#doomed megalopolis

[pinkrosealice]

CLAMP's legacy as originally starting from doujinshi circles is really fascinating and makes a lot of sense when you understand that a lot of their manga are just straight up loose adaptations or spiritual reinterpretations of some of the most iconic pieces of 20th century japanese fiction, especially literature.

In many ways a lot of their storytelling is best described as "derivative" but I don't really like using that word because it has such a negative connotation. I think CLAMP's genius is actually their ability to iterate on the themes and ideas and character types and other inspirations that they derive from, especially in their ability to translate those elements to a visual/aesthetic format and to add themes of queerness into those stories or highlight the already present elements of queerness.

Like Tokyo Babylon is inspired by Teito Monogatari (and also Peacock King but that in of itself is a subject for a whole other post). And it's not just limited to the quick one-off comedic reference to Yasunori Katō that we see in the beginning of the manga. The title itself is a reference to the first manga adaptation of the Teito Monogatari. And that title choice for the adaptation was itself probably a combination of a deliberate reference to the Book of Revelation which was culturally relevant in Japan at the time for reasons I'll explain in a little bit, as well as the fact that the author of Teito Monogatari based Katō in part on Aleister Crowley. But Teito Monogatari and Tokyo Babylon are fundamentally stories about the exact same subject matter, that is the City of Tokyo itself.

X aka X/1999 is pretty self evidently a loose adaptation of the Digital Devil Story novels, the ones that would go on to be adapted loosely into the Megami Tensei video games. An apocalyptic battle for the fate of the entire world fought in Tokyo between two ideologically opposed groups of super powered beings, one of which is literally called The 7 Angels. There is a magic sword associated with the death of a female loved one, there are references to a whole bunch of religious and occult concepts from both the east and west, and one of the key locations for the plot is an elite private high school. X and DDS/ Megaten are both quintessential examples of media born from the Japanese Occult Boom. Bad Japanese translations of the prophecies of Nostradamus in the '70s that inspired the Book would become mixed with the social and economic chaos that was the Japanese asset price bubble and other late stage capitalist nonsense and then the financial collapse in the '90s is why you have in both Tokyo Babylon (and by extension the manga adaptation of Teito Monogatari) and X this weird obsession for the Book of Revelation in a ostensibly non-Christian cultural zeitgeist. Tokyo was both "Babylon" as in Rome or any sort of other hypothetical city / civilization that represented decadence and degeneration, and it was Tel Megiddo in the sense that it was the place where the end of days and the battle heralding the Apocalypse would commence.

And then Gate 7 is literally just one of dozens upon dozens of fanfic/ rip-off / adaptations of / works inspired by Makai Tensho which came out in the '60s and sort of is kind of the cultural grandfather of novels like Digital Devil Story, Teito Monogatari and the Onmyoji series. It's the modern source of basically every piece of Japanese pop culture that treats the notable historic figures of the Warring States Era as more than just badass warriors but literal demigods, sorcerers and super powered beings. Mirage of Blaze(which also has some pretty clear inspirations from Tokyo Babylon and it sort of exists in a trifecta with TB and Yami no Matsuei in their relation to the Onmyoji novels by Baku Yumemakura but again, that is the subject for another post), Samurai Warriors and Sengoku Basara, pretty much all of the Fate series but especially the original Stay Night and especially especially Redline/ GudaGuda and Samurai Remnant, and a whole bunch of fighting games and Ninja OVA'S are all examples of Makai Tensho's influence.

[babylon-crashing]

Some times you see a photo with so many bizarre things in it that you overlook the weirdest parts. What are we even looking at? A flood in China? Is this a movie set? Who is this woman sitting on the half-submerged car?

But then, suddenly, I realized what I wasn't seeing, which was this curious person, calmly standing in the middle of the giant heap of cars, perhaps dressed in what looks like a 19th century Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army? What does that remind me of?

For me, it is Yasunori Katō, the villain in Hiroshi Aramata's Teito Monogatari (帝都物語) from which we get the Doomed Megalopolis franchise.

