Tokyo Babylon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tokyo Babylon | |
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| 東京BABYLON (Tokyo Babylon) |
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| Genre | Fantasy, Shounen-ai |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Clamp |
| Publisher |  Shinshokan TOKYOPOP Editora JBC Carlsen Comics |
| Serialized in | Monthly Wings |
| Original run | 1990 – 1993 |
| No. of volumes | 7 (completed) |
| OVA | |
| Directed by | Kouichi Chigira |
| Studio | Animate Film |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Released | 1992 |
| Live Action/Video | |
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| Related works | |
Tokyo Babylon (東京 BABYLON?) is a shōjo manga series created by Clamp. In 1991, it was made into a two-part anime OVA series, and the two OVAs are now available in the United States in both DVD and VHS. There is also a live action movie entitled Tokyo Babylon 1999. The English manga has been licenced by TOKYOPOP.
Names are in Western order, and are romanized according to TOKYOPOP's spelling.
The plot is told in a series of substories, 2-3 per volume. While it begins with a monster of the week approach, with somewhat independent running chapters, the plot gradually becomes continuous and backstory is introduced. The focus throughout the manga is on the development of the characters and the relationships between them.
The main characters are the onmyouji (omyōji) (literally yin-yang magician, also translated as spirit medium or shaman) Subaru Sumeragi, his twin sister Hokuto Sumeragi, and the veterinarian Seishirou Sakurazuka. The plot involves Subaru and Hokuto protecting Tokyo from spirits by exorcising them, aided by Seishirou's somewhat subtle interference. It also involves Seishirou's love for Subaru and the development of Subaru's reaction to it; from rejection through acceptance to a growing romantic attachment; until the tragic twist in the final two volumes.
Characters from Tokyo Babylon make significant appearances in other Clamp works, including X (a.k.a. X/1999) and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.
The OVA's are similar in content to independent stories taking place in the middle of the manga series. The second OVA gives hints toward the overall plot line.
In terms of plot timeline, the movie takes place after the ending of the manga and before the beginning of X.
[edit] Major characters
- Subaru Sumeragi (皇昴流 Sumeragi Subaru?)
- Subaru is an extremely talented onmyouji (also referred to as a yin-yang sorcerer or spirit medium) and the 13th Head of the Sumeragi clan. He tends to be rather shy, but is extremely kindhearted. He constantly wears gloves over his hands for reasons known only to his grandmother. A shadowy childhood moment may provide the answer.
- In the story of X/1999, Subaru is also a Dragon of Heaven and in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE is a dimension wandering vampire.
- Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese), Ben Fairman (English)
- Hokuto Sumeragi (皇北都 Sumeragi Hokuto?)
- Hokuto is Subaru's eccentric twin sister. She is quick-witted, bold and impulsive, the polar opposite of Subaru. While she lacks most of Subaru's strong spiritualistic abilities, she is still able to cast spells unique to her. She always means well and acts in Subaru's best interests. Hokuto is the designer of the outrageous outfits she and Subaru often don.
- In X/1999, she appears in flashbacks of the memories of Subaru, Seishirou, and Kakyou Kuzuki.
- Voiced by: Miki Itou (Japanese), Jenny Baker (English)
- Seishirou Sakurazuka (桜塚星史郎 Sakurazuka Seishirō?)
- While he works as a friendly veterinarian who happens to hit on Subaru a lot, Seishirou is actually the current Sakurazukamori; an assassin who uses onmyoujutsu (yin-yang techniques) to kill. The name "Sakurazukamori" ("Cherry Tree Barrow Guardian") refers to a Japanese folk legend according to which cherry trees' white blossoms are dyed pink from the blood of bodies buried beneath it (something similar to this is used in xxxHolic). The question to be answered is how will this knowledge affect Subaru...
Seishirou also appears in X/1999 as a Dragon of Earth and in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle as a dimension-hopping hunter. - Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (Japanese), Dean Fenton (English)
[edit] Tokyo Babylon to X
Even though the story has an ending, it is left rather open at the end. The story and characters later on "crossed-over" into CLAMP's other work, X, which is set a few years after the events of Tokyo Babylon. Thus, the unfinished business between Seishiro and Subaru continues as they cross paths again and it is suggested that even the events in Tokyo Babylon are something long foreordained by destiny.
The mystery that was left by Hokuto concerning her special "power" was also explained in X in volume 16. Considering that the last volume of Tokyo Babylon was published in 1993 and X volume 16 was published in 2001, CLAMP has managed to keep the mystery a secret for nearly 8 years before revealing the answer.
[edit] External links
- Tokyopop Official site
- geneSIS (general fansite)
- Thanatos (a more recently updated fansite)
