Line #60 Manga/X1999


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kamui_kotori_fuma.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[MessianicArchetype Kamui]], Kotori and [[DarkMessiah Fuuma]].]]
3
4	->''"The future hasn't been determined yet, right?"''
5	-->-- '''Kotori'''
6
7	One of Creator/{{CLAMP}}'s longest-running manga, beginning serialization in ''Monthly Asuka'' in 1992 (but stalled at 18 volumes out of a planned 21 since 2003, with a few further chapters making a "Volume 19" never published in a volume), ''X'' is the story of Kamui Shirou - a boy destined to save the world... or destroy it. He is drawing the Dragons of Heaven, who are attempting to preserve the world as it is, and the Dragons of Earth, who wish to eliminate humanity's taint, to [[TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse Tokyo]]. Guided by Hinoto, a dreamseer (''yumemi''), the Dragons of Heaven attempt to preserve the seven barrier structures situated around Tokyo. Kamui must decide if the world is even worth saving, and then choose sides... But what of the dreamseer's prophecy that there is another Kamui?
8
9	Note about the title: the original title of this series is simply ''X''. The manga was retitled ''X/1999'' for release in America by Viz to prevent confusion with an American comic book series also named ''X''. The 1999 portion comes from the year the story takes place. The omnibus edition has the title reverted to ''X''.
10
11	There are actually two separate animated versions of ''X'': the 1996 movie, which is a great deal of action and way too much information compressed into an hour and a half, and the 2001 television series, which at 24 episodes had more time to actually develop the plot and featured a very different ending. Both are missing elements from manga chapters produced concurrently or following their release, suggesting yet a third very different ending... [[NoEnding which may never actually materialize]].
12
13	In February 2023, Kadokawa Shoten began reprinting the series as part of the "CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION", with new covers done by CLAMP themselves. Five magazine-published chapters, which were never published as a volume, would also be included in the collection and published as "Volume 18.5".
14
15	The characters of Subaru, Seishirou, and Hokuto originated from another CLAMP manga, ''Manga/TokyoBabylon''. Although it is sometimes referred to as such, ''Tokyo Babylon'' is not a {{Prequel}}, since the series predates ''X'' and the stories are independent. It is, however, helpful to know the plot of ''Tokyo Babylon'' before reading their subplot.
16
17	"Forever Love" by Music/XJapan (which ''also'' used to go only by X before they hit it big outside Asian market) was written as a theme song for this anime, and is the ending theme for TheMovie.
18
19	Not to be confused with the FourX [[SimulationGame Space Simulator]] series ''VideoGame/{{X}}'', the Nintendo tank game ''X'', [[VideoGame/MegaManX a reploid]], the UsefulNotes/LosAngeles punk band Music/XUSBand, or the Japanese band Music/XJapan.
20
21	!!This series contains examples of the following tropes:
22
23	* AdaptedOut:
24	** Keiichi didn't show up in the anime. The three main characters of ''Manga/CLAMPSchoolDetectives'' didn't appear in the anime as well (probably due to copyright reasons since ''CLAMP School Detectives'' is animated by a [[Creator/StudioPierrot different studio]]) but the chairman of CLAMP School looked similar to Nokoru Inomoyama except he wears a PornStache.
25	** Kakyou didn't appear in the movie considering he didn't make his appearance yet in the manga when the movie was released. His spot in the Dragons of Earth is filled by CanonForeigner, Shogo Asagi. He would later become a CanonImmigrant for ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', though.
26	** Tokiko Magami, Kyogo and Sayo Monou, Hokuto Sumeragi, and Hien and Souhi never appear in the movie.
27	* AdaptationalVillainy:
28	** Kusanagi in the movie is ruthless and violent instead of a pacifist nature lover as in the manga and anime. His relationship with Yuzuriha is also non-existent [[spoiler:and he even kills her]].
29	** Kanoe in the anime. Her motives for supporting the Dragons of Earth are just to spite Hinoto as opposed to free her from the burden of being a BlindSeer. [[spoiler:Though when Hinoto kills herself, Kanoe mourns for her death]].
30	** Fuuma is more brutal in the movie [[spoiler:where, aside from killing Kotori by pulling out the Shinken from her body which killed her, he ends up killing his own teammates out of a whim and fatally stabs Arashi who just watched Sorata die in front of her]].
