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ayameyumesaki · 2 years

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Tokyo Babylon - CLAMP Premium Collection - Commentary Part 11

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Finally! We come to my favorite chapter ever in Tokyo Babylon, Save Chapter 😭 Another chapter that speaks about Subaru's personality, and a touching chapter with matters I think most of us could relate. I hope this chapter will help whoever shared, or know, the same problem will be able to relate and take Subaru's action into heart....but it will be talked in the next part lol

Talking about the chapter cover first, when I saw his clothing here, I was like "wasn't this Eagle (MKR)'s outfit?????". I think it's not exactly Eagle, but one of his staffs, but ANYWAY, in this chapter, we are going deeper towards the main plot and one of major chapters in this series.

So, we started our story from a certain school, where this school will go to Shizuoka for their school outing and stay for one night. They will create groups for room assignment etc., and the girls were excited for it---except one girl.

The teacher said it's been decided, and the teacher called Hashimoto. She hasn't been assigned to any group, so the teacher asked the other team to accept her, and they went "noo" "I don't want tooo". She stayed quiet and the teacher called her.

The teacher then told her, it's okay to be calm, but she should be assertive as well. If she didn't make an effort, then she won't be able to make friends. She probably couldn't do it during the breaks or lunch break, but anyway, if she didn't put an effort, she won't be able to enter her friends' circle. She is already a second year as well.

Then he told her, if you don't make friends during your school times, then when you entered the society, it will be boring. Well, this is an all-girls school and all of them are just children, so they aren't bad. If Hashimoto makes an effort, then you can make a friend as well. I think Hashimoto also has a responsibility for why you are always alone.

Okay, so up to this point, we are introduced with a high-school girl named Hashimoto and she was outcasted by the students in her class. The teachers told her to give her best on making friends, but she hasn't shown speaking to anyone so far. But it's pretty clear, to me, that her friends were the one who doesn't want to accept her, and she doesn't want to do anything with them as well.

Why?

This panel should be enough to tell the reason.

Save me, she said.

You see. So, after she was done with the teachers, her classmates stopped her when she wanted to come home and they kinda kicked her for nothing, even when she didn't say anything. They threatened Hashimoto if she spoke about them what they do to her to the teacher they won't forgive her, and when Hashimoto showed a slight hatred to them, they began to kick her down and used her body like a mat. They left her alone under the rain, and that's the panel above.

Hashimoto is a bullying victim. That's the main theme for this chapter. Actually, this will be talked further in the next chapter, but let's keep the theme of this chapter first for now.

In the next page, we got this panel and the whole conversation is just so cute 🥺

Subaru, seemingly to be in rush, came out from his room so cutely it hurts my heart and Hokuto-nee-chan is already prepared everything for him. She however told him that "it's strange that Subaru is sleeping until after noon" and Subaru, in panic as he prepared his bag while buttoning his shirt, replied with "yesterday I have work until late night, so I just slept this morning".

Then Hokuto asked him when he slept and he said "around 10 AM" and Hokuto goes "THEN YOU ONLY SLEPT FOR TWO HOURS!?" 😭😭 did he really sleep for two hours and still functioning properly, like boy, if I got only two hours of sleep I will pass out the moment I wake up huhu I wonder how he can stay alive if he slept for two hours a day?

But no! He didn't sleep just two hours!

He told Hokuto that he slept longer than two hours and said he slept for two hours and ten minutes. The vertical panel's Hokuto is me. 10 minutes oversleep isn't adding anything for me as well 😥

Then Hokuto told Subaru that lately, Subaru is so focused on his jobs and Subaru said "yes, because..." and Hokuto continued with "this is his job, after all".

Hokuto then asked, "Because you are someone who wore seriousness like clothes and walked around with it, even when it's a holiday because of our school's founding anniversary, you still go to school for supplementary lesson, right?" while tying Subaru's tie (in her way) and Subaru replied with "Yes. If I didn't do it, then I don't have enough attendance numbers."

Hokuto also said that "Japan's compulsory education only applied until middle school, and Subaru is already a first-year of high school, so you want to go to university?" and Subaru said "yes".