Of course, it isn't. The photo is of the 1966 flood in North Point, Hong Kong, which dumped over 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. The storm resulted in widespread flooding, landslides and, "turning streets into raging torrents that killed at least 50 people ... causing cars to be swept down roads like toys."

In the series, set in Tokyo, Yasunori Katō does indeed attempt to use his supernatural powers to set off a natural disaster in order to destroy the city (in this case it is The Great Kantō earthquake of 1923) and since cosplay wasn't a thing back then I probably will never get a satisfying answer as to why this person is so weirdly out of place.

[barbwalken]

[stampedethegod903]

No cap fire ass anime 🌞🌝⭐

[balrog-slayer66]

Illustration by Suehiro Maruo

for Teito Monogatari

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed - Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis

Above all else, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis is a triumph of production design. From the intricately detailed miniature models and matte paintings to the elaborate costumes and soundstages to the charming Harryhausen-inspired stop-motion creature effects, every cent of the enormous budget is clearly evident. Hell, even the lighting—the radiant shimmer of sunlight reflecting off the surface of turbulent water, the eerie pale glow of the full moon peering through a blanket of dry ice clouds, the ominous neon glare of supernatural power—is absolutely immaculate.

The film’s spectacular imagery perfectly matches its themes, which revolve around the conflict between tradition and modernization. At the dawn of the twentieth century, Japan’s cultural leaders have become increasingly obsessed with urban redevelopment as a means of competing on the world stage. Rich industrialists, for example, propose the erection of towering skyscrapers that rival the gods in stature—ostentatious symbols of material wealth (as well as hubris, considering the country’s frequent earthquakes). Nationalistic, xenophobic militarists, on the other hand, argue for “practicality” over hollow aesthetics—borders, walls, and fortifications have far more strategic value than gaudy architecture. Scientists, meanwhile, prefer technological advancement to politics and commerce, embracing the logistical challenges of constructing a vast subterranean railway system. Those attuned to spiritual matters—monks, mediums, practitioners of geomancy—urge these various parties to exercise caution and moderation in their pursuit of the “future,” warning that such unrestrained expansion risks irrevocably tarnishing the sanctity of the land, thus provoking the wrath of ancestral ghosts and guardian deities. “Progress,” after all, can be a destructive force; occasionally, building something new requires burning down the old. These concerns, however, are dismissed as invalid and irrelevant—as obsolete as magic and mysticism in the era of automobiles, engineering, and electricity.

Despite this compelling premise, the plot is rather jumbled, disjointed, and unfocused. Among the sprawling (and bloated) ensemble cast, no single character ever really emerges as a true “protagonist”; vaguely sketched archetypes are introduced rapidly and vanish just as abruptly, only to reappear at seemingly random intervals. In terms of personality and motivation, they’re nearly indistinguishable; consequently, the audience has little opportunity to form a proper relationship with them. Basically, they’re merely props, existing for the sole purpose of communicating exposition and propelling the story from one set piece to the next—they’re functional, but not terribly memorable.

Fortunately, the central villain alleviates this flaw to a significant degree. With his dark, sunken eyes and sharp, almost skeletal facial features, Yasunori Kato is instantly iconic—the epitome of “screen presence.” He exudes menace, personifies malice; every deliciously diabolical line of dialogue that he delivers in his deep, gravelly growl is pure poetry, sending chills of terror down the viewer’s spine. Any scene that excludes him suffers for the omission—though even when he’s absent, his implicit threat still lingers, haunting the frame like a lurking specter, a whispered promise of calamity and impending doom.

Ultimately, director Akio Jissoji’s competent craftsmanship compensates for the movie’s minor formal and structural shortcomings; some mild narrative incoherence notwithstanding, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis rarely fails to entertain. At the very least, it deserves credit for sheer ambition; precious few blockbusters nowadays dare to be this defiantly audacious and unconventional. Indeed, its superficial blemishes simply make its stylistic virtues more obvious and admirable. Warts and all, it is an essential genre masterpiece, worthy of being ranked alongside such horror classics as The Exorcist, Phantasm, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

[boycentriccplot]

tokyo: the last megalopolis

[highsummonermercar]

I still find it fascinating that a lot of people in the UK didn't grow up with 90s anime. You didn't even need Sky!! ITV's CITV and SMTV Live aired Digimon, Cardcaptor Sakura and Pokémon while Channel 5's Milkshake aired Beyblade.

