Welcome to another art post here in the community.
I don’t like Tokyo Revengers because its protagonist is basically a human punching bag (bro, spoiler alert).
I had heard the name a few times, but never really paid much attention until now, mostly because of the reason above. I thought it was just another anime about teenage gang fights. And well, it is that, yes. But it’s so much more than that too. What really caught my attention was the way the theme of time travel is used to talk about something we’ve all felt before: the desire to go back and do things differently.
It all starts with a guy named Takemichi Hanagaki.
He’s 26 years old and living a pretty miserable life. No decent job, no friends around, lives alone, and seems to have given up on everything. One day, he sees a news report saying that his ex-girlfriend from school, Hinata Tachibana, died in an incident linked to a gang. And that changes everything. Right after hearing the news, Takemichi has an “accident” and suddenly wakes up 12 years in the past, when he was still a teenager. That’s when the anime really begins. He realizes he has a chance to change the future and save Hinata. But to do that, he’ll have to get involved again with the gang that caused it all.
The Tokyo Manji Gang, also known as Toman.
One thing I really liked is that the anime doesn’t try to overexplain the time travel stuff with crazy science it just happens, and the focus stays on the drama, choices, and consequences. Takemichi can return to the past every time he shakes hands with Hinata’s brother, Naoto Tachibana, who becomes a police officer in the future. With this, he keeps going back and forth, trying to change events.
With every attempt, something goes wrong in a different or even funny way, if I can say that. And here’s where a very real part of the anime comes in: the consequences of our actions. Sometimes, even when we want to do the right thing, things spiral out of control. And Takemichi makes a lot of mistakes, but he also grows a lot throughout the story.
Of course, the anime has many fight scenes. There are gang battles, personal duels, and intense moments. But the coolest thing is that, even with all the fighting, the focus remains on the relationships between the characters. The friendship between Takemichi and the other Toman members, like Mikey (the gang leader) and Draken (the vice-leader), is one of the strongest points of the series.
Mikey, for example, is a really interesting character. He’s small, looks fragile, but is extremely strong and charismatic, which makes everyone follow him. But he also carries a darkness within him, and that’s what Takemichi tries to change. Draken, on the other hand, is the kind of friend everyone wants loyal, steady, and with a good heart. Now, being totally honest, Takemichi annoyed me many times. He’s very emotional, cries a lot, and gets beaten more than he fights. Sometimes, I wanted to jump into the anime and shake him into taking action. But at the same time, I understood that this is the point of the character. He isn’t a strong hero like in other animes. He’s just an ordinary guy trying to fix something that went wrong.
And that made me respect him.
Because even when he’s scared, he doesn’t give up. He goes all the way for the people he loves.
As for the downsides, besides the repetitive behavior of the protagonist, there are also some drops in animation quality in certain episodes. Nothing that ruins the experience, but noticeable. Another thing that bothers some people is the constant use of the “go back in time to fix something” trope. It can feel a bit cyclical sometimes. But personally, I thought it helped build tension, because every change brings new consequences.
The soundtrack also deserves a shoutout. The opening for the first season, Cry Baby by the band Official HIGE DANDism, is just addictive.
Even though the protagonist is still ANNOYING.
It’s worth mentioning that the creator of the original work is mangaka Ken Wakui, who also had real-life gang involvement in his youth, which adds a sense of realism to many of the anime’s elements. This gives even more weight to the characters and the conflicts shown.
If you enjoy other animes with similar themes, like Erased (also with time travel and personal drama) or even Steins;Gate (with a more scientific approach), you might enjoy Tokyo Revengers, even though it has its own unique style.
In general, Tokyo Revengers is about second chances, I think.
It’s about growing up, facing your mistakes, and not accepting that fate is unchangeable.
It’s about true friendship, about sacrifices, and about how even the most ordinary person can make a difference if they have courage.
I recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys stories with emotion, tension, and characters who evolve over time. Just remember to ignore the protagonist he’s weak and somehow gets weaker with every episode...
