Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » FANTASIA FEST 2021: Tokyo Revengers is Peak Live Action Form

FANTASIA FEST 2021: Tokyo Revengers is Peak Live Action Form

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez08/08/20215 Mins Read
Tokyo Revengers
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Tokyo Revengers

I know for Americans live-action adaptations of anime and manga get an eye-roll, but, truth be told, Japan has been producing phenomenal live-action productions in the same way that the US is producing stellar comic book films. These live-action productions are also the biggest reason I look forward to Fantasia Fest every year. This year at the 25th Anniversary of the film festival the Tokyo Revengers live-action screened, riding the hype of a successful first cour of the series.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa, with a screenplay by Izumi Takahashi, the Tokyo Revengers live-action adapts the Weekly Shonen Magazine manga of the same name created, written, and illustrated by mangaka Ken Wakui. It stars Takumi Kitamura, Yuko Yamada, Yosuke Sugino, Mio Imada, Nobuyuki Suzuki, Gorfon Maeda, Hiroya Shimizu, Hayato Isomura, Shotaro Mamiya, and Ryo Yoshizawa. And believe me, this large ensemble cast delivers the intensity and emotions of the original work.

If you’re unfamiliar, Tokyo Revengers is a genre-blending series that is part high school drama, part gang wars, part love story, and the best part-time travel. The film opens sharply with a naked yakuza being terrorized. Crying and scared, he serves as an introduction to the underworld and, more specifically, the Tokyo Manji Gang who takes center stage in the film. Then, the film introduces us to its main character: Takemichi Hanagaki (Takumi Kitamura).

Takemichi is, for lack of a better word, a coward. He’s 20-something, living in a dump, and uses sorry a lot in his vocabulary. When he finds out that his high-school sweetheart and her brother have been killed he doesn’t know what to do. He’s sad and stricken, and then Takemichi is attacked while on the subway, pushed onto the tracks with a train heading straight for him. Instead of dying, Takemichi winds up 10 years into the past. Instead of lying beneath a subway train, he’s with his friends, their cray hair, and exactly who he used to be – cool.

Similar to other time travel manga and anime stories like ERASED, the entirety revolves around the lead character trying to undo a tragic event. For Takemichi, that’s stopping the murder of his high school girlfriend, Hinata (Mio Imada). Allowed to jump from past and present with the help of Hinata’s brother Naoto (Yôsuke Sugino), the two attempt to set off a chain reaction that changes the Tokyo Manji Gang for the better and ultimately undoes the evil they’ve created.

Like the source material, the beauty of the storytelling is that Takemichi’s approach isn’t standard. The easy path is to, well, kill the leader and stop the future. Instead, Takemichi learns about the gang, about its leader Mikey (Manjirō Sano), his right-hand man Draken (Yûki Yamada), and aims to connect instead of destroying. This works narratively for the film as we see Takemichi take risks and change from terrified of the group to becoming their friend. It’s this trajectory pushed by the empathy that helps solidify the film as one of the best live-action takes on a manga or anime that I’ve seen.

Sure, there are elements of plot that get flattened due to the one film runtime, but the heart and emotion that has made Tokyo Revengers a fan favorite are what makes the Tokyo Revengers live-action work. In truth, the only issue I take with the film’s condensing of the source material comes from its underutilization or exploration of the story’s villains, particularly for Moebius.

But of course, adapting anime style is another element that you have to notice when you watch the film, especially given the very specific character designs that Wakui created. While some hairstyles could use some work, the Tokyo Revengers live-action beautifully brings to life characters from the series not only in physical appearance but in emotion and energy. In fact, fans of the anime will be pleasantly surprised and in love with how Manjirō Sano and Yûki Yamada bring Mikey and Draken to life.

The most surprising and most exciting way Tokyo Revengers succeeds though is its action sequences. With sprawling battles that rival iconic yakuza films, there is structured chaos in the larger fight sequences like the finale that works exceptionally. Additionally, the fight choreography in the smaller fight sequences hits a balance of genuinely stunning and campy that uses the actors physicality to the max, especially for Mikey and Draken – who I’m mentioning again because they steal the film.

Overall, Tokyo Revengers is a peak live-action. Not only does it do the work to bring the manga to life, honoring character designs without feeling too cartoonish, it also captures everything that makes the series special. While it has some small pitfalls, the Tokyo Revengers live-action works for fans and those with no knowledge of the source material as well. This is one I hope makes it stateside with a full release soon.

Tokyo Revengers is screening at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Tokyo Revengers
  • 8.5/10
    Rating - 8.5/10
8.5/10

TL;DR

Overall, Tokyo Revengers is a peak live-action. Not only does it do the work to bring the manga to life, honoring character designs without feeling too cartoonish, it also captures everything that makes the series special. While it has some small pitfalls, the Tokyo Revengers live-action works for fans and those with no knowledge of the source material as well. This is one I hope makes it stateside with a full release soon.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleFANTASIA FEST 2021: ‘King Knight’ Is a Lesson in Witchcraft and Hilarity
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Dreamscaper’ Offers A Surprising Mental Health Journey (Switch)
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

09/11/2025
Natasha O’Keeffe in Whitetail
6.5

TIFF 2025: ‘Whitetail’ Is An Intimate View Of A Woman Stuck In Time

09/10/2025
Love Brooklyn
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Rests on Pretty

09/10/2025
Park Jeong-min in The Ugly
7.0

TIFF 2025: ‘The Ugly’ Is A Harsh Exercise In Self-Reflection

09/09/2025
No Other Choice
9.0

TIFF 2025: ‘No Other Choice’ Delivers a Bleak Vision of Capitalism

09/09/2025
Molly Lewis in Whistle
8.0

TIFF 2025: ‘Whistle’ Is A Breath Of Fresh Air

09/07/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here