Are you setting your eyes on one volume or the entire Tokyo Revengers manga box set yet hesitating whether it’s worthy of your money? If that’s what lingers in your head, today’s honest review on Tokyo Revengers manga is for you. We’ll also compare the manga to the anime version down below.
Table of Contents
Tokyo Revengers Manga Box Set: What’s The Series About?
Takemichi Hanagaki learns that his middle school sweetheart, Hinata Tachibana, has been killed. The only girlfriend he’d ever got was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang, a ruthless organization.
He stays in a run-down flat having thin walls, and his 6-years-younger manager views him as if he’s a fool. But, somehow, he manages to time-travel 12 years back to his secondary school days, at the peak of his meat-and-potatoes life!!
To protect Hinata and redeem the life he wasted backing away, hapless part-timer Hanagaki must get to the highest position of Kanto’s most fearsome juvenile gang!!
Tokyo Revengers Manga: Is Tokyo Revenger Good?
Have completed Naruto for quite some time yet running out of ideas for the next? Tokyo Revenger is worth a try! You might describe this series as a mash-up of the criminal category with the theme of time travel: an unusual mix that works well.
It also regards friendship, absolute brotherhood, and the strong bonds that bind these individuals who go through battles and hardships together. Don’t just skim the manga overview and choose not to peruse it; it’s way more than the description suggests.
Story
Ken Wakui has established a solid story foundation throughout Tokyo Revengers that keeps the narrative moving consistently, never allowing it to get tedious.
There is always a drive, and Hanagaki always has a goal or several objectives simultaneously. While Hanagaki might predict the ending of an occurrence, this does not guarantee that it will always turn out like how he thinks, nor does it indicate that he understands how events came to that point.
The two timeframes of the old days and the future are correspondingly intriguing for various reasons. Hanagaki returns to the earlier days with a purpose and a strategy to change their destiny. Similarly, each time he travels to the future, he expects and hopes that his efforts in the past have altered something.
However, the big reveal is that the past’s strategies and the future’s anticipations change differently every time he takes a step. As a result, he often sees himself in a scenario he never planned for.
This is what drives Hanagaki’s personality progression and, by extension, the entirety of the plot. It’s a pretty creative concept, and I appreciate Ken Wakui for exploiting it so well.
There’s also a lot of world construction in Tokyo Revengers, but it’s not the type of world-building you usually see. Instead, it’s more like personalization, done to give the drama greater depth and resonance.
Ken Wakui structures and deepens these troublemakers’ childhood experiences along with their earlier ties with one another.
To be honest, I did not expect such a thorough understanding of a criminal-related manga. Yet, I am now falling deeply for one deviant who manages a needlework club and another who has a difficult family situation.
The bond among these gangsters is also thoroughly depicted: you know who’s closest friends, and you can feel it and understand it. You also get to meet many of their relatives. The bonds between closest friends and the differences between one another are essential to the tension’s push and flow.
Art
The artwork is fantastic. All characters have a unique appearance, including the form of the head, eyes, physical traits, and so on. It’s amazing how realistic these characters can be.
What struck me the most was how the figures, portrayed at various stages of their life (10 years old, 14 years old, and 26 years old), yet appear like the same guy, even when their haircut or outward physical features have transformed.
Ken Wakui made it a priority to emphasize the characters as distinct figures not just via their words or deeds but also through their looks. As a result, Mikey, Draken, and Hakkai stand out.
Characters
This is perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of Tokyo Revengers. If the essence of a criminal series revolves around the disputes between characters, then the characters should be intriguing, right? All figures are relatively fascinating in this series, to say the least.
The characters’ traits are extraordinarily detailed and somehow subliminally complicated. Nobody is entirely good or evil, and everybody is flawed to some extent.
Indeed, we get to witness them not just at their best, such as when they defeat many rivals at once, but also at their darkest time when they suffer loss and despair.
We see insights into their backstories (and potential scenarios!) and learn how and why they became who they are. However, observing how people transform in response to Hanagaki’s involvement and how Hanagaki turns into the spark and the solution is a journey in and of itself.
