User:The One Terminators and X (manga): Difference between pages

X/1999, an early work of the hit all female manga-ka group CLAMP, details the apocalypse in a very literal adaptation of the Book of Revelation. The manga has yet to be completed, but it has been adapted a movie (X/1999 or X: The Destiny War) and an anime TV series.

The manga is published in North America in English by Viz Communications. In Singapore, it is called "X" and is published in English by Chuang Yi.

Plot description

The story is set in Tokyo. Six people, most of them young people raised in temples, and all with magical powers, converge on the city. They are prepared to do battle as the "Seven Seals," the "Dragons of Heaven," to save the human race against a rival group (the Dragons of Earth or Seven Angels/Harbingers/Minions) who wish to destroy the human race in order to reverse the devastation of the environment.

Tokyo, it emerges, is the nexus of magical energy that protects the human race. It is itself protected by seven barriers, namely buildings such as the Japanese Diet building and Tokyo Tower. By defeating each of the Seven Seals and destroying the barrier fields they can generate, the Dragons of Earth intend to destroy the magical protection and thus the human race.

A seventh young person, Kamui, has been sent to Tokyo by the last words of his mother, who burned to death in their home in Okinawa. He meets the other members of the Seven Seals. In conferring with Princess Hinoto, a mysterious seer who resides in the Diet building, he discovers that it is his choice whether to become a Dragon of Earth or a Dragon of Heaven.

After much confusion and soul-searching, he decides to become a Dragon of Heaven, so as to protect the happiness of his childhood friends, Fuuma and his sister Kotori. But he is horrified to discover that Fuuma -- his "twin star" -- is "awakened" by his choice into becoming a "second Kamui." He kills his sister and becomes a Dragon of Earth, whom Kamui must destroy if the human race is to be saved.

Battles ensue, and a number of the Dragons of Heaven must kill their love interests and otherwise win pyrrhic victories. Fuuma destroys them one by one, in deeply ironic and tragic ways, by granting their inmost wishes.

All the Dragons of Heaven are eventually defeated, and their barrier fields fall; likewise, all the Dragons of Earth are put out of the fight -- all but Kamui and Fuuma. They fight in a great climatic battle at Tokyo Tower.

All seems lost when Fuuma runs Kamui through. However, Fuuma, as a granter of wishes, cannot prevent Kamui from realizing his inmost wish: to live on in Fuuma's heart. With Kamui dead, Fuuma ceases to be a Dragon of Earth. Kamui's barrier field, never before seen, expands over the whole earth, preserving humankind.

Characters

Dragons of Heaven (Ten no Ryū)/Seven Seals (Nanatsu no Fūin)

• Shirou Kamui

司狼 神威 (Shirō Kamui)

a young, brooding man, who possesses powerful magic which manifested at an early age. He is a childhood friend of Fuuma and Kotori. His mother burned to death as a spirit sacrifice to postpone the earth and humanity's impending doom (caused by global warming).

• power: powerful psychic, demonstrating both telekinetic and telepathic ability, the proverbial "power (authority) of God"
• kekkai (barrier field): sphere
• name analysis: 司, "SHI": director, official, government office, rule, administrator - 狼, "ROU": wolf - 神, "kami": god(s), mind, soul - 威, "i": intimidate, dignity, majesty, menace, threaten
• relatives: Shirou Tooru/Magami Tooru (mother; deceased), Magami Tokiko (aunt)
• romantic interests: Monou Kotori, Monou Fuuma, Sumeragi Subaru, Segawa Keiichi

• Arisugawa Sorata

有洙川 空汰 (Arisugawa Sorata)

an upbeat, irreverent teenager raised by the Buddhist monks of Mt. Kouya and also possessing considerable magical abilities. It was prophecied that he would protect Kamui but die for a woman; indeed, he is dies defending Arashi from Fuuma's sword, despite her earlier attempts to kill Kamui.

• power: mikkyou (esoteric Buddhist occult tradition): oftentimes expressed through the generation of lightning
• kekkai (barrier field): cube
• name analysis: 有, "ari": possess, have, exist, happen, occur - 洙, "SHU": name of a river in China - 川, "gawa": stream, river - 空, "sora": empty, sky, void, vacant, vacuum - 汰, "TA": luxury, select
• relatives: unknown
• romantic interests: Kishuu Arashi

• Kishuu Arashi

鬼咒 嵐(Kishū Arashi)

a foundling girl raised by Shinto priests at the Ise Shrine. Called the "Hidden Priestess Of Ise" her speciality is swordfighting. Sorata falls in love with her, and she comes to reciprocate. But she is convinced by Fuuma that she must kill Kamui in order to release Sorata from his obligation to defend him. In so doing, she ends up causing the death of her lover.

