- "Blasphemy . . . is what I'm doing right now!"
X3M is a very long non-fiction manga series chronicling the lives of the eponymous band of high school friends, as they deal with the problems of growing up and learning the lessons fate has in store for them.
Written and drawn by world-renowned and multi-awarded scriptwriter-director-actor-Super Saiyan Israel Santiago in coordination with his assistant Cabot Eusebio, the film has reaped many accolades and rave reviews due to its realistic depiction of high school life in a modern-day setting.
X3M is a group formed by a group of friends from Marcelo H. del Pilar National High School. The group name is read as “extreme”, or you can also read it as “eks three em.”. This is because of the extreme closeness of the group. But, how did X3M become X3M?It all started one fine day…
Okay, okay, I’ll stop messing around. It all really started when we first entered high school. At first, we don’t know each other. We were complete strangers back then. But, as the time passed by, we became friends and formed X3M.
Before X3M was formed, the group members hang out with each other but not as a group. They hang out as a smaller group within X3M. You gettin’ what I’m sayin’? Anyways, let’s carry on. After maybe one month or so in the 1st year of high school, they decided to form a group. The group was first christened “Spartans”. It was only a small group consisting of 5 – 10 members from I-Diamond. As the group grew bigger, a member suggested the name of the group to be changed to “Arcania”. And that does it. The group “Spartans” became “Arcania”. After two months or so, they realized that “Arcania” was a stupid name. They decided to change the name to “X3M”—and thus, the group was born.
Years passed, and soon enough what started as a small clique of Dot A lovers expanded as a large, pervasive, expansive network of tight-knit comrades—arm in arm as they brave the billows of destiny, of adversity, and of assignments and projects.
This masterpiece exhibits the following tropes:
- Arch-Enemy : During the earlier arcs of the series, X3M was this to their DotA-playing upperclassmen.
- Beach Episode : Well, actually a water park, but they once organized it.
- Big Fun : Potch, when he's not being nihilistic.
- Butt-Monkey : Several people get joked about in the group more than others, especially Mark and his "Where do dragons live" non-pun.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys : The group's members run the gamut from "ground-breakingly handsome" to "nuclear-weapons grade gorgeous."
- Catchphrase : Quite a few. Examples include:
- "Pwermi!"
- "Chewy!"
- "Blasphemy!"
- "Fwee fwee"
- Conspiracy Theorist : Parodied by Israel, Potch and Eme with the Church of Worms. Using cold, hard logic and theological analyses they've come to the conclusion that we're all secretly worms and our lives are just meaningless simulations.
- Da Editor : When he's not busy goofing off, Israel also works as the school paper's editor-in-chief.
- Death Glare : Calvin can dish out one hell of this.
- Fire-Forged Friends : During their freshman year, there used to be the rival Arcania and Underdogs factions. After a bit of time, they resolved their differences and merged into what is currently known as X3M.
- Fun Size : Kenneth and Jeremy are the shortest members of X 3 M.
- Gadgeteer Genius : Mel really knows his way around things technological more than most of the group.
- Grand Finale : The group's high school graduation. Manly Tears were shed.
- Large and in Charge : The group's leader, Eme, is stockily built and quite intimidating. At least, initially.
- Jan Di also counts, being of the same build and being one of the group's more prominent members.
- Large Ham : Israel, when doing class presentations.
- Letters 2 Numbers : The group's name, X3M is the word "extreme" stylized to look cool.
-
Memetic Badass: Calvin is also an unparalleled assassin. - Most Gamers Are Male : The group is a purely male group of DotA gamers, if you don't count Arianne.
- New Year, Same Class : This happens in the last year of the group in high school. Normally, their classes would've been shuffled, but was kept the same way for convenience.
- Non-Action Guy : Israel, in a gaming sense. He rarely plays DotA, in comparison to his friends.
- One of the Boys : Arianne, most definitely.
- Only Sane Man : Mostly, Andrew fills this role for the guys. Cabot also counts.
- Pop-Cultured Badass : MJ.
- School Play : The group's school annually hold one.
- Slumber Party : Many X 3 M members regularly sleep over at Eme's house. Of course, the sleeping part is essentially low in their priorities list.
- Straw Nihilist : Lale, who has a terminal case of defeatism and sorrow so intense that it's contagious.
- Team Mom : Arianne is the only female member of the group and also acts as a voice of reason. Sometimes.
- Eme's mom is also one, being very tolerant of the group's hijinx in the perimeters of their house.
- Team Pet : Pussy and Pussy v2.0. Jaydee may count, due to the group's fondness towards him and his Incredibly Lame Puns.
- During the series's later arcs, we have Melo, a Cute, but Cacophonic chihuahua who also likes to express his love toward your leg. Getting bitten by him has practically become the team's unofficial induction rites.
- The Smart Guy : You know Calvin, Mel and MJ are this trope when they top an elite class full of Smart Guys of their own.
- Token Minority : Kaito and Hideo are half-Japanese.
- True Companions :No matter what, they've become this over four years.