This is a refreshing change of pace compared to other similar works in which the deterioration of the self/mind is hardly ever mentioned. Yet, it is something that everybody suffers from at some point in their life.
The open talk, down-to-earth authenticity, and imperfections all humans have, which different mangakas may brush over for artistic independence, are boldly shown in the forefront.
Now, I’ve seen Hanagaki as a coward and a loser, and that’s why this series was canceled. But, no! The truth is that, while Hanagaki is not the finest warrior or the most intelligent, he possesses the most guts and never surrenders.
Hanagaki, in a manner, serves as a counterpoint to all those around him. Encircled by all these mighty individuals, he, the poorest among them all, is just as powerful, if not more so, since he opted to make a difference.
Enjoyment
This was a lot of fun for me. First and foremost, I enjoy the tempo of Tokyo Revengers. The parts are extensive and comprehensive, with numerous events occurring in each one (this can be a difficult task for many mangakas).
It’s hard to believe, but I enjoy all personalities, whether they’re nice or terrible, regardless of what they’ve achieved since they humans with their own difficulties. Personally, I believe that if other mangakas could portray this, they would successfully create an engaging piece.
However, as usual, I’m left with the holes in the manga’s plot.
How can Naota recognize when the chronology changes? Shouldn’t Hanagaki’s consciousness be affected? When he travels to the future, what occurs to him in the past? What if he travels to the future or the past while asleep?
And, most significantly, why, after touching Hanagaki’s fingers once, Naoto inferred that Hanagaki could go precisely 12 years back in time or beyond with a touch, and particularly and only his?
This is a bizarre presumption because so many things are involved, yet they made an unusual hypothesis that formed the foundation for the whole book. (which is still a solid concept but not fully explained.)
Overall
10 out of 10.
Yes, I know; 10 out of 10 is pretty much? That’s very impressive. I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of the series; however, the manga is all-around as a whole.
In Tokyo Revengers, I don’t feel like there’s anything that might be better. It strikes every note on the target and outperforms other mangas in areas that competing shonen mangas couldn’t even meet, whether due to ignorance or incompetence. I’m confident you’ll have a lot of fun if you read it.
Tokyo Revengers Anime: A Failed Adaptation?
Time travel might be the most used context in all sci-fi shows ever produced. In theory, it’s a simple notion, but it’s exceedingly tough to implement correctly in any media.
Most of the time, time-traveling programs go one of two ways. They either take the world by storm and are recognized as breakthrough works of entertainment, like Terminator or Back to the Future, or they are overrated and sink into the hole of dullness, and most people forget about them.
Tragically, Tokyo Revengers anime takes the second of those two routes. If the term “overrated” had a visual representation, it would be the Tokyo Revengers banner.
Story
Like the manga, the plot revolves around our main character returning to the past to retrieve his sweetheart from death.
It’s your typical cliché romantic setup with a time-traveling twist that could be a TV success if clarified and handled well. Regrettably, it falls short in both areas. It begins extremely powerful but rapidly messes everything up.
The first issue is that the show’s time-traveling premise isn’t clearly addressed.
The main character’s choices during time traveling have huge impacts on the character he attempts to protect. Yet, this severity is scarcely conveyed in the anime as you witness him making repulsive and foolish choices.
The time-travel concept is rarely mentioned, and everything isn’t adequately explained. The plot is likewise predictable; it wipes off those that should be wiped off and does not require the male lead to give out any hard choices.
There is no need to make a compromise in the manga. Instead, it takes a simple, risk-free path to its destination, which doesn’t leave behind any impression. This is really contradictory since time-traveling usually causes issues as it transports events from the past to the predetermined future.
We have very little knowledge of the past and present timeframe, leaving the storyline with too many logic gaps. If the core topic stays muddled, the movie will inevitably fail. And this is what happens with the show.
If handled well, the difficulties of entering and adopting a criminal lifestyle and the dangers of frequent time traveling may have made the anime a highly compelling narrative, full of excitement and intensity.
Sadly, the storyline weaknesses make you feel increasingly disconnected from the story as you follow.
Also, we witness a lot, and I mean a great deal, of unnecessary disputes and clashes in the show’s final episodes.
