Picking on the Cutie

This spring, I attended Animarithon at Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a handful of friends from my university's Anime Club. It was on a much smaller scale than the mammoth Ohayocon I had gone to a few months earlier, but I had a great time panel-hopping, shopping, and raving with my friends while dressed up as Dimension Witch and resident cryptic warning spewer Yuuko Ichihara from xxxHolic and Tsubasa. One of my favorite parts of the event was the Manga Library, which was filled with a good number of manga series for con-goers to enjoy in between panels or if they needed a break from wandering around the university. In bigger cons, they usually have anime viewing rooms instead, but I think I actually liked the manga library better. The moderator enforced the “quiet while people are reading rule,” and it gave avid readers like me a chance to check out series that local libraries don't usually carry (aka, something other than Bleach and Naruto).

Me at Animarathon as Yuuko.

I started off revisiting Cardcaptor Sakura (I had recently watched the anime and wanted to confirm a few of the differences I had noticed between the two), but eventually wound my way around the room looking for Toradora, a cute romance I'd been becoming a big fan of. What I found was even better: Tokyo Babylon, the early 90s CLAMP series featuring young spiritualist and too-cute-for-words Subaru Sumeragi and dashing but yet secretly sinister Seishirou Sakurazuka (better known for their stint in apocalyptic follow up series, X). I had already seen X: The Animated Series and was familiar with Subaru and Seishirou's back story, but I had been dying to get my hands on a copy of the manga to read first hand. I grabbed the whole stack, and dove right into the origin of the broken boy who had always haunted me in X.

Hmm... I wonder which era this is from?

The experience was thoroughly enjoyable, even in spite of the fact that I was undergoing heavy allergy related eye torture at the time (fitting for a CLAMP reading session) and was weeping tears of pain while trying to figure out what to do about my blood shot baby blues, considering I forgot to bring back up glasses should my contacts fail me (besides, glasses didn't go with my Yuuko cosplay). I already loved the nine-years-into-the-future Subaru from X-- which is saying a lot, considering he is quiet, withdrawn, and depressed at this point-- and I fell in love even more with his sunny younger self in his hot red jacket, tight eighties pants, and collection of hip head-wear and gloves. He seriously looked like the Japanese love child of Madonna and Michael Jackson, and was barely distinguishable from his equally cute twin sis, Hokuto.

Bringing back the nostalgia with Subaru and Hokuto

All the same, I was a bit surprised. Considering the gravity of X, I wasn't expecting Tokyo Babylon to be as light-hearted as it was at points (before the CLAMP-ness sets in, of course). The manga carries a heavy weight of cynicism regarding the unfeeling nature of the city and the shortcomings of human nature, but the moments between Subaru, Hokuto, and Seishirou (who at the beginning simply seems to be a kindly veterinarian) are initially tender. Seishirou is not at all coy about the fact that he wants the innocent Subaru to be his lover (making this one of the most blatant shounen-ai pairings in CLAMP history, coming out even ahead of Touya and Yukito of Cardcaptor Sakura and Tsubasa fame), and Hokuto cheers his affections on, in spite of Subaru's embarrassment at being singled out by the older man. These sections of the manga bring a much needed levity, especially when things inevitably go to hell later on, which I'll touch upon soon.

Hokuto and Seishirou plan his marriage to the Subaru. What on earth is a hindering koala?

The majority of the story features sweetheart Subaru (age 16) as he fulfills his duties as the head of his onmyoji family by solving occult mysteries, exorcising spirits, and helping people in need wherever he can find them. Subaru is a powerful magician, and is very good at what he does, especially since his strong sense of compassion helps people heal their hearts when nothing else works. However, Subaru's kindness is in many ways his downfall. In many of his battles against villains or dark supernatural elements, Subaru can't make the killing blow or hesitates at the wrong moment. This is when the hidden side of Seishirou begins to manifest itself. Whenever Subaru doesn't finish the job and ends up knocked unconscious, Seishirou is inevitably lurking in the shadows to take care of the messy killing for his friend. He clearly has powers beyond your average veterinarian, but at this point both his intentions and his alignment are unknown. He doesn't seem to have a problem with murdering, but protecting Subaru still seems to be a priority to him, even though the reasons why are still a mystery.

Hokuto doesn't have Subaru's powers (although she does have a few unique spells she can use when the need arises), but she likes to help him in any way she can, mostly by encouraging Seishirou whenever he gets flirtatious and by designing Subaru's elaborate Michael Jackson-esque wardrobe. She is bright and energetic, and her brother's happiness comes first and foremost to her, though she enjoys teasing him just as much as Seishirou does.

Before the WHAM chapters happen, we do get a sense that something isn't quite right. Subaru has frequent flashbacks of making a bet with a mysterious man under a sakura tree, but he can't remember what the bet was or the identity of the man. However, based on the atmosphere of these flashbacks, it's obvious that both the man and the bet were of a sinister nature.

