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Babel II
Cover of Babel II volume 1 as published by Akita Shoten
バビル２世 (Babiru Ni-Sei)
Genre	Supernatural fiction
Manga
Author	Mitsuteru Yokoyama
Publisher	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Volumes	12
TV anime
Director	Shun-ichi Yukimuro
Studio	Toei Animation
Network	NET (now TV Asahi)
Original run	January 1, 1973 – September 24, 1973
Episodes	39
Original video animation
Director	Yoshihisa Matsumoto
Studio	Hikari Productions
Released	1992
Runtime	30 minutes
Episodes	4
TV anime
Babel II 2 - Beyond Infinity
Director	Ken Ushikusa
Studio	Vega Entertainment
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	October 6, 2001 – December 29, 2001
Episodes	13
Anime and Manga Portal

Babel II (バビル２世, Babiru Ni-Sei ^?) is a 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama.

Yokoyama's manga has been animated three times. In 1973, as a television series. In 1992, as an original video animation series. And in 2001, as a 13 episode television series.

Yokoyama also wrote the sequel manga in the parallel universe, His name is 101 (その名は101, Sono Na wa 101(Wan-Zero-Wan) ^?).

Common plot

The series follows Koichi, a Japanese schoolboy who learns 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 Pteradactyl-like flying creature; and Poseidon, a giant robot that always rises from the depth of the ocean when summoned. The boy hero commands his new found powers and companions to defend the Earth.

Babel II (Manga)

Characters

Babel II

His real name is Koichi Yamano (His family name is different respectively in the anime version like Furumi, Yamano, Kamiya). Koichi lives an ordinary junior high school life, but one day the computer of the Tower of Babel authorized him as a master of the tower. Koichi was actually a distant descendant of space alien Babel who cast ashore on the earth 5000 years ago, and he inherits his ability (superhuman intellect and physical strength, various supernatural powers). He confronts Yomi disturbing the world peace with letting the Tower of Babel and three manservants follow him.

Yomi

Yomi is a vicious monarch who conspires to rule over the world. He is a distant descendant of Babel like Babel II, and has supernatural power equivalent to Babel II. He owns secret bases in the many parts of the world, and is accompanied by miscellaneous subordinates, such as scientists, engineers, psychics, and cyborg agents. Because Yomi sends each country remodeled men as a VIP in the government, he can manipulate many nations at will. He produces various robot weapons to counter three servants and challenges Babel II 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 does not suit a successor, his memory was erased from him.

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 Koichi lost parents when he was young, and Dr. Furumi, his uncle, took in him.

Igarashi

He is a head of National Security Bureau. The supporter of Babel II.

Igano

He is a skilled investigator of National Security Bureau.

Three Servants

Lodem

Lodem is an intellectual living thing of the indeterminate form. It can transform itself into various form, but usually likes black panther's figure. It also often chooses the female figure.

Ropross

Ropross is a huge monster bird type robot. It flies in the sky at supersonic speed, and equips the rocket launcher and the supersonic wave generator in the mouth.

Poseidon

Poseidon is a huge human-shape robot. It equips a finger with a laser gun and equips the abdomen with a torpedo. Poseidon shows its ability most in the sea, but it can be active on the land.

Yomi's weapons

Baran

Combat robots swinging an iron ball with a chain around.

Sono Na wa 101 (Manga)

Plot

There was a boy called registration number "101" (one-zero-one) in the secret laboratory which CIA administered. The boy was Koichi Yamano who was once called Babel II and saved the world. Koichi was told that his blood makes the cure-all which saves dying sick persons and wounded persons, and he provided the laboratory with his blood after fighting with Yomi. But, he has noticed that the laboratory transfused his blood into subjects and produced supermen like him artificially. He escaped from the lab. He decided to exterminate supermen born by his blood scattered all over the world. However, the enemy sends espers to him one after another. Three servants for Babel II, Lodem, Ropross, and Poseidon, are confined in the underground nuclear test site by CIA, so Koichi is forced to a lonely fight.

TV anime (1973)

Cast

OVA (1993)

Cast

Beyond Infinity (2001)

Cast

Influence

• Mangaka Hirohiko Araki said that he paid homage to "Babel II" by letting Jōtarō Kūjō wear a Japanese school uniform in "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" Part 3.
• Video game developer Yu Suzuki of Sega says Babel II was his main inspiration in the creation of the arcade game Psy-Phi^[1].

References