CLAMP has produced some of the most iconic manga and anime series in history. FromCardcaptor Sakura, toMagic Knight Rayearth, toChobits. CLAMP even figured out how to harness all of their previous creations and package them into something new withTsubasa: Reservoir Chonricle. They have written long series and shorts, comedies and dramas, and it’s safe to say if you’ve been watching anime for any length of time then chances are you’ve seen an anime created by CLAMP.
A CLAMP series primary traits are memorable characters, charming art, and memorable endings. Though CLAMP may have written a variety of different types of series, one of their series stands out for all the right reasons:X/1999. This series is notable for two reasons. The first is that it is the darkest work CLAMP has produced to date. The second is that it remains unfinished to this day. But why does it remain unfinished?
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What is X/1999 About?
X/1999is about the destruction of the world. It features a savior of the world, a destroyer, and many end-of-the-world scenarios based on real-life predictions from scientists ad religion while CLAMP throws in its own mythos as well.
Even though CLAMP has thrown in dark elements in their stories before, never before had one of their series been so dark it was borderline gothic. Half of the characters aren’t even likable. They’re relatable, but they aren’t likable. It’s a series that on paper seems like one that would be difficult to enjoy.
The Series is a Hit
Despite the dark nature of the series,X/1999ended up being a HUGE hit with readers! To date it has sold over 12 million books, becoming one ofCLAMP’s best-selling series of all time. The series was so successful that a film adaptation calledX: The Moviewas created. This movie received…pretty mixed reviews. On one hand it is known for being one of the best animated films of all time, with fluid animation that is still impressive to this day. On the other hand, the story was compromised to such an extent that the storyline was heavily compromised to the point where it honestly didn’t make any sense unless you read the books.
Another anime adaptation was made simply calledX, and it was a 26 episode series. While the animation wasn’t as good as the movie due to the lower budget and weekly nature of the show, viewers and manga readers were much happier with the series, which featured much deeper characters, a storyline that made sense, and an ending that was well-thought-out compared to the rushed ending of the film. The endings for these products were especially noteworthy; while both the movie and the show had definitive endings, they were completely different. This is because the manga these productions were based on doesn’t have an ending itself, and in fact has been on hiatus since 2003.
The Unfortunate Reasons for the Hiatus
Rumors and discussions for whyX/1999remains unfinished are long and varied. There are rumors that CLAMP had disagreements with their editors over the level of violence in the comic while other rumors suggest that thegroup got bored with the series. None of these are the true reasons though. In fact, the reason the series went on hiatus was because of various societal incidents occurring in Japan and other parts of the world at the time of its serialization. You have to remember that the revolved around the end of humanity, and the series had numerous scenes depicting earthquakes and the destruction of Tokyo buildings.
Various cast members die through decapitation and other gruesome death scenes. As the series was getting ready for the big, bloody finale, 9/11 took place. The Hanshin earthquake (otherwise known as the Kobe earthquake) hit. The Sakakibara incident also took place, which caused social unrest in Japan. The more these tragedies started piling on top of one another, the more difficult it was for readers to readX/1999and it enjoy it purely on an entertainment level. Even America found themselves altering what kind of entertainment they were producing for a period of time. When CLAMP was asked about the hiatus in PUFF Magazine, they had this to say:
We had had several discussions with the editorial staff about how perhaps we needed to make changes to the central themes in the manga and how we portrayed them, but we had still managed to gain the understanding of various people and work through them. But, we were then told that it may not be possible for our publisher to serialize the ending we had planned. If that was true, it would mean that we would have to write a different ending to the story in order to have it published. Excluding cases where the magazine we were serialized in folded, we have never quit on a series before (though we may have gone on hiatus), so obviously we definitely want to work onXuntil completion, but currently that’s looking very difficult. But, regardless of what form it takes, we want to write up a conclusion to the story.
However, I want to make it very clear that none of what transpired is the publisher’s fault; on the contrary, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for being tolerant and willing to publishXfor all this time. We will continue to search for solutions and hold discussions with our publisher, so I hope that you will grant us a little more time yet.
So, there you have it: the story ofX/1999was mimicking life too much, and everyone decided to put a pause on it. CLAMP does occasionally assure that the series will befinished one day, though when that day will arrive still remains unclear. In the meantime, there are two animes with conclusive endings and the manga, despite not being finished, is still an enthralling read. While it may be unfinished, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthy read.
Xthe anime series can be streamed onFunimation Now
