X (manga)

X, also known as X/1999, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Clamp, a creative team made up of Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona. It premiered in Kadokawa Shoten's shojo manga magazine Monthly Asuka in May 1992 and ran there until it went on hiatus in March 2003; it has yet to be concluded. The story takes place at the end of days in the year 1999. The series follows Kamui Shiro, a young esper who returns home to Tokyo after a six-year absence to face his destiny as the one who will determine humanity's fate. Kadokawa Shoten collected and published the individual chapters in 18 tankōbon volumes, with five chapters published in the book All About Clamp. These chapters were released in their own 19th volume, entitled "Volume 18.5", as part of a "Premium Collection" version of the series in November 2023. All but several final chapters have been published. It has been adapted into a series of audio dramas. It was followed by a 1996 anime feature film by Rintaro assisted by Ohkawa in studio Madhouse. The same studio, now led by director and writer Yoshiaki Kawajiri, made a 24-episode anime television series in 2001. Since the manga never reached its ending, the two animated adaptations have their own takes of the series' finale. Viz Media published the 18 completed volumes in North America, while the film and the TV series been have released on DVD by multiple distributors. The series is a foray into apocalyptic fiction; it combines elements from various end-of-the-world scenarios, both secular and religious, with its own mythos. Its themes include exploring the personality of humanity, relationships with others, and external conflicts like the impending Armageddon. It is considered one of Clamp's most iconic works in their early career,...