31	* AffablyEvil:
32	** Seishirou and Yuuto both put up a friendly demeanor even when they're talking to their enemies.
33	** One could argue that Seishirou is more FauxAffablyEvil. Sure he's unfunny at times, but you wouldn't be surprised if he whipped out a knife and started carving people up at any time.
34	* AlasPoorYorick: Kamui, Cradler of Decapitated Heads. Screamer of Anguished Screams. Especially in the movie.
35	* AlmostDeadGuy: Saiki Daisuke was able to counterattack Fuuma not before receiving the final blow.
36	* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Fuuma]]. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Maybe]].
37	* AnyoneCanDie: Since this is about ending the apocalypse, there would be a bunch of characters dying left and right.
38	* AppendageAssimilation: [[spoiler: Nataku's death in the anime where he sacrificed his body to Fumma so he can his wounds which he received from Sorata]].
39	* ArcWords:
40	** Before Fuuma [[spoiler:awakens as Kamui's twin star,]] "Kamui, I am your..."
41	** Similarly, when [[spoiler: Fuuma's father dies]], he tries to say "[[spoiler: Fuuma]], you are Kamui's..." but kicks it before finishing.
42	* ArtEvolution: The thick ink lines and more dramatic shading that are present in earlier volumes are more or less gone in later volumes, and characters' faces become far more angular. The latter shift makes some of the cast resemble characters from other CLAMP works. A noticeable result of the shift has Fuuma and Aoki bear more than a passing resemblance to [[{{Anime/CardcaptorSakura}} Touya and Fujitaka]], respectively. Not surprising since it took over a decade to get the existing 18 volumes published.
43	* AsiaRuneChant: Often used by Seishirou, Subaru, and Sorata. The English dub left untranslated.
44	* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Karen. Sorata aptly points out in the manga.
45	* BishieSparkle: Fuuma, whenever he's playing basketball.
46	* BitterSweetEnding:
47	** The ending of the anime series: [[spoiler:Kamui deploys a ThanatosGambit in which his mortally-injured body turns into a barrier that reverses the damage by the Dragons of Earth, saving the world from destruction in the process, while Fūma returns to his original self. In the last scene of the series, those characters who survived appear living happily: these include Arashi, Yuzuriha, Kusanagi, Aoki...]].
48	** Even more bitter for the movie. [[spoiler:The human world is finally safe, but everybody from the Dragons of Heaven to the Dragons of Earth is dead, and Kamui is left with the grief and incomprehension of why has he had to kill Fuma.]]
49	* BlandNameProduct: The computer Somy Vaoi that appears in the TV series.
50	* BloodierAndGorier: The manga and the movie, particularly on the death scenes of [[spoiler:Tohru (in the movie at least), Tokiko, Kotori, and Daisuke]]. The TV series retains the violence but is ''very tame'' with the gore and death scenes.
51	* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Kotori, Subaru, Kamui, Yuzuriha... most characters with any degree of cuteness, really.]]
52	* CanonWelding: The series has been tied with ''Manga/CLAMPSchoolDetectives'', ''Manga/TokyoBabylon'' and the {{Alternate Universe}}s of ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle''/''Manga/XxxHOLiC''.
53	* CharactersDroppingLikeFlies: In the film, [[spoiler:everyone dies except for Original!Kamui]].
54	* CherryBlossoms: Subverted from their usual tenderness and love aspect, they are the creepy symbol of the onmyouji assassin Sakurazukamori - also known as Sakurazuka Seishirou. This is also somewhat of a departure from CLAMP's other works, which generally use the conventional cherry blossom symbolism.
55	* CliffHanger: The manga stops [[spoiler:at Fuuma is standing over Kamui, holding the Shinken above his head]]. It's driven readers crazy since 2003.
56	* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: Between Kamui and Kotori. [[spoiler: Too bad the latter was decapitated before it could be carried out.]]
57	* ConfessionTriggersConsummation: [[spoiler:After Sorata is gravely injured while protecting her, Arashi finally admits to him that she doesn't want him to die for her because she cares about him as much more than a fellow Dragon of Heaven. They proceed to make love.]]
