Babel II

Babel II (Japanese: バビル2世, Hepburn: Babiru Ni-sei) is a 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as an original video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama's sequel to the series, set in a parallel universe, is entitled His Name Is 101 (その名は101, Sono Na wa Wan-Zero-Wan).

Babel II
Cover of Babel II volume 1 as published by Akita Shoten
バビル2世
(Babiru Ni-sei)
Manga
Written byMitsuteru Yokoyama
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original runJuly 1971 – May 1973
Volumes12
Anime television series
Directed byKozo Morishita
Written byShun'ichi Yukimuro
Masaki Tsuji
Music byShunsuke Kikuchi
StudioToei Animation
Original networkNET (now TV Asahi), RTV (now ATV)
Original run January 1, 1973 – September 24, 1973
Episodes39
Manga
His Name Is 101
Written byMitsuteru Yokoyama
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Champion
DemographicShōnen
Original run1977 – 1979
Volumes5
Original video animation
Directed byYoshihisa Matsumoto
Produced byHiroshi Ichinohe
Hiroyuki Yonemasu
Norihisa Abe
Written byMasashi Namiki
Music byKatsunori Ishida & Takayoshi Hirano (Japanese)
Dave Tolley (International dubs)
StudioJ.C. Staff
Licensed by
ReleasedMarch 21, 1992 ― October 10, 1992
Runtime30 minutes (each)
Episodes4
Anime television series
Babel II: Beyond Infinity
Directed byTakeshi Ushigusa
Written byTakahiko Masuda
Music byTetsuya Komuro
StudioVega Entertainment
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run October 6, 2001 – December 29, 2001
Episodes13
Manga
Babel II: The Returner
Written byTakashi Noguchi
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineYoung Champion
DemographicSeinen
PublishedFebruary 23, 2010
Volumes1

Plot

The series follows Koichi, a Japanese schoolboy, who learns that he is the reincarnation of the alien entity, Babel. As such, Koichi is entrusted with Babel's powers and joined by three protectors: Rodem, a shape-shifting black panther; Ropross, a pterodactyl-like flying creature; and Poseidon, a giant robot that always rises from the depth of the ocean when summoned. The boy hero commands his newfound powers and companions in order to defend the Earth.

Babel II (manga)

Characters
Babel II
The main character's real name is Koichi Yamano. (His family name differs by version, including Furumi, Yamano, and Kamiya.) Koichi lives an ordinary junior high schooler's life, until one day when the computer of the Tower of Babel authorizes him as a master of the tower. Koichi is actually a distant descendant of the space alien Babel, who was cast ashore on Earth 5000 years ago and who tricked the people of Earth into building the legendary tower to signal to his friends where he had landed, only for one of the tower's computers to malfunction and explode, destroying the entire structure. Koichi inherits Babel's superhuman intellect, physical strength and other various supernatural powers. He leaves the Tower of Babel with three servants following him; with their help, he confronts Yomi for disturbing the world's peace.
Yomi
Yomi is a vicious monarch who conspires to rule over the world. He is a distant descendant of Babel and has supernatural power equivalent to that of Babel II. He owns secret bases across the world and is accompanied by miscellaneous subordinates, including scientists, engineers, psychics, and cyborg agents. Because Yomi sends remodeled men to each country as VIPs in the government, he can manipulate many nations at will. He produces various robot weapons to counter Babel II's three servants and challenges him to a fight. He had been invited to the Tower of Babel as a candidate for heir-apparent of the tower before. However, since the computer judged that he did not suit as successor, this memory was erased from him. Yomi is known to command combat robots called Baran that use iron ball-and-chain maces as weapons.
Yumiko Furumi
Yumiko is a daughter of Dr. Furumi and a classmate in Koichi's junior high school. In the anime version (1973), she is Koichi's cousin, and since Koichi lost his parents when he was young, Dr. Furumi took him in.
Igarashi
Igarashi is a head of the National Security Bureau and a supporter of Babel II.
Igano
Igano is a skilled investigator for the National Security Bureau.

Three servants
Lodem
Lodem is an intelligent living being of indeterminate form. It can transform itself into various forms, but prefers a black panther's figure. It also often chooses a female figure.
Ropross
Ropross is a huge robot in the form of a pterodactyl. It can fly in the sky at supersonic speed and has a rocket launcher and the Supersonic Wave Generator in its mouth.
Poseidon
Poseidon is a giant humanoid robot. It has a laser gun in one finger and a torpedo launcher in its abdomen. Poseidon shows its abilities most in the sea, but it can be active and powerful on the land as well.

