Forum - View topicTokyo Babylon - another amazing CLAMP series!
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Sheleigha
 Posts: 1675 |
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I JUST got around to reading my copies that I bought way back last summer >_> I sure wish I didn't wait! It's rare for manga/anime to impact me so, but the stories in this did just that. Although, I do wish I read the series way back when it was first released in Japan. I'm sure audiences were greatly shocked by Seishiro's true nature (although it becomes obvious how he was already shifty to begin with, not to mention the roles both he and Subaru play in X if people already know they are in it).
The two stories that really hit me the most, were the ones about the old man and the woman with her deceased daughter. There's just something about those stories that pack a shock value, and yet, make such a strong impression. The ending was rather a shock to me as well. spoiler[ It's obvious since the beginning that Seishiro was bad news, and ultimately becomes a Dragon of Earth. I also remember reading in my insert booklet to my X boxset how it mentioned how Hokuto is killed by him... But I had no idea just how evil he was! I guess the character is just so strong, because seeing him killing little girls and small puppies is just the worst of the worst! >_> I don't think of my chess piece of him as 'cute' anymore either >_> Heh^^ ] Well, I was thrilled by this series and can't wait to pop in the OVA DVD that I have this week. It also makes me want to watch my X boxset even more, seeing where Subaru is left off at the end of the series. Well, even though I know the outcome of the two from an X spoiler >_> But still! I'm sure there are others that have read this series and have had quite an impact from the stories and characters^^ |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Because I was not familiar with CLAMP chronology, I ended up reading X first. Later on however I was able to find Tokyo Babylon. It all made sense then of Subaru, Seishiro, and where Hokuto fit into the story. It's quite sad, too. Reminded me of when I read RG Veda, now that was a sad one. The series to me felt kind of slow in the beginning, it wasn't until the middle of the series that it actually started picking up for me. But it's still a good read and I would recommend to anybody who is interested in CLAMP.
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9903 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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I've just borrowed it from a friend. Will start reading it today.
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Princess_Irene
ANN Associate Editor
 Posts: 2813 Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City |
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I think the most amazing thing about it is spoiler[the way the reader is fooled right along with the characters. In the end Subaru really is "just like the others," despite all our hopes to the contrary.]
As a note, I read it in French, so I don't know if the English edition uses the same phrasing. 
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Sheleigha
Posts: 1675 |
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That actually left me feeling sad :/ spoiler[I really enjoyed the little innocent Subaru. Of course, a lot DID happen: finding out his love is pure evil, his sister getting killed for him.... It was sad to see how he stopped caring about his looks because I enjoyed his neat taste in clothes too. Although, it's interesting he smokes. It's almost like it leaves him a reminder since Seishuro did as well, but at the same time showing how he gave up on himself. Still, he's overall still caring. ] Can't wait to see his character in the anime now^^ |
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Princess_Irene
ANN Associate Editor
Posts: 2813 Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City |
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It made me sad too. In fact, I think it was the first manga I cried over. spoiler[I agree with you about why he smokes - it's like he's trying, in a small way, to be like Seishiro.]