58	* ContinuityCameo: The ''Manga/CLAMPSchoolDetectives'' characters and the campus of CLAMP Academy.
59	* CrucifiedHeroShot: Several times and several characters, perhaps most [[{{Anvilicious}} Anviliciously]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kotori_crucified.png this one]] (spoiler warning). Kamui even retains [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic scars on both hands]].
60	* DarkerAndEdgier: Easily one of the darkest and most violent works by CLAMP, dealing with TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and a plot filled with tragedies.
61	* DeathByChildbirth: Subverted, since Tokiko, Saya and in the movie [[spoiler:Kotori]] die after giving birth to [[spoiler:sentinent swords called, Shinken.]]
62	* DiedInYourArmsTonight:
63	** [[spoiler: Seishirou's death while Subaru holds him.]] Ironic since [[spoiler: Hokuto died in ''his'' arms]]
64	** And in TheMovie, [[spoiler: Yuzuriha and Kanoe die in Kamui's and Hinoto's arms, respectively.]]
65	** In the anime, we have [[spoiler: Sorata dying in Arashi's arms, Hinoto dying in Kamui's, and Karen dying in Aoki's.]]
66	* DramaticHighPerching: Virtually every single character with supernatural abilities at one point stands on top of buildings, posts, and trees.
67	* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Seishirou; quite literally. Not only was the means of his death [[RetCon retconned in by way of Hokuto]], but he was, in effect, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath committing suicide for having fallen in love with Subaru, something he had said he was incapable of]] and [[BreakTheCutie further mentally-deranging said love interest by making him the unwilling means of his suicide]]]]. Oh, CLAMP. Events described happened on a [[VisualPun literal crumbling bridge]]
68	* DeathByAdaptation:
69	** The movie is very guilty of this. [[spoiler:Everyone, except Kamui]], are dead.
70	** In the TV series, [[spoiler:Yuto, Satsuki, Karen, Sorata, Hinoto, Kakyou and Kamui]] ended up dead. Their fates in the manga remain unknown due to the hiatus since 2003.
71	* DuelingMessiahs: Invoked by Kamui vs. Fuuma; Kamui is to decide whether the world is worth saving or not and to fight for whatever side he chooses, while Fuuma is destined to oppose him.
72	* DyingDeclarationOfLove: Seishirou's last words... we assume.
73	* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Karen is a pyrokinetic, Aoki has powers over wind, Yuuto manipulates water, Kusanagi has a power related to earth, and Sorata seems to have an affinity with lightning as well as his esoteric Buddhism powers.
74	* EmpathicWeapon: Played straight with the Shinken, but later on subverted; even though the two Shinken can be wielded properly only by Kamui and are shown to be genetically identical to human beings and are somehow understood to be "crying" in grief over humanity's gruesome destiny to be decided during the Final Battle, Kamui ultimately seals the power of the Shinken [[spoiler: so that Fuuma, who has awakened as his Twin Star and is attempting to kill him, cannot use the first Shinken against Kamui]], rendering the Shinken's power null and void for roughly half the series.
75	* EmotionlessGirl: Arashi is essentially this crossed with a DeadpanSnarker, her usual response to Sorata being "[[VisibleSilence ...]]". She does gain more emotion as the series goes on [[spoiler: and when this happens, it's her downfall, as she either dies (movie) or pulls a FaceHeelTurn (TV series, probably manga)]] Note that [[spoiler: her FaceHeelTurn is halfhearted at best, and in the anime, it results in the destiny that she was trying to prevent by changing sides. YouCantFightFate, you know?]]
76	** Nataku and Satsuki count as well.
77	* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: Emphasis on the "As We Know It" part. Basically, the Dragons of Heaven are fighting to protect mankind, and the Dragons of Earth want to wipe out mankind to save the Earth from the evils of man. The great thing about this story is that no one is in it ForTheEvulz.
78	* EverybodyDiesEnding: ''Definitely'' in the movie, where [[spoiler: everybody but Kamui [[EveryBodysDeadDave is dead]] by the end]]. And it seems [[spoiler: the manga might be heading towards that, too]].
79	* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Subaru]]. Because it's not a CLAMP manga until ''someone'' loses an eye.
