Tokyo Revengers season 2 episode 8 recap & review: Strive Together

In the eighth episode of the second season of Tokyo Revengers, Takemichi refuses to give up and encourages Hakkai to fight with them. The episode is now streaming on Hulu.

Recap

An injured Takemichi keeps fighting, despite Hakkai screaming for him to give up. Takemichi thinks about the time when he was all alone. He had no friends and no one to confide in, but in Toman, he was accepted by his new friends.

He tells Hakkai that if there’s a slight chance that he can change the future, it’s worth risking his life. Takemichi finally lands a punch and brings Taiju to his knees.

He then tells Hakkai that the most painful thing is being alone, not fighting your hardest. He calls himself Hakkai’s friend, and Hakkai also falls on his knees, crying and asking for help. 

When Takemichi promises Hakkai that he will protect Yuzuha, Hakkai admits that he wanted to protect his sister, but he did not have the courage to defy Taiju. He reveals that Yuzuha was the one protecting him all along, and he made it sound like it was the other way around.

Takemichi assures him that he is not the only one who ran away. Mitsuya agrees and confesses that he hated his life, even though he told others not to hate theirs. 

He once got sick of all the responsibility and ran away, leaving his siblings behind. He tells Hakkai that at times, everyone runs away, but that is why they have friends. 

Hakkai finally gathers the courage to stand up to Taiju and asks everyone to step back. He thanks his friends and rips off his Black Dragon uniform, declaring that he will never wear it again.

Hakkai hits Taiju. He no longer wants to kill Taiju, he just wants to beat him. This enrages Taiju, who starts beating Hakkai. He cries and claims that he will now have to kill two of his siblings.

Toman members cannot even run away because Taiju has the church surrounded, but Takemichi says that he never planned to do so. 

Mitsuya comforts Yuzuha and tells her that he respects her. Yuzuha thinks about her mother who promised to protect her always. Her mother passed away when they were children, and Taiju started abusing them.

The Toman members start fighting the Black Dragon members together. As a child, Yuzuha promised that she will always protect Hakkai, but this time, Hakkai promises that he will protect Yuzuha. She feels that her mother is there for her.

Takemichi eventually passes out, but Hakkai keeps fighting Taiju. Mitsuya and Chifuyu have also reached their limit. A tired Takemichi hears the sound of Mikey’s bike.

Mitsuya is concerned about Mikey’s reaction to them breaking the truce and fighting the Black Dragon members. However, Mikey enters with a smile and asks them what are they all doing on Christmas.

Review 

  • This episode uses scenes of child abuse to depict Taiju as a complete villain, leaving no sympathy for him in the minds of the viewers. These scenes also help the viewers understand the fear that has been ingrained in Hakkai’s mind since childhood.
  • On the other hand, Yuzuha emerges as a hero. She takes their mother’s place in the family after her death and becomes the protector that Taiju failed to be.
  • Apart from the characters, the viewers also get to see the flaws of the characters that seemed flawless until now. Mitsuya’s confession about his life makes him seem more human in contrast to the perfect person that everyone assumes he is.
  • While the scene where Yuzuha finally feels loved is touching, the action scenes were still not thrilling. The many conversations inserted between them prevent the viewers from getting invested.
Tokyo Revengers season 2 episode 8
Tokyo Revengers season 2 episode 8 recap & review: Strive Together 1

Director: Koji Aritomi

Date Created: 2023-02-26 13:26

Editor's Rating:
3

Also Read: Tokyo Revengers season 2 episode 7 recap & review: Sibling Rivalry

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