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Mikey from Tokyo Revengers considers two people to be the ones who changed his life the most: Takemichi and Kisaki. Both members of Toman had a major impact on Mikey’s psyche throughout the series, something Mikey is perfectly aware of.
For fans of the series, this is an extremely interesting phenomenon, seeing as Takemichi and Kisaki could not be more different. Both men are polar opposites, with one being selfish and cold, while the other is selfless to a fault. Regardless, they both influenced Mikey's thoughts and ideas throughout Tokyo Revengers, and this list will highlight five ways in which each of them did so.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Tokyo Revengers' manga and reflects the author’s opinion. Sportskeeda claims no ownership of any media used in this article unless otherwise specified.
Five ways in which Takemichi and Kisaki each changed Mikey’s life in Tokyo Revengers
1) Takemichi: Filled the void Shinichiro left
Mikey’s hero during his childhood was his older brother Shinichiro. He wasn't particularly strong during fights, but even in defeat, he remained true to himself and his ideals. After his death, Mikey was left without a hero that would inspire him to be a better person like Shinichiro used to do.
When Takemichi suddenly appeared in his life, Mikey realized that the spot left by Shinichiro was slowly being filled. Takemichi was extremely similar to Shinichiro in the best way possible. He was not the strongest fighter, but he never gave up. This gave Mikey the strength needed to keep going on more than one occasion during the events of Tokyo Revengers, all thanks to Takemichi.
2) Kisaki: Corrupted Toman
Toman was created with the goal of becoming the most powerful gang in Japan, just like Shinichiro’s Black Dragons were for a while. However, the founding members all agreed that Toman would not take advantage of the weak and innocent, preventing them from ever becoming corrupted by power.
The moment Kisaki appeared in Mikey’s life, he tried to make Toman’s leader turn his back against the morals the gang was created upon. He promised Mikey he would help Pah-Chin be freed from prison by using dirty tricks, which no one in Toman agreed with. Kisaki’s power lust was almost enough to turn Mikey into someone he would have regretted becoming back then.
3) Takemichi: Helped Mikey reconcile with his friends
For most Toman members, Kisaki was an undesirable person who should never have become a part of the gang. The rift between Mikey and his friends almost caused the gang to split, all according to Kisaki’s plans.
Fortunately for Toman and especially Mikey, Takemichi arrived just in time to help Mikey and Draken talk the issue out. It is thanks to Takemichi’s words, as well as an unfortunate event involving his hair, that Toman stayed united for a long time after their fight.
4) Kisaki: Going against his friends
The most important thing in Mikey’s life, besides family, is the friendship he has with all the members of Toman. Mikey cares deeply for all of them to the point where he is willing to suffer if it means that they will be spared from all pain.
Like many other things in Mikey’s life, Kisaki almost ruined his friendships as well. Kisaki wanted to become Toman’s second in command no matter what, so he came up with a plan to make Mikey fight with his friends. This caused Mikey and Draken to almost stop talking entirely, which would have been devastating for Mikey.
5) Takemichi: Showed him true strength
During his childhood, Mikey convinced himself that true strength could only be obtained through force. Things like crying, talking, and being forgiving were signs of weakness that he tried to avoid at all costs. This all changed after witnessing Takemichi's demeanor, even during a fight.
Takemichi is not physically strong, nor is he a resilient fighter. He is easy to knock down and is constantly crying without a care in the world about who sees him. After witnessing all this, Mikey understood that true strength had nothing to do with physical prowess. True strength comes from the determination one has to protect the people who are precious to them.
6) Kisaki: Reaffirmed his beliefs about strength
While Takemichi was trying to teach Mikey the true meaning of strength, Kisaki was trying to reinforce his pre-existing beliefs. Kisaki wanted Mikey to be an unstoppable fighting force, as this would greatly aid him in his future endeavors.
The best example of this behavior occurred during the fights between Toman and Valhalla. Kisaki manipulated Mikey to believe that only brute force would be enough to save his friends from Kazutora. Because of Kisaki's influence during this time, Mikey almost started believing in his old ways once again.
7) Takemichi: Showed Mikey he is important
Mikey may not like to think about it often, but it is a fact that he deals with severe mental health issues. The Tokyo Revengers manga has explored this concept further in the last few chapters of the series. Mikey has thought for a long time that he is not as important or valuable as his friends, which has led him into a path of self-destruction.
Takemichi has proven to be the only one who could save him from his demise due to his being the first person to realize how Mikey sees himself. Takemichi knows how awful it feels to hate yourself, which is why he has tried to make Mikey realize his value from the very moment they became friends.
8) Kisaki: Treated him like a weapon
Moments after Mikey revealed to Kisaki the truth about his Dark Impulses, Mikey also granted him permission to use those impulses in the manner he saw fit. Kisaki, who was obsessed with obtaining power through any means, obviously did not refuse this offer.
After that, Mikey was reduced from Toman's leader to a mere weapon in Kisaki's eyes. He tried to use Mikey to get rid of people who could prove problematic to his plans in the future. In the end, Takemichi had to save Mikey once again from being utilized by Kisaki, opening his eyes to the reality of the situation.
9) Takemichi: Became his light
For almost a decade, Mikey was left completely alone to stew in his own Dark Impulses. He became accustomed to the darkness, eventually wishing for it to control him completely. Luckily for him, Takemichi realized this and did his best to save him from his own dark thoughts.
Without realizing it, Takemichi became synonymous with light for Mikey. Just a glimpse at Takemichi was enough for the darkness inside Mikey to subside, giving him the freedom to be himself once again.
10) Kisaki: Fed his darkness
Mikey’s darkness turns him into an emotionless monster, but it also makes him exponentially stronger and more dangerous. This worked perfectly for Kisaki’s plans, as he was not interested in Mikey or his wellbeing, only in obtaining more power.
Kisaki used every opportunity to trick Mikey into accepting the darkness, convincing him that he needed it to grow stronger. He was aware that Mikey’s darkness would eventually be the cause of the young man’s destruction, but he did not care about this at all.
Final thoughts
Kisaki and Takemichi are like the yin and yang of Tokyo Revengers’ world. Kisaki was a sinister man who manipulated everyone around him into doing his bidding. In contrast, Takemichi tries his best to help everyone he can, even at the cost of his own wellbeing.
However, Mikey, who has first-hand knowledge of both men's influences, is better able to understand this duality. Now that Mikey has been consumed by his darkness, even after Kisaki’s demise, it is time for Takemichi to prove how strong the light he cast on Mikey’s life truly is.