80	* FaceHeelTurn:
81	** [[spoiler: Arashi becomes a Dragon of Earth, though it is subverted in that she did it to protect Sorata from his pre-ordained death, and in the anime eventually rejoins the Dragons of Heaven.]]
82	** Also, [[spoiler:Subaru]] replaces [[spoiler:Seishirou]] as a Dragon of Earth in the manga. It's unclear as to whether he really accepts the offer to change sides. [[spoiler: He takes the offer to become the Sakurazukamori, but as to whether that means he's going to act as a Dragon of Earth isn't shown. Though he is shown in the half volume 19 to be with Fuuma during the Final Battle, apparently to help Kamui realize his "true wish".]]
83	* FemmeFatalons: Kanoe has long, most likely faux nails.
84	%%* FirstKiss
85	* FlashForward: Kamui's recurring dream of the Final Battle.
86	* FunctionalMagic: Two onmyouji, and a bit of esoteric Buddhism.
87	* FriendToAllLivingThings:
88	** Kotori, Yuzuriha, and Kusanagi, notably subverted in that the latter is a middle-aged ''man'' in the Self-Defense Force.
89	** And that Kusanagi is a Dragon of Earth, which makes him more of a "Friend to All Living Things Other Than People." The trope does not apply at all in the movie, in which Kusanagi - one of the characters most altered by the adaptation - comes across as more of a violent thug and [[spoiler:helps kill Yuzuriha without ever establishing a relationship with her]].
90	* [[GaiasVengeance Gaia's Avengers]]: The Dragons of Earth
91	* GenkiGirl: Nekoi Yuzuriha, though not nearly so over-the-top as most instances of the trope.
92	* GeodesicCast: Seven Dragons of Heaven on the good guys' side, and seven Dragons of Earth on the bad guys' side. Plus two dreamseers who are sisters on each side.
93	* GoodVersusGood: The goals of both groups are reasonable. Saving the Earth from human destruction or saving humanity from extinction. However, most of the Dragons of Earth couldn't care less about saving the Earth.
94	* {{Gorn}}: [[CruelAndUnusualDeath Most deaths]] in the Manga are extremely gory, often with the intestines coming out. In example, [[spoiler: Kotori's death by stabbing and dismembering was ''so'' bad that the TV series drew the line at the "dismembering" part.]]
95	** Several deaths from the movie aren't exactly pleasing to watch either. [[spoiler: DAMMIT, YUUTO!]]
96	* GreenAesop: In the anime, Fuuma repeatedly delivers a HannibalLecture to this effect.
97	* HackTheTrafficLights: Satsuki Yatoji's introduction: hacking a street light from her cellphone.
98	* HackerCave: The headquarters for the Dragons of Earth, built around the supercomputer Beast.
99	* HeelFaceTurn:
100	** [[spoiler: In the TV series, Dragon of Earth Kusanagi threatens to kill Fuuma for trying to finish off Yuzuriha. Later he defects from the Dragons of Earth to protect an injured Yuzuriha. Arashi's U-turn applies here as well.]]
101	** In the manga, [[spoiler:Nataku also makes a HeroicSacrifice to protect Karen. It's sort of explained in that she looked like the mother of her past self Kazuki and she tried to reach for him before his death.]]
102	* HeroicBSOD:
103	** Several characters, most notably [[spoiler: Kamui after Kotori is brutally killed]].
104	** Also, Subaru. For the second time in his history, though the first was before ''X'' began in ''Manga/TokyoBabylon''.
105	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Sorata and Karen]] in the anime, [[spoiler: Kotori and Nataku]] in the manga, [[spoiler:fully half the Dragons of Heaven]] in TakingYouWithMe moments in the movie.
106	** Also, [[spoiler: TV series!Hinoto, who stabs herself to death to kill her SuperpoweredEvilSide and save Sorata and Kamui.]]
107	%%* HighPressureBlood: Mostly in the movie.
108	%%* HimeCut: Arashi.
109	* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Karen, a Soapland call girl, who, interestingly enough, is [[ChristianityIsCatholic Catholic]].
110	* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Kusanagi and Yuzuriha in the anime. Justified, as he's a grown man (albeit a particularly huge one) and she's only 14.
111	%%* InstantAIJustAddWater
112	* InvisibleToNormals:
113	** The battles are contained in alternate reality pockets called ''kekkai'', or barrier fields. However, the damage to the real world becomes quite real if the person who created the barrier is killed. See: PhantomZone.
