The Best Anime On Streaming For Anyone That Loves Time Loops
Time travel shenanigans are always interesting thanks to intriguing possibilities, the exploration of consequences, and the philosophical and ethical questions, regardless of whether you’re enjoying the narrative through film, the written word, gaming, or animation. Tokyo Revengers, an anime that dropped on Hulu, is quite possibly the best anime for anyone who likes time travel shenanigans, especially time loops.
Adapted from a 2017 manga of the same name, the 2021’s Tokyo Revengers anime just concluded its second season in April 2023, with Season 3 scheduled to release next month, in October. This thrilling show combines the elements of time travel—for all those who would like to mess with the grandfather paradox—gang conflicts, and intense character development, which ultimately leads to an average audience score of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s a well-known trope, but with well-thought-out intricacies that make Tokyo Revengers into a widely acclaimed anime praised for both its intricate plot and its well-developed characters.
The story of Tokyo Revengers follows Takemichi Hanagaki, a down-and-out 20-something young adult, who is pushed onto the ongoing train’s tracks. When he thinks he’s about to die, he opens his eyes and finds himself time-slipped twelve years in the past, back to his teenage years.
Now, having time-slipped back to the best time of his life, Takemichi decides to stop running away from things and decides to reinvent himself and try to prevent a tragedy involving his first love, Hinata Tachibana, and her brother, Naoto.
Through his time-leaping ability, Takemichi learns about an infamous Tokyo Manji Gang, which is responsible for Hinata’s death in the present, and after unintentionally rescuing her brother Naoto, the two work together to save Hina from her fate.
And so begins the revenge for his life. Of course, he jumps to the past, joins up with the gang that caused Hina’s death, and starts climbing the ranks until he becomes the leader of the gang and, later, the acting president of Tokyo Manji Gang, all while attempting to change the future in Tokyo Revengers by altering the past.
Adapted from a 2017 manga of the same name, the 2021’s Tokyo Revengers anime just concluded its second season in April 2023, with Season 3 scheduled to release next month
It’s a well-known trope, but with well-thought-out intricacies that make Tokyo Revengers into a widely acclaimed anime praised for both its intricate plot and its well-developed characters. Everything about this show, from the story to the technical aspects, screams quality.
The fans of Tokyo Revengers praised the series’ exploration of consequences of time travel and moral dilemmas it may present, with critics praising both the story and the animation quality and soundtrack as well—mostly as they significantly contribute to the overall experience.
Furthermore, there’s also a layer of authenticity surrounding this particular anime, as the story draws inspiration from real-life Japanese biker gangs, allowing it to portray gang culture more accurately. Tokyo Revengers anime is actually closely tied to the same-name manga, which enjoys substantial success in the domestic market (Japan) and worldwide.
It’s worth pointing out that the anime production took a slow-burn approach to the rich source material, which not only eliminated the need for producing filler episodes but also provided plenty of source material for the anime.
Tokyo Revengers Season 3
Considering that the Tokyo Revengers manga ran for more than five years, and its chapters have been collected in 31 volumes, we’d say that the anime has plenty of material to draw from. Disney announced that the series’s third season will be returning to Hulu and Disney Plus on October 4, 2023, following the same release schedule as other anime, such as Bleach.
This means that individual episodes will receive a release on Japanese linear television first, followed by a global rollout a few hours later via Disney’s streaming services and Crunchyroll.
Season 3 of Tokyo Revengers will adapt the beloved Tenjiku arc from the manga, which accounts for 66 out of 278 chapters total and remains one of the fan-favorite arcs even after the manga has concluded. It introduces the criminal organization called Tenjiku, led by Izana Krokawa and Tetta Kisaki, with their sole objective of seeking revenge on the Tokyo Manji Gang, which is currently commanded by the show’s deuteragonist, Mikey.
Those behind the show have mentioned that Season 3 of Tokyo Revengers covers more than half of the series’ plot. This means that the Boten arc, the Three Deities arc, and the Kanto Manji arc still wait for adaptation—the final two arcs are the concluding section of the narrative in which Takemichi establishes his own gang and finally seeks revenge on those who wronged him.
Those interested in watching this time-traveling masterpiece can stream Tokyo Revengers on Hulu.
