#tokyo babylon volume 7

[sumeragi-hokuto]

Set 4 of chapter 3, volume 4 of the Tokyo Babylon manga. 9th chapter overall.

Cleaning/typesetting done by me, official Dark Horse translation used.

Select/open the images to view in higher quality.

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[landofanimes]

CLAMP Exhibition (2024)

July 3 - September 23, 2024 in Tokyo

The biggest CLAMP exhibition to date, the event showcases the original artwork from 23 works made by the group of four women, from RG Veda to Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card (technically 22 but they're counting Legal Drug and Drug and Drop separetely).

Over the years CLAMP has published a variety of manga, including those for boys (shounen), girls (shoujo) and young men (seinen), depending on the magazine they were published. Appealing to readers of all ages, genders and countries, their work continues to captivate.

The exhibition will feature a total of 800 original manuscripts (200 in color, 600 black and white), divided in 7 areas: Color, Love, Adventure, Magic, Phrase, plus Imagination and Dream.

C for COLOR. CLAMP colors the world.

Displaying a total of 200 original colored pieces from all 23 works (100 for each half of the exhibition).

This area showcases the variety of artstyles, techniques and tools CLAMP used over the years on their different manga. Includes pieces with colored ink, Copic markers, acrylic gouache, pastels, and digital art.

Even when publishing 2 different works at the same time the group likes to vary their tools: RG Veda (1989-96) was colored with ink and airbrushes, while Tokyo Babylon (1990-93) was colored with screen tones. The artstyle also changed depending on the publisher.

2. L for LOVE. CLAMP draws the forms of love.

The artwork in this area are divided in 8 types of love seen throught CLAMP's manga.

"The love depicted by Clamp is not singular—there is a straightforward love towards a significant other, but it can also be a determination to protect loved ones, a thought character keeps in their hearts, or even the conflict itself." (from tokyoartbeat article)

3. A for ADVENTURE. CLAMP weaves the stories of adventure.

350 manuscripts from 6 action-packed manga series: RG Veda, Tokyo Babylon, X/1999, Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

Includes a synopsis of each work and selected scenes to follow along parts of the story.

4. M for MAGIC. CLAMP casts its magic.

The fantasy, magic, and mysterious powers seen in CLAMP works are seen in the moving manga pannels projected in 3 large screens in this area.

5. P for Phrase. CLAMP spins the phrases.

The first room showcases 40 manuscripts from xxxHolic.

The second room focuses on the power of words spun by CLAMP, exhibiting quotes form their works on the walls. Visitors can also pull one phrase sticker from the Phrase Box from CLAMP and take it home, or stick it to a wall in the room. There are 120 different phrases to pull.

6. IMAGINATION

Timeline of 35 years of creative work, from 1989 to 2024, featuring manga volumes, magazine issues, and more.

An installation in the center of the room also features quotes from a new interview with the four women specially for this event.

This is also the only area which features CLAMP's work in other media, including various collaborations. There is a selection of color illustrations, rough design drafts, and other artworks from Soryuden: Super Dragon Brothers, CODE GEASS, BLOOD-C, HiGH＆LOW g-sword, Cardfight!! Vanguard, GIFT (picture book by Ice skater Yuzuru Hanyu), The Grimm Variations, and HELLO KITTY.

7. DREAM

The last area is solely to exhibit a new illustration featuring Ashura (RG Veda) and Sakura Kinomoto (Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card), representing CLAMP's beginnings and future through their first and latest work.

"Kuro" (Black) and "Shiro" (White) are also the names of the new artbooks titled COLOR, which compile the artworks seen in the exhibition. A deluxe edition will be released at a later date compiling both volumes in one.

............................................

The audio guide during the exhibition is provided by Jun Fukuyama, who has played Kimihiro Watanuki in the anime series xxxHOLiC, Kobayashi Kotaro in ANGELIC LAYER, and Lelouch Lamperouge in Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (CLAMP is responsible for character design in Code Geass) .

