Tokyo Revengers: Why Hinata Is So Important to the Story

As a longtime fan of Tokyo Revengers, I must say that Hinata Tachibana is undoubtedly one of the most significant characters in the series. Her journey, from being a beacon of hope and strength to a tragic victim of the Yakuza’s cruelty, has left an indelible mark on the story.

This article contains spoilers for the Tokyo Revengers manga and anime.

Without a doubt, one of the current sensations in the anime world is “Tokyo Revengers”. This shonen manga was created by Ken Wakui, both writing and illustrating it, and it first appeared in 2017. The release of its first season in 2021 brought the series massive popularity and global recognition, with the story still unfolding, while the manga has already concluded its run.

In this manga, we follow Hanagaki Takemichi who has the power to travel between his present and 12 years ago. His goal is to prevent his childhood sweetheart, Tachibana Hinata, from being killed by the Yakuza in the future. As he navigates through various story arcs, he tries to alter the past by saving or failing to save different characters, ultimately joining Mikey’s gang, known as The Tokyo Manji Gang, based in Shibuya, Japan. It becomes clear early on that the events unfolding in the future are somehow linked to Mikey’s transformation into a villain.

Who is Tachibana Hinata?

The Main Love Interest of Takemichi

Debut Chapter: Chapter 1
Debut Episode: Episode 1
Age: 26 (2017), 14 (2005)

In essence, Hinata Tachibana serves as the central female figure in the Tokyo Revengers series. Her financial situation, whether stable or precarious, significantly drives the narrative. Notably, she is a crucial motivator for two key characters: Hanagaki Takemichi and Kisaki Tetta.

Hinata, originally a girl with a sunny disposition and a heart full of kindness, once shared romantic moments with Takemichi during their middle school years. At first glance, her character might appear as a common trope, exhibiting unwavering kindness towards the protagonist. However, as the story progresses, she reveals layers of strength and determination that were not immediately evident. In even the darkest of times, when hope seems lost, Hinata stands steadfast, offering encouragement to lift everyone’s spirits and bring joy back into their lives.

In the initial installment of the manga, we meet her character. This corresponds to the debut episode in the anime adaptation. At one point, she was a petite 14-year-old middle schooler. Her hair is naturally short and pinkish, and she often dons her middle school uniform. As an adult, she remains small in stature but grows her hair longer, favoring shorter dresses for outfits. Notably, as an adult, she continues to wear the necklace that Takemichi gifted her when they were still young.

Other characters than Takemichi that she has a great relationship are:

Tachibana Naoto, her younger brother, who actually helps Takemichi in saving his sister.
Sano Ema, Mikey’s younger sister. Despite Takemichi almost having “some action” with Ema, she and Hinata grow very close throughout the story, becoming best friends.

Her Contribution to the Story Is Massive

Hinata is Takemichi’s Ultimate Goal

Tokyo Revengers: Why Hinata Is So Important to the Story

In the narrative of Tokyo Revengers, Hinata plays a significant role in nearly every plot twist. Unlike her peers who may be physically skilled or powerful, Tachibana contributes through her actions and mainly offers emotional support to characters like Takemichi.

Hinata serves as the driving force behind Takemichi’s actions, and her death at the hands of the mafia sets his journey in motion. Upon encountering her in the past, he makes a promise to protect her. Notably, Hinata challenges Takemichi’s adversaries, such as Mikey and Draken, when she perceives them as harassing him. She even dares to slap Mikey and persists despite his intimidating presence.

In the given storyline, following Takemichi’s defeat, she stands by him in the rain, providing the encouragement he needs to persevere. This act of kindness empowers Takemichi to rise again and achieve his objective. Interestingly, during this sequence, it is she who summons his friends to bolster their support for both Takemichi and Draken during the ensuing battle. In fact, in her absence, they might not have survived the fight.

In the future, upon Takemichi’s return, Hinata is safe and sound but they’ve parted ways. After some back-and-forth conversations, he comes to understand that it was actually him who initiated the breakup, even though he can’t quite recall why. This mystery gets unraveled later on. Unfortunately, Hinata doesn’t live much longer; she meets her end in a car accident while Takemichi steps away for a bathroom break, forcing another time leap to set things right.

In the Tenjiku arc, most of what fans learn about Hinata being persistently targeted by the Yakuza comes to light. It’s discovered that Tetta Kisaki is responsible for this, as he harbored deep feelings for Hinata that went unreturned. This emotional rejection drove him to murder her. Additionally, it’s disclosed that Takemichi was pushed onto a train and nearly killed due to his receiving Hinata’s love and affection. Essentially, Hinata significantly impacted not only the main character but also the primary antagonist of the show.

Takemichi and Hinata Almost Get Married

Takemichi Almost Ended Up with Hinata

In the ideal future for Takemichi, he and Hinata were preparing for their wedding, living blissfully thereafter. But at the last minute, he felt compelled to attend to other matters, choosing not to marry her immediately. Instead, he focused on resolving the pressing issue with Mikey’s descent into darkness, as it was crucial for him to help his friend. In this scenario, Hinata was no longer Takemichi’s primary concern to protect, as that role shifted to Mikey.

In simpler terms, this passage suggests that the narrative moves away from Hinata and centers more on Takemichi. Previously, it was uncertain whether Takemichi could create a future as good as the one he abandoned to protect Mikey. However, his recent time travel has resulted in the death of a cherished character who would have lived otherwise – none other than Draken.

Hinata in the Final Arc

Takemichi and Hinata Finally Get Their Happily-Ever-After

In a daring move, Takemichi chose to interfere with the timeline once more, an act fraught with risk. Yet, somehow, it all managed to fall into place, regardless of whether readers found the narrative and conclusion satisfying. In the concluding chapter 278 of Tokyo Revengers, we witness a heartwarming moment as Takemichi and Hinata exchange vows in their wedding, and surprisingly, even Mikey, the one person for whom Takemichi had sacrificed everything, was present.

At their wedding, there were some past adversaries present as well, demonstrating how effectively Takemichi managed to alter time’s course. In summary, while this conclusion was joyful, fans expressed feelings of disappointment and perceived Hinata’s character as merely being a love interest for Takemichi without any significant growth or development beyond that role.

Since the final chapter of Tokyo Revengers was published in November 2022, enthusiasts can now catch up on the entire story by reading all the available manga volumes.

2024-09-12 03:33