Unraveling The Mystery Behind Tenjiku

The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc, “Mortal Enemy,” now streaming on Disney+.

Following a season opener that ran at breakneck pace, “Mortal Enemy,” the second episode of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc raised the stakes even further with gripping revelations, relentless action, and an engaging air of mystery at the heart of it all. Where the previous episode of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc left off with Hanagaki Takemichi encountering an important figure from his past, this one delved into the outcome of the conflict between Tenjiku and the Tokyo Manji Gang, along with the repercussions it would have on the future.

In a time of strife for Toman, when the gang are being attacked from all sides with little knowledge about the enemy, Takemichi is pursuing every possible avenue to find solutions to the problem at hand in Tokyo Revengers Season 3. His desperation leads him to places he vowed to never return to, only to find the very evil he sought to eradicate lying in wait to deal a fatal blow. Backed into a corner on the verge of despair and disarray, how will he find a way to rewrite the future into one free of pain and suffering, without having to sacrifice those he holds dear?

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The Kanto Incident Begins

Beginning with an emergency meeting of the Tokyo Manji Gang at Musashi Shrine, the episode immediately delved into Kakucho’s parting words towards Takemichi, where he warned his old friend of a traitor inside Toman’s ranks. While Takemichi ruminated on what this statement could have meant, Mikey and Draken arrived to commence proceedings and ascertain the nature of the threat they were dealing with.

As the First Division and other cohorts gave their reports of the fights they had been in, most of the Toman members gathered began to realize that some of Tenjiku’s highest ranking officers had all been members of a group known as the S-62 Generation. On realizing that Tenjiku’s grudge against Toman was more than just a simple rivalry, Mikey declared that he wanted to take the fight to Yokohama and attack Tenjiku on their home turf.

The declaration brought an uneasy feeling to Takemichi’s gut, as he felt that this might be exactly what Kisaki had wanted. Since there was little he could do to avert the impending conflict at that juncture, Chifuyu urged Takemichi to return to the present and find out how the battle between the gangs played out. Rushing to find Naoto Tachibana in order to perform another time leap, Takemichi first ran into Hinata, which reminded him of his original purpose and resolve.

Who Is Izana Kurokawa?

While speaking to the adult Naoto in the present after time leaping, Takemichi was astounded to find that there was little to no record of Tenjiku, Kisaki was officially declared dead, and Izana Kurokawa was solely known as a former leader of Black Dragon and current high ranking member of Toman. Since nothing was adding up, the pair decided to conduct their own separate investigations, with Naoto choosing to scour through police records as Takemichi attempted to find leads on Black Dragon.

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The latter’s search lead him to the very same church from the Christmas Showdown Arc, where he met none other than a reformed Taiju Shiba, who was there mourning the death of his brother Hakkai. Now a restaurant owner, Taiju held a grudge against Toman for his brother’s demise, and met with Takemichi and Naoto to provide them with intel for their investigation. During this discussion, Taiju confirmed his knowledge of Izana’s past in Black Dragon while revealing that the gang’s First Generation was founded by none other than Sano Shinichiro — Mikey’s late older brother.

He elaborated on the legendary status of Black Dragon’s first few generations, which persisted until Izana took over the Eighth Generation. Three years later, Izana would form Yokohama Tenjiku and go to war with Toman in the Kanto Incident, which resulted in an unlikely deal where the two gangs merged with Mikey, Kisaki, and Izana at the top of the hierarchy. When Takemichi stated that Kiskai was officially dead, Taiju prompted him to question the police report, with Naoto confirming that it might have been tampered with due to Izana’s influence over local law enforcement.

Defiance In The Face Of Despair

Taiju outlined how Kisaki’s death was faked, stating that with Mikey dead, Izana was now the true leader of Toman, since Mikey had even more trust in him than he did in Draken. As Takemichi balked at this statement, Hajime Kokonoi and Seishu Inui — formerly Taiju’s cronies who now worked for Toman — entered the restaurant with a large force of soldiers and declared that they had orders to apprehend Taiju.

Excited at the prospect of his first real brawl in a long time, Taiju urged Takemichi and Naoto to flee out the back door, telling them to avenge Hakkai’s death, as he prepared to take on his old subordinates and their forces. Fleeing from the chaos in the restaurant, Takemichi and Naoto ran for their lives. However, as he wondered how he could gain more information about the Kanto Incident, Takemichi stopped in his tracks and ran back to the restaurant, realizing that his best source of information was there.

Just as he made this decision, he was frozen in step by a gun pointed at him from an alleyway. Out from the shadows stepped Kisaki, well and alive, confirming Taiju and Naoto’s suspicions. Comprehending what was about to happen, Naoto threw himself in the way of Kisaki’s bullet and was struck by it, saving Takemichi in the process. As he lay bleeding out on the road, Izana stepped out from behind Kisaki and reprimanded him for shooting Naoto as he had already laid claim to the latter’s life.

On seeing Takemichi, Izana told him that he knew about his role in killing “his Mikey” — a term that confused Takemichi. Izana then proceeded to summon Kakucho, who paid no heed to his old friend’s pleas, shooting Takemichi with his weapon. As the trio from Toman departed, with Kisaki watching the scene from the corner of his eye, Naoto, now in critical condition, began to state how he had initially perceived Takemichi to be a pathetic loser, after meeting him in the present. This opinion soon changed as he saw his indomitable will and noble ideals, stating that Takemichi was now a hero in his eyes.

Teary-eyed and desperate, Takemichi clasped Naoto’s hand for what he believed would be the last time, declaring that he would never give up, and succeed no matter the cost. Just as the music swelled, and the electricity crackled, signifying another time leap, silence broke out and the end credits rolled, bringing the episode to a resounding conclusion, with Takemichi venturing into the past once again. Now, with Naoto near death, Takemichi might have no chance of returning to the present until he rectifies the events of the past. Ending on such an intense cliffhanger enhanced the tension and stakes even higher, and many fans of the anime will be wondering how Toman’s “crybaby hero” can overcome the insurmountable odds before him.

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