Ranked #164

Tokyo Babylon (Manga)

I came upon the manga Tokyo Babylon in quite and odd manner, I found all seven volumes at a used bookstore for two dollars each. I had never heard of the series but fourteen dollars for seven manga was too cheap to pass up. I originally intended to later resell the seven manga for a higher price but the day after I bought them I was bored and decided to read the first volume. I don't think I moved until I had finished those seven volumes; I was enthralled with the characters, story, and just all around ideas of the plot. I read that whole series and found myself bawling throughout the last two volumes. Tokyo Babylon is truly an amazing series.

~ Story ~

The story is nothing but enthralling; you're hooked from the very first volume. Sure there are other stories that deal with the sort of supernatural things that happen in Tokyo Babylon but in my opinion, CLAMP pulled that particular kind of story off the best. Aside from entertaining, the plot is rather dark and towards the end, angsty, and for me there is nothing better than angst. Seeing the way things developed throughout the seven volumes was something that is hard for me to explain as CLAMP does it in their complex and expert way. You really have to read it to understand what I'm saying, there is just something about the story that makes you want to keep reading.

Most certainly a ten for the story.

~ Art ~

Tokyo Babylon is written and illustrated by CLAMP so great art is expected, however CLAMP's art styles are an acquired taste so the art may not appeal to some. I however adore their style and so to me, the art of Tokyo Babylon was a treat for me.

A nine indeed.

~ Characters ~

The character's are perhaps my favorite part of Tokyo Babylon. They are deep, believable, emotional, and very complex. Seeing the relationships between the character's growing and changing was something I enjoyed to the fullest extent. The relationship between Subaru and Hokuto is very characteristic of twins and I really enjoyed seeing their strong bond and Hokuto's protectiveness of her "little brother". It was also a joy to watch the way Seishirou and Subaru's seemingly innocent yet dark and twisted romance unfolded into a climactic battle and rather heart-wrenching end.

An inexplicable nine.

~ Enjoyment ~

As one can probably already tell, I enjoyed Tokyo Babylon to the fullest. The story, art, and characters were all wonderful, complex, and deep which is something that I love to see in a series. Tokyo Babylon is a beautifully tragic story and I think anyone who is a fan of CLAMP or a fan of dark, angsty plots, Tokyo Babylon is the story for you.

Definitely a ten!

~ Overall ~

TEN. TEN. TEN. TEN. I'd give this story an eleven if possible but alas, ten it the highest I can rate it. I strongly recommend this series and think you should go out right now and buy all seven volumes. You wont regret it.
=D read more

Tokyo Babylon was one of the first few mangas that I started reading years ago and up till today, I still think it is one of the best mangas CLAMP has produced.

Warning, this manga does contain some elements of shounen ai (boy love).

Story:

Looking at the summary one would think that che, it's your typical magical boy running around Tokyo exorcising your ghost for the day. I must say, the story line reflects more than that and it addresses some of the issues society is facing from the aging population to bullying. There are some really cute moments (a big hug for Hokuto-chan and her very loud fashion!!) in the story but overall it has a pretty dark storyline with a tragedy for its ending. Great story twist and sob!!

Art:

It's CLAMP, so safe to say the art it really detailed and beautiful. Of course it is pretty outdated now (it being drawn in the 90's so the clothes were quite old fashion).

Character:

I love the three main characters!!! Each of them have a complex personality, all contrasting each other. Even some of the supporting characters are pretty interesting. My personal fav is Seishirou.

Enjoyment:

Enjoyed it to the max!!!

Overall:

I give it a 9 due to the artwork (and I'm stingy w/ marks). And when you are done with this manga, move on to X to watch the conclusion of Subaru and Seishirou's twisted, twisted relationship. read more