Highlights
- Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc Episode 8 reveals tragic pasts and motivations of major characters, such as Kokonoi's desperate attempt to save Akane.
- The origins of the S-62 Generation are explored, showcasing the specific crimes and brutal approaches to combat that led to their formation.
- Hakkai and Souya form the "little brother alliance" and challenge the Haitani brothers, setting up another intense battle in the ongoing fight against Tenjiku.
The following contains spoilers for Episode 8 of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc, "I Know In My Head," now streaming on Disney+.
Amid the raging battle between the Tokyo Manji Gang and Tenjiku at Yokohama's seventh pier, new truths came to light about the backgrounds of certain major players in the eighth episode of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc. Hopelessly outmatched by the sheer volume of Tenjiku's forces, Takemichi and his allies struggle to find routes towards Kisaki and Izana, whose downfall is crucial to their goals. However, they must contend with Izana's most powerful lieutenants before reaching Tenjiku's kingpin.
With Mikey and Draken nowhere in sight, and all of Toman's Division Captains completely incapacitated, the battle seems all but unwinnable. This episode of Tokyo Revengers also delves into the history of the S-62 Generation, and the events that brought them together in juvenile detention. Furthermore, it finally gives insight into the complex relationship between Hajime Kokonoi and Seishu Inui, to explain the former's reasons for allying with Tenjiku, despite the brutal way in which Yasuhiro Muto coerced him to do so.
Tokyo Revengers: What Is The Kanto Incident?
The overarching conflict between the Tokyo Manji Gang and Tenjiku is the result of numerous smaller feuds and battles. Here's how they came to be.
Kokonoi's Tragic Past
Seishu Inui's protests from the previous episode ran into the opening of this one, where he asserted that he was not his older sister Akane, to Hajime Kokonoi. The focus then shifted to a time in the past, when Kokonoi and Inui were just children, walking home from school together. In effect, this commenced a flashback to Kokonoi's relationship with Seishu's older sister Akane, illuminating why he was so protective of him. Akane took an interest in Kokonoi, who had become infatuated with her, despite the five-year age gap between them. He even confessed his feelings to her at one point, and pledged to protect her forever.
One night, the Inui household was the site of a raging fire which consumed the entire building. Sensing that Akane was in danger, Kokonoi rushed into the home despite the protests of bystanders. When he returned with a body wrapped in a jacket, he was shocked to find that he had saved Seishu and not Akane. In the days after the incident, Akane would be placed on life support with a slim chance of survival due to the severity of her burns. On speaking to a recovering Seishu, Kokonoi found out that Akane's parents could not afford her treatment, which cost over 40 million yen.
Pledging to raise the money himself, Kokonoi racked his brains on how he could obtain funds to save Akane, eventually turning to crime by recruiting a group of delinquents to commit robberies. In time, he gained access to better contacts in organized crime, but struggled to gather enough money for the medical procedure. His efforts were dealt a final blow when Akane herself passed away.
Back in the present, Kokonoi told Inui that his entire life came to revolve around money, as he tried to fill the void left by Akane's death. He despised the clients he had worked with, from Izana, Shion Madarame, and the Haitani brothers, to Taiju Shiba himself. Subsequently, he accused Inui of using him to revive Black Dragon, and wondered whether Akane would scold him for the path he had taken in pledging his loyalty to Tenjiku. As the two collapsed in tears, Yasuhiro Muto entered the battle, and challenged Inui to be his opponent.
The Origins Of The S-62 Generation
Elsewhere, on the battlefield, Takemichi and Chifuyu were engrossed in their own battles against Kakucho and Kanji Mochizuki respectively, with neither able to gain a decisive foothold. Noticing Toman's resolve despite the massive disadvantage they faced, Kisaki pointed out that Tenjiku were not dominating the fight as he had initially expected, which amused Izana.
Recalling a time when he had gone berserk in a detention center during his youth, Izana noted that he beat up every inmate and guard around him. Despite this, there were a select few inmates who refused to go down, and it was a coincidence that each one of them was around 13 years of age, just like Izana at the time. These individuals went on to become the core members of the fabled S-62 Generation in the future.
Izana then went on to outline the specific offenses that had landed each member in juvenile detention, beginning with Mochizuki, who wiped out a gang that ran Kawasaki, and then assaulted the police officers who arrived to arrest him. Next, Yasuhiro Muto was charged with assault for paralyzing a former martial artist turned yakuza, by destroying his spine with his skills at judo.
Lastly, the Haitani brothers were cornered by law enforcement for manslaughter, as they took on Max Maniacs, the gang which ruled the Roppongi district of Tokyo. After challenging the gang's leaders to a fight, the elder brother Ran took out his opponent, and intruded on the fight his younger brother Rindo was involved in with the gang's Vice-Leader. After Rindo pinned their opponent down, Ran proceeded to beat him senseless, which, and fatally fractured his skull in the process. Now that Kisaki and Shuji Hanma were aware of the S-62 Generation's brutal approach to combat, Izana assured them that Tenjiku would win at any cost.
An Alliance Of Younger Brothers
In an unlikely turn of events, Hakkai Shiba and Souya Kawata were confronted by the Haitani brothers, whose fluid teamwork and effortless combinations were posing a major threat to the duo. Despite their efforts to combine their strength, Hakkai and Souya faced a great deal of difficulty in coordinating their attacks, which allowed the Haitanis to exploit this weakness. As Ran and Rindo taunted them both for living in the shadows of their elder brothers, the pair began to bicker about how they were used to having their siblings around to help them out.
Noticing this turn of events during his fight against Mochizuki, Chifuyu rued the fact that both Hakkai and Souya were spoiled younger brothers, who were shielded from many hardships by their elder siblings. Since Souya's arm was in bad shape, and Hakkai's leg had been twisted by Rindo Haitani in their previous exchange, the pair were at an even greater disadvantage.
As Hakkai and Souya lay on the ground, the Haitani brothers began to gloat over their apparent victory, which struck a nerve in the minds of both younger brothers. Realizing that they had a lot in common, the pair roused their spirits and issued a loud challenge to the Haitani brothers, proclaiming themselves to be the "little brother alliance" who would show them their pride in relying on others.
Setting up another major fight in the ongoing battle, this episode of Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc made another stride towards the all important climax of the battle against Tenjiku. With the action slowly building up to its peak, many must be wondering how Takemichi and his allies can overcome the S-62 Generation, or if there is any hope of Mikey and Draken swooping in to save the day once again.