The place also features a store with a long list of products.

They also have the first volume of their various manga available to read, and a TV showcases the recently shared announcement video of the new anime project of Magic Knight Rayearth.

CLAMP Exhibition National Art Center in Roppongi, Tokyo First Half: Wednesday, July 3 - Monday, August 12 Second Half: Wednesday, August 14 - Monday, September 23

Sources:

Tokyo Art Beat

Fashion Press

Bijutsutecho (+)

Natalie Mu

Internet Museum

Official Clamp_ex Twitter

[b-else-writes]

The Great CLAMP Re-Read Part 8: Legend of Chunhyang

Part 1 (RG Veda) | Part 2 (Man of Many Faces) | Part 3 (Tokyo Babylon) | Part 4 (Duklyon) | Part 5 (Clamp Detectives)| Part 6 (Shirahime)| Part 7 (X)| Part 9 (Miyuki-chan)

The RG Veda historical epic that never was, or better off cancelled? While X is widely cited as CLAMP's first unfinished work, there is actually another 1992 stillborn CLAMP work, before we can finally move onto 1993 in the CLAMP timeline. To be a broken record, I had no idea this existed! It’s unsurprising: only 3 chapters were ever published (plus 1 drama CD), before the magazine folded and CLAMP decided to cancel the project (yeah yeah they said they’d love to finish it. They’re liars).

Unlike many of their other discontinued early works, this one actually got a tankoban release, and Tokyopop did the now out-of-print English translation in a single volume with no extra art. Plus, I was hesitant about approaching a work of Korean folklore written by 4 Japanese women, given the history, and my fears were not unfounded. So I’m content that I put off getting the physical release for my collection. Spoilers (?) ahead.

Synopsis: In Ancient Korea, a brave young maiden called Chunhyang, opposes the injustices of the corrupt governing Yangbans. When her mother, a magic-wielding mudang, is kidnapped by their town's Yangban, Chunhyang is aided by the lecherous Mongryong, the Amhaeng’eosa, a secret government agent. Together, the two set off on adventure that will take them across Korea to liberate towns and discover the truth of Chunhyang's father.

The Story: I wrote all of that out, but the reality is what actually exists of Legend of Chunhyang is two chapters and a flashback. It's very hard to judge a story that hasn't settled in or moved further than the set up for the adventure. What we got is entertaining enough - chapter 1 is the inciting incident where Chunhyang’s mother dies and she teams up with Mongryong, 2 has them liberate a mystical flower village with the help of a rain god and twin mudang, and 3 is a flashback that reveals Chunhyang’s dead father was important and killed for defying the Yangban. It’s very Robin Hood, and moves at a good pace despite being pretty standard YA fantasy. Speaking of, I don’t think CLAMP realises most Korean towns back then would have been agricultural. Why does Chunhyang live in a huge villa doing nothing all day? I want my peasant hero, not a disgruntled pseudo noble.

The skeleton for the entire story is pretty obvious (bring revolution to Korea) and I’d definitely be curious to see more of it. But I’m also not sad we got nothing more. It’s a pleasant afternoon distraction.

The Themes: Don’t be a bully and tyrannical governments are bad and must be resisted - as long as they’re Korean (side-eyes that Rising Sun flag in CLAMP Campus Detectives. Ah, Japanese nationalism). It’s 3 chapters, that’s all I can glean.

The Characters: Chunhyang fits heavily into the CLAMP stock heroine: young, spunky, strong, pure-hearted, and athletic, shojo ingenue. Still, while she’s nothing new, I enjoyed Chunhyang. CLAMP has the formula for the fun, palatable heroine we love to see win, and I’m hardly immune. Mongryong was more bland to me, falling hard into that 90s era shojo hero who gets comically beaten up by his love interest, but always suavely swoops in to save her. It’s nostalgic, he’s hot, but that’s it. Maybe with time they would have defined themselves like RG Veda’s cast did (also archetypes), but there’s just so little!