A flashback to the bet

SPOILER TIME

Everything starts going wrong during a case that brings Subaru to a hospital where a psycho mom decides to knife someone in order to have a fresh kidney for her child on a transplant list (she's too crazy to realize medical procedure doesn't exactly work that way-- she doesn't even confirm that Subaru is an organ donor first, silly woman). Although poor, innocent Subaru is the woman's target, Seishirou leaps out and takes the blow, which unfortunately yet unsurprisingly gets him in the eye (oh, CLAMP). While Seishirou is whisked away for medical attention, Subaru is crushed. The impact of having someone make such a significant sacrifice on his behalf is astounding to him, and he can't help but wish that he was the one that had gotten hurt rather than Seishirou. When he learns Seishirou has gone permanently blind in his injured eye and might consequently lose his sight in his other eye (cue to me protectively covering my red and weeping eye, which I had just been considering ripping out moments earlier), Subaru goes nuts, punches a hole in the wall, and realizes that this powerful and consuming emotion has to be love. In this moment, Seishirou becomes Subaru's Soul Mate and Most Important Person, which in CLAMP manga is something that Cannot Be Undone. Once you find your destined partner, you share an eternal bond that cannot be severed no matter what happens. Subaru learns this one the hard way.

Wait, THESE guys are soulmates? Didn't see that coming!

Of course, it seems like everything should be sunshine and daisies after this revelation. Seishirou has been hitting on Subaru from the very beginning, and seems like a nice, supportive guy. What's more, Hokuto whole-heartedly approves, and would probably happily design their wedding, complete with Subaru's bridal suit/gown (I would be interested in seeing both). But attentive readers and X fans know that all is not well. For one, Seishirou has begun making allusions to the bet, meaning that the creepy guy under the sakura tree was him all along. For two, this is CLAMP, and realizing you're in love with someone means that one giant obstacle is about to crash land in the plot.

Not long after Subaru falls for Seishirou, the duration of the bet reaches its conclusion. Subaru and Seishirou meet once again under the sakura tree, and Seishirou declares himself the winner of their little gamble, and kindly helps Subaru remember what went down. Apparently, Seishirou is the Sakurazukamori, the leader of a clan of cold blooded assassins (the foil of the Sumeragi clan) that kills without messing around with niceties and compassion for the enemy. Little Subaru had the misfortune of stumbling upon Seishirou in the middle of one of his assassinations, and the rule is that anyone who sees the Sakurazukamori in action must die and take the secret to their grave. However, little Subaru was such a pure, darling innocent that Seishirou decided to give him a break on the condition that they make a bet with one another: Seishirou would spend one year together with Subaru and try to fall in love or at least have some sort of human emotion for him. Since he is the Sakurazukamori, this is no small task. All that matters to him is killing, and nothing else is sacred in his heart since love interferes with the pure intent to murder. But if he ends up feeling that Subaru isn't just another thing to be destroyed by the end of their year together, he'll let him live. If not, Subaru is toast. To seal the deal, Seishirou marked his hands with the inverted pentacles of the Sakurazukamori (hence Subaru's gloves; they were supposed to keep him protected, although Seishirou found him anyways) to mark Subaru as his prey. You know, just so all the other heartless assassins in Tokyo don't get any funny ideas.

This is the other purpose of the glove, naturally

Unfortunately for Subaru, Seishirou says he isn't in love with him, and can't see any reason why Subaru shouldn't be destroyed just like any other person or thing. And if this isn't hard enough for our hero to hear, Seishirou then proceeds to break his arms and torture him while mocking him for being such a failure. You can practically hear the poor boy's idealism and heart breaking into a thousand little pieces as he suffers these things for the person he loves. Death would almost be welcome at this point.

Fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be for Subaru), Subaru's wise grandmother sacrifices her mobility to break Seishirou's spell over Subaru, and Seishirou is unable to finish him due to her actions. In spite of this, Subaru has had enough. His heart is broken and his cheery optimism smashed into pieces, and the shock of it is too much for him. He enters into a catatonic state, sitting blankly while Hokuto apologizes over and over again for encouraging Seishirou, even though she sensed he was dangerous. All she wanted was for someone to touch Subaru's heart, and now she is ready to do anything to atone for her mistake.

And what better way to atone than a little bit of self-sacrifice? Of course, there is deeper meaning to this as we learn in X, but in Tokyo Babylon we see her troop out to confront Seishirou alone, only to have him impale her with his hand (one of his special finishing blows) as if they had never been friends in the first place. Subaru, who is currently locked away inside of himself, sees the whole thing unfolding in his mind's eye, and is powerless to do anything. The realization that yet another person has given of themselves on his behalf opens Subaru's eyes to the fact that he does have something have something he wants to live for, or, more specifically, a wish he wants granted before he loses his life. He wakes up from his coma and continues on as head of the Sumeragi clan, living for the day when his wish will come true.

