Tokyo Babylon 2021 Anime Canceled With Restart Planned, After More Plagiarism Uncovered

The official website for studio GoHands' Tokyo Babylon 2021 television anime announced on Monday that the anime's production committee has completely canceled the current production of the anime, with the intent of starting fresh with an entirely new production for the anime. According to the committee's statement, its investigation into plagiarized character costume designs resulted in the discovery of more instances of plagiarism beyond the original two examples.

The announcement added that the investigation resulted in the production committee's loss of faith in the production, but that CLAMP and the production committee will work to start a new production as quickly as possible.

The anime was originally slated to debut in April 2021, but was delayed due to the aforementioned incident. Staff had referenced costume designs for two characters from other sources without permission.

The anime's previously announced cast members included Shouta Aoi as Subaru Sumeragi, Nana Mizuki as Hokuto Sumeragi, and Yuichiro Umehara as Seishirō Sakurazuka.

Shingo Suzuki (K: Missing Kings, K: Return of Kings, Coppelion) and Susumu Kudo (K, Coppelion, Hand Shakers) were directing the anime at GoHands, and Jun Kumagai (Aquarion Logos, Persona 3 the Movie series, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū, Bungo and Alchemist -Gears of Judgement-) was in charge of the series scripts. Makoto Furuta (Seitokai Yakuindomo, K: Seven Stories - The Idol K) was designing the characters, and Furuta and Keiji Tani were credited as chief animation directors. Noriyuki Asakura (Rurouni Kenshin, Knights of Sidonia) was composing the music at King Records.

Tokyopop and Dark Horse Comics published CLAMP's original Tokyo Babylon manga in English, and Dark Horse Comics describes the story:

It's 1991, the last days of Japan's bubble economy, and money and elegance run through the streets. So do the currents of darkness beneath them, nourishing evil spirits that only the arts of the onmyoji - Japan's legendary occultists - can combat. The two most powerful onmyoji are in the unlikely guises of a handsome young veterinarian, Seishiro, and the teenage heir to the ancient Sumeragi clan, Subaru.

CLAMP serialized the manga series in Shinshokan's South and Monthly Wings magazines from 1990 to 1993, and Shinshokan printed seven regular compiled volumes and then five volumes in the smaller bunkō paper size. Kadokawa has since published a three-volume keepsake edition. Tokyopop published the seven regular volumes in English, and then Dark Horse Comics published the manga in two omnibus volumes.

The manga already inspired an original video anime episode in 1992 and a second one in 1994. It also inspired two live-action music videos and one animated music video in 1992, as well as a live-action film in 1993. The lead character Subaru Sumeragi would later appear in CLAMP's X manga and its anime adaptations.

Source: Tokyo Babylon 2021 anime's website