X: Volume 4

Introduction

After the momentous developments at the end of volume 3, things were all poised, cliff-hangery and juicy with anticipation for the next instalment. Which is when MVM decided to stick in a whole month's hiatus between volumes. Given that not too long ago, a bi-monthly release schedule was de rigueur for serialised anime, you'd expect a mere month extra of waiting to be easily taken in stride. Instead I have been suffering an unexpected withdrawal from the world of X, surprising given that I wasn't expecting all that much from this series when the first volume arrived for review some four months ago. But, volume 4 is now finally here, and I can stop being all jittery and snappish.

The millennium is impending, which as we all know means the end of the world. In this case, the end of the world will come about when the Dragons of Earth battle the Dragons of Heaven for the fate of mankind. The Dragons of Earth aim to destroy humanity, and give Earth a clean slate to start afresh. The Dragons of Heaven are their counterparts and they aim to protect humanity. The seer Hinoto has foretold that the fate of the world rests in the hands of one man, Kamui Shiro, and how events will unfold will depend on which path he chooses. When Kamui returns to Tokyo, he's reluctant to even get involved, staying aloof and uninterested. But he's forced to make a choice when his childhood friends Fuma and Kotori Monou are drawn into the conflict.


The next four episodes of X are presented on this MVM disc.

13. Return
As the Dragons of Heaven take stock of what has just occurred, events rapidly spiral beyond their control. Hinoto tries to warn her sister that accepting Fuma as the second Kamui would be ill advised, but Kanoe isn't listening. Fuma is on his way to the Dragons of Earth, and he's got a grudge or two to settle on the way. Kamui's catatonic though, lying in a hospital bed, unable to come to terms with what has just happened. The only person who can help him, who can empathise is Subaru Sumeragi, and he'll have to use his Onmyou powers to find and connect with Kamui's consciousness. The effort may just kill him though.

14. Gathering
It's taken a while, and it's probably too late, but Kamui has finally decided to join with the Dragons of Heaven and become the seventh seal. His first duty is to seal the Divine Sword at the centre of the campus pentagram so that it can remain safe and protected until the day that it is needed. Kamui also has a question for Hinoto, about the future and destiny, and Kotori's destiny in particular. But the Dragons of Earth are coming together as well, and even as Kamui seals the Divine Sword away, the second Divine Sword falls into the Fuma's hands.


15. Guardian
The Windmaster Seichiro explained the secret of his power to his younger clansman Saiki when he was a child, that he had to have something to protect, and ever since then, Saiki has been the dreamseer Hinoto's loyal guard. But as he wasn't one of the Dragons of Heaven, he could never create a Barrier Field. Kamui is a Dragon of Heaven, but he can't create a barrier field either, and Hinoto can't help him. She's got problems of her own; her visions of the future are being interfered with. They've run out of time, as Fuma has gathered the Dragons of Earth to him, but he still needs more power. When he attacks a government research facility in Ikebukuro, Kamui rushes off to face him and Saiki goes with him. With his powers still undeveloped, Kamui is walking into a trap.

16. Slaughter
It's only through the timely intervention of Subaru Sumeragi that Kamui survives, but not without a brutal cost. The Dragons of Heaven are at a disadvantage, and to even the odds, Sorata, Nekoi and Arashi go to find where the Dragons of Earth are hiding. It's then that Hinoto gets a vision of a confrontation on the Tokyo Bay Bridge. As soon as Subaru realises that Hinoto has seen Seishiro Sakurazuka, the man who killed his sister, he goes off to face him, even though he is still injured from the previous battle.

Picture

X gets a 4:3 transfer reflecting the original source. It's a splendid presentation, up there with the best of anime releases, smooth and clear, and as sharp as possible given the inevitable NTSC-PAL conversion. About the only flaw I could pick at is some minor shimmer on fine detail, but it crops up rarely enough to be a major issue. From 2001, this is one of the earlier anime shows to be accomplished within the bowels of a PC, instead of hordes of animators using inks, paints and cel acetate, and it does show, with a uniformity of colour in the characters, and a somewhat excessively clean feel to the animation. But the animation is of decent quality, certainly holding up well today. As you would expect from a director like Yoshiaki Kawajiri, it simply drips atmosphere and style. CLAMP's designs are evident too, in the tall, elegant characters, with distinctive features. X as an anime from the early part of the decade has aged visually, but it has aged well indeed.

Sound

As mentioned before, you have a choice between DD 5.1 English, and DD 2.0 Japanese, along with an optional translated subtitle track. It's disappointing that there isn't a separate signs only track, as there is plenty of onscreen text that has to be translated, and it means that dub aficionados will be flipping the subtitles on and off to see what various signs and captions mean. As usual, I only sampled the English dub, and despite such anime dub stalwarts as Crispin Freeman, Lia Sargent and Michelle Ruff in the cast, it's aged worse than the animation has, sounding very much of its time. It's a shame really, as the 5.1 audio is very impressive. It's vibrant, expressive, and put to good use to convey the atmospheric action sequences. X also boasts grand orchestral themes for its incidental music, and helps the show sound epic in scope and scale. Another shame then, that the 5.1 Japanese mix created for the US remix edition couldn't be sourced, although the 2.0 stereo option does sound quite pleasant given the pro-logic polish.