Hokuto said "so you don't want to give up your old dream, huh?" and Subaru cutely replied with "ye--yes" while blushing 😭 CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE Hokuto-nee-chan even sighed and said, "Sumeragi Clan who has been protecting Japan from spiritual side since far past. You, the thirteenth head of Sumeragi Family who has been standing as the top of onmyoji whose number has been reduced like protected species, his childhood dream is to be a zookeeper... I can't even make a gag for that" with Subaru still blushing at how embarassing that dream 😭😭😭 this whole scene

But Hokuto also asked what will he do with his current job. Subaru said he will keep doing it, but if he can find someone who is far stronger in ability than him, then he will ask him to takeover. He doesn't want to give up his dream no matter how long it will take.

Boy... You really shattered my heart into pieces by allowing me rereading this painful scene, especially when I remember what happen to you later. What is heart anyway? Has been losing it since I started CLAMPism in my life.

Anyway.

Hokuto confirmed again that if Subaru wants to go to veterinarian major and HE CUTELY SMILED. I give up 😭✋ he goes extra cute whenever he talks about his dream.

Then Hokuto said, "Subaru, since before, is a honest and good child, but you are also a blockhead" and she smiled happily for him too. Supportive sis Hokuto 😭 If only you didn't (beeped). She also said she will support him so he should do his best.

She even created a newest version of a shoujo manga, from Onmyoji x Serial Killer to Zookeeper x Veterinarian romance story. I would choose the second one. But Subaru commented that their obaa-chama (I still can't at Subaru called Obaa-chama with Obaa-chan... Like it's so out of character... Like it's so not Subaru who is ALL POLITE TO ANYONE except Hokuto so him actually calling Obaa-chama with Obaa-chan feels so wrong... anyway,) said that not all people with Sakurazuka surname is related to Sakurazukamori.

Yeah. Not if they aren't onmyojis. But that Sakurazuka you know understood high-level techniques you used, boy. Red flag as usual 🚩🚩

AND GOOD THING IS.

Subaru said that "such a kind Seishiro-san wouldn't be a serial killer" and Hokuto said, "yes, he looks kind, but... It's still questionable if he is truly kind."

Hokuto said she can only do basic techniques, right? Of course, she is so down-to-Earth that she won't reveal her actual abilities.

Just as Subaru is about to question what Hokuto means, the phone rang and Hokuto helped Subaru prepare his clothes. Subaru told Hokuto to call the school that he couldn't come to supplementary class because of job. And I don't know, Subaru smiled, but it seemed like he was sad of the fact that he couldn't go to school as well...

Hokuto-nee-chan to the save! She immediately hugged her brother and told him, that she will be with him, so whatever happen, don't ever give up his dream.

That's a nice advice over there and indeed, Subaru took that advice to his heart------but for a certain different dream. What dream is it? Read X.

No No NO but seriously I was like... Subaru is a geniune 16 years old who had a normal dream of being a zookeeper because he likes animals 🥺 and everything that happened in his life; being born with an ability to interact with spirit, onmyoji, and even the head of Sumeragi family; it suddenly feels so cruel... He has a heavy burden in his shoulders, and the only person he actually allowed to see his young, teenager side is only his sister, Hokuto... (and to some extend, Sei-chan)...

It's sad...

Okay, move aside your sadness because that's not the end of the wheel of foreshadowing in this chapter.

Subaru went to the meeting place, which name I can't read because the Kanjis are too small but I will make an effort to read it one day, and he looked here and there until he heard a bell. He looked at where the bell is and touched someone's shoulder accidentally. He apologized for it and someone familiar talked to him in Kyoto dialect...

OBAA-CHAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 😍😍😍😍

Not on story side, but Obaa-chama's clothings? That full-bucked kimono that probably weigh more than 10 kilograms? So gorgeous and beautiful 😭

Cough.

Subaru asked why she didn't tell him that she is coming to Tokyo and he will come for her, but she told him that, when she visited the Imperial Household Agency in Tokyo, the head of Intelligence and Research Cabinet told her that he has a request to Subaru, so she passed it along to him. She also said she has something she needs to tell Subaru.

They first talked about the job. Obaa-chama asked if Subaru is aware of the rise of cult religion groups and Subaru said yes. The Ministry of Education had a request for Intelligence and Research Cabinet to look at one of those groups. Subaru wondered why the Ministry of Education requested a research towards it. Obaa-chama said while it's not strange for Intelligence Cabinet to conduct an investigation towards cult religions, particularly, this one religion group's members are middle and high schoolers. Since the members are students, Intelligence Cabinet had limitation on how much they can investigate the internal. They want to ask Subaru, who is a high-schooler, to help them with the investigation.

