The X tv series could have been longer. It's hard to put everything in the manga into 24 episodes, but the choices made have IMO mostly been right. The animation is gorgeous, the music's not bad and we get to see some of our favorite scenes come to life. Arashi and Sorata get a good amount of time considering the number of episodes.

In general: Arashi looks beautiful and the animation is excellent. With only 24 episodes it is understandable that some things would get cut. Some of the changes work, others don't. One problem with this is the fact that we get episodes devoted to characters, so they don't really grow over time. We get all the development at the beginning of the episode and in the final minutes we're supposed to angst over their tragedy. Things move a little too fast.

The ending was far too happy for X, though I must admit it was unexpected. I liked the seiyuu, and Arashi's Yuzuki Ryouka did a fine job. Overall, the second half was rushed, but the first was a treat for fans of the manga.

Episode 1

Arashi shows up first in Ise with Kaede, the old priestess. Hinoto summons her to Tokyo. Arashi looks so beautiful in her priestess outfit.

Episode 2

Arashi shows up to save Daisuke from Kamui and we see her sword for the first time. Nice. Later she meets with Hinoto and they discuss Kamui. This pretty much follows the manga.

Episode 3

Not much of our miko here. She does meet Kamui in a library to tell him he can't struggle against his destiny. Yes, we talk about destiny again, and since Kakyou isn't available for that yet...

Episode 4

Arashi gets to destroy some Men in Black and meet with Aoki. Nice animation for Aoki's powers, and he does hand her his umbrella, the gentleman he is.

First meeting with Sorata. They talk about the Magami, as in the manga, and at one point he stops to get a good look at her. "I have decided."

Episode 5

The first meeting at Hinoto's place, with Seishirou's attack incuded. Yay! Arashi looks very cool here destroying the illusionary rocks. The animation for her sword coming out is wonderful. Sorata gets to look cool too with his dispelling the illusions. "Where in her body does she usually keep it?" " I don't know yet, since we're still in a platonic relationship." Love that they inluded that talk between Sorata and Yuzuriha.

Episode 6

The first Sorashi episode. We get Sorata's sidestory. Sorata and Arashi watch Kamui, who watches Fuuma's basketball match, something that feels to have been put there to take the fangirls' minds off the lack of shounen ai in the anime. Scantily clad athletic Fuuma does his job of being distracting rather well. *grin* Sorata and Arashi have a talk and he tells her of the prophecy. They're interrupted by Satsuki, who succeeds in wounding Sorata. Arashi bandages Sorata's wound, but of course he doesn't escape without a death glare. This has very much the feel of the early manga volumes, with Arashi looking stern and Sorata being all enthusiastic about his love being such a babe. Very good.

Episode 8

Arashi, Sorata and Kamui meet Karen at Fuuma's father's funeral. Unfortunately there's no long talk about their respective temples and we don't get Sorata's 'because we're all so pretty!' comment.

Episode 13

The episode after Fuuma went all Dark Kamui. Arashi doesn't have much to do here except stand by Kamui's bedside, but there's one lovely small moment at the end when Yuzuriha rushes to hug her after Kamui wakes up. We see too few of these Seals bonding as a family-  moments in the anime.

Episode 20

The Sorata/Arashi episode. Absolutely lovely. This covers most of their moments through the manga up to the latest Asuka issues. Yes, we do get the kiss.

A very cute scene at the beginning with the Seals cooking. Sorata corrects Arashi's technique. She has a pink apron and he has one with a heart! So so cute. She starts remembering her past and we get her sidestory, though it's not as detailed as in the manga. Arashi looks just so sweet as a child.

We move on to the fight with Satsuki from the manga, only in the anime it's Fuuma who shows up and attacks Arashi and Yuzuriha. He taunts Arashi about how she'll be the death of the man she loves. Arashi looks shocked, but Sorata's summoned creature comes to her rescue as in manga and he's injured.

The bedside scenes are next. *Sorashi fangirl is in heaven* Sorata is the perfect man here. Arashi starts crying and tells how she never has done that before. They kiss and we fade off, returning later to Sorata waking up, naked in the bed, and noticing Arashi's gone. We see her walking towards Fuuma's lair.

This means angst to come.

Episode 22

This earns a mention for those great few seconds in the end, when Kusanagi is stabbed by someone as he rescues Yuzuriha fron Nataku. A shocked Sorata looks at Arashi standing with Nataku, looking cold and evil.

A great way to end the episode and torture the fans.

Episode 23

Heartbreaking.

Sorata watches Arashi declare herself a Dragon of Earth and leave. Later he decides to protect Kamui. At the DoE HQ Fuuma tells Arashi that she must kill Kamui to change Sorata's destiny. Plenty of pondering over their fates.

Meanwhile Kamui has picked up the Shinken and heads to face Fuuma at the docks. He is surprised to find himself attacked by Arashi, but Sorata shows up to save the day. In the end, though, they can't fight each other and stop before delivering a blow. Fuuma decides to kill Arashi for betraying him. He strikes at her with his sword, but Sorata steps between. He uses his lightning to force Fuuma to back off, burning half the Dark Kamui's face in the progress, then falls to the ground. Sorata asks Kamui to forgive Arashi and says he wants her to live on. "I am glad to have met you," he says before dying. Arashi holds him in her arms and breaks down crying.

This was a very painful episode for a Sorashi fangirl to watch. Evil Arashi looked perfectly sinister and her seiyuu did an excellent job with the final scenes.

Episode 24

Arashi doesn't have much to do, as this is all Kamui's episode. In the end she does survive and we see her visiting Kouya and the Stargazer, she smiles sadly as she looks at a wall where Sorata's written:" I hope the one I'll love will be hot."

I don't think much of the ending, but I think it was good to have Arashi visit Kouya and see where Sorata grew up. We don't really know what will happen after this, but it seems she will live on as Sorata had wished.

Back to Ise no Miko
- the Arashi shrine

Back to Miko Keiishi's Sanctuary
- my main index, with shrines to Arashi, Nakago, Satsuki, etc.