Tokyo Revengers is one of my favourite hidden gems when it comes to Anime. Soon after season one aired, I happened to stumble upon it by accident and I’ve been hooked on it ever since! I have recently began watching the third season which is currently airing weekly episodes and after watching the first episode, I realised I had forgotten a couple of key plot points from season two. If you’re in need of a refresher too, don’t worry because you’re not alone.
Tokyo Revengers season 1 cliffhanger
I have to mention the huge Tokyo Revengers season 1 cliffhanger that kept me thinking about the show for months because it is essentially what sets up the season 2 arc. At the end of season 1, Hanagaki Takemichi returns to the future where he is now one of the top executives of Toman supported by Chifuyu as his second in command. At an annual Toman executives meeting, Kisaki confronts them and apologises about what happened all those years ago during the bloody halloween incident and offers them a drink.
Takemichi being his usual naive self believes that maybe after he changed events in the past Kisaki may have actually turned out good in the future and so accepts the drink. Of course the drink was spiked and next thing you know Takemichi and Chifuyu are being help captive and tied to a chair. Kisaki announces that there has been a mole in Toman who has been leaking information to the cops.
Chifuyu confesses it was him without the knowledge of Takemichi and begs Kisaki to leave him out of this. Kisaki shoots and kills Chifuyu before preceding to shoot Takemichi in the leg and then refers to him as ‘my hero’ before supposedly firing the killing shot.
Tokyo Revengers season 2 starts off with Takemichi waking up on the street with Kazutora by his side who apparently saved him from Kisaki’s final shot but we don’t get to see how it all went down. We soon find out that in this future timeline, Kazutora has been secretly working with Chifuyu and Naoto to take down Kisaki because a crime syndicate known as Black Dragons led by Hakkai Shiba has merged with Toman.
Just as in every other Tokyo Revengers alternate timeline, Toman has become evil. Kazutora also explains that Mickey tried to stop Toman from becoming what it is now but he was murdered. Eventually, Takemichi travels back in time to ensure that Black Dragons do not end up merging with Toman. Some part of me just wants Takemichi to accept Hina’s death and move on because honestly, how many times do we have to tamper with the past just to see Hina being murdered over and over in the future?
Enter Black Dragons
Tokyo Revengers season 2 wastes no time in introducing the Black Dragons gang led by Taiju Shiba – Hakkai’s older brother. Takemichi’s first encounter with Taiju is not a pretty one because Taiju is a towering figure and has incredible brute strength. Taiju pummels Takemichi with punches and declares he will only stop if Hakkai quits Toman and joins Black Dragons. Hakkai is the vice-captain of Toman’s second division led by Mitsuya. Eventually Hakkai agrees to Taiju’s ultimatum to save Takemichi’s life.
From here, things are a bit slow in the next few episodes as it is mostly filled with dialogue and character moments which serve as a buildup. The points to take away during these episodes are Hakkai tries to leave Toman in the next captain’s meeting but Mitsuya objects and instead decides to go and meet with Taiju with the intention of coming to a compromise. Mitsuya agrees to let Hakkai join the Black Dragons if Taiju stops making Yuzuha (Hakkai and Taiju’s sister) work for them and he is no longer allowed to hit her.
Takemichi realises that Hakkai is planning on killing Taiju which will eventually lead to him taking over the Black Dragons in the future. We are also presented with an important flashback showing us that Hina and Kisaki used to be classmates in 6th grade. We also see Hina getting bullied by three guys while Kisaki watches from behind a building contemplating if he should go save her.
A young Takemichi appears out of nowhere wearing a cape and declares he is a hero who is here to save the day. As usual he ends up getting beaten up by the three guys but this flashback is important because it links Hina, Kisaki and Takemichi at a young age and this is maybe why Kisaki refers to Takemichi as a ‘hero’.
Back to the Hakkai situation – Takemichi is distraught and accidentally reveals the truth about his time-travelling ability and everything he has learned in the future to Chifuyu, who surprisingly believes him and becomes his new partner in saving the future.
