Time travelling is one of the most talked about topics among the fans of Tokyo Revengers. It is slightly confusing and very inconsistent with multiple loopholes.
Time travelling in Tokyo Revengers is also quite different from what we see in other anime of a similar type. It is a lot more complex and Takemichi has to work around a lot to make the best of his ability. His ability is also confusing and quite inconsistent.
Let’s take a look at all the elements related to Takemichi’s ability and understand how exactly it works!
Takemichi’s time travel ability in Tokyo Revengers is of unknown origin. We know it’s activated by shaking hands with Tachibana Naoto and allows Mitchy to travel back exactly 12 years into the past. However, we don’t know how this supernatural ability works.
1. Incidents that led to Takemichi’s Time Travel!
Takemichi Hanagaki, a former delinquent and a total loser in the present, deeply regrets every choice he made in life. He lives an unhappy life and is constantly trampled over by others.
One fine day, he discovers that his former girlfriend, Tachibana Hinata and her younger brother are killed in an accident caused by a gang war. Initially, he doesn’t seem to react much and carries on with his life.
However, when he is pushed in front of an oncoming train, he gains the ability to time travel and ends up in his old middle school delinquent days.
Although he refuses to believe these events initially, he soon composes himself and decides to save his then-girlfriend from her upcoming demise.
2. How did Takemichi gain his ability?
In Chapter 273, the origin of Takemichi’s powers was explained. Shinichiro, Mikey’s brother, gained the time travel ability from a homeless old man. To gain these powers, he had to kill this old-time leaper.
Shinichiro used his powers to return to the past, to the day of Mikey’s incident and saved him from being killed. However, as a result of this, Mikey fell prey to his Dark Impulses.
Shinichiro, unaware of the repercussions he caused, contemplates what he can do with his powers. He comes across a little boy, who asks him how to be a hero.
Guilty that he killed the old man and remembering that he can transfer the powers, Shinichiro gives his time travelling ability to the little boy who happens to be Takemichi, as Hinata and Kisaki look on.
3. Prerequisites for Takemichi’s Ability to Activate!
Although Takemichi’s ability gives him a chance to change his life, it comes with strange rules. First things first, Takemichi can only travel back exactly 12 years in the past. For example, if he decides to travel on August 3rd, 2017, he will arrive in the past on August 3rd, 2005.
This rule works both ways, if he decides to come back on September 3rd, 2005, he will arrive in the present on September 3rd,2017. This rule makes it incredibly hard as he does not get multiple shots, he only gets one to change the situation.
Secondly, his ability is activated by shaking hands with Tachibana Naoto. Although Naoto theorises that this connection may be due to Takemichi and Naoto saving each other, there was no clear explanation provided.
Takemichi also does not travel through time physically. When he is in the past, he inhabits the body of his younger self while his present body is in an animated or comatose state.
4. Inconsistencies Surrounding Takemichi’s Ability!
The series didn’t really explain why Takemichi was only able to travel 12 years in the past and why Naoto was the trigger. This somehow changed when travelled back in time with Mikey.
The trigger suddenly changed to Mikey. Many fans believe that this might be due to Mikey’s desperation to change the past.
The second inconsistency is with the comatose state of Takemichi. As explained by Naoko in the first few chapters, Takemichi remains suspended during his time travel.
However, we see Takemichi waking up working in a DVD shop, multiple times. As per the information from the earlier chapters, this shouldn’t be possible. This is a major plot hole in the story.
Takemichi’s ability has major inconsistencies, but we can’t get fixated on these minor details. We can only understand that the author used this time travel ability as an element of the storyline rather than making it the main focus.
5. Other Time Travelers in Tokyo Revengers!
After the conclusion of the manga series, there are three confirmed time travellers in Tokyo Revengers. The original time leaper, Shinichiro and Takemichi.
Shinichiro stole the ability from the homeless old man and saved his younger brother. Takemichi got the ability from Shinichiro and used it to save the lives of many.
6. How many people are aware of Takemichi’s ability?
Naoto Tachibana, Chifuyu Matsuno, Tachibana Hinata, Manjiro Sano and Draken are the ones aware of Takemichi’s ability. Naoto is Takemichi’s trigger and therefore remembers the events from the unchanged timeline as well.
Chifuyu was the first person of Toman who learned about Takemichi’s ability. The moment Hinata got to know about Takemichi’s ability was quite an emotional moment.
She comforted him and cheered him up when she understood the heavy burden her loved one was carrying while Mikey understood why Takemichi reminded him of his brother.
7. About Tokyo Revengers
Tokyo Revengers is a manga written and illustrated by Ken Wakui. It began serialization in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine on March 1, 2017, and ended its run in November 2022. It is compiled into 31 tankobon volumes.
The story revolves around Takemichi Hanagaki, who learned that Tokyo Manji Gang had killed his only ex-girlfriend from back in middle school. After learning about the incident, Takemichi was pushed from the railway platform.
Landing on the tracks, he closed his eyes, accepting his death, but when he opened his eyes, he had time-leaped 12 years into the past.
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