Related Titles: Tokyo Babylon (anime), X (manga), X (tv series), X (movie)

Warning: Vague shounen-ai hints
Genre: Shounen-Ai | Action | Drama | Humor
Company: ???
American Liscensing Company: None
Format: 7 volumes
Dates: ???? (early 90s)
Original Creator: CLAMP
Age Rating: 15 and up
How much I read: The first five volumes

Synopsis: Subaru Sumeragi is a 16 year old, cheerful, kind, gentle and extremely caring Onmyou medium (the head of his family, the Sumeragi clan) who confronts and helps take care of ghosts and spirits with the help of his twin sister, Hokuto, and his gentleman friend, Seishiro. Subaru does his best to help anyone he meets, but the entire atmosphere of the polluted city of Tokyo of the early 90s, brings about a feeling of desperation that threatens to drag Subaru's spirit down.

SCORE: 86%

Supernatural fun (and fate) that will make you remember the atmosphere, views, and fashions of the early 90s! Very retro for us old enough to remember!

Plot: To be truthful, I may have read 5 of the 7 manga, but even with that much read, it's hard to comment on the plot. I have to see the resolution before I can really comment. However, there does seem to be a plot, and of course it's all about fate and destiny, and centered around Subaru and Seishiro (and of course it would. This series in some ways is a predessor to CLAMP's X series, since all the main characters of this manga show up later as important characters in X, which takes place at the very least, 5 years after Tokyo Babylon).

I have to admit, I have little to no interest in the sap stories the ghosts and people that Subaru helps talk to him about. I did like a few stories, like the one with the old man, the woman who wanted revenge for her murdered daughter, and the child that needed a kidney transplant. While some of the sap stories are annoying, they actually do a pretty good job of bringing out the main characters personalities. And they also help see further into the characters relationships, and the mysteries of Seishiro. ^_^

Take Subaru and Seishiro in the story about the boy who needs the kidney transplant for example on how these stories can work well. Subaru wants to help the little boy so much, he thinks about donating one of his own kidneys, but then thinks maybe he shouldn't for spiritual reasons. That brought out such a common thought that crosses peoples' minds when it comes to organ donation, and I had never seen it discussed in a manga/anime before. Seishiro's advice to Subaru about that issue was so sweet too. ^_^ And the story with the vengeful mother was so sad.... I was so shocked by the wants of the little girl's ghost. And I felt so utterly sorry for Subaru for being stuck in that situation, which he felt he needed to lie to the mother about and felt dreadful about later. *sniffle* But Seishiro made him feel better, and it was so sweet! But then got dark with the Seishiro creepiness at the end of the chapter. Heh, heh, heh. I can't wait to read the other volumes!

Visual: Of course this manga has what people now call "the early CLAMP style". It's very early 90s, but utterly pretty in ol' CLAMP fashion. TB uses a lot of dark shadows which help the mood, but can be distracting for some. Many do not like the use of shadow that is in TB, (and I understand; it take some getting use to for that kind of shadow used for noses. I've seen it in anime and other manga) but I think it works very well for it's style.

Of course TB is utterly pretty, but also dark, mysterious and almost gothic at times. A very good visuals manga, that doesn't overdue it nearly as much as the X manga. And the comedy scenes are good too! Not extraordinary executed humorous visuals, but funny nontheless!

Extra Rants and Bitching: Time for some good ol' CLAMP angst! Man, their really vague shounen-ai hints can make you laugh or get pissed! Sometimes I wish they would confirm some things about these characters!

I love seeing Subaru's very Michael Jackson outfit! It cracks me up every, single time I see it! He also looks like an English school boy sometimes (My God, it's Harry Potter! LOL) that is adorable and amusing, and then scarily looks like a Christian preacher sometimes too also. CLAMP (Hokuto actually, lol) has some very weird fashion ideas in the early 90s!

Good lord, Subaru is so girly, it's fuckin' scary! At least he looks more masculine when he gets older in X, but he still has a pretty face, that's for sure!

Score Comments: Considering where I stand on my opinion of plot, 86% is actually a very high score for this title. While I do like the plot, chances are I will edit and change my mind on the score after I finish reading the series and get to see the resolution. It all depends on how well the story ends!

Websites:
Tokyo Babylon Scanlation Project (Read what I've read so far. This scanlation project was my source for this manga.)