Based on the manga by Ken Wakui, the animated series Tokyo Revengers Season 1 premiered and quickly became one of the hottest anime titles of Spring 2021. The story follows Takemichi Hanagaki, who embarks on a time-traveling journey to change his future, captivating audiences with its unique narrative and thrilling plot twists.
After a brief hiatus, the second season of Tokyo Revengers has officially begun airing. However, the level of engagement seems to have diminished compared to its inaugural season, garnering limited interest from viewers. The primary reason for this decline may not only be due to its exclusive streaming rights on Disney Plus but also because the Tokyo Revengers franchise has faced being “forgotten” after the manga concluded.
The second part of the anime, titled “Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown,” started streaming on various platforms on January 7. However, audience reception has significantly dropped, with many negative reviews labeling it as having “lost its golden age.”
While the first season aired on just 10 channels, the second season of Tokyo Revengers has expanded to 37 channels nationwide. Considering the previous season’s popularity and viewership, this strong broadcasting presence seems promising. Despite this extensive airing, the show is exclusively available on Disney Plus, lacking distribution plans on platforms like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.
Prior to this, a media analyst noted: “In today’s streaming era, having exclusive rights on one platform could be a significant disadvantage.”
Unfortunately, since the release of the first episode of Season 2, there has been little conversation surrounding it, in stark contrast to the buzz that preceded the first season. According to some commentary, the decline in viewership is not solely due to exclusive rights but also related to the quality of content.
Commentators have remarked: “The manga has concluded, and Season 1 has aired for quite some time. With exclusive rights on Disney Plus, it seems like no one is watching? Also, why is it that the exclusive rights were given to Disney Plus when the first season was popular enough to attract millions of viewers?”
Moreover, the Tokyo Revengers manga officially concluded on November 16, as featured in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The ending of the series was met with mixed feelings and did not leave fans entirely satisfied. Consequently, the anime will need to adapt the current storyline, as what happens afterward may not resonate well with audiences. One analyst even stated: “In the past, Tokyo Revengers represented a pinnacle of shounen, but it no longer holds that title today.“
