Tokyo Babylon 2 Review: A compelling story and deeper characters

Detailed review and recommendation of Tokyo Babylon 2

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 21, 1994

■Release and sales

Movic

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

CLAMP

■ Director

Koichi Chiaki

■ Production

Produced by Animate Films Animation Production by Madhouse Produced and Published by Movic, SPE Visual Works, Shinshokan

■Works

©Movic, SPE Visual Works, Shinshokan

■ Story

Sumeragi Subaru is the young head of the Imperial Family, which governs all onmyoji in Japan. His twin sister Hokuto and veterinarian Sakurazuka Seishiro, who may be connected to the assassin group "Sakurazuka Mamoru", live happily together in Kabukicho, Shinjuku on the surface. While riding the subway late at night, Subaru happens to witness a random murder in the next car. A series of murders in which passengers are killed has been occurring on that subway line. After being questioned by the police, Subaru meets Mirei, a woman who cooperates with the police investigation. She has the ability called postcognition, which allows her to read past events from objects she touches. In the midst of a slow-moving investigation, a fortune teller whom Mirei loved like a mother is killed by a serial killer, and she decides to cooperate with an undercover investigation to catch the culprit. Worried about Mirei, Subaru gets on the subway late at night, but...

■Explanation

The second volume of the 1994 "Tokyo Babylon" OVA has been released on DVD. Based on the original work by CLAMP, this work depicts the darkness of the city and the mysterious world of onmyoji, attracting many fans. In particular, it has been praised for its delicate character of Sumeragi Subaru and the deep portrayal of the relationships surrounding him. Another point not to be missed is the story development that makes use of Mirei's post-cognitive ability.

■ Main staff

・Original work: CLAMP
・Director / Chiaki Koichi・Producers / Ikeguchi Kazuhiko, Masushima Yumiko・Production Producer / Maruyama Masao・Screenplay / Jinno Hiroaki・Character Design / Takahashi Kumiko・Chief Animation Director / Fujikawa Futoshi, Shimamura Shuichi, Tazaki Satoshi, Kimura Masahiro・Chief Animation Director / Takahashi Kumiko・Art Director / Ikeda Yuji・Color Settings / Mikasa Osamu・Director of Photography / Yamaguchi Jin・Music / Honda Toshiyuki・Sound Director / Matsuura Noriyoshi・Production Cooperation / Madhouse・Production / Animate Film・Production, Writing / Movic, SPE, Visual Works, Shinshokan

■ Main Characters

・Subaru Sumeragi
The protagonist. The 13th head of the Imperial Family, the most powerful onmyoji in Japan. He has particularly strong abilities among all the previous heads of the family. He exorcises various spiritual disturbances that appear in modern Japan. His main job is as a high school student, but his work of exorcising spirits has kept him so busy that his promotion to the next grade is in jeopardy. He is a boy who is full of compassion for others, and has a sensitive personality that makes him feel the pain of others as if it were his own. He tends to be swayed by his sister's forceful attitude and Seishiro's approach.
・Sumeragi Hokuto
Subaru's twin sister. She has trained just like Subaru, but is only able to use two or three techniques. She has a lively and easy-going personality. She encourages the pairing of Subaru and Seishiro because it's "interesting," but in reality she is a very thoughtful person who loves her younger brother more than anyone else and worries about his overly altruistic kindness. She is also in charge of coordinating Subaru's clothes. She is quite skilled at cooking. Her dream is to become a wife living in an apartment complex.
・Sakurazuka Seishiro
A man who belongs to Sakurazuka Rogo, an assassination group that uses Onmyou magic to kill people. He is usually a veterinarian who runs an animal hospital in Shinjuku. He became a veterinarian for a different reason. He is a weirdo who constantly presses Subaru, saying "I love you" and "Am I sexy?" He usually has soft black hair and wears glasses and has a gentle appearance, but his true nature is cold-hearted.

■ Theme songs and music

・ED
"Deja vu"
Lyrics: Hideaki Matsuoka Composition: Hideaki Matsuoka Arrangement: Hideaki Matsuoka Singer: Hideaki Matsuoka

■Detailed evaluation

"Tokyo Babylon 2" is the second volume of the OVA series based on the original work by CLAMP, and was released in 1994. This work depicts the darkness of the city and the mysterious world of onmyoji, attracting many fans. In particular, it has been praised for the delicate character of Sumeragi Subaru and the deep portrayal of the human relationships surrounding him. Another point not to be missed is the story development that makes use of Mirei's post-cognitive ability.

The story begins when Sumeragi Subaru witnesses a random murder on the subway late at night. This incident is part of a series of serial murders, and Subaru ends up cooperating with the police investigation. There he meets Mirei, who has the ability to read past events from objects she touches, and her ability has a major impact on the investigation. When a fortune teller whom Mirei loved like a mother is murdered, she decides to cooperate with an undercover operation to catch the culprit. Worried about Mirei, Subaru decides to board the subway late at night, but what happens there is up for grabs.

The appeal of this work lies above all in the depth of the characters and the depiction of human relationships. Sumeragi Subaru is a sensitive boy who feels the pain of others as if it were his own, and his kindness and strength underpin the story. Meanwhile, his twin sister Hokuto has a lively and easygoing personality, and while she fuels the relationship between Subaru and Seishiro, she loves her brother more than anyone else and worries about his altruistic kindness. And Sakurazuka Seishiro is usually a gentle veterinarian, but his true nature is a ruthless assassin, and his dual nature adds tension to the story.

Mirei's postcognitive ability also has a major impact on the progression of the story. By reading past events from objects she touches, the investigation progresses and the identity of the serial killer is revealed. The depiction of this ability is very realistic and has the power to draw the viewer in.

In terms of visuals, Madhouse's animation production has been highly praised. In particular, the scenes depicting the darkness of the city and the magic of the onmyoji are a perfect blend of beautiful visuals and suspenseful direction. The character designs are also by Kumiko Takahashi, and are faithful to the original work by CLAMP.

In terms of music, Toshiyuki Honda's music adds excitement to the story. In particular, the ending theme "De-ja vu" was written, composed and sung by Hideaki Matsuoka and plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. This song is an important element in allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the afterglow of the story.

■Recommendation

"Tokyo Babylon 2" is a work that depicts the darkness of the city and the mysterious world of onmyoji, and is a fascinating work with deep character and human relationships. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in the delicate character of Sumeragi Subaru and the human relationships surrounding him. In addition, the story development that utilizes Mirei's post-cognitive ability is also a point not to be missed, and it is also recommended for those who like mystery and suspense.

This work is based on the original work by CLAMP, and fans of the original work will be satisfied with the content. In particular, Kumiko Takahashi's character designs, which faithfully reproduce the character designs of the original work, are a point that fans of the original work cannot miss. In addition, Madhouse's animation production has also been highly praised, so it is recommended for those who want to enjoy visual beauty.

In addition, Toshiyuki Honda's music and Hideaki Matsuoka's ending theme "De-ja vu" also liven up the story, so it is recommended for those who are particular about music. This work boasts high quality in all aspects, including story, characters, visuals, and music, and is a work that can be recommended to many viewers.

"Tokyo Babylon 2" is the second volume of the OVA series released in 1994, and depicts the dark side of the city and the mysterious world of onmyoji. The delicate character of Sumeragi Subaru and the relationships surrounding him are depicted in depth, and the story development that utilizes Mirei's postcognitive ability is also a point not to be missed. Based on the original work by CLAMP, this work is sure to satisfy fans of the original work, and Madhouse's animation production and Toshiyuki Honda's music are also highly praised. It is a work that can be recommended to many viewers, and I would like you to see it at least once.