The crumbs of minor characters are equally stock - one dimensional cackling villains, and pure beyond belief good guys. Mongryong’s tiger spirit was my favourite because I love all cats. It’s really the charm of Chunhyang that carries us above - she’s a good balance of fierce and endearing.

The Art: Legend of Chunhyang is interesting in that chapter 1 was brush inked due to their experience on Shirahime, but the remaining art was done with marker pen. The result is chapter 1 feels a bit unpolished, with backgrounds being mostly chunky blobs and quick lines in a way I found distracting. 2 and 3 work much better, with thick swirls of soft magic and flowers, giving Chunhyang a slight distinction from their other early 90s work. The panel work is quite conservative unlike RG Veda, very rarely having dynamic spreads, but satisfactory and readable. Chapter 2 is a standout of circling dragons and flowers. Everyone is gorgeously dressed and pretty. It’s not the best of CLAMP, but it’s nice and elevates the material.

Questionable Elements: While certain CLAMP podcasts have praised CLAMP for essentially rewriting the folktale to make Chunhyang more active - why would you even choose to adapt that Korean folklore then, if your intention is to make a generic Robin Hood sword and fantasy series that has zero to do with the original culture? You could just set it in feudal Japan! It feels very distasteful to deliberately choose Korea as a setting of barbaric unending tyranny that needs correcting. Especially given Japan’s history in “modernising” Korea.

On top of that, there’s a clear lack of research done - a lot of the outfits and hair accessories are inaccurate. Chunhyang’s mother’s decision to kill herself than risk dishonour is also incredibly Japanese (and notably doesn’t exist in the original). I have to cry foul because if you’re going to actually set this in a real ancient Korea, you should do your research. I’m not saying CLAMP are anti-Korean but they show a disappointing lack of care and bias.

Also. How old is Mongryong if Chunhyang is 14. Answer quickly, CLAMP.

Overall: Listen, RG Veda 2.0 this is not. Rather than an imaginative, fantastical, sweeping epic, Legend of Chunhyang is built on very familiar tropes and stock characters with a dose of cultural insensitivity and bias. It doesn’t even have a proper narrative arc, existing more as a “what if” than an almost masterpiece. It’s alleviated by the sheer charm of Chunhyang herself, its brisk, entertaining pace, and the enjoyable art. But it’s no great literary tragedy that it was never finished, and I’d really only recommend it to diehard CLAMP fans who want a quick, pleasant escape on a fantasy adventure.

[astharoshebarvon]

ranma 1/2 is getting a new anime, the way these people could just not have made that garbage and just did this. it also has some very obnoxious elements and I doubt they'll remove those scenes but still. it'd be a good watch.

magic knight rayearth is also getting an anime project, what it is? it's still a secret, maybe 2 ovas?

zagato/emeraude were so sweet. and of course lantis/eagle. they were a couple I dont care what anyone says. they were together in tsubasa too. soulmates remain with each other in every world. it was lantis, eagle and geo.

also clamp's artbooks, they look lovely and I would buy them but almost all illustrations are available online. Rg veda and X/1999, yasha/ashura, all characters actually from rg veda. seishirou/subaru and kamui/fuuma are always a pleasure to look at but still.

I have both tsubasa's artbooks so I dunno. But the full illustration of the spine of X/1999, my god, fuuma!!! so beautiful!!! The art of these series : rg veda the latter half, cardcaptor sakura, tokyo babylon the latter half, x/1999 around volume 7 till 19, tsubasa, kobato, is just beautiful.

Fuuma and Kamui are perfect together. They love each other and belong together. Period. Everything else is irrelevant. The fact that in both artbooks they are together, or with their dragons only. Seishirou and Subaru of course have to be together. It says everything.