• power: Kakushi Miko of Ise-Jingu: the ability to generate a sacred sword from her left hand
• kekkai (barrier field): pyramid
• name analysis: 鬼, "KI": ghost, devil - 咒, "SHUU": spell, curse, malediction - 嵐, "arashi": storm, tempest
• relatives: unknown (possibly Kaede)
• romantic interests: Arisugawa Sorata

• Nekoi Yuzuriha

猫依 譲刃 (Nekoi Yuzuriha)

A fourteen-year-old schoolgirl, attended by a dog-spirit named Inuki who can transform into a sword and which only Dragons of Heaven and Earth can see. Inuki is later killed by Satsuki, but reborn. Yuzuriha falls in love with Kusanagi.

• power: inugami (Inuki) which can take on any form which she wishes it to: oftentimes Inuki takes on the form of tsurugi (a Chinese-syle, straight-bladed double-edged sword).
• kekkai (barrier field): cylindrical prism
• name analysis: 猫, "neko": cat - 依, "I": reliant, depend on, consequently, therefore, due to - 譲, "yuzuri": defer, turn over, transfer, convey - 刃, "ha": blade, sword, edge
• relatives: Obasan (grandmother, note: "obasan" literally means "grandma" or "aunt" in Japanese. If Yuzuriha's grandmother is ever named in the Japanese manga, I never picked up on it)
• romantic interests: Shiyuu Kusanagi

• Sumeragi Subaru

皇 昴流 (Sumeragi Subaru)

A character imported from the earlier brief series Tokyo Babylon. He is a member of a clan of onmyouji, and a master with Taoist spell cards. His sister, Hokuto, was killed by his lover, Seishirou. He intends to allow Seishirou to kill him as well, but due to a spell cast by Hokuto at the moment of her death, he kills Seishiro instead. This final blow sends him into catatonia, from which he only emerges in time to contribute to the battle between Fuuma and Kamui.

• power: onmyoujyutsu (Tao sorcery): oftentimes carried out through the usage of ofuda (paper amulets) and shikigami (although Subaru's shikigami never appears in "X")
• kekkai (barrier field): pentagram
• name analysis: 皇, "oji": emperor - 昴, "subaru": the Pleaides - 流, "ru": current, a sink, flow, forfeit
• relatives: Sumeragi Hokuto (twin sister; deceased)
• romantic interests: Sakurazuka Seishirou, Shirou Kamui

• Kasumi Karen

夏澄 火煉 (Kasumi Karen)

A prostitute and devout Catholic, she was abused by her fundamentalist mother when her power to manipulate fire manifested in her childhood. She comes to admire Aoki, and loses her life saving him from Yuuto.

• power: hitsukai (fire master): pyrokinesis, generating flame specifically in the form of fire balls
• kekkai (barrier field): cruciform prism
• name analysis: 夏, "KA": summer - 澄, "sumi": lucidity, be clear, clear, clarify, settle, strain, look grave - 火, "KA": fire - 煉, "REN": refine metals, kneading over fire
• relatives: "Mama" (mother; deceased)
• romantic interests: Aoki Seiichirou

• Aoki Seiichirou

蒼軌 征一狼 (Aoki Seiichirō, not to be confused with Seishirou)

a mild-mannered copy editor with a wife and child, who is also a wind magician. Upon discovering that the battle between the Seals and Angels is at hand, he secretly divorces his wife in order to spare her grief should he be killed. He impresses Karen, who eventually dies saving him. He is a wind master, with the ability to conjure and control wind currents.

• power: kazetsukai (wind master): controlling air currents, slicing through solids and liquids with wind
• kekkai (barrier field): octagonal prism
• name analysis: 蒼, "ao": blue, pale - 軌, "KI": rut, wheel, track, model, way of doing - 征, "SEI": subjugate, attack the rebellious, collect taxes - 一, "ICHI": one - 狼, "ROU": wolf
• relatives: Name Unknown (wife), Aoki Yuuka (daughter), Saiki Daisuke (nephew)
• romantic interests: Name Unknown (wife), Kasumi Karen

Other characters on the side of the Dragons of Heaven

• Princess Hinoto

丁媛(Hinotohime)

A yumemi (dreamseer) in the employ of the Japanese government residing in the basement of the Japanese Diet Building. She is blind, deaf and lame and must communicate telepathically, but her dreams have never failed to come true. She foresees the battle between the Dragons of Earth and Heaven and the advent of Kamui, but cannot determine which path he will choose. Either way, she foresees that the Dragons of Heaven will lose, but conceals this from them. For a time, she is possessed by her dark half, which causes a disastrous battle. In the end, she kills herself to end her possession and save Kamui. This precipitates the final battle.

