An apocalyptic battle is fated to take place in contemporary Tokyo between the Dragons of Heaven (the Seven Seals who have been born to protect the Earth) and the Dragons of Earth (the Seven Angels who intend to bring about its destruction.) And one young man holds the future of the world in his hands: Kamui. “Your name means ‘He who represents the authority of God’,” Princess Hinoto tells him, “‘the one to whom God has given the power…to save this world.’” But then her glamorous younger sister Kanoe appears and contradicts her. “ ‘It also means he… who hunts down those who would use God’s power – and destroys the world.’” Kamui learns that he is the one who has been given the power to decide the fate of the world – and, not surprisingly, he’s not at all happy about being given such a weighty responsibility.

These four episodes introduce more of the young people who have been born to fight in the battle for the earth. We meet the perky fourteen-year-old Yuzuriha as she’s enthusiastically spooning down ice cream; at her side is her faithful dog Inuki. From a flashback we see that Inuki is no ordinary dog: he’s her spiritual protector and weapon – and invisible to normal humans, a fact which has caused Yuzuriha much heartache. But a chance encounter with a soldier in Tokyo brings her in contact for the first time with someone outside her family who can see Inuki. Is he one of the Seven Seals? Or one of the enemy Angels?

Episode 6 ‘Mount Kouya’ fills in much of Sorata’s backstory. Taken from his parents at the age of three to be brought up with the monks at Mount Kouya and to learn to control his powers, young Sorata is irrepressibly mischievous, bringing Son Goku to mind (in both ‘Saiyuki’ and ‘Dragonball.’) The focus shifts in Episode 7 ‘Civer’ to another very different child, the solitary computer genius Satsuki whose extraordinary talents have been exploited by her father. Rescued by Kanoe, Satsuki now spends her time in a symbiotic relationship with Beast, a highly sophisticated computer. Although it may be that the quiet, withdrawn Satsuki is also experiencing feelings for Kanoe’s lover, the charming and smooth-talking Yuto… but these three are definitely working together toward a very different goal to that of Kanoe’s sister, Hinoto.

The next Seal to introduce herself is Karen. Appearing – to the others’ confusion – in a basque, lace-topped stockings, and suspenders, she confesses that she has 'snuck out of work.' But Karen is also powerful fire-wielder and has a letter to deliver to Kamui from his aunt.

But when a personal tragedy throws Kotori and Kamui together, one of the hidden watchers reveals himself, launching an attack on Kamui. Now the thing that Kamui feared the most has happened; he was hoping that if he rejected Kotori, she would not be involved in the danger threatening him. So when the attacker says coolly, “It would appear that we have an uninvited guest; I didn’t expect the young lady to be here,” Kamui’s worst fears are realized. The enemy has identified his one weakness: his desire to protect Kotori and Fuma.

The titles ‘Dragons of Earth and Heaven’ may be mythical in origin but in Volume 2 of ‘X’ their age-old battle begins to be re-enacted in contemporary Tokyo, lending it a disturbing contemporary resonance.

Kamui, as portrayed here by director Yoshiaki Kawajiri, isn’t the most sympathetic of protagonists. He never smiles and has no people skills at all; he exudes the dark angst-driven aura of the classic emo teenager and then some. But, as the ever-optimistic Sorata observes, it’s not surprising that he’s got an attitude problem. “It’d be tough on anyone to be told he’s responsible for whatever’s going to happen to the world.” His friend, Fuma, is so much more likeable; not only the star of the high school basketball team, but also a caring son and brother, and sympathetic to Kamui’s predicament. And here is where CLAMP begin to play their cruel games with the viewer’s expectations. Isn’t this usually the moment when the two old friends put aside their differences and unite to fight the danger? So why do Fuma’s eyes suddenly glint with an unfamiliar light as he whispers menacingly, “I am your twin star, Kamui.”?

For fans of ‘Tokyo Babylon’ this is a must-have disc as we meet Seishiro Sakurazukamori, the smiling assassin and onmyo master, whose trademark is a blizzard of cherry blossom petals. Which side is he on? No doubts here; when Kamui challenges him, he replies with his characteristic nonchalance that he is indeed one of the Seven Angels and Kamui’s foe. 

Naoki Sato has created more memorable moments in the score, including a disturbing pizzicato motif that appears whenever trouble is brewing – and a mechanistic passage, full of grating dissonance, that accompanies the increasingly savage attacks launched by the Seven Angels.

The only extra (apart from trailers) is a fascinating and revealing interview with director and screenwriter Yoshiaki Kawajiri.

In Summary
Save the Earth. That is Kamui’s destiny…or is it? In these episodes, what seems at first a standard struggle between good and evil is revealed to be far more deviously complex. And it's only going to get darker...