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Kurozuka's Noguchi to Revive Babel II Sci-Fi Manga
posted on by Egan Loo
This year's fifth issue of Akita Shoten's Young Champion magazine announced on Tuesday that the late Mitsuteru Yokoyama's classic manga Babel II is returning in the next issue on February 23. Takashi Noguchi, the artist best known for adapting Baku Yumemakura's Kurozuka supernatural romance novel into manga, will be drawing the new Babel II: The Returner manga. Besides Babel II, Yokoyama created Tetsujin 28-go (adapted into English as Gigantor), Giant Robo, Mahōtsukai Sally, and other early manga and anime favorites.
The original Babel II manga followed the exploits of Kōichi, a seemingly ordinary Japanese middle school boy who is actually a descendant of a space alien. Eons ago, an alien named Babel was stranded on Earth after making an emergency landing. Not only did Babel leave behind the mythical Tower of Babel, but his lineage remains in Kōichi — a.k.a. Babel II — as the boy uses his supernatural powers to defend Earth from Emperor Yomi.
Babel II inspired a 1973-1974 television anime series, a 2001 Babel II - Beyond Infinity television sequel, and a 1992 Babel II OAV remake. Media Blasters' Anime Works label released Babel II - Beyond Infinity in North America, while Streamline Pictures released the Babel II OAV project. Noguchi's Kurozuka manga adaptation was itself adapted into anime in 2008.
Source: Comic Natalie
Update: More background information added.