• power: yumemi (dreamseer): can forecast future events through the dreamscape, can also communicate with other dreamseers, strong telepath, can send out multiple shikigami
• name analysis: 丁, "hinoto": fourth year of the ten-element subdivisions of the Sixty Year Cycle in oriental astrology, literally means "fire associated with the Yin principle"
• relatives: Kanoe (sister)
• romantic interests: Saiki Daisuke

• Souhi and Hien

蒼冰,緋炎(Sōhi, Hien)

A pair of twin girls whose family has served Hinoto for generations as her guardians. They refer to Hinoto as Princess.

• power: unknown
• name analysis: 蒼, "SOU": blue, pale - 冰, "hi": hail, ice - 緋, "HI": scarlet, cardinal - 炎, "EN": inflammation, flame, blaze
• relatives: Names Unknown (parents), each other (sister)
• romantic interests: unknown

• Saiki Daisuke

砕軌 玳透(Saiki Daisuke)

Seiichirou's nephew and also a wind magician, though not of Seiichirou's calibre. Saiki and Kamui do not get along very well, with Saiki not completely convinced that Kamui is the one humanity's fate rests with. Saiki lives to protect Hinoto, whom he seems to have affections for. He was decapitated by Fuuma while protecting Hinoto.

• power: kazetsukai (wind master): controlling air currents, slicing through solids and liquids with wind
• name analysis: 砕, "SAI": smash, break, crush, familiar, popular - 軌, "KI": rut, wheel, track, model, way of doing - 玳, "TAI": tortoise shell - 透, "suke": transparent, permeate, filter, penetrate
• relatives: Aoki Seiichirou (uncle)
• romantic interests: Hinoto

• Monou Kotori

桃生 小鳥(Monō Kotori)

Fuuma's younger sister. A delicate child with a severe heart condition, she was developing her power as yumemi (dreamseer) when she is killed by Fuuma. Her spirit stays with Kakyou for a time, to tell him that the future is not yet determined.

• power: yumemi (dreamseer): can forecast future events through the dreamscape, can also communicate with other dreamseers
• name analysis: 桃, "mono": peach tree - 生, "u": life, genuine, birth - 小, "ko": little, small - 鳥, "tori": bird, chicken
• relatives: Monou Kyougo (father), Monou Saya (mother), Monou Fuuma (brother)
• romantic interests: Shirou Kamui

• Monou Saya

桃生 紗夜(Monō Saya)

Kotori and Fuuma's mother. When they were children, she died giving birth to the first Shinken (Divine Sword), which burst forth from her body. This sword is intended to be wielded by Kamui; instead, it is stolen by Nataku and taken by Fuuma.

• power: yumemi (dreamseer): can forecast future events through the dreamscape, can also communicate with other dreamseers
• name analysis: 桃, "mono": peach tree - 生, "u": life, genuine, birth - 紗, "SA": gauze, gossamer - 夜, "YA": night, evening
• relatives: Monou Kyougo (husband), Monou Fuuma (son), Monou Kotori(daughter)
• romantic interests: Shirou Tooru/Magami Tooru, Monou Kyougo

• Shirou Tooru/Magami Tooru

司狼 斗織/真神 斗織(Shirō Tōru / Magami Tōru)

Kamui's mother. She burns to death in a fire in attempt to protect the earth long enough to postpone Kamui's destiny from occurring. Originally, she was supposed to give birth to the first Shinken, but Saya took her place.

• power: kage-nie (shadow sacrifice): can protect others by acting as a shield to them from physical or even spiritual damage
• name analysis: 司, "SHI": director, official, government office, rule, administrator - 狼, "ROU": wolf - 真, "ma": true, reality, Buddhist sect - 神 "gami": god(s), mind, soul - 斗, "TO": Big Dipper, sake dipper - 織, "oru": weave, fabric
• relatives: Magami Tokiko (sister), Shirou Kamui (son)
• romantic interests: Monou Saya

• Magami Tokiko

真神 時鼓(Magami Tokiko)

Kamui's aunt, Tohru's younger sister. After meeting with Kamui, she dies giving birth to the second Shinken, which Kamui will eventually wield.

