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Very few chapters in recent manga history are as anticipated as Tokyo Revengers chapter 278. It was only in October that Kodansha announced the series would come to an end on November 16, at 12 am JST. On November 15, the publisher released a promotional video for the final chapter at 8 pm JST, a mere four hours before the chapter’s publication.
The video is short and features redrawn scenes from the entirety of the Tokyo Revengers manga. Contrary to the ongoing argument amongst fans, this video emphasizes the relationship between the protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki and the deuteragonist Manjiro Sano, AKA Mikey.
Kodansha releases a surprise promotional video hours before the publication of Tokyo Revengers’ final chapter
The video is 22 seconds long and chronicles Mikey’s bond with Takemichi as it flourished throughout Tokyo Revengers. Essentially, the video states that it has always been Takemichi who ran after Mikey more than anyone else, trying to save him from outward dangers and his inner darkness alike. The video also shows how much Mikey’s demeanor and disposition have changed in the time he and Takemichi have known each other. However, his smile has remained the same, even if it now has a broken edge to it.
The art in the video is both polished and has a three-dimensional quality. There are primarily four scenes depicted here: when Mikey told Takemichi about Shinichiro and asked him to keep him on the correct path, when Takemichi met Mikey in Manila before Naoto was forced to kill the latter, several instances of Mikey smiling (including when he laughed before trying to commit suicide during the Bonten Timeline), and finally when Takemichi saved Mikey in the Bonten Timeline.
The two most important text inserts in the video are “It was always this” at the beginning and “I won’t let you die” at the end. The video not only focuses on Mikey and Takemichi’s relationship but also emphasizes that the story of Tokyo Revengers has always been about these two. Takemichi’s quest to save Mikey has always been a debated one amongst the readers, especially following chapter 277.
Final thoughts
Tokyo Revengers chapter 277 has caused several controversies, chief of them being the final reset erasing all of the character development and subsequently installing Takemichi as Mikey’s closest confidant, thus diminishing the role that characters like Baji or Draken played in his life.
This promotional video reaffirms that this was always mangaka Ken Wakui’s intention. As the two main characters of the series, Mikey and Takemichi were meant to be at the center of the story and each other’s lives. Readers can only wait for Tokyo Revengers chapter 278 to see how the ending of this magnum opus pans out.