114	** Inuki, Yuzuriha's [[{{Familiar}} spirit dog]] can only be seen by her, the other Dragons of Heaven/Earth, and possibly a few others.
115	%%* UsefulNotes/JapaneseChristian: Karen Kasumi
116	%%* {{Joshikousei}}: Arashi's early appearances.
117	* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Subaru has to use this to bring Kamui back from an epic HeroicBSOD.
118	* KickTheDog: Played straight a few times, then totally subverted when [[spoiler: Fuuma ''doesn't'' kill a little girl [[AndYourLittleDogToo and her little frog toy]] because she wants to live]].
119	* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Kotori]]. At least she was in an AngstComa when [[spoiler: her brother murdered her.]]
120	* LateArrivalSpoiler: Though it's treated as a major surprise when it happens, the fact that [[spoiler: Fuuma]] pulls a FaceHeelTurn and becomes the main antagonist is pretty evident after one look at the official art of the opening of the TV series. It's also foreshadowed pretty heavily in the manga, but the twist is in '''how''' it happens: [[spoiler:Kamui is forced to pick which side he wants to fight on, without knowing that his decision will compel Fuuma to fight for the opposite side, '''no matter what'''. And his decision is based on ''his desire to protect Fuuma and Kotori'']]. OW. It's little wonder it puts him in a HeroicBSOD that requires a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind to snap him out of it.
121	* LiteralGenie: [[spoiler: Fuuma]], who is just about the embodiment of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor.
122	* LoveMakesYouEvil: [[spoiler: Subaru becoming the Sakurazukamori after Seishirou's death in the manga, although it's not loving him that do it so much as ''[[SuicideByCop getting tricked into killing him]]'']]. Also, if we count sibling love, [[spoiler: in the manga and the movie Kanoe's motivations to lead the Dragons of the Earth is her love for her sister Hinoto, whom she wants to free from her BlindSeer position which is tightly tied to her leadership of the Dragon of Heaven.]]
123	** [[spoiler: Subaru's goal for most of the series is to commit suicide by assassin, too. So the fight between Seishirou and Subaru is really [[MurderSuicide two people trying to get killed by each other]].]]
124	* ThatManIsDead: "[[spoiler:Kishu Arashi]] of the Dragons of Heaven is no more. [[FaceHeelTurn I am with the Dragons of Earth!]]"
125	* {{Matricide}}: Seishirou Sakurazuka killed his mother Setsuka not because of hate, but simply because that was the main requirement to [[KlingonPromotion become the Sakurazukamori]]. In fact, Setsuka knew it'd be like that ever since she had him, and she even got to GoOutWithASmile in her son's arms while telling him that he would die in the same way.
126	* TheMinnesotaFats: Sakurazukamori, and the "other" Kamui [[spoiler: Fuuma]].
127	* ModestyBedsheet: Kanoe covers herself with one gorgeous having sex with Yuuto (who's fully dressed) or when she SleepsInTheNude.
128	* MrExposition: [[TheLancer Sorata]], especially in the anime. Hinoto chips in.
129	* MultipleDemographicAppeal: It was published in a {{shojo}} comic book, but the amount of action and violence, as well as the gender ratio of the nudity, was clearly intended to appeal to the {{shonen}} demographic.
130	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: The Dragons can innately sense when a kekkai is raised or broken (and often who raised it), which usually indicates that a battle is imminent.
131	* MysticalCityPlanning: The series has CLAMP Academy, a school whose buildings and campus were designed and arranged to form a spell capable of [[spoiler:sealing the Sacred Sword.]] There's also the ''massive'' pentagram created by its monorail system.
132	* NavelDeepNeckline: Kanoe usually wears revealing outfits with plunging necklines.
133	* NietzscheWannabe: The Dragons of Earth, with elements of SocialDarwinist and Gaea philosophy.
134	* NoblewomansLaugh: Kanoe, and a damn scary one it is, too.
135	* NoEnding: The last manga chapter was released in 2003. CLAMP last seriously talked about the series in 2005, saying they were still looking for a publisher to handle the series. The [[BloodierAndGorier increasingly violent content in the series]] created problems as some of the events ended up very reminiscent of real-world disasters at the time. Now that we're ''decades'' removed from the last chapter, it's all but certain the manga will be left unresolved.