• power: kage-nie (shadow sacrifice): can protect others by acting as a shield to them from physical or even spiritual damage
• name analysis: 真, "ma": true, reality, Buddhist sect - 神 "gami": god(s), mind, soul - 時, "toki": time, hour - 鼓, "KO": drum, beat, rouse, muster
• relatives: Magami Tooru (sister), Shirou Kamui (nephew)
• romantic interests: Monou Saya

• Monou Kyougo - 桃生 鏡護(Monō Kyōgo): Fuuma and Kotori's father, he marries Saya, even when he knows she loves Tohru. He protects the first Shinken, hidden at the Togakushi Shrine, with his life and is killed by Nataku as a result.
• Sumeragi Hokuto - 皇 北都(Sumeragi Hokuto): Subaru's twin sister, who was killed by Seishirou several years ago. She appears in Kakyou's dreams, and along with Kotori, persuades him to turn against Fuuma.
• Imonoyama Nokoru - 妹之山 残(Imonoyama Nokoru): the former kaichou (chairman) of the elementary level student board and current chairman of the famous CLAMP Academy, as well as one of the CLAMP School Detectives, along with Ijyuin Akira and Takamura Suoh (as seen in CLAMP School Detectives). A child of the fabulously wealthy keiretsu Imonoyama family (who, in fact, founded the CLAMP Academy), Nokoru has practically limitless resources at his command. He personally knew Magami Tokiko through his relative, the former rijichou (chairman) of CLAMP Academy, and following the events leading to Fuuma's awakening as the Kamui of the Chi no Ryuu, Nokoru graciously provided the Ten no Ryuu housing, admitting the younger Seals (Kamui, Yuzuriha, Arashi, and Sorata) to the CLAMP Academy at the high school level. Nokoru does not appear in the anime, although CLAMP Academy does.
• Takamura Suoh - 鷹村 蘇芳(Takamura Suō): the former secretary of the elementary level student board of CLAMP Academy and currently the personal bodyguard of Imonoyama Nokoru. A child of the Takamura family, infamous for their prodigious skills in ninjutsu. Suoh does not appear in the anime.
• Ijyuin Akira - 伊集院 玲(Ijyuin Akira): the former treasurer of the elementary level student board of CLAMP Academy and currently working for Imonoyama Nokoru (presumably as an accountant, and personal chef on the side). Strangely enough, Akira has two mothers. Also, Akira is secretly the infamous thief 20 Faces. Akira does not appear in the anime.

Dragons of Earth (Chi no Ryū)/Seven Angels/Harbingers/Minions (Nananin no Mitsukai)

• Monou Fuuma - 桃生 封真 (Monō Fūma): a dear friend of Kamui's, tall and athletic, who has sworn to protect him. His dying father tells him that he is Kamui's twin star. Accordingly, when Kamui chooses the Dragons of Heaven, Fuuma is forced to become a Dragon of Earth, immediately attacking Kamui and killing Kotori. He proceeds to grant wishes to the characters with whom he interacts, in a way that leads to their death or that of a loved one.
• Kigai Yuuto - 麒飼 遊人 (Kigai Yūto): a water master, a polite but largely amoral bureaucrat in a sexual relationship with Kanoe. He sees Satsuki as a sort of protégée and attempts to educate her about emotions. In the anime, he is killed by Aoki and Karen, but not before mortally wounding Karen.
• Yatouji Satsuki - 八頭司 颯姫 (Yatōji Satsuki): a young woman with a preternatural ability to interact with computers. She is an extreme rationalist, and attacks Yuzuriha when she cannot explain why killing humans is wrong. She spends much of her time physically attached to a massive supercomputer named the Beast, through whom she can physically control cables across Tokyo, using them to attack. She develops feelings for Yuuto; in the anime, this causes the Beast to become jealous and kill her.
• Shiyuu Kusanagi - 志勇 草薙 (Shiyū Kusanagi): an soldier who meets Yuzuriha and takes a shine to her. He is the least anti-social of the Dragons of Earth, and eventually turns against them. He is grievously wounded by Arashi, who was attacking Yuzuriha. He is telepathically linked to the plants and animals of the earth.
• Sakurazuka Seishirou - 桜塚 星史郎 (Sakurazuka Seishirō): Subaru's ex-lover, who killed his sister. An assassin called the Sakurazukamori, his clan serves a demonic cherry tree, doomed to kill to feed it, but to be killed by and pass the curse on to the one they love. Thus it happens, and he passes the curse on to Subaru.
• Nataku- 那托: a sexless clone of extreme magical ability. It is sent to retrieve the Shinken from Fuuma's father, killing him, and later battles Karen and Aoki. In the anime, after Fuuma is badly wounded by the spell Sorata casts as he dies, he absorbs Nataku's flesh into his own and is healed. In the manga, Nataku dies defending Karen from Fuuma, as Karen reminds Nataku of his mother.
• Asagi Shougo - 浅黄 笙悟 (Asagi Shōgo): A character who appears only in the movie to complete the numbers of the Dragons of Earth in the place of Kakyou Kuzuki, who had not yet been introduced in the manga. He's a smart aleck teenager as brash and cocky as Sorata and a water master (Yuuto's ability to control water had also not yet been revealed in the manga).
• Kuzuki Kakyou - 玖月 牙暁 (Kuzuki Kakyō): a dreamseer in a permanent coma, appearing as a tall man with a sad expression and long, pale hair. He is coerced into manipulating Hinoto, but finally turns against Fuuma.