Before continuing, I want to note something first. When you search about Japan, you will probably come across an article that say Japan's religion is Shinto or Buddhist, but in fact, Japan is not a religion country. Of course, there are Buddhist practices in the temples or Masses conducted in churches, but there has been no official religion in Japan, and so, most Japanese doesn't have religion, or musukkyo. People don't recognize themselves with a religion there, and I bet when Subaru was asked what religion he adopted, he would be confused, except those who actually realized that religion is be a part of their life and baptised out of their own will.

Then, cult religions appearing in Japan is not uncommon. Rather than religion, I would like you all to think it as a cult. They gathered and did practices just like a religion, but it's their teachings which is questionable. Because of this, Japan's government would keep an eye at newly appeared cults and if they started to create a problem, the government wouldn't just stay still and watch. So, please keep in mind about this!

Back to the topic,

Obaa-chama asked if there is nothing change, and he said he and Hokuto are living just fine.

Obaa-chama revealed that during their monthly fortune reading, she read Subaru's fortune. Then Subaru asked what's the result, and Obaa-chama said...

Subaru-san will be abducted by 'sakura'.

I want to put a meme for this fortune reading but the panel? The high-detailed page picturing Subaru being in the middle of cherry blossoms, seeming to be getting lost in it? Pretty beautiful. Need appreciation.

The line?

Those who didn't know TB ending: HMMMM first it's Hokuto, now it's Obaa-chama???? Is Subaru going to be taken away by Seishiro?

Those who know TB ending: Grandma I love you but it fucking hurts 😭

(Honestly at this point if you don't think Seishiro is sus, please reread volume 1 to 3 and tell me why you don't think he is a walking danger?)

Oh, fun fact. That hard-looking Kanji used in that line, 攫う (sarau), has several meanings, which is: to carry off, to run away with, to kidnap, to abduct, to monopolize, to make one's own. Since it is written in passive verb, if we took Seishiro as the subject of the sentence, then we can get the meaning "Seishiro is going to monopolize/to make Subaru as his own."

Pretty interesting.

Subaru was confused. Sakura? Obaa-chama asked Subaru again to never take off his gloves and she said, "that time, if I don't let you waiting for me alone, if I didn't let you alone..."

Subaru-san can't be abducted by sakura. Please, don't ever let sakura take away your heart.

Obaa-chama, he is this close 👌 of having his heart being taken away by a certain sakura, so don't worry. He will not be okay. *cries in the corner*

Scene shifted, and we returned to Hashimoto. Now, they were having PE class and the teacher told Hashimoto to join the game or she won't get a score for this class. The girls purposely attacked her with ball and one even broke his nose.

The teacher helped her to wake up, but he said "if there is an injured student during PE, they will finish him during the meeting". Hashimoto, who heard it, was shocked in silence. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU SENSEI!? Damn I have so much question to the people in this school.

Hashimoto cried in the park alone as she asked someone to save her, and a certain fishy woman appeared in front of her. The woman offered her handkerchief, but instead, she wiped her tears. She told Hashimoto that she can tell her anything, but Hashimoto didn't say anything, so she guessed that she is bullied. She said she understands the heart of people who is suffering. It's the power that God gave to her. Hmmm... Okay...? Fishy enough.

Hashimoto then when to the cult religion which Obaa-chama actually mentioned, MS Research Institution, and this fishy woman told her that they want to save her. Hashimoto asked how she is going to save her. This woman then told her to tell her worries.

She then told Hashimoto that she is her ally and she wants to save her. And right outside the window, there is nandarou???

Oh, yes. Vibing in front of a high building? Of course he will look cool like this. And how he comes down again? Using his 😎 vibe probably---I mean he upgraded his skill by standing above a cross in the future, but at this point, he probably also had a fetish for high buildings as well.

We will talk about 😎 later but the next day!

Hashimoto was still bullied at school and she came to the institution again, saying that she is praying like what Kumiko-sensei told her, but nothing changed. The teacher told her that her praying wasn't enough yet, and she should rush for the result, that the day when her prayers will be fulfiled will come. The teacher then introduced Hashimoto to our Subaru, who said that he entered the institution by himself because he wants to learn about it.