Don’t get me wrong here: it is arguably the most enjoyable part of the anime, but it is mainly pointless and deviates from the show’s core aim. We are witnessing the emergence of some unnecessary fights resulting from a slew of really foolish actions.
The main character might have avoided some fights if he was as good with his head as he is with his fist. It’s a bit of a jumble story-wise, but it’s a lot of fun. The final few of eps are probably the most enjoyable chaos I’ve seen in a long time.
Romance Factor
The characters’ chemistry just doesn’t click. Indeed, we get Hinata, who is as tasteless as sand. Indeed, I see nothing in the female lead that justifies Hanagaki’s attempts to save her.
She’s developed as the stereotypical, endearing waifu figure. We seldom see her going out of her safe zone or displaying evidence of maturation throughout the whole program. Her delusions about Hanagaki are also unreasonable.
We have no rational explanation for why she’s so tolerant of the guy despite everything he does. In the future, she talks about how Hanagaki mistreated her, yet afterward, she expresses her affection for him, as though “that’s not how things work. It also works the other way around.”
When Hinata was killed, Hanagaki was a grownup. Why is he so eager to come to the aid of a girl he hasn’t seen in ages? To start with, a physically 26-year-old person loving on a 14-year-old is disturbing; even without that, his entire predicament with her makes no logical sense.
The romantic factor in this program is poor, overly clichéd, and uninteresting, with individuals engaging in and performing ludicrous acts for “love.” There’s nothing to adore about such people, let alone spend much time rescuing them.
Main Characters
Now, let’s move on to Tokyo Revengers’ weakest link, the central protagonist – Takemichi Hanagaki. Pitiful, whining, unappealing, and annoying. He can be described using any synonym for the term irritating. In other words, he reminds me of a modern-day Kirito, but for very different reasons.
As you might know, turning back the clock to alter destiny is a complex concept that requires intelligence and sound decision-making. Unfortunately, however, none of these apply to our male lead.
He weeps, utilizes himself as a boxing punchbag, and has the most action-over-words behavior I’ve witnessed. He is simply uncharismatic. Takemichi Hanagaki defies every preconception of a shounen heroine.
He doesn’t have any redeemable qualities. He’s supposed to be a child, but he takes the role far too much, to the point that he lacks all sense of maturation. His entire character focuses on setting grandiose objectives and then struggling to meet them.
Regarding the female lead, the first part of the movie is centered on Hinata, yet we don’t have much to say about her. As mentioned above, her personality does not deviate from the classic anime waifu stereotypes. Instead of being the star of the show, she gives the impression that she is both a human and a machine.
Supporting Characters
Now for the good guys. Mikey and Draken. They are likely the most endearing parts of this anime series. They break every assumption associated with the term “gang member.”
We witness this once when they apologize to the mom of a girl who was a sufferer of criminal warfare. It distinguishes them from your typical career criminal beliefs, and as time goes by, the more these 2 individuals break out of their cages. Undoubtedly, they are the show’s most engaging and endearing personalities.
Other Characters
Like Kazutora, Chifuyu, and Baji, different characters are all given essential parts to perform, particularly in the anime’s final episodes. Because of their considerably shorter airtime, you aren’t just as connected to them as you do with Mikey or Draken, but they’re still fascinating to follow.
Kazutora and his descent towards lunacy are fascinating. He improvises his actions to slaughter Mikey as a target to excuse his previous murderous crimes, which is both conventional and funny.
His deeds result in the anime’s concluding arc mimicking things from the Yakuza world: fighting after fighting, which is utterly unneeded yet incredibly amusing.
Some personalities, such as Naota, Hinata, and Emma, go undeveloped or are given little focus. For example, Naota is supposed to be a super-intelligent police officer; however, he provides the most negligible effect on the story.
All in all, these characters had the potential to be significant to the storyline (like how they did in the manga). Still, they were underutilized and underexplored, making them unremarkable and, at times, excessively monotonous in terms of having an effect on the plot.
Art
When it comes to the show’s artwork, it’s really mediocre. It’s very appealing, but the graphic style becomes nearly unpleasant to see as you progress through the story. Indeed, the individuals appear to be in their twenties and experiencing a mid-life breakdown.
