Tokyo Babylon question

[mistress bunny]

I was browsing at Animecornerstore and found Tokyo Babylon on DVD. The cover says "The prequel to X: The Movie".

With X TV, i've only seen up to episode 12. I was a little bit confused when Subaru and Seishiro made their first appearance in episode 9.

So, is Tokyo Babylon required viewing when watching X TV?

[snowcherry]

God no, far from it. The Tokyo Babylon OVA will tell you virtually nothing about Seishirou and Subaru (and Hokuto). It's kind of crappy, in my opinion (other than the ultra-faithful character designs). Also, the dub is unspeakably horrible.

CPM just called it a "prequel" because they like to create ties to more well-known titles/names. Hell, they put, "If you like CLAMP, you'll love this!" on Shamanic Princess' cover. It's smart marketing.

If you really want to know more about them, the manga is really the only way to go.

[Emma]

Tokyo Babylon is not requirement for X but it will definitely tell you more detail about Subaru and Seishiro.

The OVA of Tokyo Babylon has 2 stories which is not in the manga. The stories are good but don't listen to the English dub. The Japanese track contains some of the best voice actors.

[mistress bunny]

Some marketing scheme, eh.

Thanks for the warning minna-san.

Since the manga is very rare (and can't read japanese) I emailed Tokyopop and requested to release Tokyo Babylon manga in English version.

[ATh]

Kinda crappy?

Tokyo Babalon is garbage through and through.

It ranks up there with moldiver in crappiness and iczer 1 in unwatchablility.

I think... i might have to do a search for what i have said before .

ATh

[snowcherry]

I was trying to be nice. It -is- pretty terrible, but the manga is excellent.

[jennwenn]

Really? You guys hated Tokyo Babylon that much? I thought it was all right. I liked it and I thought the supernatural actions scenes weren't bad, as far as supernatural action scenes go.

The detective story type plots in the OVA are a LOT more interesting than some of the ones featured in new crappy anime like Ragnarok and Spiral. I really liked the plot. I would say the OVA was more similar to horror detective anime than to X TV.

Character development was a little low for the main characters of the manga, but what do you expect in a 2 episode OVA? I did find the characters and the new ones introduced still interesting.

I never read the manga, so I don't have high expectations. :D

[ATh]

Oh yeah i recall it now. The soft main guy who sufferes from teh damsel in distress syndrome and was always saved by that other guy.

I think it was the sheer predictibility of the thing that irked me the most. I saw a few episodes and they were all the same, i gave up after a few.

ATh

[snowcherry]

I don't think it should have been only two episodes then. It's pointless; with only two episodes, all they -could- do was either drop the viewer into the middle of the story or give two episodic, unrelated, [utterly predictable, inane] plots.

I saw it dubbed first, so that could very well be why I disliked it as immensely as I did. Such a terrible, terrible dub.

[Emma]

The OVA is more like fan services for the people who already read the manga and want more. Same as the RG Veda OVA.

[ATh]

WHAT it is only 2 episodes long? that means i suffred through the whole thing?

bah,

ATh

[jennwenn]

Originally posted by Emma
The OVA is more like fan services for the people who already read the manga and want more. Same as the RG Veda OVA.

Fanservice...yeah maybe that's why I liked it so much. :p

[mistress bunny]

Well i'm tempted and so, I ended up getting the Tokyo Babylon (OAV) DVD to compliment my X Collection.

*Couldn't help laughing after listening to the 1st ED song* :lol:

After watching Tokyo Babylon, another spoiler question to ask...

I might have missed some important infos. In X TV, we saw the episode (forgot which one) where Subaru first shows up. We then learn that Seishiro killed Hokuto. Any reasons?

While in the Tokyo Babylon OVAs, Subaru had a thing for Seiishiro, he was a goody-goody guy as anything towards Hokuto. Why is Seiishiro then became a bad a$$ guy in X?

edit: I know the TB OAV didn't provide any backgrounds and such. Answers to my endless question will be much appreciated.

[Emma]

Spoiler, a lot of spoiler
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In the very beginning of the second OVA of Tokyo Babylon, we see the scene of a child and a high school student beside a sakura tree. They are Subaru and Seishiro when Seishiro made a bet with Subaru. Seishiro will run into Subaru and he will stay around Subaru for 1 year. If he doesn't like Subaru by the end of the year, he will kill him. When he decides to kill Subaru, Hokuto willingly let him kill her to protect Subaru.

The first question is answered in Vol. 18 of X. The second question is answered through out Tokyo Babylon.
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end spoiler

[mistress bunny]

That is it. *MB now looks for Tokyo Babylon manga*

But I guess I jump in way too early as i haven't seen the rest of the X TV eps. (still pre-odering X volume Six).

A million thanks to you Emma. ;)

[Pandora]

Considering the fact that Tokyo Babylon OVAs were made in the early 90s (the first one in 92, the second one in 94), the quality, of course, will not live up to the current high standard. Personally, I quite like the OVAs.