Other characters on the side of the Chi no Ryū

• Kanoe - 庚: Princess Hinoto's younger sister, who supports the Dragons of Earth mainly to spite her (although, in the motion picture, it seems that her motivations are more out of love for Hinoto). She can enter and leave dreams like Hinoto and Kakyou, but cannot see the future. She works as a secretary in the Tokyo Metropolitan Building for the Mayor of Tokyo.

Important Places

List of Important Religious Sites

• Ise-Jingu - 伊勢神宮
• Kouyasan-Kongoubuji - 高野山金剛峰寺
• Mitsumine-Jinja - 秩父三峯神社
• Togakushi-Jinja - 釖隠神社
• Yasukuni-Jinja - 靖國神社

List of the Tokyo Kekkai (Barrier Fields)

• Nakano Sun Plaza - 中野サンプラザ: a cultural hall in the Nakano ward, west of Shinjuku, internationally known as a musical venue. Destroyed by Sakurazuka Seishirou in the manga and the motion picture. Nakano Sun Plaza did not appear as kekkai in the television series.
• Sunshine 60 - サンシャインシティ: a sixty-story skyscraper in the Ikebukuro ward, well-known for its myriad shops, novelty restaurants, aquarium, and SKYMAX planetarium. Destroyed by Monou Fuuma and Nataku in the manga and the television series, destroyed by Nataku in the motion picture.
• Yamanote Line/Tokyo-eki - 山手線/東京駅 (Tokyo Station): the busiest mass transit rail line in Tokyo, encircling much of the city with the Imperial Palace roughly at its center. Destroyed by Nataku in the motion picture, destroyed by Monou Fuuma in the manga, and (nearly) derailed by Kigai Yuuto in the television series.
• Shinjuku Highrises - 新宿の高楼: the many skyscrapers of the Shinjuku ward, the administrative and commercial center of Tokyo. Destroyed by Yatouji Satsuki in the manga and the television series, destroyed by Shiyuu Kusanagi and Kigai Yuuto in the motion picture.
• Shibuya 109 - 渋谷109: a landmark building in the Shibuya shopping district famous for its trend-setting department store. Destroyed by Sakurazuka Seishirou in the manga. Shibuya 109 does not appear as kekkai in the television series or the motion picture.
• Ebisu - 恵比須: a popular shopping district in Tokyo with many sidewalk cafes and fashion boutiques. Destroyed by Monou Fuuma (with POP CANS) in the manga. Ebisu does not appear as kekkai the television series or the motion picture.
• Rainbow Bridge - レインボーブリッジ: a landmark bridge across Tokyo Bay connecting Tokyo with the Odaiba district, which was built on reclaimed land. Destroyed by Sakurazuka Seishirou in the manga and the television series. Rainbow Bridge did not appear as kekkai in the motion picture.
• Kokkai - 国会議事堂 (The Diet Building): the chief legislative building of the Japanese government. Destroyed by Fuuma Monou in the motion picture. Kokkai does not appear as kekkai in the manga, and although it appears to act as kekkai in the television series, it is never destroyed let alone attacked.
• Ginza - 銀座: (yet another) shopping district in Tokyo, known for many department stores, coffeeshops, and restaurants. Destroyed by Nataku and Monou Fuuma in the manga. Ginza does not appear as kekkai in the motion picture.
• Inokashira Kouen - 井の頭公園 (Inokashira Park): a large, lush park in the midst of the Mitaka district of Tokyo. Destroyed by Monou Fuuma in the television series. Inokashira Park does not appear as kekkai in the manga or the motion picture.
• Yasukuni Jinja - 靖國神社 (Yasukuni Shrine): a shrine in Tokyo dedicated to all fallen Japanese soldiers. Yasukuni Jinja does not appear as kekkai in the manga (although Aoki Seiichirou has Saiki Daisuke and Nekoi Yuzuriha meet him there), and it does not appear at all in the motion picture. In the television series, it may or may not be an actual kekkai, but (as in the manga), the Dark Hinoto lies to the Seals, telling them that there will be an attack at Yasukuni Jinja in order to divide their forces.
• CLAMP Gakuen - CLAMP学園(CLAMP Academy; also known as CLAMP School and CLAMP Campus): a fictional school/functioning community in the southern area of Tokyo built in the shape of a pentagram enclosed within a circle. CLAMP Academy figures into SEVERAL of CLAMP's works (among them, CLAMP School Detectives, CLAMP Campus Defenders Duklyon, Man of Many Faces) and was (apparently) built by the Imonoyama family with the dual purpose of providing some of the most talented minds in the world with an educational setting and sealing the Shinken within the centre of the pentagram which the school forms (three purposes if you count partying, which it seems that the students of CLAMP Academy LIVE for). Although it never comes under attack by the Angels (indeed, it seems that the Angels--excluding Fuuma, perhaps--cannot transgress the boundaries of the campus), CLAMP Academy seems to act as a protective zone much in the same way as the kekkai. After Monou Fuuma's awakening as the Kamui of the Chi no Ryuu, Imonoyama Nokoru provides the Ten no Ryuu with all of the resources at the disposal of CLAMP Academy.
• Tokyo Tawa - 東京タワー (Tokyo Tower): perhaps the most important kekkai. A landmark of red and white steelwork done in the style of Paris's Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tawa is the final kekkai. Tokyo Tawa is a central recurring landmark in many of CLAMP's works (including Tokyo Babylon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and CLAMP School Detectives). In the motion picture and television series, Tokyo Tawa is attacked by Monou Fuuma, though in each of these instances Shirou Kamui manages to prevent him from destroying it. In the manga, it remains to be seen as to whether Tokyo Tawa will survive the Final Battle.

