X TV - Episode 17

[angelx03]

Let me become a pioneer.

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago my sister and I watched that particular episode on X.

Unfortunetly (for my sister), it was a flashback episode which talked about the events of what happened so far in terms of Kakyo. Then I realized, this episode remined me a lot of the X OVA a.k.a episode 0 since they threw in Hokuto meeting Kakyo.

I'm just wondering, was the X OVA really necessary?

[paizuri: Changed the subject. You're talking about episode 0, but only in reference to episode 17 which you just watched. Trying to make things less confusing.]

[LantisEscudo]

The X OVA served several purposes, in my opinion.

First and foremost, it was a promo for the then-upcoming TV series. It was meant to build notice of the series.

Second, its content differed pretty substantially from Episode 17, as the latter was the recap episode for the series, and focused on the events that occurred during the series, with sprinklings of earlier events for explanation purposes. The OVA was more a prequel, focusing on the events that went on before the series started, and stopped before the beginning of the series.

There are also a number of scenes in the OVA that I would have never known about just watching the series. Working on one of my AMVs, I went through the entire series looking for a few particular scenes. I skipped the OVA because I incorrectly remembered all of the footage appearing at some point during the series. It wasn't until I went back and rewatched the OVA that I found them.

In particular,

Kakyou's escape and attempt to meet Hokuto before her death

was never shown in the actual series.

[Arigatomina]

Question - what's the X ova? Is that the movie? Or is it just another name for Episode 0?

My friend brought over the first dvd, so I've only seen a few episodes, but the first one was ep 0 (never seen an ep 0 before...) and I *think* that's what you're talking about. If so, why call it an ova instead of a preview? Is it really ep 0 or did the company just slap it on in front of the series and call it that instead of an ova? Was it originally released separately as a stand-alone episode/movie?

[/confuzzled]

Anyway, I haven't seen episode 17 yet, but if it's similar to the first episode, it sounds a lot like the 2 Gundam Wing 'flashback/summary' episodes. I thought that sort of thing was reserved for longer anime - I didn't think the X series spanned far enough to need that.

[/ignorance of series length]

[LantisEscudo]

Yes, Episode 0 is the OVA episode. The OVA was released on video before the series, hence the designator OVA. For the US release, it was included on the first DVD, since US audiences are much less inclined to pay full price for 40 minutes of footage on a separate DVD.

[IamSano]

okay, so there are episodes 0-17...and a random movie called "X: the movie" too. What about Tokyo Babylon (apparently the prequel to X)???

And for X: the Movie, do you need to watch that or is that movie irrelevant and pointless?

[LantisEscudo]

Tokyo Babylon is set seven years before the events in X, and sets up the Subaru/Seishirou story. The two OVAs cover segments of the first five manga volumes (of seven).

The X TV series was made in 2001, and has 24 episodes and the prequel OVA (Episode 0). It covers the manga through about Volume 16 (of 18 so far).

The X movie was made in 1996, and covers a very changed version the first six volumes of the manga. It has no bearing on the TV series, much like the Escaflowne and Utena movies have no bearing on their TV series.

[SS5_Majin_Bebi]

okay, so there are episodes 0-17...and a random movie called "X: the movie" too. What about Tokyo Babylon (apparently the prequel to X)???

And for X: the Movie, do you need to watch that or is that movie irrelevant and pointless?

CLAMP whore here, lol... *points to self*

*May Contain Spoilers*

Tokyo Babylon is not really a prequel to X, it is the separate story of Sumeragi Subaru, Sumeragi Hokuto and Sakurazuka Seishiro (before he became a bad guy). If anything, its a tie-in or a cross-over. Also, worst kept secret of the CLAMP-iverse is this: Subaru is gay. Which is pretty much revealed completely in glaring terms in episode... 16? of X TV. The Tokyo Babylon manga (Which I have yet to read) apparently ends about 8 months prior to the beginning of X TV, although the Tokyo Babylon movie is like, 6 - 10 years prior to it. X the Movie (also known as X/1999) was the original X-based anime released. At the time, they didnt get the budget to make a full fledged series, nor did they have the desire. So instead, Rintaro (the "pen name" of the creator) decided that they would compress the entire series down into a 1 hour 40 minute move, cutting out all the "unimportant" facts, and also completely redesigning most of the characters, the origins of both holy swords (Instead of one from Magami Tokiko, Kamuis aunt, and Monou Saya, Fumas mother, the movie was one from Kamuis mum, and one from Kotori) completely removing the character of Kuzuki Kakyo from the Dragon of Earth and replacing him with Shogo Asagi, who was given the watercaster powers originally possesed by Kigai Yuto (confused yet?)

They also altered the state of Fumas family (both his parents were dead), removed most of the stuff concerning his relationship with Kamui, and his fate to be Kamuis Gemini/Twin Star at the cost of losing his memory, his identity, and his beloved sister. They also changed the nature of Kotori's death (but you still get to see the correct death scene in Kamuis dream, where she is run through and then decapitated when the cross falls apart, and Kamui is holding her head and crying) and they even completely re-arranged the ending. They changed the body count on BOTH sides, killing all the members of both sides (with the exception of kamui of course) when in fact, the following people survive (as far as I can tell from the Manga/Anime):

Yuzuriha Nekoi (DoH)
Kusunagi (DoE)
Kanoe (DoE)
Fuma (DoE)
Kishuu Arashi (DoH)
Seiichiro Aoki (DoH)

And pretty much fucked the entire layout of the story. The anime was much more faithful to the storyline of the original work. However, the X/1999 movie, whilst a sacriledge in the face of the original, is a good movie in and of itself. In comparison, however, the anime series is far superior, and the manga is best.

So basically, watch the movie for an action packed flick with none of the original story, but dont expect it to tell any secrets of the series.

[Touya_girl]

you forgot Subaru survived

[Touya_girl]

and Kakyo too

but I'm going by the Anime. the manga might be different.

[Life-Giving Killer]

I think the whole idea of X - the series is faaaaaaar better than the one in the movie. in the end of the movie, i was sitting in front of the tv for another 5 minutes after the end, asking myself "huh, that was it?did it really end this way?" when the end of the series even managed to get my eyes wet and i wondered when i could see it again. the movie had (for me) too much pointless bloodbaths. but the series....there is this episode, where the question why one shouldn't kill people is raised. the debate goes: there are many aspects to answer from. the biological, filosofical, but none of them is percfect. and then somebody says: i think that one shouldn't kill, because there is always somebody who will be sad when a person dies....that was beautiful...