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Tokyo Revengers Season 1 finished airing this September and fans couldn't get enough. What makes Tokyo Revengers different from other anime about middle-school gangs, is that there is an element of time-travel involved in it, and that contributed heavily to its popularity. However, the show ends on a cliff-hanger, and while the manga is ongoing, the second season is still far away. In the meantime, here are five shows to watch before Tokyo Revengers Season 2, featuring a similar kind of time-travel element.
5 time travel themed anime to watch before Tokyo Revengers Season 2
5. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki o Kakeru Shoujo) (Anime film, 2006, Madhouse)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an anime film and arguably, the oddest one on this list. The movie follows Konno Makoto as she gets the ability to leap through time and starts to use it in various situations. While this Madhouse production is a gem, it is more like a slice of life anime.
However, it earns its spot on this list as it has a similar kind of time travel element as Tokyo Revengers. The time travel ability showcased is one that uses a gesture rather than calculation or technology, and the film serves as a nice palate cleanser after Tokyo Revengers, while still carrying the viewer farther into the time travel high.
4. Steins;Gate (Spring 2011, White Fox, 24 episodes)
Steins;Gate follows members of the Future Gadget Laboratory as they deal with a machine that can send messages back in time. It is one of the top rated sci-fi anime of all time. It is placed fourth on this list due to three reasons. First, Steins;Gate is only one installment in an interconnected multi-media series.
Second, Steins;Gate is primarily Seinen, and while the setting of the show somewhat matches Tokyo Revengers, Steins;Gate emphasizes the technicalities of time travel, with very few fight scenes and none of the school-life vibe of Tokyo Revengers. Third, Steins;Gate is very unevenly paced. In essence, it is a good show to watch after finishing Tokyo Revengers, but it truly shines when not compared and simply consumed as Steins;Gate itself.
3. Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World (Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) (2016- present, White Fox, 2 seasons, 50 episodes)
Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World, or Re: Zero for short, follows Natsuki Subaru as he is transported to another world, and discovers his ability to travel back in time. It’s an Isekai anime, and comes with all of this genre’s designated staples: incredible fights, magical beings, great art style and good voice acting.
The premise of Re: Zero matches that of Tokyo Revengers, a seemingly Shounen-ish show about time travel with a darker undertone. Re: Zero is especially good for viewers who are yet to get into the Isekai genre, and Tokyo Revengers provides a good segue into that.
2. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song (Spring 2021, Wit Studio, 13 episodes)
Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, or Vivy for short, might seem like an odd choice to put so high up in this list, but other than the setting and premise, the anime is surprisingly similar to Tokyo Revengers thematically. Vivy is set in the future, where its protagonist must try to undo different events with the help of a time-travelling companion to save the world in the future.
It has a similar structure to Tokyo Revengers in that both protagonists try to undo some events in the past in hopes of changing the future, but it almost never has the desired effect, forcing them to locate another incident and undo that one, leading both shows to follow a similar repetitive pattern.
The art from Wit Studio is one of the best this year and reminiscent of Violet Evergarden, and while the plot might be a little wobbly, the music, fight choreography, animation, characters, and stellar voice acting more than make up for it. There is no lack of slick fights, and the futuristic setting only ups the ante.
1. Erased (Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi) (Winter 2016, A-1 Pictures, 12 episodes)
2016's Erased sits at the top of this list. The critically acclaimed series is very similar to Tokyo Revengers in terms of themes and plot, though the setting and the mood are different. Erased covers many similar issues like the unpredictable nature of humans, the butterfly effect, and the darkness hiding behind a group of school children.
Erased is a short series which makes for a fluid watch, but it is categorized as Seinen and deals with darker issues like abuse and child-neglect. Like the rest of the anime on this list, Erased merits a watch on its own merit, but it also works exceptionally well as a follow up to Tokyo Revengers.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of its writer.