Terminology

• gohou douji - 護法童子(literally, child who supports a religious practice): the familiar of a Buddhist practitioner of mikkyou, much after the same nature as shikigami and inugami. In "X", Arisugawa Sorata creates gohou douji on two separate occasions: firstly, to protect Kishuu Arashi when she and Nekoi Yuzuriha come under attack by the Dark Kamui in Inokashira Park, and then again to spy on Hinoto after he and Shirou Kamui become suspicious of her actions.

• kage-nie - 陰牲(literally, shadow sacrifice): in traditional Japanese occult practices, a "kage-nie" is actually a wooden or paper doll that acts as a representation of an actual person. The doll serves to protect this person from harm, especially harm of the magical nature (kind of like a reversal of the idea of the voodoo doll). When someone attempts to harm a person protected by kage-nie, the doll will suffer instead of the one it represents. In "X", the members of the family from which Shirou Kamui is descended, the Magami clan, are able to act as kage-nie to other people. The Magami clan is so renowned among occult circles for this power that (as Sorata tells Kamui), at least half of Japan's legislative body, the Diet, are suspected of having hired kage-nie from the Magami clan to protect them from such dangers as assasination. Such as this is, Magami Tohru, Shirou Kamui's mother, is destroyed in a fire which results from her acting as the shadow sacrifice for (alternately) Kamui himself and for the Earth. It can be assumed that (being of Magami lineage), Shirou Kamui himself would have the power to act as kage-nie to another person.

• kakushi miko - 隠巫女(literally, hidden priestess): In "X", Kishuu Arashi is, in fact, the Kakushi Miko of the oldest jinja (Shinto shrine) in Japan, Ise Jingu. As the Kakushi Miko of Ise, Arashi holds within her body all of the spiritual power of Ise Jingu (indeed, the power of Amaterasu Omikami, the Japanese sun goddess herself), which she manifests as a sacred sword which springs forth from her left hand. Speculation as to whether Kakushi Miko really exists may abound, but this is likely a fabrication of CLAMP.

