Director: Rintaro
Producers: Kazuo Yokoyama, Masanori Maruyama, Kazuhiko Ikeguchi
Screenplay: Asami Watanabe, Nanase Ohkawa, Rintaro
Cinematography: Jin Yamaguchi
Music: Harumitsu Shimizu
U.S. Distributor: Manga Entertainment
Dubbed into English
Currently, Japanese anime is caught in the no-man's land between being a cult phenomenon and a mainstream genre. The unique style of animation, which often features complex, adult-oriented plots and innovative graphics, has a strong and loyal following. Sell-through video stores, such as Suncoast, have shelves full of anime titles, and they do a brisk business. However, theatrical releases have generally not fared well. Miramax's much-ballyhooed opening of Princess Mononoke failed at the box office. Only Pokemon, which is more of a marketing tool than a motion picture, has brought in a hefty return - and that's a movie many serious anime fans have turned up their noses at.
Director Rintaro's X is the latest anime feature to reach North American screens. The film isn't exactly "new" - it was produced in 1996, but has taken four years to make its way into the U.S. marketplace. The film, like most anime movies, is targeted primarily at the video market but is receiving limited theatrical exposure beforehand. And, like most of its fellows, its strongest appeal will be to high-end comic book fans (X is based on a comic book series) and computer roll playing game (RPG) aficionados. Average movie-goers, especially those who associate "animation" with "Disney," will be nonplused (and probably confused) by what X has to offer.
The film is an apocalyptic tale, with all of the events taking place in or around a stylized version of Tokyo. It is 1999 and the end of the world is at hand. Kamui, a young man with incredible psychic powers, has the weight of destiny pressing down upon his shoulders. He must choose between aligning himself with the Dragons of the Earth - a group that believes that humanity must be destroyed to purge the world - and the Dragons of Heaven - who want to preserve human society. Kamui's choice is laid before him by the oracle sisters Hinoto and Kanoe, each who follows a different path and both of whom believe that if Kamui joins their cause, they will win. Adding a human element to the plot is the fact that Kamui's closest friend, Fuma, is being forced by fate to follow whatever path Kamui rejects. Also, Kamui has been prophesied to cause the death of the girl he loves.
The story is fast-moving and filled with heroic derring-do, impressive action sequences, and deeply-felt tragedy. In fact, X is propelled forward at such a breakneck pace that there are times when the story becomes chaotic and difficult to follow. The principle cause of the confusion is the large number of dream/nightmare sequences depicted - sometimes it's hard differentiating between what's real and what isn't. Those who have the luxury to watch the movie a second time will uncover a great deal of background and information that whizzes by on the first pass. (Supposedly, the long-running comic book series clarifies everything left unexplained in the movie, and is recommended as a "companion piece".)
One of the most compelling aspects of X's shoreline is the way it refuses to break down the struggle along lines of "good" and "evil." Instead of black-and-white delimiters, we are presented with two opposing forces, each of which has a defensible position. This moral complexity is a common trait of anime. Whereas U.S. animated films prefer to have clear dividing lines between "good guys" and "bad guys", Japanese efforts often thrive in the gray areas. This usually makes for a more interesting approach. In addition, the film's relentlessly downbeat tone creates a dark emotional backdrop. By the end, there is a powerful sense of loss, and the realization that even victors pay a terrible price.
The animation, which is the product of the all-female studio Clamp, is of surprisingly variable quality. While the backgrounds are consistently rich in detail and gorgeously rendered, the characters are occasionally crudely drawn and afflicted with awkward, unnatural movements (this is especially evident when they are doing something simple like walking - fight scenes are much more effectively presented). Although X's visual style is always kinetic and interesting, there are times when the quality of the animation is closer to what one typically finds on Saturday morning TV than on a big screen. In comparison to Disney fare or Princess Mononoke, X falls short. Nevertheless, the story is strong enough to carry the movie through patches of weak animation.
Aside from the occasional visual lapses, the English version of the film also features some weak vocal characterizations. Many of the voices are overwrought or underplayed, and several expository passages sound stilted. These faults are mostly minor, however, and will do little to detract from the average viewer's overall enjoyment. When it played in Japan, X (like many high profile anime titles) was a hit. Although it will not share the same success on these shores, fans of the anime genre will be pleased.
© 2000 James Berardinelli