X [1996] [DVD]

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The year is 1999, and upon his return to Tokyo, Kamui Shirou has to decide where his destiny is to lead him in the next millennium. Should he join the Dragon of Heaven, Earth's defenders, or side with the Dragon of Earth, seven angels pledged to devastate the planet? Kamui isn't really interested in either, but when his childhood friends Fuma and Kotori Maonou find themselves in mortal danger, he is forced to enter into the fray. From .co.uk ----------- Tokyo is the city where the final battle between the Dragon of Earth and the Dragon of Heaven will take place in the Japanese anime film X, directed by Taro Rin and written by the all-woman writing team Clamp. The Dragon of Earth wants to wipe out humankind because of the damage people have inflicted on the Earth, while the Dragon of Heaven is fighting to protect civilisation. At the centre of all this is Kamui, the chosen one, who must pick a dragon to fight for. Full of dreams and flashbacks that pop up out of nowhere, the structure of X could be considered confusing and needlessly complex if the story weren't so simple. Obviously, we are supposed to root for the Dragon of Heaven to win and save mankind, but the funny thing is, the Dragon of Earth has the better argument. If it were a debate, humanity would lose. But it's not a debate, it's an action film, and many of Tokyo's most famous buildings get destroyed in the battles. As with most anime, the women are either girlishly cute or slutty, but luckily in X, there are no graphic rapes; the love interest is merely crucified three or four times. It may not be the greatest anime film out there, but at least it's never boring. --Andy Spletzer