introduction

Tokyo Babylon is a seven-volume manga series that ran in the Japanese manga magazine Wings from 1990 to 1993. It is one of the earliest series of mangaka group CLAMP, which is also behind such series as Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, ×××Holic, and Chobits, to name a few.

Set in 1990, Tokyo Babylon is the story of a 16-year-old onmyouji, Sumeragi Subaru. Subaru is the thirteenth head of the Sumeragi clan, Japan's premier onmyouji, and is frequently hired by the government as well as individuals to investigate strange or supernatural phenomenon or put spirits to rest. Subaru lives in Tokyo next door to his twin sister, Hokuto, who supports his work. The two of them are good friends with Sakurazuka Seishirou, a veterinarian with a mysterious connection to the Sakurazukamori, a rival of onmyouji clan to the Sumeragi. And Seishirou seems to have some connection with Subaru past his frequent declarations of love for the young boy...

Seishirou and Subaru appear again in CLAMP's apocalyptic manga X (also known as X/1999). The series ran for 18.5 volumes before being put on hiatus due to its incredibly violent content; it has been on hiatus since 2003 and is incomplete. In X, Seishirou and Subaru meet again for the first time in nine years, but this time, the end of the world hangs in the balance.

In the past few years, both Tokyo Babylon and X have been republished in English in omnibus editions, collecting multiple volumes into one. Tokyo Babylon's original 7 volumes comprise just two volumes in this new omnibus, while X is condensed to 6 volumes. If you're new to the material, this is a cost-effective way to get into both series.

Want to know more?

For a more indepth look at Tokyo Babylon and its characters, check out death wish, my fansite for Seishirou & Subaru.

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