• kekkai - 結界(literally, bound world): in Buddhist tradition, an impenetrable spiritual parameter created by a monk within which the monk retreats in order to meditate. In "X", the "kekkai" are both man-made structures which form a sort of spiritual network throughout the world as well as the "barrier fields" which the Seven Seals create in order to spare the material plane from damage when they do battle. As man-made structures, the kekkai's spiritual network prevents most major natural catastrophes from destroying human civilization. Because of this, humanity is able to live (and continue to pollute and otherwise defile the Earth) in relative peace and prosperity. Tokyo's kekkai act as the keystone to this network; it is the proverbial "tie that binds". Therefore, if the kekkai in Tokyo were to be destroyed, eventually the entire worldwide spiritual network of kekkai would come undone, and with it the protection the kekkai provide. Earthquakes would then wrack the planet, destroying humanity and allowing the Earth to recover from the damage which humans have done to it (this is the ultimate goal of the Chi no Ryuu). As the barrier fields created by the Ten no Ryuu, the kekkai are fields of varying geometrical shape (depending on which of the Ten no Ryuu has created the kekkai) which only those involved with the end of the world can exist within. The barrier field effectively creates an alternate plane or dimension resembling the area of the material plane which the kekkai was created to protect. This ensures that (so long as the one who created the kekkai remains alive, conscious, and in relatively decent health) the area in which the kekkai was created and all the ordinary people within it cannot be harmed. Also, as a general rule, it is impossible for even the Ten no Ryuu and Chi no Ryuu themselves to leave the space of a kekkai until the creator of the kekkai releases it. The rules regarding ENTERING kekkai, however, seem to be more obscure.

• inugami - 犬神(literally, dog god): In "X", the tsukaima (familiars) of the keepers of the Mitsumine Shrine, one of which happens to be Nekoi Yuzuriha. The inugami manifest in the form of dogs (which, however, can only be seen by those who possess occult powers). For each descendant of the family keeping Mitsumine, there is born one companion inugami which stays with them throughout their entire life. An individual's inugami can take on any desired shape (although Yuzuriha seems to be partial to a sword).

• maboroshii - 幻(literally, illusion): comparable to what occultists in the West might refer to as a glamour. A magical illusion created through occult practices (specifically onmyoujyutsu in "X"), which may be used to mislead or, in some cases, physically injure another person. In "X", Sakurazuka Seishirou frequently utilizes his great aptitude in onmyoujyutsu to create maboroshii in battle. He does this on two significant occasions: once while four of the Ten no Ryuu are gathered in the basement of Kokkai, consulting with Hinotohime, and again to assault Shirou Kamui and Kotori Monou. Also, the Seishirou that battles atop the Nakano Sun Plaza with Sumeragi Subaru is, apparently, an illusion.

• mikkyou - 密教(literally, secret religion or secret teaching): a Vajra-yana Buddhist tradition specific to the Shingon sect. Mikkyou is mantric Buddhist practice (as opposed to tantric), meaning that its use is primarily verbal, employing chants and mantras. Mikkyou is, in fact, a system of practical Buddhist "magic". In "X", Arisugawa Sorata (a Shingon Buddhist monk, no less) is highly trained in the art of mikkyou. Sorata tends to use mikkyou in order to generate electricity as well as to create gohou douji.

• ofuda - 御札(literally, authoritative tag): an instrument employed by an onmyouji in the form of spells written upon strips of paper. Ofuda are oftentimes cast or thrown by an onmyouji at a target which is possessed of negative q'i. Ofuda can also be affixed to surfaces (floors, walls) in order to purify a structure or create a boundary which impassable to entities of a specific nature. In "X", both Sumeragi Subaru and Sakurazuka Seishirou make use of ofuda in order to carry out their onmyou.

• onmyou - 陰陽(literally, dark principle-light principle): what we would call "yin and yang". The onmyou principle is directly descended from Chinese Tao.

• onmyoujyutsu/onmyoudou - 陰陽術/陰陽道(literally, art of onmyou/way of onmyou): the practice of elemental Tao sorcery. Onmyoujyutsu has its origins in the Chinese principles of Tao and Wu Hsing (the Five Elements, which are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Onmyoujyutsu was encouraged during the Heian Period of Japan in which many officers of the Imperial Court (indeed, the Emperor himself!) hired practitioners of onymoujyutsu to perform such tasks as divinations and exorcisms.

• onmyouji - 陰陽師(literally, onmyou master): practitioners of the Japanese tradition of Tao sorcery known as onmyoujyutsu. The onmyouji had their heyday in the Heian Period of Japanese history. The onmyouji of the Heian Period performed a variety of functions, ranging from such menial tasks as keeping records in accordance with the imperial calendar to the vastly more important ritual exorcisms. In "X", both Sumeragi Subaru and Sakurazuka Seishirou are onmyouji, descendants from the Sumeragi (literally meaning emperor) Clan and the Sakurazukamori (literally meaning cherry blossom [burial] mound guardian) Clan, the two most powerful remaining onmyouji clans within Japan. Furthermore, the Sumeragi Clan is the governing body of official onmyouji within Japan. Thus, Subaru is considered the most powerful of the onmyouji, politically. Seishirou, however, proves more than a match for him in the actual practice of onmyoujyutsu.