[tomoyoo]

7 and 11 for manga asks

Hi 🫶

7. The manga you reread the most

It was probably xxxHolic kdhdjdjs every now and then i remember a scene and i read some random chapters. I'm also collecting, i think this year i got like 4 volumes more :> i just love holic a lot. other than that i reread tokyo babylon and clover from start to finish.

11. Your favorite manga covers i answered it in another ask, i also liked little forest, my broken mariko and yoru to umi

[psychewritesbs]

I don’t know why I would do this to myself but I'm re-reading Tokyo Babylon for the nth time and as always I'm noticing new details… god bless me by the time volume 7 comes around. maybe the ending will be different this time?

Like how Sei hands Subaru this ridiculous tower of ice cream and Subaru just accepts it like it’s the most natural thing in the world because what kind of normal person would reject a cone with 4 scoops of ice cream?

Me. I'm that person. I can hardly finish one scoop... too sweet.

But above all, it's the fact that Seishiro knew to give him a cone with 4 scoops of ice cream of different flavors.

I like to imagine Seishiro just making mental note of all the #things Subaru likes for the sake of mental gymnastics. Like... maybe he has a little notepad where he scribbles all the #things.

あほ！

[ratwars]

have fun posting from hell, what is your current to read list?

Of course 😌

We will pretend my pages of lists don't exist right now nor does most of the stack of unread books on my shelves nor do most of the screenshots of recs I haven't added to the more organized format for the sake of this answer.

Current for manga:

1. Tokyo Babylon (started this, on volume 2)

2. Kamisami Kiss (continuing this)

3. Midnight Secretary (continuing this)

4. Black Bird (continuing this)

5. Wish (haven't started, I have volume 1 to read)

6. The Summer Hikaru Died (started and paused for now)

7. Starving Anonymous (started and paused. I have to come back to this one I got squeamish but I am going to give it another try because it was on a recommendation from someone and they hyped it up).

Current for everything else:

1. You've Lost A Lot of Blood (almost finished)

2. A Game of Hearts and Heists (low key forgot about it, I am halfway through)

3. Heaven Official's Blessing (started the first book yesterday before I died from a migraine. So I have to restart it lol)

4. The picture of dorian gray (I was supposed to read this months ago I told someone I would they probably forgot but well so did I 😔 still it lives near the top of my list)

5. Never lie

6. One of those faces

7. The Silent Patient

8. To Be Devoured

9. The Brothers Karamazov (technically a reread but I read it as a teenager I haven't started yet only thumbed through it to find specific relevant parts and refresh myself)

10. Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (stopped around chapter 158: Ep 31. I will come back to this someday I just lost the mood to read it although I still was enjoying it)

[animenostalgia]

Do you know if the new Yen Press CLAMP Premium Collection Tokyo Babylon is any different from the Dark Horse Omnibus?

Hi Anon! As far as I know, the differences between the new Yen Press Tokyo Babylon vs the old Dark Horse release are as follows:

Yen Press' release will have a new translation with new lettering.

The Yen Press release will have new cover art done by CLAMP for the Premium Collection release.

Dark Horse's release was 2 massive, 500+ page omnibus collections, while Yen Press' release will most likely be similar to the Japanese Premium Collection release: 7 smaller volumes.

There may also be new supplement materials included, like color pages, notes from CLAMP, etc, but I'm not sure yet since I don't have a copy yet myself.

I hope that helps! If you'd like to order any of Yen Press' Tokyo Babylon releases, you can help support the podcast by ordering them via my Amazon affiliate links! Here's vol 1, and here's vol 2.

