X

About X

X (X -エックス-) arrives as an action anime by MADHOUSE (1996), and the premise is easy to summarize. At its core: The future of the universe rests on one young man, Kamui Shirou, who needs to destroy either the Dragons of Earth or the Dragons of Heaven - two opposing armies. He alone must decide whether humanity should be destroyed to create a purified universe, or whether it should be protected to preserve civilization.

As things develop, two oracles, the sisters Hinoto and Kanoe foresee the coming of the Dragons and predict opposite outcomes. Each sister gathers strength and ammunition to insure her own vision for the future. However, neither sister realizes that there is one man who has an even greater ability than the Dragons, and that ultimately he will determine the fate of the earth.

As an action title, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Sorata Arisugawa (Kouichi Yamadera) and Kamui Shirou (Tomokazu Seki) are two of the characters you will meet early. Think of it as a pick for viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. The run is 1 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by MADHOUSE, so the studio's house style defines how X looks and moves on screen. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.1/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Voice casting, including Kouichi Yamadera as Sorata Arisugawa, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 1996, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.