x

X is a tale about the end of the world. What it ends up being, though, is a fantastic story of love, loss and destiny. The conflict revolves around the Battle of the Apocalypse between two factions, the Dragon of Heaven (Ten no Ryu) and the Dragon of Earth (Jin no Ryu). The Seven Seals of the Dragon of Heaven seek to maintain the Earth as it is now, while the Seven Angels of the Dragon of Earth seek to eradicate humanity from the Earth and start over. The fate of the world is dependent upon the decision of one boy, Kamui. That's the premise of X, and far-fetched as it may seem, the plot is actually secondary to the characters, most of whom are really simple designs, but have loads and loads of personality. They almost seem real in many ways.

X has brilliant production values, with fluid, crisp animation, and some great fights, not to mention an engaging storyline. The background score was done by Yoko Kanno, also responsible for hits like Cowboy Bebop and The Vision of Escaflowne, and is excellent as a result.

One thing, though: X is not a peaceful movie. There are a lot of fights, and most of them are really violent. Not, "a lot of people die" sort of violent, "Lots and lots of blood and gore" sort of violent. People under 16 probably shouldn't watch this one.

Read my review of X for a more detailed analysis. Suffice it to say that any anime fan must watch this one.