136	* NoEndorHolocaust: Averted, and in a series where the destruction done by the battles can be retconned out of existence by way of barrier fields, no less. Lets you know how rough the fights usually are on the heroes.
137	* OddFriendship: Yuzuriha (a schoolgirl) and Shiyuu Kusanagi (a middle-aged man in the Self-Defense Force). However, Yuzuriha definitely has a crush on him. For the most part, he acts like a responsible adult though.
138	* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler:In the manga, Daisuke and Kotori got their heads cut off. But in the movie, Kotori's beheading only happens in Hinoto's vision presented to Kamui. Add Fuuma's beheading by Kamui at the end of the movie]].
139	* OlderThanTheyLook: [[spoiler: Seishirou]]'s mother looked barely the same age as him when he was a teenager, which he lampshades in the dramas. Also, Hinoto (she definitely doesn't look older than Kanoe).
140	* OneSteveLimit: There's a Sei''ichi''rou (Aoki) in the Heaven Dragons and a Sei''shi''rou (Sakurazuka) in the Earth Dragons. To avoid confusion, the former is commonly referred by his surname.
141	* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Kamui and Fuuma, Subaru and Seishirou.
142	* OnlyOneName: Hinoto and Kanoe. It's unclear where they have lived long before or what part of sect to they belong.
143	* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Fuuma and Kotori at first, subverted with Kamui, who in the anime series used his powers to fight other kids. In the manga, the younger Seals try to keep up this cover story by transferring to CLAMP Academy. Subaru does a REALLY poor job of passing for an Ordinary College Student.
144	** Keiichi is a more straight example as he had no supernatural abilities and no affiliation to both sides. His only purpose in the story was to show how Kamui interacts with normal people.
145	* ParentalAbandonment: Several cases, ranging from simply sad to downright terrible: [[spoiler: Poor Saya and Kyougo]].
146	* PerpetualMolt: Both Kamui and [[spoiler:Fuuma]], apparently, produce the huge number of loose feathers drifting through Important Scenes.
147	%%* ThePollyAnna: Keiichi.
148	* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:After the confrontation with Fuuma, Yuzuriha and Kusanagi went AWOL and were never seen in the following chapters. The Dragons of Heaven noticed Yuzuriha's disappearance but they have a hard time looking for her]].
149	* ReclaimedByNature: A vision of a possible future Tokyo shows the city abandoned and the buildings overgrown with vegetation.
150	* RedEyesTakeWarning: [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/054.jpg Fuuma]] in the anime series, in contrast to his gold-eyed manga counterpart.
151	* RefusalOfTheCall: Kamui, at first, with elements of TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive, though it turns out [[spoiler: his mother, Tohru, essentially killed herself to ''force'' him to go]].
152	* RoaringRampageOfRomance: Kamui's wish to get [[spoiler:Fuuma]] back even if it causes [[spoiler:Fuuma]] and the rest of the world harm.
153	* {{Roofhopping}}: This is apparently the only way to get around, and yet no one ever seems to end up getting a PantyShot of [[MagicSkirt Arashi]]. Also, no bystanders seem to take notice.
154	* RooftopConfrontation: In the film, the final battle takes place on the roof of a tall building.
155	* ScaryShinyGlasses: Fuuma in the manga, though it's more to indicate that [[spoiler: he's awakened as the "other" Kamui]] than to hide his feelings.
156	%% * ScryVsScry
157	* SexyDiscretionShot: In Volume 17, [[spoiler:Sorata]] asks [[spoiler:Arashi]] if he can have her "first time" before pulling her into a kiss as the scene changes. They're next seen naked in bed together.
158	* ShadowArchetype: One interpretation of [[spoiler:Fuuma]]'s strange [[TheAntiChrist anti-Christ]] character is that he's a reflection of Kamui's darkest thoughts and desires.
159	* ShootYourMate: More like "run your mate through". With your ''hand''. Seishirou can give you tips on proper technique. And also Fuuma, who seems intent on running his pal Kamui through with that 5-foot-long sword of his. Best friends: always there to kill you off with a giant pointy thing in the CLAMP universe.