[13eyond13]

THE MANGA REC LIST

in order of date released (and with the number of volumes listed on Wikipedia in brackets... I will keep this list updated with my progress through the volumes):

1967 Cat-Eyed Boy (3) / [progress: 3/3 read] {★★★½}

1968 Ashita no Joe (20) / [progress: 1/20 read]

1970 Lone Wolf and Cub (45)

1972 The Rose of Versailles (14)

1972 Devilman (5) / [progress: 5/5 read] {★★★½}

1974 The Heart of Thomas (3) / [dnf]

1974 Dear Brother (3) / [dnf]

1976 Glass Mask (49)

1981 Touch (26)

1982 Akira (6)

1982 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (7)

1984 Dragon Ball Z (42)

1985 Banana Fish (19)

1987 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (132) / [dnf]

1989 Berserk (42) / [progress: 42/42 read] {★★★★★}

1990 Tokyo Babylon (7)

1990 Slam Dunk (31)

1990 Crows (26)

1991 Sailor Moon (18) / [progress: 1/18 read]

1992 X (18)

1992 Boys Over Flowers (37)

1994 Monster (18) / [progress: 9/18 read]

1994 Neon Genesis Evangelion (14) / [progress: 14/14 read] {★★★★}

1996 Card Captor Sakura (12)

1996 Yu-Gi-Oh! (38) / [dnf]

1996 Inuyasha (56)

1996 Revolutionary Girl Utena (7) / [dnf]

1997 Haru wo Daiteita (14) / [dnf]

1997 Hellsing (8)

1997 One Piece (107)

1997 Trigun (14)

1998 Hunter x Hunter (37) / [progress: 3/37 read]

1998 Fruits Basket (23) / [dnf]

1998 Uzumaki (3)

1998 Forest of Piano (26)

1999 Naruto (72) / [progress: 6/72 read]

1999 20th Century Boys (22)

2000 Dorohedoro (23)

2000 Nana (21) / [progress: 21/21 read] {★★★★½}

2000 Chobits (8) / [progress: 2/8 read]

2001 Worst (33)

2001 Fullmetal Alchemist (27)

2001 Claymore (27)

2002 Skip Beat! (49)

2002 Ouran High School Host Club (18) / [dnf]

2003 Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle (28)

2003 Death Note (12) / [progress: 12/12 read] {★★★★★}

2003 Gintama (77)

2003 xxxHolic (23) / [progress: 1/23 read]

2003 Wolf's Rain (2)

2004 Vampire Knight (19)

2004 Soul Eater (25)

2006 Black Butler (33)

2006 Pandora Hearts (24)

2006 Code Geass (8)

2007 Totally Captivated (6)

2007 The Breaker* (10)

2007 Noblesse* (25)

2007 Goodnight Punpun (13) / [progress: 2/13 read]

2008 Bokura no Kiseki (29)

2009 Attack on Titan (34) / [progress: 4/34 read]

2009 Durarara! (18)

2009 One Punch Man (28) / [progress: 1/28 read]

2010 Cheese in the Trap* (webtoon)

2010 Tower of God* (13)

2011 Puella Magi Madoka Magica (3)

2011 Tiger & Bunny (9)

2011 Orange Marmalade* (webtoon)

2011 Tokyo Ghoul (14) / [dnf]

2011 Girls of the Wild's* (webtoon)

2011 Hero Union BBS (1)

2012 Made in Abyss (12)

2012 Houseki no Kuni (12)

2012 Erased (12)

2012 Mob Psycho 100 (16)

2012 Assassination Classroom (21) / [dnf]

2013 The Gamer* (6)

2013 A Silent Voice (7)

2014 Golden Kamuy (31)

2014 Dungeon Meshi / [progress: 5/12 read]

2015 My Next Life as a Villainess (9)

2016 The Promised Neverland (20)

2016 Demon Slayer (23)

2016 Moriarty the Patriot (19) / [dnf]

2016 Beastars (22) / [progress: 22/22 read] {★★★★}

2017 Blue Period (14) / [progress: 1/14 read]

2017 No Longer Human (3) / [progress: 3/3 read] {★★★½}

2018 Chainsaw Man (15) / [progress: 12/15 read]

2019 Cheating Men Must Die** (18)

2019 Vampeerz (9) / [dnf]

2020 A Stepmother's Marchen* (webtoon)

2020 Death is the Only Ending for the Villainess* (webtoon)

2022 Gokurakugai (2) / [progress: 1/2 read]

2023 The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All (1)

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*manhwa // **manhua

Check out my sorting hashtag #13readsmanga to see my liveblogging of the series I'm currently reading (but beware of potential spoilers in there!)

