Tokyo Babylon 2021, the upcoming adaptation of CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon, got a new trailer featuring the animation work by GoHands.
CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon is one of the manga collective’s most beloved series. Set in Tokyo in the early 1990s, the series follows Subaru Sumeragi, head of the Sumeragi clan, and his sister Hokuto, as they seek to protect Tokyo from the supernatural and the occult. The series was praised for its handling of social themes and has been adapted multiple times.
GoHands have been the subject of a certain level of ire from some fans in recent years for their, let’s say, interesting style of animation. While it should be lauded that the company try their hands at pushing a new style of animation and attention to color, it doesn’t always work out. The company’s extravagant use of color and 3D space can be disorientating in series such as Hand Shakers, but here the effect has been toned down to create a unique visual style that stands out among its contemporaries in the industry. With character designs that lean heavily into the shojo aesthetics of both CLAMP and GoHands, this new look gives us an idea of what to expect from the series.
During this short 3-minute glimpse at the upcoming series, there’s actually a lot to like about this modern update to the classic CLAMP series. This visual style enhances our view of the supernatural being in the second half of the trailer, shining bright in blue against the night sky. On the whole, the entire trailer does a good job of contrasting the Tokyo skyline with the darker underbelly of the series, even beyond the supernatural creatures present.
GoHands veterans Shingo Suzuki and Susumu Kudo are in charge of directing CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon 2021, set to release in April 2021. You can find out more at the anime’s official website.