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Tokyo Babylon is a manga (Japanese comic) drawn and written by the female manga group CLAMP. It was first published in 1991, making it one of their earliest works along with RG Veda and 20 Mensho in Onegai!!. Set in the 1980s, the story revolves around 16 year old Subaru, a descendant of the Sumeragi clan who uses the ancient art of onmyoujitsu to protect the living and give peace to the dead in the cursed city of Tokyo. It's a story that's closely tied to the time and setting. Tokyo is not just a stage where the action takes place. It's personified in many ways as though it has a distinct character, which is why many fans who read the story have come to love and treasure the city, intrigued by its old and new. The sceneries and cityscape are drawn in detail in the manga, so by the time you're finished with it, you will have some knowledge of the important landmarks that make Tokyo so unique.
Tokyo Babylon is considered by many as the prequel to X. Subaru and Seishirou are both crossover characters, and even Hokuto has made guest appearances in the manga and TV series, although the two stories differ quite a bit. Tokyo Babylon doesn't have much of a plot, so it's hard to explain what genre it is or what people should expect from it. Think of it as something like Pet Shop of Horrors or FAKE, where the plot has no linear structure. Instead, different events or short stories are connected by the same set of characters sharing the same fate, so you can easily pick up Book 3 without reading Book 1 first. There is angst, mystery and romance with a dash of comedy to engage the readers, and many of the themes introduced along the way have resurfaced in other of CLAMP's works. As the trio encounter more heinous crimes and solve more mysteries, their relationship develops and grows, until the climax where the heartwrenching truth just explodes in your face.
The manga was serialized by Shinshokan in the Monthly South comic magazine in 1991 and ended in 1993. There are seven volumes to the manga, and the last was published in 1994. Two OVAs were also released in the early 90s, both of which were produced by Madhouse, the animation company famed for its production of titles such as Monster City and the X/1999 movie. Additional merchandise that have been released includes 3 soundtracks, a triple CD set, a comic CD, a drama CD, a rare music video and miscellaneous items such as keychains and pencil cases which are very hard to get a hold of these days.