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 has to decide whether humanity should be destroyed to create a purified universe, or whether it should be protected to preserve civilization.

Further in, 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.

With action at the core, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Kouichi Yamadera as Sorata Arisugawa and Tomokazu Seki as Kamui Shirou. If you count yourself among viewers who like fast, high-impact fights, put it on your list. At 1 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by MADHOUSE, so the studio's house style defines how X looks and moves on screen. Because it leans on action, 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.