Takemichi and Chifuyu enlist the help of Kisaki and Hanma to plot a secret operation with the goal of stopping Hakkai from killing Taiju. On Christmas Eve, Taiju is supposed to be alone praying in a church and this is where Hakkai will attempt to strike him down. Takemichi, Chifuyu, Kisaki and Hanma are staged outside the church to intervene.
At this point one would think Takemichi is smart enough not to trust Kisaki but clearly he has not learned from his mistakes and naturally the plan backfires. Takemichi goes into the church alone whilst the other three stay outside as backup and instead Hanma and Kisaki blindside Chifuyu, tie him up and leave.
Christmas showdown
The remaining episodes of Tokyo Revengers season 2 are pretty much focused on this showdown and it was a rollercoaster of a ride. Takemichi enters the church and manages to talk Hakkai out of stabbing Taiju but then we’re hit with an unexpected entrance as Yuzuha emerges from the shadows holding a knife charging straight towards Taiju. Takemichi somehow manages to react in time and shout a warning so that even though Taiju does get stabbed in the back, it’s not a life threatening wound.
It is revealed that Kisaki instigated Yuzuha by telling her about Hakkai’s assassination plan. Takemichi then realises that in the original timeline it wasn’t Hakkai that killed Taiju instead it was Yuzuha and Kisaki used this knowledge to blackmail Hakkai and control him as the new leader of Black Dragons which explains the Black Dragons version we see in the future.
Taiju knocks Yuzuha across the church and continues to pummel Hakkai and Takemichi. Mitsuya unexpectedly shows up and mentions that Chifuyu had called him in. Mitsuya takes on Taiju in an exciting one-on-one battle until he gets hit from behind with a crowbar wielded by Inui. Inui and Koko have arrived to back Taiju up and an all-out battle ensues. During this showdown it is shockingly revealed that Yuzuha had been taking Hakkai’s share of beatings from Taiju all this time to protect him.
This is a shocking truth because we had previously been misled to believe that Taiju used to beat Hakkai and Yuzuha since they were kids until Hakkai stood his ground and told Taiju that he would continue to take Yuzuha’s share of beatings but inside the church, Hakkai finally admits that he was a coward and that the truth was the other way around. The battle continues but Toman struggles against the monstrous Taiju and Inui and Koko who are both still fresh and barely have a scar on them.
It is also revealed that Black Dragons have the church surrounded with 100 of their men so now all hope seems lost for Takemichi, Hakkai, Mitsuya, Chifuyu and Yuzuha. As always, the saviour Mickey shows up at just the right time and reminds us again why he’s nicknamed ‘invincible’ Mickey. He defeats an inured Taiju meanwhile Draken alone beat up all 100 guys of Black Dragons who were stationed outside the church, Taiju sees this and admits defeat.
Tokyo Revengers season 2 aftermath
As per tradition, Koko and Inui who were co-leaders of Black Dragons have now joined Toman under Takemichi’s division. Chifuyu reported Kisaki and Hanma’s actions to Mickey which leaves him no choice but to expel them from Toman along with all the former members of Moebius and Valhalla. Takemichi returns to the future to find himself at Mitsuya’s funeral.
He then learns from Naoto that Mickey is suspected of killing all the the major members of Toman including Mitsuya and Kisaki. Takemichi tracks down Mickey in the Philippines who confesses that after Takemichi left Toman he became more violent and ended up killing all his friends. He then gives a gun to Takemichi and asks him to kill him, our cry baby hero is unable to bring himself to do it and instead tries to talk some sense into Mickey.
However when Mickey realises he won’t get his wish he instead threatens to kill Takemichi but Naoto shows up in the nick of time to shoot Mickey who eventually dies in Takemichi’s arms. Takemichi leaves this dark timeline and goes back into the past with the mission of taking over Toman so that Mickey never becomes violent and that timeline ceases to exist.
Meanwhile, a newly-formed gang from Yokohama called Tenjiku ambush Toman members and brutally attack them including Takemichi and Chifuyu. The season ends with Kisaki emerging from a crowd of Tenjiku hoodlums to confront Takemichi and announces ‘Let the Kanto incident begin’.
