Takemichi Hanagaki, the protagonist of Tokyo Revengers, is quite an unusual character for a shounen anime. He is tasked with traveling back in time to prevent a motorcycle gang from turning into a criminal organization and killing his middle school girlfriend. He must go back 12 years into the past. During middle school, Takemichi proclaimed himself as a gangster, even though he was clearly not. Physically, Takemichi is as weak as he was during middle school. But, that does not mean that he is a weak person. In fact, he may be one of the strongest characters in Tokyo Revengers and a true hero.
Usually, shounen main characters go through power-ups and emerge as super-powered heroes. So, one might expect Takemichi to be like that too. But until the end of the manga, Takemichi remains the same. Instead, he relies on other skills and physical power to achieve his goals. So, why can’t Takemichi be underestimated in Tokyo Revengers? According to CBR, let’s delve into it!
Breaking the Shounen Character Mold
Takemichi is repeatedly beaten up. Among all the members of the Tokyo Manji gang (Toman), he is the weakest. He never leaves a fight without injury. Takemichi knows that and it is a frustrating point for him when he continues to find himself unlucky. It gets worse when he is thrown into a world where fights are won with physical strength alone. But, people like Mikey, the leader of Toman, never blame Takemichi for not being the strongest person. In fact, that is something he admires and represents his vision of a new era of gangsters. Strength is not just based on physicality in Tokyo Revengers, it is based on character and morals.
Another way that Takemichi breaks the toxic masculinity mindset is how he is not ashamed to show his emotions. Nobody mocks him for crying. Akkun even nicknamed him the Crybaby Hero. This shows that even though he cries, it doesn’t make him any less brave or less of a hero. Compared to Mikey, who is the strongest person in Toman, Takemichi has to hide how scared he is when Draken is injured because he has to maintain Mikey’s Unbeatable Image. For Takemichi, showing emotions takes a lot of courage.
Determined to Save His Girlfriend
Saving his ex-girlfriend, Hina, is Takemichi’s main motivation. After finding out that she died because of Toman’s actions, Takemichi tries to go back in time to find the cause of the gang’s corruption and stop it to prevent Hina’s death. So far, he has failed several times. The first time Takemichi saw the future was when Akkun, who was following Kisaki at the time, committed suicide out of fear of Kisaki. The second time, Takemichi thought he succeeded after saving Draken’s life, but he had to see Akkun and Hina die again.
That is a lot of trauma for one person. But, it is not over yet. Takemichi will see a more terrible future as the story progresses. Worse, as he is in the middle school timeline, he no longer has anyone to trust. He must bear all the fears and pains alone without knowing whether his changes will make the future better or worse. What started as saving one person grows into saving more of his friends. That is a big responsibility. Other people will crumble under pressure, but not Takemichi. He will continue to travel through time until he saves everyone.
A Leader in the Making
It cannot be denied that Takemichi is physically weak. But, that does not mean that he will lose in a fight. He proves time and time again that as long as he does not give up, he will not lose. What makes Takemichi a great hero is that he acknowledges that he cannot blame others for his failures. He admits his weaknesses and tries to overcome them. Like when he realized he couldn’t run in his fight against Kiyomasa. If he ran away, then he had lost before the fight even started.
Although Takemichi voices doubts about his ability to become the boss of Toman, he shows that he has leadership qualities. Takemichi knows he is weak, but his refusal to give up without a fight is what makes others want to stand with him. If this person can overcome the strongest gangster in Japan, then there is no reason for others to run away.
In conclusion, Takemichi Hanagaki may not fit the mold of a typical shounen hero, but that’s what makes him unique and special in Tokyo Revengers. He breaks toxic masculinity mindsets, has a strong resolve to save his loved ones, and has the potential to become a great leader.
