XIN is a series of flash cartoons produced by LiFe.1 (life-point-one) Entertainment. The animation is by Steven Lim and Max Mao, with original music by Steven Lim. It is comprised of two chapters, each made up of 9 sessions, though the sessions increased in length as the series went on, to the point that the last session is more than 10 times longer than the first. The plot centers around high school students trying to overthrow their corrupt education system. Much of the action involves students fighting each other or their teachers using wuxia-like martial arts.

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Setting

XIN is set in the present day, in a fictional, unnamed city and country believed to be based in part on Taiwan. Most of the events of Chapter 1 take place in Public High School #1368, while Chapter 2 takes place on the grounds of Varron Academy. The world of XIN contains many people who have superhuman strength, agility, and stamina, including nearly all of the main characters. While these abilities are attributed to qi control, no reason is given why some characters are capable of them and others are not.

An important difference from the real world is that, in the school system, extreme forms of corporal punishment, such as beatings, are sanctioned by law in place of suspension or expulsion. To apply this law to students with powerful qi many schools use a "Pillar System," wherein a heirarchy of qi-using students (often led by a "school captain") is authorized to corporally punish other students. The members of a heirarchy are shown to frequently be corrupt dictators, beating up anyone who breaks the rules they have set. Administrators generally ignore such behavior, preferring draconian order to chaos.

Characters

One of the most notable traits of XIN is that its characters are not easily classified into protaganists and antagonists. Ghai, Xin and Legend, for example, all have similar and altruistic goals, but their differing methods cause them to distrust one another and fight. All three could be considered antagonists at some point in the story.

Plot Summary

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Awards

As of May 2006 the XIN series has won 22 portal awards, including Daily Feature for 10 of the 17 Sessions submitted.

External Links

XIN Official Site

XIN at Newgrounds

List of XIN characters

The following is a list of characters in the flash animation series XIN. {{spoiler}}

Xin

Xin is a Freshman at Public High School (PHS) 1368, and later Varron Academy. He transfers to 1368 in Session 3, after having previously transferred to numerous other schools. He systematically dismantles the student heirarchy at a school and documents evidence of its corruption, then moves on before he is noticed (and potentially asked to head a new heirarchy). This pattern is disrupted when he realizes that PHS 1368's captain is a xiá like himself. He later resumes it at Varron Academy, eventually defeating and shaming Dimir, who he has learned is behind the corrupt system. He is a balanced qi-fighter whose greatest weakness is his frail body; it is a rare fight in which he does not break at least one bone. He overcomes this by using "the technique of Bone Shredding," which channels his qi to instantly knit his bones. He is most dangerous when it comes to his kicks, which are "very cunning and difficult to read". It is due to his information gathering that the Pillar System is finally exposed and legally discredited.

Voiced by: Tam Tu Bui

Ghai

Ghai is a Junior at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. He and Xin had once gone to the same school together, but didn't have any contact due to being two years apart until Xin helped Ghai make it to the nurse of the then-current school. After recovering, Ghai dropped out of school and joined Min's gang, where he proved himself very capable of helping the gang. He left the gang later when he re-entered the school system, with Min and some fellow gang members following him.

Ghai is shown to be very cunning and calculating, planning his moves maticulously. He is also a good all-around fighter, but has a tendency to go berserk when pushed to his limit.

He is also very flirtatious, his womanizing having gotten him in trouble numerous times in the past. At the end of the series he is still a womaniser, but has chosen Min as his "favourite girl"

Voiced by: Tam Tu Bui

Legend

Legend is a Senior at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. In the past, he was an exceedingly violent student, beating up any student and teacher who crossed him, behaviour which literally inspired legends around the city. A petition had been circulated to have Legend sent to a rehabilitation center, but Mr. Dom tried to help reform Legend, believing he could change. Legend, however, severely beat Dom. After Jix made him realize that Dom was trying to help him, Legend turned over a new leaf, becoming much more quiet and peaceful, eventually becoming captain of 1368. His mannerisms at the time of Xin's start are calm and thoughtful,which is reflected in his professional clothing and groomed hair (contrasting the wild look he when younger). During his second battle against Dom, near the series finale, his old teacher comments that rather than just acting, Legend has really matured for the better. Possibly alluding to this, he does not engage Dimir in combat, being chosen to deliver evidence against Dimir instead.

His fighting style is shown to be based largely on speed, shown in a battle between him and Kiz where several attacks had been executed in a short window of time, and internal damage, such as his first encounter with Xin. Before collapsing, Kiz praises Legend for being "a true captain".

Voiced by: Edwyn Tiong

Andre

Andre is a Junior at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. He was respected amongst others as a star baseball athelete, but was thought to be a bad influence on others around him, due largely to his often violently antisocial personality combined with tremendous strength. Dimir offered him privacy and solace should he work for him, an offer which Andre declined. His power is enough to overwhelm virtually any opponent, but as he lacks speed this was not a problem for Dimir until Ghai and Xin weakened him. Andre then knocks him out of an [already broken] window.

Voiced by: Tom Galang, Nick Tiner

Dimir

Dimir is the school supervisor of Varron Academy. He developed the "fool-proof" Pillar System which is proved wrong in the end. During the final confrontation with him and 1368 students Andre, Ghai and Xin, he asserts that he has taken the student Heirachy and created order from it, hence they should be thanking him. Xin rebuts this, stating that whatever it is, that is for the students themselves to decide. He is at first amused by Andre's refusal to join him, stating that everybody says "no" the first time, and refusal did not make one special. Although Ghai and Xin are definitively beaten on their first attempts, Xin notices that Dimir prefers energy conserving techniques and thus the team decide to attack his stamina. Following the public backlash of his Pillar System he was being investigated by the Government and resigned from his post.