• shikigami - 式神(literally, ceremonial god): occult practitioners in Japan often personally invoke their individual "shikigami" for protection or assistance, much in the same manner as Native Americans called on their spirit animals and guides, and after the manner in which Christians believed that witches had a familiar, or a spirit in the form of an animal (a cat or a bird) which would carry out their bidding. In "X", Sakurazuka Seishirou makes use of his shikigami, which takes upon the form of a hawk, in order to attack the Ten no Ryuu. Additionally, the mysterious "men in black" who frequently pester the Ten no Ryuu are not (as many thought for a long time) products of ofuda sent by Seishirou, but rather shikigami sent out by the Dark Hinoto.

• Shinken - 神剣(literally, holy sword): In "X", the Sacred Sword wielded by Kamui. There are, in actuality, TWO Shinken . . .

• yumemi - 夢見(literally, visible dream, or having dreams): In "X", dreams play a very important role as they are a window through which certain characters are able to view what is supposedly the unalterable future. These characters are called "yumemi". The word yumemi is used in this instance not only to imply "one who has dreams", but moreover, "one who has true dreams". Several characters in "X" have the ability to either move through the dreamscape with some degree of control or actually foresee the future in dreams, among them: Hinoto, Kuzuki Kakyou, Kanoe, Monou Kotori, and Sumeragi Hokuto. Although it appears that Kanoe and Hokuto are especially limited in that they can only move into the dreams of others (and even Hokuto's ability is doubtful here, as it was Kakyou who called her into his dream), Hinoto, Kakyou, and Kotori all have dreams foreshadowing future events. Despite this, Hinoto and Kakyou's dream-vision of a future already ordained to lead to ruin and death contrast sharply with Kotori's optimism expressed in, perhaps, her most memorable line, "未来はまだ決まっていない", (Mirai wa mada kimatte inai yo!, The future has not been determined, yet!).

List of seiyuu(2001 Television series)

Character	Actor (seiyuu)
Arashi Kishuu	Ryoka Yuzuki
Fuuma Monou	Jun'ichi Suwabe
Hinoto	Aya Hisakawa
Hokuto Sumeragi	Satsuki Yukino
Kakyou Kuzuki	Yuji Ueda
Kamui Shirou	Ken'ichi Suzumura
Kanoe	Kaho Kouda
Karen Kasumi	Yoko Soumi
Kotori Monou	Mamiko Noto
Kusanagi Shiyuu	Masaki Aizawa
Nataku	Motoko Kumai
Satsuki Yatouji	Houko Kuwashima
Seiichirou Aoki	Toshiyuki Morikawa
Seishirou Sakurazuka	Otoya Kawano
Sorata Arisugawa	Mitsuaki Madono
Subaru Sumeragi	Tomokazu Sugita
Yuuto Kigai	Michiaki Furuya
Yuzuriha Nekoi	Kumi Sakuma

Theatrical Film

An X/1999 theatrical film directed by Rintaro was released in Japanese theaters in 1996. Because the manga was less than half complete at the time of the film's conception, many elements of the plot and characters were simplified, and the primary focus of the story became the build up toward the final battle between Kamui and Fuma. As a result of this simplification, most of the characters receive little to no on screen development. Over all, the film is regarded more for its highly artistic fight scenes than its representation of the plot. The ending theme, "Forever Love", was composed and performed by the Japanese group X Japan, also commonly referred to as X.

The X/1999 film received a U.S. theatrical and DVD release in 2001, courtesy of Manga Entertainment.

List of seiyuu(1996 Motion Picture)

Character	Actor (seiyuu)
Arashi Kishu	Emi Shinohara
Fuma Monou	Ken Narita
Hinoto	Yuuko Minaguchi
Shougo Asagi	Toshihiko Seki
Kamui Shiro	Tomokazu Seki
Kanoe	Junko Takahata
Karen Kasumi	Mami Koyama
Kotori Monou	Junko Iwao
Kusanagi Shiyu	Jyouji Nakata
Nataku	Rica Matsumoto
Satsuki Yatoji	Kotono Mitsuishi
Seiichiro Aoki	Hideyuki Tanaka
Seishiro Sakurazuka	Touru Furusawa
Sorata Arisugawa	Kouichi Yamadera
Subaru Sumeragi	Issei Miyazaki
Yuto Kigai	Kazuhiko Inoue
Yuzuriha Nekoi	Yukana Nogami