Extras

Trailers on this disc include Disgaea and Solty Rei. There is also a 60-second slideshow art gallery showcasing the Japanese DVD covers, 12 in all. Yes, you read that right, Japanese fans have to pay through the nose for discs with just two episodes on. I bet you still think anime is too expensive in the West though.

Conclusion

X just keeps getting better and better, and while the first three volumes were largely devoted to setting the scene and developing the characters, this fourth volume takes the events of the previous disc's conclusion, and just adds to the juggernaut pace of portentousness that it began. There are plenty of omens and boding going on in this volume, a lot of hints, glimpses and presages to what will no doubt happen in the battle between the Dragons of Earth and the Dragons of Heaven, but this volume is no slouch in the action department itself, with conflict and battles, and the apparent conclusion of one major character arc.


What keeps surprising me is that this just isn't the sort of story that I normally go for. I'm a little up in the air about the mystical superpowers. I'm fine with superpowers by themselves, I can have hours of fun in the Marvel universe, but as soon as you add mysticism into the mix, the vague hint of religious fervour, I begin to get wary. With most of the Dragons of Heaven trained at some shrine or another, this really ought to rub me the wrong way. But far greater than this, I really do not like stories about predestination, about fate, about karma. I don't like the idea of a character's path being written in advance by the vagaries of the Gods, or the nature of the Universe, or the roll of the dice. I always equate it with the weakest form of storytelling, where the characters twist and turn to fit the story because of the author's whims, rather than being allowed to develop naturally.


X is all about fate, and predestination and all those usually annoying things. Except here they aren't annoying. X is the prime example that even the most unpalatable tale can become engrossing and riveting if the storytelling is good enough. CLAMP's story is excellent, and I'd defy anyone not to be drawn into this epic battle of good versus evil for the fate of the world. Of course it helps that the definition of good and evil is still fluid in this tale. It also helps that the way that the characters react to the notion of pre-destiny is varied. Some accept it as the natural order of things, some rail and fight against it, determined to shape their own futures, while some are devious enough to use it to manipulate events and people in their own favour. It's a complex and diverse set of characters that keep the story edgy and engrossing.


The first half of this disc is devoted to dealing with the aftermath of Fuma's awakening as the second Kamui. We see the original Kamui come to terms with his loss with the help of Subaru, and we see the Dragons of Heaven finally come together as a group. It's here that the idea or predestination is explored, with Kamui deciding to fight against his fate, and somehow redeem Fuma. What's interesting here is the dreamseer Hinoto's role in this, as it becomes clear that seeing the future is one thing, correctly interpreting it is wholly another. It also transpires that she isn't the well-meaning innocent that she appears to be. She has to be manipulative, and selective in what she tells people. It may be that she is keeping Kamui on the right path by doing so, but it may also be that she is actively manipulating events to create the future that she desires. She's not supposed to interfere with destiny, but as this disc progresses, her motives come into question.


At the same time, the Dragons of Earth are gathering and consolidating under Fuma. Early on, Hinoto warns her sister Kanoe not to accept Fuma as the seventh angel, but Kanoe does so anyway. As the disc progresses, it also becomes apparent that Kanoe has grabbed hold of a tiger by the tail by doing so, and now has to hold on for dear life to the bitter end. With Kazuki Kakyou among them, they also now have a way to counteract Hinoto's dream visions, and so the balance of power begins to shift.


But it's the second half of this disc that really satisfies, as battle is truly commenced between the two sides. First Kamui faces Fuma again for the first time since the end of volume 3, and Kamui's inexperience and unfamiliarity with his powers leads him into a situation that he just isn't ready for, and one that will cost lives. But fresh with his fervent vow to redeem Fuma, he isn't willing to miss his chance. And then there is the final episode on this disc, which sees the confrontation between Seichiro and Subaru, the conclusion that countless Tokyo Babylon fans will be waiting for. It's everything that you would expect, but it's also got one hell of a twist in the tail, the sort that takes everything you think you know about the characters and gives it a good shake.


I'm preaching to the converted, aren't I? If you've already started with X: The TV Series, then nothing I can say will dissuade you from buying this disc. While conversely, if you haven't bought any of the discs so far, this would be one stupid place to start. But, volume 4 is deliciously compulsive viewing, excellent storytelling with great characterisations. Maybe this review will tempt you to go back to volume 1 and start from there. It's worth it just to get to this point, and every indication is that the series will just get better as it goes on.