X

As a fan of the long running manga (I'm at Volume 11 of the Japanese release) I did not enjoy this movie. Sure, the animation is beautiful, at times you can see the insane detail that the animators pushed into each cel, and the dark "cold" colors if you will, fit the mood perfectly. The art was beautiful, but a movie is nothing without characters and a developed plot. In the manga, much of the backstory is revealed through Kamui's aunt and small sidestories at the end of each graphic novel, but neither Kamui's aunt nor the sidestories were even hinted at. As for the nonexistent characterization, just as you think you're beginning to understand one of the characters, they die. In the manga, most of the action doesn't even begin until the 8th volume, but everything before it builds up the plot and the characters, slowly but surely. However, the movie is almost nonstop violence, leading to the godawfully anticlimactic ending. Thank God that the folks behind X (CLAMP) are going to release an OVA and TV series to follow the manga, which is still yet to be finished.