I won't spoiler the details of his wish here. That's X territory, and I plan to post on X soon enough.

Following these events, Subaru begins to develop his more mature look from X.  The tragedies in his life have definitely taken a toll on him.

After such a heartrending ending, most readers are left with one burning question: Does Seishirou secretly love Subaru even the tiniest bit, or is he really a big ass heartless jerk?

The straightforward answer is even without Subaru in the equation, Seishirou is a big ass heartless jerk. It's part of his character. As the Sakurazukamori, he isn't going to go around weeping over the cuteness of baby kittens. He is going to kill (the baby kitten) and kill without mercy, just like he did to Hokuto, who he used to be perfectly friendly and civil to in his one year with Subaru. This is not the action of a kind person, and I am not going to go around pretending that he is not a sadistic and cruel man, even though I do enjoy him as a character. If you need further evidence of this, please refer to the manga version of X to see more of his exploits.

On the other hand, as a CLAMP creation, Seishirou is not at all a purely black and white cookie cutter ball of evil, so he deserves a closer look. Does he love Subaru? The question is never fully answered, but it is explored with more depth in X. When I write on X, I'll probably talk about what the actions Seishirou takes as a Dragon of Earth reveal, but for now, I will leave with two points to consider. For one, we later learn that Seishirou confronts Subaru many times in the years leading up to X, but never kills him. The condition of the bet was if Seishirou cannot distinguish Subaru from all the other things he's unemotionally destroyed then he will kill him. The fact that he doesn't go through with it may be telling, although I have no doubt in my mind that if Subaru's grandmother had not intervened, the Sakurazukamori would have taken care of Subaru after revealing the details of the bet. Perhaps having the time to think it over made the difference since he was no longer acting in the passion of the moment. Not to mention that one usually doesn't sacrifice an eye for someone they couldn't care less about and want to kill, but if Seishirou himself ever realizes this is uncertain.

As a general rule, the actions Seishirou takes in X counteracts these statements.

Secondly, we eventually learn that the only way to become the Sakurazukamori is to kill the former one, and that the Sakurazukamori is destined to be overtaken by the one he/she loves the most. In the case of Seishirou, he killed his own mother to become the head assassin, and when she tells him he will also one day be killed by someone he loves, he claims that love is impossible for him. His mother laughs and says she felt the same way up until she learned to love him in spite of the heartlessness of her occupation. If Seishirou does hold a little bit of love for Subaru, he's well aware that it isn't even destined to turn out well. In his mindset during the events of Tokyo Babylon, it may very well have been better for him to kill off Subaru rather than tempt fate and have an innocent boy eventually dirty his hands.

In any case, whatever love exists between them is not going to be the sweet, fluffy love of shoujo manga. No matter what you think of Seishirou, he gets his kicks out of playing mind games with Subaru, and the Subaru we are left with at the end of Tokyo Babylon is hardly Mr. Happy anymore thanks to what Seishirou has done. Any way you look at it, the relationship between Seishirou and Subaru is highly destructive, even if it is mutual.

In the end, soul mates are soul mates to CLAMP. Even in the Tsubasa multiverse, Subaru and Seishirou are destined to be entwined with one another, for better or for worse. Their eternal bond is something inescapable, and no matter what bitterness comes along with it, they have no way of forgetting each other or avoiding involvement in each other's ultimate fate.

Seishirou and Subaru appear in Tsubasa as a hunter and prey pairing. 

END SPOILERS

Tokyo Babylon is a good choice if you have a tough heart and can handle a heavy dose of cynicism and love that doesn't unfold as it should. It will make you question human nature and emotions, and wonder about what love really is, and how much pain and doubt it can withstand. It makes for light reading in the beginning, but the heavier sections near the end are what make it an excellent story rather than just a good one. For fans of X, it also makes for good supplemental reading to better understand Subaru and Seishirou's motives in the battle for the end of the world, as well as Kakyou's once his connection to Hokuto is revealed. And it's always nice to enjoy the young, cheerful Subaru while he lasts; he is an enjoyable character through and through, even when his attitude is forced to undergo a change.

And good news, anime fans! There are OVAs and a live action movie to go along with Tokyo Babylon! I haven't seen the live action, but the OVAs mostly cover Subaru as he tackles occult occurrences and tries to get to the bottom of spiritual mysteries. His bet with Seishirou is alluded to in the second OVA, but all in all the issue of their relationship is not brought up too often, and unfortunately Sei-chan never gets around to asking Subaru if he finds him sexy, as he enjoys doing in the manga. The quality of the animation is meh compared to X, and one of the songs used in the OVAs cracked me up with how bad it was, but overall I enjoyed watching them, and would recommend them for fans of Subaru and co.

The OVAs don't cover the main conflict, but still tell a good story.

As a break from my constant shounen-ai fandoms, next up will be Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom.