Unique Facts about the Anime 'TOKYO REVENGERS', The Manga Writer Turns Out to be a Former Gang Member!

Kapanlagi.com - Written by - Gerald Rayhankan Rizky

Anime is not just entertainment, but also a window to an unlimited world of imagination. With the magic of animation, viewers can explore fascinating alternative realities. One anime work that has successfully captured the hearts of many is TOKYO REVENGERS. This series, which is based on the manga work by Ken Wakui, is an artistic creation that can evoke emotions and provoke thoughts of viewers and fans worldwide.

Through its interesting and unique storyline, deeply developed characters, and touching philosophical themes, TOKYO REVENGERS is able to create an unforgettable viewing experience. This article will present some unique and interesting facts about this anime world and also about its writer. These facts can enrich the experience and context of viewers who are trying to understand the story behind TOKYO REVENGERS.

1. Synopsis TOKYO REVENGERS

Credit: tokyorevengers.fandom.com

TOKYO REVENGERS follows the story of Takemichi Hanagaki, a 26-year-old man who is drowning in despair and boredom with his life. However, his fate changes when Takemichi unexpectedly goes back to his teenage past, specifically in the year 2005. There, he confronts powerful youth gangs, including the Tokyo Manji gang. Takemichi realizes that he has been given the chance to change the future and prevent a tragedy from happening to his close friend, Tachibana Hinata. Takemichi's adventure in navigating this past, while trying to alter destiny in the future, becomes the core of the captivating story in TOKYO REVENGERS.

Takemichi Hanagaki is a freelance worker who has reached the lowest point in his life. He learns that his high school girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, was killed by the Tokyo Manji gang. After hearing about Hinata's death, Takemichi stands on the station platform and is ultimately pushed onto the tracks by people. He closes his eyes, thinking that he will die, but when he opens his eyes, he suddenly finds himself back 12 years in the past. Now, he relives the best days of his life and decides to seek revenge.

2. The Author of TOKYO REVENGERS is a Former Gang Member

Credit: tokyorevengers.fandom.com

It turns out that the author of TOKYO REVENGERS, Ken Wakui, was a gang member in the year 2000, and this is what inspired the story of TOKYO REVENGERS. In 2019, an interviewer from Glénat asked Ken about his inspiration for TOKYO REVENGERS.

"The starting point came from my editor, who wanted to read a story about yankii (delinquent youth in Japan). It was interesting to me, but I didn't have any ideas about what they are like now. That's why I came up with the idea of time travel so that I could depict what yankii was like in the early 2000s, when I was one of them," said Ken to Glénat.

3. Inspiration from Tokyo Manji Gang

Credit: tokyorevengers.fandom.com

The Tokyo Manji Gang is inspired by one of the largest gangs of its time around the '70s - '90s, called Black Emperor. Black Emperor is the name of one of the popular motorcycle gangs in Tokyo. The members of Black Emperor are often school dropouts who cannot sustain regular jobs, similar to Tokyo Manji where all members of the gang are teenagers. Some internet sources also claim that the author Ken Wakui was a member of this gang, where he got inspiration to write TOKYO REVENGERS and create the Tokyo Manji or Toman gang in his story.

4. Won the 2020 Kodansha Manga Award

Credit: myanimelist.net

TOKYO REVENGERS is a manga that has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2017, and many readers love it for its intriguing story and detailed illustrations. TOKYO REVENGERS is one of the manga that received an award in 2020 at the 44th Kodansha Manga Awards, where it won the Best Shonen Manga award. Thanks to the recognition from its publisher, Kodansha, and the increasing fan base, this manga has become popular and has sold over 70 million copies for manga as of 2022.

(kpl/grl)