‘Tokyo Revengers’ Anime Series Review: From Cry Baby To Cry Hero?
‘Tokyo Revengers‘ is a science fiction anime released in April 2021 which mashes the premise of time travel with a dash of urban gang warfare without being artistically dark or gritty as many would expect.
It is adapted from the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Ken Wakui. It has been dubbed in different languages for the global audience since its debut, with the English version becoming available in May 2021.
Satoki Lida took charge of direction and character designs while Hiroaki Tsutsumi handled the sound direction and music composition.
In general, ‘Tokyo Revengers’ is absolute eye candy. Even though it starts as a slow burn, the action picks up as the show progresses. There are plenty of exciting fighting scenes and funny instances scattered across the series. The visuals, all from the production design to the characters and the city the show is set, are fantastic and inviting.
The narrative follows the story of a kid named Takemichi Hanagaki. This guy is some sort of a loser who works a mediocre job has no status in society; neither is he romantically involved with anyone.
But a long time ago, he used to be part of a small gang that earned the youngster plenty of respect and envy from his peers.
As he ponders on those lovely memories, he is pushed onto the path of an oncoming train. Fortunately, this is not his day with the Grimm Reaper, and he miraculously survives to see another day. But he finds himself thrust back in time into his youthful days.
It dawns on Takemichi that his past isn’t as great as he thought as he remembers that he initially ran away from his squad after a rival gang made him and his friends into their personal poster boys.
To master the courage to stand up to his enemy, Takemichi learns that he must undo every single mistake he made in his past in order to not only prevent his gang from falling into the hands of the ruthless mafia group named Tokyo Manji Gang but also save his girlfriend who the same outlaws brutally murdered.
In addition to Takemichi, there is the stoic Ken Draken Ryuuguuji and the mood swinging gang leader Majirou Mikey Sano who help in propelling the story ahead.
What makes ‘Tokyo Revengers’ exciting and engaging is witnessing the various characters go through different arcs in this wonderful anime world.
Audiences witness Takemichi go from a cry baby wimp to a cry baby hero who often opens the waterworks.
Though not everyone watching this series went through gang wars in their lives, many experiences growing up have been mirrored in ‘Tokyo Revengers’, making this story highly relatable and realistic except for the time-traveling part, of course.
Animes are known to have a lot of cliffhangers that keep fans on tenterhooks throughout the series, and ‘Tokyo Revengers’ has followed this trope to the T. From a character almost kicking the bucket to the season-ending with a gunshot that nearly kills the main character.
These suspenseful moments are excellently executed and can quickly turn the viewer into a couch potato as one finds themselves clicking next after an episode comes to a close.
The hairstyles in the series might come out as a bit eccentric at times, but that doesn’t draw the attention away from the emotions this series unleashes onto the viewer.
Nakamichi definitely steals the show with his unrelenting desire to overturn his past and ensure a better future for himself, his girlfriend and his friends.
The audience finds itself rooting for this star who never really wins despite fighting all the time. One keeps hoping that Takemichi trains himself and gets better at the skill, and maybe manage to land a punch home in one of the scenes.
But he is not the typical kind of hero, and viewers still vouch for him nevertheless and hopefully, he’ll get better in the next season if there will be one.
Watching Kazutora Hanemiya and his hate towards the ringleader Mikey unfold, though and where the animosity all emanated is an exhilarating experience.
‘Tokyo Revengers’ is an emotional roller coaster in the anime genre that not only boasts a great narrative, but the character development is a point on.
Though this anime series is labeled as a supernatural show, the otherworldly element isn’t used that much in the show.
Takemichi can transverse through time via a simple handshake whose mechanizations and how it all works aren’t explained. Still, he can only do so after changing monumental instances in his life to see how they affect his future.
It would be ridiculous to see the protagonist literally flying back and forth through time. Still, it would be amazing to see more of this whooshing through time aspect in the series and maybe an explanation of how this presumed loser stumbled upon such extraordinary power.
Also, when the show introduces a bunch of characters all at once into the show which can be quite confusing and hard to follow and memorize the name and can lead to a disconnect with the audience at times.
Many fantastic series adapted from the iconic Manga series have graced the silver screen, both big and small, to the satisfaction of thousands of fans.
Tokyo Revengers is one such series with its stellar soundtrack, impressive story and fantastic visuals. It is overall a thrill ride of an anime.
The first season of the series has 25 episodes which might seem like many, but each part runs for 25 minutes; hence it is a pretty easy show to binge. It is important for audiences who haven’t read the manga to watch the show with an open mind.
The first few episodes might not seem intriguing, but they get better as they progress.
‘Tokyo Revengers’ is a great show worth giving a shot for fans of anime and Manga series adaptations and newbies seeking an enticing adventure filled with action, comedy, and a gorgeous outlook.