Then, Hashimoto looked at Subaru like that and Subaru was panicking 😭😭😭😭 He is not used being stared by a girl other than Hokuto. (or his gaying is showing lol)

Anyway, Subaru started observing things in the classroom and HIS WRISTWATCH HAS A LID??????? Damn boy, talk about rich, or is it the fashion style at that time 😭? Either way, he noticed that it's Friday, but it's still school time (Subaru never attends classes anyway so he is an exception), and whoever he saw is middle school or high school students. He then recalled the information about the research institute.

The institute was built in 1989 with 10,000 members currently. The average age of its members is 16,7 years old. The main institution is in Shinjuku. The institute's purpose wasn't to spread religion teachings, but to purify one's own soul, so there are a lot of differences with other cult religions. There are 20 mentors which is called "teachers", and they guide the students in form of "classroom" just like a cram school. There is no leader, but their greatest teacher is Nagi Kumiko.

As Subaru thought about it, that Kumiko-sensei entered the room and everyone stood up.

And look at how flustered Subaru was!!! Cute cute cute cute cute. He also commented that it really felt like a classroom. Kumiko-sensei introduced herself, and Subaru thought that since his job is to do an investigation, how should he do it?

Meanwhile.

Hokuto came to Seishiro's place and said she comes to make Seishiro a dinner. Seishiro asked what about Subaru and Hokuto said he has a job and she doesn't know when he will come home. Seishiro asked if it's okay for Subaru, because if Hokuto doesn't watch him, he won't eat---someone who will lose himself in his reading. Hokuto said that she already prepared a white stew for Subaru, and she thought that eating alone is boring, so she will prepare Seishiro's meal.

Seishiro asked Hokuto what work he is doing now and when Hokuto told him, his face.

HIS SHOCKED FACE AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA this is honestly the highlight of this chapter, and it's his actual mask that's been falling off.

Seishiro: DID HE REALLY GO TO THAT PLACE ALONE BY HIMSELF, AND TRYING TO MAKE A FRIEND!?

Why did he show that face though? Hmmm... Interesting 🤔🤔

So, that's it for this chapter!

There aren't many things regarding the main problem of this chapter itself, but we got a major touch regarding the main plot of TB. Hokuto actually hinted at Subaru that is it true that Seishiro is kind? and Obaa-chama told Subaru that he is going to be taken away by cherry blossoms, right after what Subaru went through in previous chapter, is pretty interesting.

Let's thing about it. While Subaru established Seishiro as kind in previous chapters as well, right in one chapter before this, we saw him actually doubted who Seishiro is actually. But when Hokuto told him that he is probably different from what Subaru thought, his instinct goes to try to question what Hokuto means. He also elaborately erased the possibility of Seishiro being sakurazukamori when in previous chapter, the reason he doubted Seishiro's kindness is also because he is possibly involved with sakurazukamori due to his knowledge in onmyojutsu and previous events in which he was involved. He was unconsciously realized that Seishiro is somehow alarming, but he decided to subside it, and I think he would never question Seishiro's credibility as sakurazukamori, even with strange stuffs that happened around him, from this chapter onwards.

Also, it's interesting that Obaa-chama already predicted what will happen in near future, that Subaru will be taken away by cherry blossoms, and like I said, he is this 👌 of being taken away by that sakura. But why did she do a fortune reading on Subaru?

Because Subaru ever asked her about Sakurazuka, in the past.

Only several months has passed since volume 2 which happened in November, and since Subaru and Hokuto wore thicker clothes in chapter 4, I guessed that volume 3 happened around December, and chapter is around January or February, thus not many times passed since their last meeting. Obaa-chama also wore thicker kimono here, so I guess this should be around the end of February or beginning of March. Only three or four months passed, so it made sense for her to wonder why her grandson would ask about a Sakurazuka.

Well, there are many confusing things about the timeline, which I will explain later after we get into volume 5.

So, what's your opinion about this new foundings??? Like I said, this is one of my favorite chapters in TB and so much things to talk here! Let's continue in the next part, where things turn pretty interesting 👀

#also seishiro being shocked at the last panel #you two faced 😎😎#tokyo babylon #clamp premium collection #sumeragi subaru #sakurazuka seishirou #sumeragi hokuto

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