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Check out the notes of THIS POST [X] for my spoiler-free reviews of the series I newly finish

-

And check out THIS POST [X] if you want a short explanation of why I dnf'd one of the series on the list

--

last updated 2024/Sept/22

So for my book reading goal next year I think I'm going to attempt to read a lot of iconic/classic/influential manga series everybody should know, and I'd love to get your recommendations if you have them! Pls comment them here, even the really obvious ones, chances are I probs have not read it yet

[miramimar]

after 7 years…i finally bought volume 2 of tokyo babylon

[subarusakurazuka]

hey sorry if this is a stupid question but do you have a recommended place for reading tokyo babylon ?? every site has half the chapters and even if I bought it the volumes are pretty rare irl

Not a stupid question AT ALL! I actually used to own the whole series, but it was lost when I lost all my possessions a few years ago, and before that I had originally read the entirety of it at my local library when I was around 13. 😂😭

Unfortunately Tokyo Babylon is super hard to fine online This site looks like it might have all of it, but it’s hard to tell just from looking real fa at… https://www.novelcool.com/chapter/Vol-7-Ch-11-End/4604184/

[landofanimes]

CLAMP EXHIBITION (2024)

CLAMP Exhibition Official Artbooks COLOR in A4 (29.7 x 21 cm)

KURO (Black) is a collection of all the drawings that will be exhibited in the "COLOR" area during the first half of the CLAMP exhibition.

SHIRO (White) is a collection of all the original drawings that will be exhibited in the "COLOR" area of ​​the second half of the CLAMP exhibition, as well as original drawings created specifically for the exhibition!

A limited number of copies will be available for pre-sale at the CLAMP exhibition venue. Sales at general bookstores will begin on August 7th.

A deluxe edition artbook that compiles the regular editions of KURO and SHIRO in one volume is also in the works!

Featuring all 23 series from the exhibition:

RG Veda / Man of Many Faces / Tokyo Babylon / Duklyon: Clamp School Defenders / X/1999 / CLAMP School Detectives / Legend of Chun Hyang / Shirahime-Syo: Snow Goddess Tales / Magic Knight Rayearth / Miyuki-chan in Wonderland / The One I Love / Wish / Cardcaptor Sakura / Clover / Angelic Layer / Suki: A Like Story / Legal Drug / Chobits / xxxHolic / Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- / Kobato. / Gate 7 / Drug & Drop

[mermain123]

be warned of 2 things

first before reading X

READ TOKYO BABYLON

X is a sequel to that even if it doesn't seem like it at first. it takes till like volume 7 or 8 to become clear that the events of tokyo babylon took place

also

the series at this point seems to be on a permanent hiatus. it hasn't updated in more then a decade maybe 2

OH

and if you want to read holic

pick up tsubasa as well

the 2 stories are intrinsically interconnected and to really get the full picture both need to be read.

Please read Clamp's X1999! It's good! You'll love it!

Ooh, it sounds interesting! I'll have to check it out.

Aside from Cardcaptor Sakura (which, criminally, I still haven't watched) and Magic Knight Rayearth, I also want to check out xxxHolic.

