT "the day of the end of the Earth"! Kakyou fans must remember this by heart, OK? Besides of this, since Kotori has told Kakyou that "the future has not yet been decided yet," Kakyou will not wake up still... Wow, the story is really becoming more and more thrilling. Don't you miss the rest of X!