English Dub Review: Tokyo Revengers: “Regret”

Overview: “Regret” sees Hanagaki (AJ Beckles) journey through time once again to stop the Tokyo Manji gang from entering into conflict with that of Moebius as the ending result will spell Draken’s (Sean Chiplock) demise.

Our Take: Takamichi wishes to save Draken from an early grave. However, it is what leads up to that where it stumbles somewhat. As he and Naoto go to question the former leader, Osanai, of Moebius in the present to understand what triggered Draken’s death their conversation with the old construction worker ends up feeling a tad forced with how Osanai calls out a specific date on when everything spiraled out of control and things went wrong. Realistically speaking, it’s unlikely anyone would remember an element that exact. It’s a minor nitpick but even so is something that sticks out in that the exchange takes me out of my immersion and reminds me I’m watching a show that is trying to reinforce key plot details and clumsily at that. 

After we’re given something I didn’t quite expect or at least so soon. A deeper look at Draken’s upbringing and how he met Mikey. And a much more mature one at that. Growing up in a brothel and without proper parents grounds how you perceive him. Also his first interaction sets the stage well for their eventual brotherhood that becomes ingrained within them.  

After learning of someone plotting from the inside of the Mobius gang, the concept that Takamichi may actually be the cause as he inadvertently acts as the trigger that sets up the internal conflict between Mikey and Draken. Which presumably would eventually lead to Draken’s death is intriguing as his knowledge will no doubt have various types of impact on the timeline moving forward. A person’s interference in the timeline being set in stone has been a concept that has been played around numerous times in all sorts of sci-fi media that deals with time-traveling. That along with the various other concepts that have already been established like the two personalities of Takamichi at different time frames and the interplay between past and present makes for a hurricane of unexpected ways the present may be altered or even changed completely in some cases. Not to mention Revengers features an exciting ending to the episode as the battle with Moebius is just on the cusp with the ensuing result playing a huge role in what is to come after. 

Tokyo Revengers introduces even more tried and true time traveling concepts along with building on characters that gives them a lot more mileage and an exciting ending that even some starting awkward writing can’t hamper that much.