[b-else-writes]

The Great CLAMP Re-Read Part 3: Tokyo Babylon

Part 1 (RG Veda) | Part 2 (Man of Many Faces)| Part 4 (Duklyon) | Part 5 (Clamp Detectives)| Part 6 (Shirahime)| Part 7 (X)| Part 8 (Chunhyang) | Part 9 (Miyuki-chan)

The CLAMP 90s series. Perhaps their greatest work ever. Tokyo Babylon ran from 1990 to 1993, concurrent with RG Veda, the CLAMP School, Shirahime, Chun-hyang, AND X. It makes you wonder how X and Tokyo Babylon shaped each other (but more on that later). Tokyo Babylon (and X) is also set in the same universe as the CLAMP School reflecting CLAMP’s early interest in crossovers. Planned out as 7 volumes, it consists of 11 big stories and 3 annexes. I read the omnibus versions which contain lots of coloured art, but the original print run is a beauty in 80s and early 90s graphic design.

While I'd never read this before, it's famous enough (two OVAs, a drama CD, and a live action movie), that I went in knowing some of the big spoilers, but not details. So while my reading was coloured by the knowledge of its tragic end, it still felt revelatory to me. It is the first CLAMP work where I think they had gotten their storytelling pinned down enough to consciously think of how to write a story that ties together on a thematic level, in every stage, and it's phenomenal. Heavy spoilers.

Synopsis: Onmyoji and thirteenth head of the Sumeragi clan, Subaru Sumeragi is called upon to solve occult mysteries in post-bubble Tokyo. It's a time of glittering lights, a rotten economy, and city populated by lonely people desperate for an answer to their problems as the millennium draws near. Joined by his fashionable twin sister Hokuto and the kindly but strangely sinister vetenarian Seishiro Sakurazuka - who is in love with him - the overly sacrificing and empathetic Subaru must solve these problems and learn how to live - but Tokyo is not a kind place, especially to those with gentle natures.

The Story: On its surface, Tokyo Babylon begins as a "case-of-the-week" style story, where Subaru has to solve an occult case and learns something. Its a deceptively simple premise that allowed for CLAMP to explore pressing social issues of their time (which still feel resonant due to the sensitive way they explored them), while also building upon Subaru's character development through this, and the suspense of Seishiro's true nature. We observe Subaru grow through his failures and learn more about the limitations of his empathy. No case feels pointless in how it develops Subaru as a person, and his relationship to Seishiro. The dread we feel about Seishiro's connection to Subaru grows that we almost believe we might just get out of this. It's just excellently plotted out.

The comedy is well-timed and CLAMP know when to pull back from it to allow the emotional aspect to come through. Every case is incredibly gripping and I even cried reading "Old". I have seen some suggest it would have been more effective to have a massive twist rather than seed Seishiro's psychopathy throughout, but I actually think this works on a thematic level, and finding out Seishiro is a murderer, the bet, and Hokuto's death, still hit like a gut punch. It's a brilliant usage of seeding information without the full context until the end. I have no complaints here. It's a poignant story of Tokyo in the early 1990s and its destructiveness, while never losing its humanity.

The Themes: Do you know why the cherry blossoms are red. Tokyo Babylon is a story about well, Tokyo. It's about how modern city living that pursues only personal gain and conformity leads to human loneliness, and loneliness is a trap that destroys us all. We can never know someone else's pain, which leads to loneliness - but to recognize that is also freeing because it means we cannot judge and be judged for it. Having empathy is good, but too much and for the wrong people and not for yourself, can only lead to death. Subaru forms his self-identity through others, in contrast to his self-actualized twin, remaining aloof and detached from his own self - this is why Seishiro's betrayal breaks him, because Subaru doesn't know how to live as his own person. It is also what causes his loved ones so much harm in how little he loves himself in comparison to others.

Its a fascinating interplay between community and individuality, the reality of modern life of trying to be someone while also needing to generalize, without ever really settling on either side. Hokuto is right that they're not the same person, but Subaru is also right that they are deeply connected, as all people must be. Where it does come down hard is that humans are not the villains but Tokyo is, in what it represents - greed, selfishness, cruelty, and apathy. "Things like this happen in Tokyo everyday". It is intensely tragic and yet, strangely, incredibly life-affirming. Despite everything Subaru suffers, people are not born and made evil and everyone should be taken for who they are, not a faceless mass. Including ourselves.