160	* SingleStrokeBattle: Definitely in the ''X'' movie, much less in the TV series which has time and SFX monies for big fight scenes. The TV series was closer to the manga in terms of fight length.
161	* SlapYourselfAwake: Karen drugs Aoki in order to take his place in an upcoming duel she believes he won't survive. Aoki stabs himself in the leg with a kitchen knife to keep himself awake long enough to stop her. [[spoiler: She still dies.]]
162	%%* TheSpock: Satsuki.
163	* SpoilerOpening: Showing [[spoiler: Fuuma]] engaged in combat with Kamui and looking evil.
164	* SparedByTheAdaptation: Kanoe is alive in the anime unlike in the manga and the movie [[spoiler:where she's killed by Hinoto's evil side and Fuuma, respectively]].
165	* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: Kamui's mom Tohru spontaneously combusted in the BackStory. The reason for this, however, was made pretty clear: [[spoiler: She made herself a shadow sacrifice of the entire planet Earth and, by burning to death, delayed its destruction by GlobalWarming.]]
166	* SproutingEars: Mostly on Yuzuriha, possibly a reference to her connection to dogs. Or cats, given her last name ([=NEKOi=]) and occasional sprouting cat tail.
167	* SummonToHand: Inverted- Arashi's sword is summoned out of her open palm when needed.
168	* StealthSequel: It more or less serves as a sequel to ''Manga/TokyoBabylon'' where it resolves Seishirou and Subaru's rivalry.
169	* StoryboardingTheApocalypse: There's a reason the series is referred to as either "The Emocalypse" or "Shoujo Armageddon".
170	* SwordFight: With capes and living swords for the ''fate of the world'', no less.
171	* TakeMyHand: Kamui has two scenes in which this trope is used, they are parallel: in both, he saves Kotori from plummeting to her death, once when they were both children in a flashback sequence and later during the story proper.
172	** In the movie, he gets an extra one to save Yuzuriha from plummeting to her death during their fight against Yuuto and Kasanagi.
173	* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: Karen to Yuuto]] in the TV series. [[spoiler: It ''seems'' to fail when she dies, but he ultimately perishes as well.]] In the movie, [[spoiler: Subaru to Seishirou, Karen to Shougo, and Aoki to Nataku]]. Not yet invoked in the manga. Notice the ''yet''.
174	* TarotMotifs: There was an actual ''X'' tarot deck produced as a promotional item, and all the major characters are associated with one of the major arcana cards.
175	* TheirFirstTime: [[spoiler:Sorata and Arashi]] affirm their mutual feelings and have sex at his hospital bed in Volume 17. [[spoiler:The bad news is Arashi loses her Dragon of Heaven powers as a result of losing her virginity.]]
176	* TheTokyoFireball: Each time a barrier is destroyed, it gets progressively worse.
177	* TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, rather literally, as the many kekkais in the city must first be removed before the Apocalypse can proceed elsewhere.
178	* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: [[spoiler: Poor Kotori]].
179	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: When it started publication, at least. Now it qualifies as [[AlternateUniverse Alternate Continuity]] and the creators admit they guessed wrong on some technological details, like failing to anticipate the rise of cellphones.
180	* TheUnreveal: Since the manga's hiatus, Fuuma points out that Kamui's "true wish" [[spoiler:is not restoring him to his original self]]. Hence, he cannot still create a kekkai in which its shape is unknown (though the movie and anime show his kekkai is a spherical one).
181	** This may or may not be important but the identity of Kamui's dad, considering that he was never mentioned at all and Tohru raised her son alone. This serves a WildMassGuessing where several fans speculate that Kamui's dad may have something to do with Kamui's role.
182	%%* UrbanFantasy
183	* VillainsOutShopping: Seishirou, Yuuto, Satsuki[[spoiler:, and Fuuma]]; when they're not busy [[TheTokyoFireball rendering smouldering ruination of monumental Tokyo skyscrapers]], they take time for tea parties and trips to gourmet ice cream joints. Of course, Seishirou's been pretty much doing that for years.
184	* VirginPower: [[spoiler:Arashi's, apparently]]. An alternate interpretation is that the character just ''thinks'' this is the case and it's psychosomatic. [[spoiler: [[GenerationXerox Her mom went through the same trial]], after all.]] At least, she still has her sword afterward.
