Babel II: Beyond Infinity

An ordinary Japanese middle schooler named Koichi Kamiya has his regular life interrupted by a mysterious voice delivering news he was definitely not expecting: he's the reincarnation of an ancient alien protector, and the fate of Earth is now his problem. That's a lot for a middle schooler. From there, Babel II: Beyond Infinity follows Koichi as he figures out who he is, what he can do, and how to survive a psychic cult leader named Yomi who's been collecting people with supernatural abilities for his own ends. To fight back, Koichi has three companions — Rodem, a shape-shifting black panther, Robross, a massive bird, and Poseidon, a giant robot — which gives the show this interesting mix of classic mecha energy and psychic action that feels distinct. The story moves across locations too, from arid Asian deserts to Manhattan, so it never stays in one place long enough to feel stagnant. The tone is somewhere between mysterious and straightforward action — it's not brooding, but it's not lighthearted either. If you enjoyed Darker than Black or Witch Hunter Robin, the vibe of a lone protagonist with unusual powers slowly uncovering a larger conspiracy will feel familiar here. It's a 13-episode TV series from 2001, so it's compact and moves at a steady pace without a lot of padding. Worth picking up if you want something grounded in that early 2000s action-supernatural style.