Takemitchy can't catch a break!

In the culture of underdog protagonists, Takemitchy is as the underdog as underdog gets, of all the animes released in 2021. If I've learned anything in the last 24 episodes then it has to be that this underdog is the worst candidate to lead a major crime gang. More importantly, change the course of history and alter the events of the timeline.

Yes, he is a trustworthy friend and an honest kid. But he doesn't have the gut-wrenching determination to do what it takes to get to the top. Or does he?

Takemitchy isn't a badass or a fighter. As a matter of fact, he is one of the weakest members of the Tokyo Manji Gang. He, however, is very determined and works around his weaknesses to reach his goal.

I love that Takemitchy cannot connect the past and the present. It creates a very interesting dynamic and adds to the complexity of his character. Takemitchy may look like a simple character. However, every time he comes back to the present things are different.

This last time he comes back to the shop in a completely different reality. After a lot of unsuccessful tries, he is now not a worker there but a customer. An interesting twist. We are just as blind as Takemitichy is.

How did this happen?
What happened in the time he was gone?
What is up with his look?
Why is he living lavishly?

I think the most vivid picture of how drastically things can change because of one small alteration in the past was when Takemitchy pairs up with Naoto to meet his old best friend Akkun.
Akkun, oh Akkun. One of my favorite side characters in the series.

It was crazy, almost unbelievable, to see what had become of him. Not only did he look entirely different, but he had also become a different person. The guy who used to get beat up all the time was now sitting in a high-rise and with a lot of authority.

But that little meet-up with Akkun also brought to light how dangerous was the situation Takemitchy had found himself in. Every time Takemitchy went back to the past and came back, we saw how deadly could things become...for all the different characters. Akkun jumping from the top of the building had me shook.

Baji, Akkun, in the last episode we learn about Draken and Chifuyu, Emma (x3), all these deaths. Every time Takemitchy seems to make small progress towards changing the course of history and saving Emma's life, it feels like he loses someone close.

The end goal is to take over the gang and as a result save Emma. But rising up the ranks only brings more and more problems. He has seen Emma die. He has seen Baji die. He has seen Akkun die. In the last episode, we learn Draken has been executed. Chifuyu dies next to him.

He simply can't catch a break.

But I am most excited for what is to come in the next season. The last episode has left me with so many exciting questions. For one, how did Takemitchy make it to the top echelons? More importantly, will he survive the assassination? The Naoto situation is still a mystery. Maybe he comes to the rescue.

I want to see Takemitchy catch some breaks in s2. He has had enough for one season already.