This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Babel II" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Babel II | |
Cover ofBabel II volume 1 as published byAkita Shoten | |
| バビル2世 (Babiru Ni-sei) | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Mitsuteru Yokoyama |
| Published by | Akita Shoten |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Champion |
| Original run | July 1971 –May 1973 |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Kozo Morishita |
| Written by | Shun'ichi Yukimuro Masaki Tsuji |
| Music by | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Original network | ANN (NET) |
| Original run | January 1, 1973 – September 24, 1973 |
| Episodes | 39 |
| Manga | |
| His Name Is 101 | |
| Written by | Mitsuteru Yokoyama |
| Published by | Akita Shoten |
| Magazine | Monthly Shōnen Champion |
| Original run | 1977 –1979 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Yoshihisa Matsumoto |
| Produced by | Hiroshi Ichinohe Hiroyuki Yonemasu Norihisa Abe |
| Written by | Masashi Namiki |
| Music by | Katsunori Ishida & Takayoshi Hirano (Japanese) Dave Tolley (International dubs) |
| Studio | J.C. Staff |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | March 21, 1992 ― October 10, 1992 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes (each) |
| Episodes | 4 |
| Anime television series | |
| Babel II: Beyond Infinity | |
| Directed by | Takeshi Ushigusa |
| Written by | Takahiko Masuda |
| Music by | Tetsuya Komuro |
| Studio | Vega Entertainment |
| Original network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | October 6, 2001 – December 29, 2001 |
| Episodes | 13 |
| Manga | |
| Babel II: The Returner | |
| Written by | Takashi Noguchi |
| Published by | Akita Shoten |
| Magazine | Young Champion |
| Published | February 23, 2010 - 2017 |
| Volumes | 17 |
Babel II (Japanese:バビル2世,Hepburn:Babiru Ni-sei) is a Japanese 1971manga series byMitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as anoriginal video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama's sequel to the series, set in aparallel universe, is entitledHis Name Is 101 (その名は101,Sono Na wa Wan-Zero-Wan).
The series follows Koichi, aJapanese schoolboy, who learns that he is thereincarnation 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, apterodactyl-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.
There is a boy called registration number "101" (one-zero-one) in a secret laboratory which is administered by theCIA. 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 sendsespers to fight him one after another. Unfortunately, the three servants of Babel II, Rodem, Ropross, and Poseidon are confined in an undergroundnuclear test site by the CIA, so Koichi is forced to fight alone.
A sequel to this series, calledBabel II: The Returner, has Babel once again fighting despite many years passing since his capture. Here, Ropross and Poseidon have received powerful upgrades and the entire USA has declared war on Babel. It is even revealed that Yomi has recovered from his battles and joins the war
| 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 |
Helen McCarthy in500 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]
| 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 |
Media Blasters released this show on DVD.
| 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 |
Japanesemanga artistHirohiko Araki said that he paid homage toBabel II by lettingJotaro Kujo wear aJapanese school uniform inPart 3 (1989–1992) of theJoJo's Bizarre Adventuremanga series.
Video game developerYu Suzuki ofSega saysBabel II was his main inspiration in the creation of the arcadefighting gamePsy-Phi.[3]
Themusic video for theMichael Jackson andJanet Jackson song "Scream" (1995) features clips fromBabel II.[4]
Interestingly, Babel II literally screams his enemies into submission (shades ofX-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.