Review of Tokyo Revengers

This show isn’t Cliche. I’ve never seen a show where the main character utilizes the ability to time travel this bad before. It revolves around a bunch of delinquents as well. A unique combination if I do say so myself. The show was exciting and I ended up bingeing half the show, but it has too many shortcomings. Even though I enjoyed the ride, it left me frustrated in the end. This review might give the impression that I totally hated the show, but that’s not the case. Episodes filled me with adrenaline, and I was immersed in the show despite its shortcomings. The showhad me curious about what was going to happen next and how things were going to end up the way they were. I enjoy the idea of time traveling, so I do have a bias. I hate children, but the characters weren’t bad, and the character developments felt natural. The characters felt they were well done; from their psyche to their character design. Yet, the author wasn’t able to create the anticipation through natural means, but by using bad excuses. So that aspect alone leaves a bad taste.

Disclaimer: The sections below contain vulgar language at times.

Review divided into three sections

1) Main issue with the show 2) Time traveling in this show 3) Action choreography and the animation

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1)
The main problem the show has is the main character himself, Takemichi Hanagaki. It’s a bad sign when the side characters have more favorites on MAL than the main character himself. It’s for a good reason. The guy is 26 years old and still doesn’t have the cognitive abilities to think. The show is in a constant dilemma. If Takemichi becomes slightly competent, the show would just end, but if he keeps watching the events on the sidelines and doesn’t do shit about it, it becomes infuriating for the viewer.

Takemichi’s incompetency becomes very apparent in the final episodes. My guy has ample evidence that Kisaki plotted everything. That Kisaki was responsible for the woman that got raped, which resulted in Pah-Chin being sent to juvenile prison; for trying to kill Draken, for manipulating Osonai, for creating Valhalla, and for getting Baji killed. So what do Takemichi and Chifuyu do to expose Kisaki? Takemichi spends his days fucking around spying on Emma to see if he’s two-timing Draken, and Chifuyu talks with Mikey the entire time and doesn’t mention this shit. Are you kidding me. The show is creating bullshit excuses to not end itself. Takemichi, you’re not on a vacation bro. If I had time traveled to a different timeline, I would constantly be trying to fix it. This guy just ignores everything and lives life as nothing has happened. Then the show is going to give me the bullshit about how he has to keep pushing forward in the next episode or something. It’s an insult to injury when Takemichi comes back to the present. Kisaki says that he never intended to kill Baji, and Takemichi takes it seriously??? Takemichi never changed the fact that Kisaki intended to fuck everyone. There’s a chance he might’ve become a decent person now, but he definitely intended to kill Baji. There’s ample evidence of it. How stupid is this guy? He’s acting like he wasn’t the one who figured this shit out. Then Takemichi gets bamboozled when he finds out Kisaki was bsing him. Oh wow, didn’t see that one coming. Honestly, it is a bit unfair someone as incompetent as Takemichi is ruining Kisaki’s plans. Poor Kisaki.

A person spending 24 minutes watching an episode shouldn’t be able to come up with better ideas to deal with the situation. The guy is living 24/7 and can’t think of any solutions. Imagine if Takemichi was someone from the Deathnote universe. The show would be over in a day. Even Matsuda would solve this no problem. The show’s excuses don’t only extend to Takemichi, but to Naoto, Akkun, and Chifuyu as well.

Having the power to time travel means the ability to acquire information beforehand. Takemichi and Naoto poorly use this advantage, especially towards the end. So Touman is going to get taken over after the bloody Halloween. Let me ask Draken about this in the future. It takes Naoto ages to find Draken, some cop he is. Then what happens? They talk for like fucking thirty seconds, and it’s a bunch of vague nonsense. Then they chat way after, and they’re able to talk way longer. Then why didn’t they talk that long in the first place? Couldn’t Naoto arrange this? Why is Draken being so vague, and why isn’t Takemichi asking detailed questions? Just tell what happened on that day from start to finish. After talking with Draken two times, Takemichi still has no clue how things will turn out the way they have turned out. The same happens with Akkun. Akkun gives a bunch of vague nonsense as well before committing suicide, although this one was way more forgivable. I’m also left questioning what Naoto taught Takemichi at the start of the show. Takemichi seems like he has no clue what the hell is going on half the time. Naoto surprisingly contributes so little.

2)
I’m convinced he just exists to remove the feeling of isolation that comes with time traveling. The mechanics of time traveling in this show is very convenient. Naoto doesn’t forget about past timelines when Takemichi changes the future, so they’re on the same page every time. Naoto, despite not being competent enough to contribute much, guesses correctly that Takemichi can only go 12 years in the past, and that the handshake was the trigger. Also, Takemichi is able to remember memories from the timeline he’s currently at, even though he didn’t experience them himself. All very convenient. Yet, I won’t hold it against the show since it’s the premise. It’s fiction after all. Shows are built on what if x was a thing, and that’s where the fun is. That’s why I think this aspect is excusable, if we ignore the fact that the show ignored the butterfly effect.

Yet, why doesn’t Takemichi let his past self know what’s going on? Maybe he should leave a note saying don’t try to fuck Emma when he goes back to the future to search for information. A missed opportunity out of dozens.

3)
The action choreography in this show is wild and has problems. First of all, people are invisible. People just can’t seem to see each other in this show. Where’s Draken? Our MC couldn’t find this skyscraper in a small ass parking lot. How do people keep getting hit and stabbed from behind in an open space? Baji and Kazutora must be truly invisible. Also, these middle schoolers have the strength of a superhero. Are they going to start hitting each other through buildings when they become adults? Mikey kicked someone while another person was grabbing his leg. How did the guy grabbing Mickey’s leg end up getting knocked out too? He just got hurled? I know the last one is a minor point, but it still bothers me.

A lot of people seem to shit on the animation, but I just can’t talk shit about animation after witnessing how bad Kumo Desu Ga Nani Ka was. The animation wasn’t the best, but it never ruined my immersion.