X - Three (TV Series, Vol. 3)

As the apocalyptic battle approaches, the Dragons of Heaven and the Dragons of Earth assemble in Tokyo. Although the sullen Kamui supposedly holds the key to the outcome, the viewer learns that Fuma, Kotori's athletic older brother, is Kamui's "twin star." (The exact nature of the intimate bond between Kamui and Fuma is hotly debated among "X" fans.) Satsuki, who communicates directly with computers and prefers the cyber world to reality, helps to locate the mysterious clone Nataku. Subaru, the descendant of a long line of shrine keepers, arrives from Kyoto. With the exception of the ebullient Sorata, these characters are so alienated and self-involved, they make Shinji in "Evangelion" sound like a party animal. Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri continues to snarl the already tangled narrative in flashbacks, dreams, visions, and the never-ending rain of flowers and feathers. (Rated 16 and older: violence, nudity, minor profanity, grotesque imagery, tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon"