Copyright © CLAMP 2000

CLAMP really needs no introduction to the serious anime/manga fan. Whether you consider them mangaka gods incarnate, or dismiss their stories as only so much convoluted pap, this four-women team exudes an undeniable presence in widely ranging genres of manga. Their roots are in doujinshi—fan-produced comics employing existing manga/anime characters—and as an extension shoujo manga makes up the bulk of their work. CLAMP's popularity skyrocketed in the early '90s, and while the merits of their works may be open to debate, one cannot deny that they produce quite a variety of stories, if not plot-wise then at least artistically.
Still, CLAMP does carry a distinctive look, and those who have flipped through some of their "classic" titles may well be picturing impossibly thin bishounen with massive shoulders alongside cute, dimunitive girls endowed with extremely large eyes. Readers who prefer something else will want to pass on this newly released artbook of illustrations from their flagship title X, but for fans of CLAMP or this particular shoujo style, pricey as though it may be, X ZE0RO is most likely a good addition to your bookshelf.
There are 150 full-color illustrations in total, printed on excellent paper. The book itself is hardcover, and bound such that you can lay it almost flat with no damage to the spine or cover. The scans on this page required forcing the book to open beyond 180 degrees, but aside from a slight tendency for some pages to splay a little when held vertically, there were no other visible marks of trauma.
The works featured within run the entire period of X to date, from when it began almost a decade ago to the end of 1999. Calendar illustrations are present, as are the X CHARACTER FILES CD jackets, and numerous premium card illustrations. The majority of the images, however, are covers and inserts from ASUKA (the magazine X runs in) over the years. Not withstanding fans who collect ASUKA on a regular basis, those outside Japan most likely have not seen a good percentage of these illustrations. Include those used in limited presents, such as telephone cards and jigsaw puzzles, and X ZE0RO turns out to be quite a buy.
Be warned, however, that this is not a complete collection. Noticeably missing are the back cover illustrations for the X comics from issue 11 onwards. On the other hand, there is a beautifully done piece of Kotori's mother as "The Fool" drawn especially for the artbook. A listing of the illustrations along with short comments on each by the artist Mokona Apapa, and two interviews with Mokona Apapa and storywriter Ohkawa Nanase respectively, round out this collection.
Overall, as an artbook, X ZE0RO ranks as one of the most well-produced volumes this reviewer has seen. It has taken Kodakawa Shoten years to get around to releasing a collection for X, but the wait has been well worth it. It looks nice, it feels nice, it even smells nice the first time you strip the shrinkwrap off and crack it open! No CLAMP fan should miss out on this one.
Lastly, a small tidbit for the trivia-inclined—this book ships in a cardboard box that retailers are supposed to remove when they put the books on sale. If you are lucky, you may find, in small local bookstores, sets where the boxes have been left on. The box fits snugly and serves as an excellent dust jacket, so it might be worth keep an eye out for.

Published by Kadokawa Shoten
168 pages (150 illustrations); color and B/W
ISBN4-04-853168-9
¥3600 (plus tax)
Available now in Japan
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