This article contains spoilers for the Tokyo Revengers manga and anime.
Summary
One of the most recent hits when it comes to anime is undoubtedlyTokyo Revengers. It is a shonen manga written and illustrated by Ken Wakui that debuted back in 2017. With the 2021 release of its first season, the series found great success and worldwide acclamation and is still continuing, with the manga having reached its end already.
This manga focuses on the main character, Hanagaki Takemichi, as he jumps back and forth from the present to 12 years ago in the past in the hopes of savinghis childhood girlfriend, Tachibana Hinata, from an accursed fate where she is killed by the Yakuza. Throughout several arcs, he attempts to change the future by saving, or failing to save, multiple characters by joining Mikey’s Gang:The Tokyo Manji Gang, a group based in Shibuya, Tokyo, in Japan. It is apparent from the beginning that all the events that happen in the future seem to be a consequence of Mikey turning evil, one way or another.
Who is Tachibana Hinata?
The Main Love Interest of Takemichi
Tachibana Hinata is Tokyo Revengers' main female character. In fact, she is the person whose livelihood, or lack of it, pushes the story forward. She is the main motivation for 2 characters,in particular, Hanagaki Takemichiand Tetta Kisaki.
Hinata is a cheerful and kind girl who dated Takemichi when they were both in middle school. At first, her character might come off like a typical trope, that is, a very kind girl towards the main character, but she grows and develops throughout the series and shows a lot of strength and determination. Even when everyone is down and when nothing seems to be going well, Hinata is always present to help keep everyone positive and happy.
Takemichi’s Been Coming Home Beat Up All The Time Lately! And If It’s Happening Because Of You Two, I’ll Put A Stop To It! -Hinata
She is introduced in the first chapter of the manga, translating to the first episode of the anime. In the past, she was a 14-year-old middle school student of very short stature. She keeps her pinkish hair short and is usually seen wearing her middle school uniform. As an adult, she doesn’t grow much size-wise, but she does grow her hair out and is more prone to wearing short dresses. Most importantly, as an adult she wears a necklace that was offered to her by Takemichi when they were younger.
Other characters than Takemichi that she has a great relationship are:
Her Contribution to the Story Is Massive
Hinata is Takemichi’s Ultimate Goal
Throughout the story ofTokyo Revengers, Hinata has shown some involvement in almost every arc. Tachibana is not physically adept or strong, but she does what she can and supports the others, notably Takemichi, a lot mentally.
She is the pushing factor for Takemichi, and the primary and initial cause for his fight. After he discovers her death by the mafia, he vows to save her after meeting her in the past. Hinata also stands up to Takemichi and defends him from people whom she thought were bullying him, notably Mikey and Draken. She goes as far as slapping Mikey and holding on even after being met with a threatening aura from him.
In the following story arc, after Takemichi gets beaten up, she stays with him under the rain and gives him strength to push forward. Thanks to this act, Takemichi is able to get back up and accomplish his goal. During this arc, she is also the one to call out to Takemichi’s friends so they can support him and Draken during the fight. Without her, both would have gotten killed.
When Takemichi goes back to the future after this, Hinata is alive and well, but they’ve broken up. After some back and forth, Takemichi realizes that he is the one who broke up with her, although he’s not sure why. This is then explained later on. Hinata, however, doesn’t survive for long. She is killed in a car while Takemichi leaves for the bathroom, sending him once again into the past to fix this.
The majority of information fans get about Hinata’s constant targeting by the Yakuza is during the Tenjiku arc. It is revealed to be because of Tetta Kisaki. He had always had feelings for Hinata, and those went unrequited, which pushed him to murder her. It was also revealed that the reason Takemichi was pushed onto a train and almost killed was because he received Hinata’s love and affection. Hinata was a huge influence to not only the protagonist, but also the show’s main antagonist.
Takemichi and Hinata Almost Get Married
Takemichi Almost Ended Up with Hinata
In the best future Takemichi got, he and Hinata were planning their marriage. In this future, everything was almost perfect, and the two of them were about to be married, and live happily ever after. However, at the last moment, he decides that he has other things to do and can’t marry her now. He ends up leaving her to fix the main issue with this present and that is Mikey not being there. Mikey’s descent to his dark side meant that Takemichi had to do everything to save him. Here, Hinata loses her main role as the person Takemichi wants to save, which then shifts to Mikey.
That’s Just Who You Are. If You Ask Me, There’s No One Cooler Than You. -Hinata
This means the story essentially shifts focus and Hinata is sidelined. Back then, it was unclear if Takemichi would achieve a present as good as the one he left to save Mikey. After all, his recent time voyage had cost the life of a beloved character who would’ve otherwise survived, none other than Draken.
Hinata in the Final Arc
Takemichi and Hinata Finally Get Their Happily-Ever-After
Takemichi’s decision to go and mess with the timeline again was definitely a risky one. However at the end, it all worked out, whether or not fans enjoyed how the story went and the ending. Indeed, in chapter 278 of Tokyo Revengers, the final chapter, Takemichi and Hinata finally get married, and this time, everyone is present, even Mikey, the person Takemichi left everything for to try and save.
Takemichi and Hinata’s wedding actually featured some past antagonists too, showing how well Takemichi was able to fix this time like. Overall, despite this happy ending, fans felt dissatisfied and Hinata’s character at the end boiled down to being Takemichi’s love interest and nothing else more.
With the story of Tokyo Revengers having concluded a while ago, back in November of 2022, fans can find all the manga volumes to read and finish this story.