The drawing technique makes it impossible to tell the ages of the figures. Grownups appear to be enlarged kids, whereas real kids seem to have reached adolescence while still in their mother’s belly. The violence and gore seem funny in the uncut edition, making it less terrifying and more entertaining.
The imagery in this program comes out strong but deteriorates when you begin to connect it to the storylines. The animation isn’t much better; it’s no Tokyo Ghoul or Demon Slayer. However, given that it is a relatively new studio, it has performed admirably with the resources available.
Overall
Overall, Tokyo Revengers was the animation version of Cyberpunk 2077, with a lot of hype and underwhelming outcomes.
The fact that the show is a jumbled mess of unexplained storylines, odd-looking people, and excessive violence adds to its appeal. Yet, these issues also made Tokyo Revengers anime memorable, much like Cyberpunk was entertaining because of its bugs.
I struggled to understand everything; all I could think of was the continuous physically fighting and blood pouring out of everybody as they gave a brotherhood speech, which was quite funny.
It’s also quite fun to see the movie’s cliché-filled love. You recognize it’s silly and dull, but that’s what makes it interesting. For me, the final episodes are fantastic.
Tokyo Revengers: Manga Or Anime?
Definitely the manga.
It’s far superior in any way possible. From the detailed storyline (which fully allows readers to understand the plot thoroughly) to the excellent character portrayal (physically and mentally), there is nearly nothing to complain about in the manga version.
On the other hand, as the anime barely conveys the plot, viewers tend to be left behind with confusion. Characters’ development is also neglected, making the anime a poor adaptation.
FAQs
Who’s Mikey’s Brother Tokyo Revengers?
Shinichiro Sano. He was Black Dragon’s creator and First Generation Leader. Besides, he was Manjiro and Emma Sano’s bigger brother and Izana Kurokawa’s adopted bigger brother.
Will Tokyo Revengers Have Season 2?
Tokyo Revengers supporters hoped for some news regarding the show’s season 2 during the greatly awaited Jump Festa 2022. Happy for them, the second season of Tokyo Revengers has been publicly announced.
Ken Wakui’s famous animanga show, Jump Festa 2022, has been revived for season 2. According to the producers, the second season of Tokyo Revengers has started filmmaking, although no premiere date has been given.
The program’s debut season took roughly 9 months to complete, so fans may anticipate the next season to be aired in about July 2022.
Has Tokyo Revengers Manga Finished?
Not yet.
The publisher revealed in May 2021 that the series had begun its concluding chapters. Kodansha has split its parts into tankbon vols. On May 17, 2017, the first book was released. Up till the end of 2021, 25 vols have been published.
和久井健【東京リベンジャーズ】関係者が新型コロナに感染、製作が困難になり休載へ
However, the bad news is that Tokyo Revengers has been paused since early 2022. Indeed, the publishing of Tokyo Revengers’ final arc has been halted owing to a couple of confirmed COVID-19 events involving creator Ken Wakui. As a result, Tokyo Revengers has been put on indefinite hold, according to official reports.
Is Tokyo Revengers Based On A True Story?
As it turns out, Tokyo Revengers is based on Ken Wakui’s past.
Indeed, Ken Wakui used to be a gangster. And as the author himself admitted, he drew lots of influence from his background as a “bad guy” while authoring Tokyo Revengers.
Does Hanagaki Save Hina?
Yes.
In episode 12, Hanagaki receives a phone call from Naoto, who proposes to accompany him to see Hina. And he is thrilled that his operation was successful, and Hina is unharmed.
Does Mikey Have Powers In Tokyo Revengers?
A lot of abilities.
His legs have such lethal potential that his kicks are referred to as “nuclear.” Mikey’s exceptional physical state manifests itself in a variety of forms, in addition to his superior combat abilities. Moreover, his lightning-fast response makes him impervious to unexpected strikes.
Wrapping Up
As a manga, Tokyo Revengers is all-around. Thus, it’s definitely what an anime lover should read once in their life. Thanks to the intricate artwork and stunning cover design, manga collectors would also benefit a lot from the Tokyo Revengers manga box set.
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