Voiced by: Patrick Bruun

Dom

Dom is the student dean of PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. At the end of the series, he retains his license to teach, although opts to travel instead.

Voiced by: Edwyn Tiong

Kiz

Kiz is a Senior at Varron Academy. He is the self-proclaimed "School Captain", a title which Dimir allows him to keep while serving him. His fighting style resembles power boxing, which he later uses constructively by giving lessons to students.

Voiced by: Lucien Dodge

Hanto

Hanto is a Senior at Varron Academy. He is the Student Body President. In the past, Hanto played on Varron's soccer team, but was shunned by his teammates because of his slow hand reflexes, detrimental for a goalkeeper. After Dimir came to him, he developed a new fighting style based solely on kicking, often fighting without ever taking his hands out of his pockets. Ghai, in their rematch, challenges him with the same handless style, ultimately beating him and criticising him for not turning his weakness into a strength. After Varron Academy's reformation he heads a committee devoted to improving student/authority relations.

Voiced by: G-Force

Finrak

Finrak is a Junior at Varron Academy. He is ambidexterious (like Andre), Head of Student Athletics, and the star player of Varron's baseball team. His practicality is demonstrated when confronting Andre: rather than risk serious injury, impeding their chances for competition victory, the two do not actually fight each other. They bat a baseball to each other instead, continuing as the ball becomes faster with greater momentum, until one person misses. Andre's relative slowness costs him the bet, thus he follows Finrak to see Dimir.

Voiced by: Gear Zero

Silvia

Silvia is a Sophomore at Varron Academy and head of Varron's school newspaper. She becomes heavily infatuated with Legend following their first encounter, in which he outmatches but spares her.

Voiced by: Kagome

Jix

Jix is the school nurse of PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. Her concern for student welfare is demonstrated with the largely self funded Nurse Room she maintains, and her intervention regarding Legend. She is hospitalised following Ghai's rebellion at 1368, recovering near the end of the series.

Voiced by: Sakura

Zumi

Zumi is a Freshman at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. She was the leader of a gang at a school Xin attended previously, having Xin beat severely. The gang, however, was brought down by Xin, and when a teacher found the piles of unconcious bodies surrounding a bloodied Xin, Xin took the blame for the incident, insisting that Zumi was not involved, and left the school voluntarily. They were reunited during Xin's time in 1368, and following Varron Academy's reformation their relationship evolved to a romantic one, albeit offscreen.

Voiced by: Julie Nardin

Ralph

Ralph Varlock, Jr. is a Freshman at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. While initially revering Ghai, he was ignored after a public pledge of loyalty and develops a grudge against his former idol. He is well known for his proficient use of fire with his attacks such as, Strong Rushmore and Strong Bonanza.

Voiced by: Steven Lim, Nick Tiner

Min

Min is a Sophomore at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. She is Mil's sister and she runs was a gang leader before the series began. She allowed Ghai to stay with her group as a member, initially not thinking him too different to any other drop out, but realises his ambitions. With Ghai's leadership her gang quickly became one of the largest and most powerful in the city. When Ghai leaves the gang a year later to begin his systematic closure of the schools, she and two other members follow to support him.

Voiced by: Julie Nardin

Mil

Mil is a Sophomore at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. He is Min's brother. He is also Legend's personal lookout, earning his the nickname "Legend's lapdog" from Andre. He develops a crush on Ceer, and offers her a lover letter. His choice of timing was poor, as the Pillars Sylvia and Hanto came for them immediately after his introduction. During the varron Academy rebellion Ceer was almost attacked by disgruntled students, but Mil comes to her rescue and leads her to safely with help from Ralph. At the end of the series he offers to carry Ceer's books, a gesture typical of certain high school male-female relationships, but is comically seen having some difficulty owing to the quantity.

Voiced by: Thundermelon, Chris Zambelis

Ceer

Ceer is a Freshman at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy.

Voiced by: Sadsiren

Barrack

Barrack is a math teacher at PHS 1368, and later Varron Academy. He is brutish when fighting, but is mostly a pushover to XIN, Ghai or Andre. He is notorious for smoking in class.

Voiced by: Steven Lim

Oton

Oton is a Sophomore at Varron Academy. As Described by Dimir, "ultimately a waste of time, although I do see a speck of potential", he is recruited to help eliminate Xin. Previously a school captain, his reign is ended when Xin transferred to his school. Debuting as a result of Varron's pillar system, he sheds his meek act and fights Xin again near the series finale. Due to Dom's advice, he initially has the upper hand; Dom dismissed Xin's punches as predictable, notes his frail body, cautions against his kicks and suggests that Oton intentionally create opening in order to lure Xin. He is left unconscious when Xin uses his bone shredding to repair his damage and hits his face with consecutive punches.

Goth

Goth is a Senior at Varron Academy. He has a unique ability to recover from an beating. His weakness appears to be fire, as demonstrated when Ralph ignites his hair. At the series epilogue a bald Goth amiably requests to join Kiz's boxing team, who accepts him.

Voiced by: Lucien Dodge

Trivia

Steven Lim and Max Mao have 3 cameo appearances in the XIN series.

External Links

XIN Character Page