| Tokyo Babylon | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| The first volume of Tokyo Babylon as released by Tokyopop. | ||
| 東京 BABYLON | ||
| (Tōkyō Babiron) | ||
| Genre: | Occult detective, Shōnen-ai | |
| Statistics | ||
| Manga | ||
| Tokyo Babylon | ||
| Publisher: | Shinshokan | |
| Demographic: | Shōjo | |
| Magazine: | Wings | |
| Original run: | 1990-1993 | |
| Volumes: | 7 | |
| TV Anime | ||
| Tokyo Babylon | ||
| Director: | Koichi Chigira
| |
| Studio: | Madhouse | |
| Publisher: | Manga Entertainment, U.S. Manga Corp, Manga Entertainment | |
| Original Run: | October 21, 1992 – March 21, 1994 | |
| Episodes: | 2 | |
Tokyo Babylon is a manga series by CLAMP that ran in Shinshokan's South from August 1990 to Winter 1993, as well as Shinshokan's Wings in August 1990, and April and May of 1992. There are seven bound volumes, as well as five bunko edition volumes. There are also two OVAs.
All seven volumes were released from 2004 to 2005 by Tokyopop.
Plot
Edit
The plot is told in a series of substories, published monthly or as 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. It focuses on the development of the characters and the relationships between them.
Sixteen-year-old Subaru Sumeragi, the main character, is a very powerful magician, the thirteenth head of the foremost family of onmyōji in Japan, which has served the Emperor for centuries. As such, he is called upon to solve various occult mysteries, or stumbles himself on people whom his kind nature compels him to help. These occurrences form the main plot of most chapters. He lives in Tokyo with his twin sister Hokuto, an exuberant girl whose chief occupations are to design eccentric clothing for herself and her brother, and to egg on their mutual friend Seishirō Sakurazuka, a kindly, 25-year-old veterinarian, when he declares his love for Subaru.
There are early hints that Seishirō may not be all that he appears. Hokuto jokes about him being a member of the family of Sakurazukamori, a clan of assassins who use onmyōjitsu to kill, and are pronounced to be the Sumeragis' opposite. Also, Subaru has dreams about having met someone under a cherry tree blooming out of season when he was but a small child, but he cannot quite recall what was being said. This person was actually Seishirō, upon whom Subaru stumbled when he had just performed a kill. According to the rules of the Sakurazukamori, Seishirō should have killed him, but impressed with the child's purity, he made a bet with him instead: He would meet Subaru again, and would then spend one year with him, protecting him and trying to love him. If, at the end of that year, he felt something for Subaru which distinguished him from a thing he could easily destroy, as he could not with any other person, then he would not kill him. To recognize him, he marked him with inverted pentagrams on both hands, the sign of the Sakurazukamori's prey. These marks are for most of the story hidden beneath the gloves Subaru continually wears on the direction of his grandmother, the previous family head, who recognized the marks and so hopes to conceal them with her magic. Things come to a head when Seishirō loses an eye protecting Subaru, and Subaru realizes that he is in love with Seishirō. But the year is over, and Seishirō declares himself the winner of the bet. He breaks Subaru's arm and tortures him, but does not succeed in killing him, as Subaru's grandmother breaks his spell - an action which leaves her crippled. Subaru's shock and heartbreak leave him catatonic. Hokuto, feeling guilty for her promotion of Seishirō, whom she knew to be dangerous, but also believed to be the only one who might touch Subaru's heart, leaves to find Seishirō and confronts him, asking to be killed by him and casting a spell with her death. Subaru, seeing her in a dream, is shocked out of his catatonia by her action. He vows to find Seishirō and take revenge for his sister's death.
Subaru and Seishirō return in Clamp's apocalyptic manga X. The story, set nine years after the end of Tokyo Babylon, has the two onmyōji on opposite sides during the final battle for humanity's future.
CharactersEdit
Subaru Sumeragi (皇昴流) is the 13th Head of the Sumeragi clan, a family of onmyōji. 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. Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi
Hokuto Sumeragi (皇北都) 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. She affectionately refers to Seishiro as "Sei-chan". Voiced by: Miki Itō (Japanese), Jenny Baker (English)
Seishirō Sakurazuka (桜塚星史郎 Sakurazuka Seishirō?) is a veterinarian who happens to hit on Subaru a lot. He is known as the Sakurazukamori, a murderous onmyōji. Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu
