Tokyo Revengers

Episode 13-14

You know, if the show was only going to change one of its credit songs, I wish it would have been “Crybaby.” Don't get me wrong, that song's fine, but it's easily the lesser compared to “Koko de Iki o Shite” which really grew on me over the past season. The new ED, “Tokyo Wonder,” is a solid enough song, and I like vocalist Nakishima's raspy delivery, but it's just not quite the same as hearing that opening riff to cap off every episode. Visuals are nice though, and easily the most engaging Revengers has made its delinquent aesthetic look in animation, so I won't spend any more time niggling on it.

As for these episodes themselves, my feelings are pretty mixed. Not so much for the story content – “Odds & Ends” and “Break Up” both do a great job of setting up future story beats and introducing foreboding or tantalizing plot threads – but in their overall execution.

For episode 13, it's an issue of tone. We spend the first 18-odd minutes following the aftermath of Hina's (second) death, even seeing Takemichi and Naoto break down at her funeral. You've especially got to feel for Naoto, who's now had to bury his sister twice in the same year. It's a little hampered by Revengers' workmanlike direction, but is overall a strong and emotionally impacting sequence. Then things get even more intense as we learn that the still-alive Draken is a death row prisoner, and see that he's consigned himself to his fate even as he wishes he could have stopped Kisaki from doing whatever the hell it was the guy did. It's again a somber moment, raising the emotional stakes further as we witness another life wrecked by the series' most firmly established villain, and setting up for our hero's new quest to save the people he loves.

And then Takemichi goes back in time and gets a faceful of Mikey and Draken's dicks.

It's fitting that the following comic relief bathouse scene makes a direct callback to the last time Revengers had such a bizarre bout of tonal whiplash, because it similarly left me scratching my head as to what the series was going for. The generous reading is it's trying to contrast the bleak present with the boisterous and naive past, but it's still an awkward decision to end the episode on, and honestly makes me thankful I'm covering both of the episodes together. This series can be funny when it wants to be, but it also needs to be better about how it plans those jokes out in the broader narrative.

Though “Break Up” isn't without its issues either. But at least here I can place the blame firmly on whatever soggy brain is handling the show's international release. Like, I don't want to keep harping on the editing around the Manji. It's the same complaint every time and that's as frustrating to read as it is to watch, but it's also the big bleeding cut across this entire episode. Because this week's entry is entirely spent back at the hilltop shrine Toman has made their meeting spot, and every single character sans our protagonist has a jacket emblazoned with that No-No symbol. It shouldn't matter, and I'd love for it not to, but when what feels like a quarter of the episode consists of cutting to this piece of background art, it gets pretty distracting.

Thankfully the actual story here is gripping enough to compensate. It should have been obvious the moment Takemichi decided he'd try climbing the ranks of Toman, but that oh-so-convenient Third Division captain's seat won't be easily won. Kisaki has already wormed his way into Toman's upper ranks as insurance against the looming threat of Valhalla, and while Takemichi can't yet verbalize it I'm damn sure this is all part of his plan. Can't sneak into Toman by having Moebius kill off Draken? Well then it's time for Kisaki to stick his smug nose into the fray under the guise of an alliance. And if we didn't already know he was a snake, he proves it with his little “Face or Gut” trick. Like dude, you could knock Takemichi out with both hands tied behind your back, you don't also need a sucker punch to get him.

We also look to be delving into the origins of Toman beyond its leading duo. Baji certainly makes an impression by immediately beating the stuffing out of Takamichi as a “hello”, but Mikey assures us his childhood friend is even crazier. Like yeah, I'm sure they'll find a way to humanize him or make him sympathetic, but if you have a friend who sets fire to cars because he's hungry, be prepared to say he “always seemed so normal” in your news interview because you're rolling with a future spree killer. That Takemichi is tasked with winning him over and contending with the mysterious sixth man in (I presume) Baji's photo means we're probably in for a lot more pummeling, and I for one can't wait.

On their own, these two episodes unfortunately carry what have become Revengers' greatest weaknesses, but also paradoxically help prop each other up. If nothing else they get the job done in setting up this new story arc, and I'm excited to see this new challenge play out.

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Tokyo Revengers is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.