And I've just done a search and Channel 4 apparently aired 3×3 Eyes, Doomed Megalopolis, The Legend of the Four Kings, Cyber City Oedo 808 and Devilman?? I'm really surprised people didn't grow up with anime as much as the cartoons they watched here but to each their own I guess.

[gaelic-diary-holder-returns]

Just finished Doomed Megalopolis the anime adaptation of Teito Monogatari and wow just wow. That is probably the best anime I've seen in years not counting my rewatches of NGE and Mirai Nikki. The animation was wonderful, the plot was fascinating and Keiko was a totally badass protagonist so her ending was just wow. Anyway might say some others things when I've thought a little more about it.

[s-------i-------g]

[chibiranmaruchan]

To be honest, I don't know how many of these actually do make people look at you weirdly. I know Demande definitely does, Seishirou is very much a love-hate relationship and the Kisshu hate was stronger before the reboot. I feel like the others might be hated lol.

Quick, post your faves that make everyone else in the fandom look at you like

[cacaitos]

THIS WAS THE MOTHERFUCKER I WAS LOOKING FOR

[barbwalken]

I watched the Doomed Megalopolis OVAs and damn, I liked them so much. The animation is so good, I would love to watch them on a higher resolution, but alas, its what I could fund with subs.

It was so satisfying when kato got his extra awesome ass beaten in the most unexpected way. I liked keiko so much, she is so gentle and a badass at the same time.

[pandorias-box]

I have seen much discussion of people’s personal beliefs regarding the reverence of legendary Pokémon today, and what I can say is that in Ultra Megalopolis, reverence of the Blinding One is…a complicated subject.

There are those of the city who see it as the one who granted us our prosperity and the gift of inter-dimensional and planetary traversal while others see it as a harbinger of doom due to it being the one who cast us into darkness and nearly destroyed us. It was because of this divide that there was a war shortly after the Purge of Light ages ago between these two schools of thought, and we nearly destroyed ourselves then and there.

We not only sealed Necrozma so that it could not wreak havoc upon other worlds, but that its seemingly unending pain could cease. In both fronts, it seemed fruitless. The Blinding One was shattered and it loathed us for our ancestor’s grave sins. It escaped multiple times and sought to repeat the Starless Night on worlds that still had an abundance of light and aura. It brought our kin light, yet took it away. But that was a result of our kind’s folly. A result of our ambitions blinding us from the radiance that already shone across the City.

And yet, there are those of us, myself included, who still hope to see our light returned to us as the Blinding One recovers in its reclaimed sanctum in Megalo Tower. I do not know if it will take decades or millennia, but it is this hope drives me to hold on to these beliefs, even if some may see it as archaic.

[bygone-sanctuary]

Doomed Megalopolis / 帝都物語

[ogradyfilm]

My Top 5 Movie Memories of 2024

Ran out of time to prepare a proper New Years Eve post (having way too much fun visiting with my family), but I wanted to commemorate the holiday somehow. So as a throwback to a similar list that I shared in the distant past of 2018, here are my five favorite movie memories of 2024 (in no particular order):

The Japan Cuts screening of Look Back; there wasn't a dry eye in the theater.

Finally seeing Kenji Misumi's Ken (a.k.a. The Sword)—a movie that I've been searching for since reading about it in Patrick Galloway's Warring Clans, Flashing Blades over a decade ago—at the Museum of Modern Art.

Finding a Blu-ray copy of Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (and its less acclaimed—but still perfectly enjoyable—sequel) at Media Blasters' Anime NYC booth.

Getting to witness benshi (live narrators of silent movies) perform their increasingly rare art on two separate occasions, courtesy of Japan Society and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Rediscovering the work of Japanese auteur Hiroshi Shimizu and experiencing a selection of some of his postwar masterpieces (including Tomorrow There Will Be Fine Weather, The Sentimental Idiot, and Children of the Great Buddha) on the big screen.

And with that, I'll wish everyone good health, financial stability, and many exciting cinematic adventures in 2025!