The Characters: Like the plot, everything in the characters is tied into the story of Tokyo. Seishiro is Tokyo: the slick, cool-cut well to do man in a suit with no empathy and a taste for violence. He's Subaru's mirror - charming AND connected to people, and yet not. Nobody is special in Seishiro's eyes, nobody deserves to be treated as anything but an object. And then we have Subaru, poor sweet Subaru who is so empathetic and yet so detached from the world and himself because he's so focused on only his job, on not being an individual. He is what Tokyo wants him to be, filled with self-loathing and frankly suicidal impulses that he shouldn’t be alive if others are not.

It's so tragic to watch Subaru finally grow into a person, but to do so to the one person who will hurt him. Subaru wants to to love Tokyo so badly, that it kills his sister, the one person he SHOULD have been pouring his love into, the person who could love him back and expect nothing in return, the person who would allow him love while not dissolving himself in it. And Hokuto is just a showstopper, funny, kind, witty and cool. She's Subaru's northstar, the empathy and humanity where he cannot, almost co-dependent. I love characters that reflect one another and the themes.

The Art: The visual storytelling and panelling are fantastic. Tokyo Babylon offers a sparser and more distinctly black and white look than RG Veda, with a stronger emphasis on emotional paneling that breaks into beautiful spreads. It creates an almost wood-block, timeless appeal (despite the fashion) that is neither too busy nor too simplified. Anything to do with the Bet and especially the finale is incredible. Subaru surrounded by cherry blossoms? Haunting. The fashion is impeccable, I love the bold design choices in the covers and spreads. The character designs in and of themselves are quite simple (and I don't love the seme-uke look of Seishiro and Subaru), but the personality-costuming is so well done and tell stories themselves. And the use of Hokuto and Subaru being identical to conceal the twist? Masterful character design. My only complaint is some of the scanned photo backgrounds are jarring against the lovely drawn art.

Questionable Elements: Subaru is 16 and Seishiro is 25. That being said, I do think from their interviews and the actual text, we aren't meant to ship them, and it's not unrealistic to be a teen and fall for an older person only for it to majorly fuck you up because they abuse their greater knowledge to harm you (which hey, might be a theme!). Some of the way issues are handled is dated, but not too badly. Again, I’m not going to comment on whether this is queer representation or not, since I don’t think that has ever been CLAMP’s intention. Despite the stereotypical seme and uke stuff, the relationship feels real and tangible (which is why the payoff works). My real gripe is Hokuto getting fridged, though it's handled better than expected (still. let's stop killing women to make men sad).

Overall: A beautiful tragedy and an ode to human alienation, identity, and empathy. I went into this expecting to like it, and ended it never the same. It is genuinely a fantastic, fully complete thematic work from them that speaks as a reflection of the time it was written, and yet remains resonant. I know some people find it edgy, but I actually don't think edge is its intention, it's dark and it's tragic but never misanthropic. Yes, Subaru enters the adult world broken, but his refusal to become like Seishiro and to continue to count himself amongst humanity despite everything, reaffirms that life and people have value (notwithstanding his behaviour in X).

You can see so much of their ideas crystallize here that they’ll repeat across X, Xxxholic, etc. We're all just lonely people and we hurt each other in our loneliness, and it's important to recognize that in ourselves and take care of ourselves for it. We have value as individuals AND through others. Read it!

[tsugarubecker]

me, reading Tokyo Babylon volume 7: wow, I knew volume 7 was fucked up but I forgot that Seishirou is legitimately a psychopath. Like textbook definition. He’s really out here like (major spoilers!) “I gave myself a year to see if I could feel any differently towards you than I feel towards this dead body but alas, I feel nothing” like? Jesus christ dude go to therapy

[tomoyoo]

i'm drawing a metaphorical funeral and looking for references, of course my first thought was clamp premium collection tokyo babylon volume 7