Tokyo Babylon
CPM
105 minutes
English/Japanese
English Subtitles
04/20/1999
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Tokyo Babylon
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Andrew : I like how she only has one shoe on. As I started teaching myself how to write better and better (or gooder and gooder, if you prefer) I stopped relying on the crutch that was the quotes I threw into every review. While I think it's a good thing, as it stops making me look like I'm coping out so damn much, some of those things were REALLY funny too. Such is the case with the quote above, which I find to be absolutely hilarious...well, as hilarious as something can be when it's referencing a serial rapist/killer who also happens to be a ghost that's stalking a subway and causing all sorts of trouble. Still...if there's anyone you can trust to put a little humor into an anime it's Andrew, he's about as dis-serious as one can be about a show without starting to really piss me off. I mean, there's only so many comments you can make before I want to just crack you across your fat, New Jersey lips. You want to know when a show is good? When Andrew asks me why there aren't any more episodes of it. |
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So I figure it's also appropriate to keep this quote in because Tokyo Babylon is one of Andrew's most favored shows, and with good reason. Tokyo Babylon is an interesting two episode stint about the adventures of a paranormal detective boy and his love for his leather catsuit. While that might sound gross (and it is!) the show itself is still pretty good and if there's one thing I'm down with it's good anime. Tokyo Babylon is some sort of precursor to the heavily homoerotic X series. In which Subaru Sumeragi, our favorite ultra-polite and hyper-effeminate detective, plays a critical role (likely in getting stuff with copious amounts of man meat) Or that's my version of it anyway, I'm sure the "real" one is a little more tame but which would you prefer? My awesome description or the more mundane "legitimate" one? It's true that I'm not really too boned up on my Clamp mythos here, but I am familiar with some of their other works, and let's just say I'm aware that they're not particularly against throwing in a guy who doesn't mind a good romp in the hay, if you know what I mean. |
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I mean they want to romp in the hay with guys, obviously. Fortunately Clamp deigns to hook me up on the side so I don't get too ansty. Hikuto Sumeragi is the super hot 80s chick with short hair who seems to have no shortage of outlandish clothing in her wardrobe. In case you don't know me, allow me to explain. A character like that is like a magical key to the cockles of my heart, and she's got more than enough giant crosses and Mickey Mouse hats to keep me interested for the slightly less than two hours this disc runs. But it's still pretty hard to sit through, for purely technical reasons. White subtitles have never sat well with me, for one. Also, Tokyo Babylon is one of the earliest anime DVDs out there and it definetly shows. From it's whacked up case design to its back flouting features like "Interactive Menus!" it looks like 1890's propoganda for Elizah's Miracle Cure All. They had to sell these things somehow and putting down that you had to push a lot of buttons to watch the movie seemed like a good idea. Nobody back then knew what "menus" were anyway, does my VCR have menus? I think not!** Also, at the end all these trailers inexplicably start playing, for a whole bunch of things that look like they came from the Dragon's Lair series of games, but actually seem to be animated shows. Do you know what that means? Because I sure do! |
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I means they look like shit. But we're not here to talk about Shadoan or Kingdom of the Far Reaches and the crappy music contained therein, we're talking about Tokyo Babylon and ITS crappy music. I don't know who highlighted an 80s montage played to some of the most heavily accented English I've ever heard, but I really think I'm starting to warm up to them. Kiss Kiss or Strawberry Kisses, whatever its name may be...that song is still awesome...but only awesome in a way where you'd never want to show your friends. Tokyo Babylon isn't just about crappy music though, that wouldn't be nearly enough to rope Andrew as it did. No, it's about men with shoulders the size of barns, men who move mountains and fight against undead blood dogs who subsequently rip off their arms and then possess them or something. Tokyo Babylon might not make a lot of sense, even within its own universe, but that doesn't mean it's a terrible show...just a little misguided. I don't need to prove this show to you, the mere fact that Andrew likes it should be proof enough. And you know what? Anything with undead super attacking blood-dog spirits is good enough for me. |
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