Sono Na wa 101 (Manga)

Plot

There is a boy called registration number "101" (one-zero-one) in a secret laboratory which is administered by the CIA. The boy is Koichi Yamano, who was once called Babel II and saved the world. Koichi discovers that his blood has the ability to save lives, and he provides the laboratory with his blood after fighting with Yomi.

However, he notices that the laboratory transfused his blood into subjects and produced supermen like him artificially. He escapes from the lab and decides to exterminate the supermen produced by his blood that are scattered all over the world.

As a result, the enemy sends espers to fight him one after another. Unfortunately, the three servants of Babel II, Lodem, Ropross, and Poseidon are confined in an underground nuclear test site by the CIA, so Koichi is forced to fight alone.

Anime television (1973)

Cast
Character Japanese voice actor
Koichi Furumi/Babel II Akira Kamiya
Babel I
Lodem (Black Panther) Keiichi Noda
Lodem (Woman type) Nana Yamaguchi
The computer of the Tower of Babel Kouji Yada
Yumiko Furumi Michiko Nomura
Furumi (Yumiko's father) Kunihiko Kitagawa
Furumi (Yumiko's mother) Akiko Tsuboi
Yomi Chikao Otsuka
Taro Watari Shingo Kanematsu
Yuki Watari Tamaki Taura
Chii-bou Keiko Yamamoto

Original video animation (1992)

Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies stated that "this compressed version leaves some holes in the story, but the original concept is strong, and the animation is crisp".[1] Streamline Pictures released this OVA on dubbed VHS in the 90s. Image Entertainment put this version of the anime on DVD in 2001. Discotek Media announced the acquisition of the title in 2017.[2]

Cast
Character Japanese voice actor English voice actor
Koichi Yamano/Babel II Takeshi Kusao Steve Bulen
Babel I Hiroshi Naka Steve Kramer
Emperor Yomi Akio Ōtsuka Michael McConnohie
Juju Kotono Mitsuishi Mari Devon
Wang Shinichi Ishihara Kerrigan Mahan
Yuka Ai Orikasa Wendee Lee
Yamazaki Ikuya Sawaki Jeff Winkless
Hammer Kōji Tsujitani Dan Woren
Nicola Toshihiko Seki Kirk Thornton
LaShelle Kumiko Watanabe Juliana Donald
Leah Kumiko Nishihara Lara Cody
Griffin Toshiyuki Morikawa
Psychists Wataru Takagi, Masaki Aizawa, Hikaru Midorikawa

Beyond Infinity (2001)

Media Blasters released this show on DVD.

Cast
Character Japanese voice actor English voice actor
Koichi Kamiya/Babel II Kenichi Suzumura Dave Wittenberg
Babel I Hiroya Ishimaru Lex Lang
Lodem Kenyuu Horiuchi Lex Lang
Yumiko Furumi Shoko Kikuchi Michelle Ruff
Reika Saeki Satsuki Yukino Julie Pickering
Yomi Mugihito Abe Lasser
Hikari Homura/Leon Showtaro Morikubo Dave Mallow
Hikari Homura (child) Masayuki Kimura Brianne Siddall
Ryoko Kirishima Yurika Hino Karen Strassman

Legacy

Japanese manga artist Hirohiko Araki said that he paid homage to Babel II by letting Jotaro Kujo wear a Japanese school uniform in Part 3 (1989–1992) of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga series.

Video game developer Yu Suzuki of Sega says Babel II was his main inspiration in the creation of the arcade fighting game Psy-Phi.[3]

The music video for the Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson song "Scream" (1995) features clips from Babel II.[4]

References
  1. McCarthy, Helen. 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide. — Harper Design, 2009. — P. 45. — 528 p. — ISBN 978-0061474507
  2. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-01-13/discotek-adds-babel-ii-ova-series/.111020
  3. "Yu Suzuki: The Kikizo Interview". Kikizo Ltd. official page. Kikizo Ltd. 2006-02-15. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  4. Ledoux, Trish; Ranney, Doug (1997). The Complete Anime Guide: Japanese Animation Film Directory & Resource Guide. Tiger Mountain Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-9649542-5-0. Interestingly, Babel II literally screams his enemies into submission (shades of X-Men's Banshee), which goes a long ways toward explaining why footage from this particular anime video was used in Michael Jackson's "Scream" video.
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