185	* WaifProphet: White-haired, [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld child-like looking]] Hinoto-hime has [[BlindSeer been blind, deaf, mute and weak-limbed since birth]]. Also, Kakyou, who's been slowly dying in the grips of a coma for years.
186	* WatchTheWorldDie: It has a lot of this among the Dragons of Earth.
187	* WeaponsBreakingWeapons: TheMovie ends with a SingleStrokeBattle between Kamui and Fuuma, where Kamui cleaves through Fuuma's sword with his [[spoiler:and [[OffWithHisHead lops off Fuuma's head]] in the same stroke]].
188	* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler:Kamui chooses to be a Dragon of Heaven, Fuuma in turn fills the role of Kamui in the Dragons of Earth and kills Kotori by [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic crucifying, stabbing and then dismembering her]] and [[ShipTease licking Kamui's neck while pinning him to a wall with shards of glass]], leaving Kamui in an absolutely ''epic'' HeroicBSOD, which in the manga has him ''cradling Kotori's severed head'' a la Devilman.]] All this is ''less than 23 minutes'' in the anime... And the first 10-15 minutes of that episode is mostly exposition.
189	* WhiteAndGreyMorality: On paper, the Dragons of Heaven are good guys who must protect humanity while the Dragons of Earth are the ''antagonists'' (not bad guys contrary to what most people believe) who must destroy humanity to protect Earth from man's destruction. All of the Seven Seals are portrayed good who are truly motivated by their roles though several members have other motives such as Kamui (at first) and Subaru. Their leader, Hinoto, happened to have [[spoiler:an evil split personality who manipulates the Dragons of Heaven]]. The Seven Angels had several members who are morally ambiguous with flaws and FreudianExcuse such as [[TokenGoodTeammate Kusanagi]], Kakyou, and [[ExtremeDoormat Nataku]]. Fuuma is the most morally ambiguous of them all and even though it's his job as the other Kamui to destroy mankind, he spared several people because it's their true wish to stay alive (in the manga, at least). Yuto is AffablyEvil but he seems to care about other people, particularly Satsuki. Satsuki views HumansAreBastards and [[BlueAndOrangeMorality lacks the understanding of why it is wrong to kill people]]. Seishiro may come close to being evil as he is an assassin.
190	** The manga tends to fall into GreyAndGrayMorality [[spoiler:where after killing Seishiro, Subaru unintentionally inherits his role as the Sakurazukamori and joins the Dragons of Earth to fill his spot. Apparently, like Fuuma, he wants Kamui to realize his "true wish". Arashi had a fallout from the Dragons of Heaven as well but this is due to Hinoto's manipulations. Kanoe's reason for forming the Dragons of Earth is to free Hinoto from the burdens of being a [[DreamWeaver Dreamseer]] and she's shocked when she finds her sister's evil personality]].
191	** Averted in the movie which has a straight BlackAndWhiteMorality where Dragons of Heaven are still good while Dragons of Earth became [[AdaptationalVillainy mass murdering scumbags]].
192	* WillTheyOrWontThey: Though in one case, they actually ''do'' ([[spoiler: Arashi and Sorata]]) and it's a big deal for both plot and characterization.
193	* WorthLivingFor: Kamui needs saving.
194	* YouCantFightFate: Though, there are elements of BecauseDestinySaysSo as well. CLAMP's newer series ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' and ''Manga/XxxHOLiC'' suggest that their view of fate is complex but that it can be altered to some extent.
195	** It's interesting to note that in said series, in Acid Tokyo, Fuuma and Kamui are leading the opposite groups to what they do in X, which are, incidentally the sides ''fate'' had destined them to fight on in X ''before'' Kamui decided to choose otherwise.
196	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In the movie [[spoiler: Kusanagi and Yuuto (OUCH!)]], in the TV series [[spoiler:Nataku]], in the manga [[spoiler:''Hinoto'' (or better said, her SuperpoweredEvilSide]] invokes this against [[spoiler:her own sister Kanoe]].
197	** [[spoiler: In the anime, Nataku didn't outlive his usefulness. It's just that he became more useful by not living.]]
198

Context Manga / X1999