Throughout anime history, there have been some unique properties that found their way into the American ecosystem in the 1980s and 1990s, introducing scores of new fans to the medium. While franchises like Kingdom and Detective Conan might have hit it big in Japan, series like this don’t hit it as big in the West. In anime’s earlier days in North America, stories like Demon City Shinjuku and Guyver hit it big thanks to airing on the Sci-Fi Channel. In a surprise move, another of these entries is preparing to make a comeback on Crunchyroll, with the sequel being out of the spotlight for nearly thirty years.
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X, as a franchise, first debuted in 1996 as a creation of Studio Madhouse, adapting a story from the collective creators known as “CLAMP.” Focusing on a tale that sees two warring sides filled with super-powered beings, the opponents have very different ideas for the world’s future. While one side is attempting to protect mankind, the other is trying to protect nature without thinking of humanity’s struggle. While the film would go on to receive a television series, it also received a lesser-known prequel in X2 – Double X. First arriving in 1993, Crunchyroll has confirmed that the short film will land on its library later today, June 10th. Luckily, the creators of the original OVA were also more than willing to share their thoughts on this historic comeback.
X Will Give it to You
In a recent interview with Anime News Network, X writer YOSHIKI discussed how the prequel came about. For those who don’t know, the OVA runs for a little under thirty minutes, acting as more of a series of combined music videos rather than a flat-out story. With this radical outing, the writer discussed the origins of the project: “At that time, collaborations between rock bands and the anime world were almost unheard of. We happened to share the same name, “X,” which caught my attention. When I saw CLAMP’s artwork, I was immediately impressed by the beauty, depth, and originality. It felt like there was a natural connection between our two worlds. Nothing like this had really been done before. Today it might seem natural, but at the time, I knew it was a bold step. I wanted to create an emotional experience for fans of both music and anime.”
The writer also discussed how he believes the project stacks up against the modern era of anime, where the medium has become much larger in popularity worldwide. “I remember feeling that this collaboration had the potential to become something really special. No one could imagine how much anime and manga would grow internationally, but it felt like we were creating something new. Looking at the world today, with series like Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer reaching audiences everywhere, I’m grateful to have been part of that history. I’ll always be thankful to CLAMP for making it possible.”
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