I've often wondered if Clamp, in a way, never got over Tokyo Babylon. They seem to go back to its themes again and again. Have you read Clover? That's my other favorite of theirs. |
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Sheleigha
Posts: 1675 |
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Not yet. I used to eye it up but never did pick it up. Then I found the music video and since then, I need to have it >_> (CLAMP no Kiseki also contributed^^) Luckily it's being released as an omnibus this month so I am SO picking it up. I know it's still declared unfinished by CLAMP, and hopefully when they finish xxxHOLiC and Tsubasa they can work on some old projects... maybe find a publisher for X as well >_> Well, at least I hear the anime is really good (I own the movie just cause but uhh yeahhhh....^^)
I thoroughly enjoy their sad tales however^^ |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Could you expand on this? I am actually interested to know for which themes. |
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Princess_Irene
ANN Associate Editor
Posts: 2813 Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City |
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The major theme I see repeated over and again is that of "not being like the others." spoiler[Subaru is convinced that he is somehow different from "the others" (making him the literary "Other"), but in the end the reader learns that he really is just like the rest of us.] This idea that a character has done something out of a noble belief, that he or she is somehow above humanity spoiler[only to have that hope/belief dashed] shows up a lot in Clamp's post-TB works. Another example is in X when we learn the identity of the Fool card - spoiler[Fuuma and Kotori's mother.] While it doesn't jibe with the true/typical Tarot reading of the card, there is the implication that were it not for this character's choice, all of the bloodshed and turmoil could have been avoided. (At one point I had a friend suggest that when Clamp revealed who the Fool was it would be a mirror to show all of us fools for reading X...) This idea also plays out at the end of the first Magic Knight Rayearth series, when the magic knights learn the real purpose of their summoning - not to spoiler[ save the world, but rather to fulfill the selfish wishes of Emeraude and Zagato.] In essence, the people they worked for were, in fact, "like the others." On the same note, the betrayal of a cause is also a central theme in Clamp's works. spoiler[As the magic knights were betrayed by Emeraude, so is Subaru betrayed by Seishiro (and in a sense Hokuto, who dies and leaves him alone and later in X kills Seishiro). Kazuhiko in Clover is betrayed and left alone when his mission turns out to be to help Suu die, after already having lost Oruha. ]Tsubasa is rife with potential betrayals, although as that's still going, I don't really want to comment on it. Some of these themes may originate with RG Veda - I don't know that series as well as TB - but they seem to crop up in Clamp a lot. If my brain hadn't shut off for spring break, I'm sure I could give you some more.
They do them so well! I think they're some of the best authors for encapsulating the idea of "mono no aware," a literary term that basically translates as "something so sad, it's beautiful." You will love Clover, Sheleigha! ^^ |
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skaly
 Posts: 148 |
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My favorite volume was the fourth, which had a truly painful moment between Subaru, the mother of a deceased child, and the child's ghost.
By the time X begins, Subaru seems to no longer care about other people--only about finding Seishirou again. He does his job dutifully but coldly. Subaru's bond with Kamui seems to be restoring him to his old self, but Seishirou's final act shatters all chances of that. Perhaps in the end Seishirou did what he did because he didn't want to see what Subaru was becoming. The Subaru he liked (if he did indeed like Subaru) was the Subaru from the Tokyo Babylon days. It sort of makes sense that he wouldn't confront Subaru again until he once again resembled his old self. So where are the Vizbig editions of X? |
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Mitsuho
 Posts: 47 |
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Great series. Unfortunately I have only have the second edition of volume 2... You can tell it's second ED (besides from the title page) by the white text on the cover where the first edition uses black lettering.
Good use of flowers and the cherry blossom finale was a nice touch. |
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Sheleigha
Posts: 1675 |
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Coming soon to a bookstore near you... when CLAMP finishes it. Once they do, I can anticipate a 3rd print of the series (since second print STILL didn't flip the books for whatEVER reason :/) In other news I started watching the OVAs. Just saw the first episode and it's just another side story. Don't mind, since I miss old Subaru, but still I was hoping there might be actual storyline in it :/ I wanted to watch the ending at least, in animation form. |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Yeah, I'm hoping that they'll come out with a new translation, should CLAMP ever finish it (which I honestly don't expect to happen, but I still hope it might). Also, the Tokyo Babylon OVAs were made before the manga was finished, so it would be impossible for them to have the ending in them. This is the downside of most CLAMP anime (except X-TV, which gives us the only ending we may have...well, other than the movie but that one is just uh, epically bad). |
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skaly
Posts: 148 |
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A new translation wouldn't be unheard of. I believe Viz touched up their work on Maison Ikkoku when they did the second editions. Tokyopop started from scratch when they did new editions of Cardcaptor Sakura. To be fair, much of the translation of X is serviceable, except for a few moments when the translator got creative. (Though you'd have to know a bit more Japanese than I do in order to really tell. The stuff I know about had to be pointed out to me.) Manga was still somewhat new in its popularity back then (publishers were still deciding how to present the stuff), and I doubt translators would take the same approach for X today. |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I'm quite sure they wouldn't, which is why I hope they might re-do it, just like Tokyopop did with CCS, should they ever do a re-release. But I don't think it would be really worth it for them to do so until the series is finished because likely most of the people who will buy it regardless have already done so. |
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