The Evolution of X/1999;
The Evolution of X/1999;

    X/1999 is one of CLAMP’s early works, a visual apocalyptic epic that began running in Asuka in 1992 and has yet to be finished. Thus far, eighteen actual volumes have been published as well as an artbook (ZERO) with the first half of volume 19 serialized before production on the manga ceased. There are various rumors as to why production on X/1999 stalled in 2003, everything from Asuka magazine demanding that CLAMP stem the increasing violence and gore creeping into the series to Mokona developing arthritis and needing time off to simple conjecture that CLAMP had written themselves into a corner and didn’t know how to finish the series off satisfactorily. As of yet, there’s not a definitive answer to the question of why X/1999 was put on hiatus though the fandom has bandied the question and bemoaned their beloved manga’s fate for over two years now. There are hints that the series will be revived shortly, with another artbook release some time in Fall 2005 and certainly with the release of CLAMP no Kiskei, it’s clear that CLAMP is still interested in the story and the characters so it is very possible that all this may come to pass. Whether it’s sooner or later, remains to be seen.

    The series has been released in several formats beside the manga – audio cds, a television series (known as XTV), a theatrical release of the same name, and several video games (including a fighting game for the original Playstation).

    So what is X/1999 about? Boiled down to its simplest terms, the story is about the apocalypse and the human element involved – the struggles of those people trying to preserve the Earth and those seeking to destroy it. Set against the backdrop of modern day Tokyo, X/1999 focuses in particular on the journey of one sixteen year old boy, Shirou Kamui and how his decisions for good or ill, may shape the course of the future. It is also a story about loss, learning to deal with that loss, and learning to grow up, often portrayed with graphic, smack you in the face violence and heart-rending scenes. The struggles of Kamui and his other half as well as those of the respective Dragons of Earth and Heaven ground the story and give it its heart amidst all the carnage and chaos of the year of Destiny, 1999.

[ back ]