[Screenshot]
[Storyline]
Takemichi Hanagaki è un ventiseienne che vive un trauma per la morte di Hinata Tachibana, che oltre a essere una sua grande amica era anche stata il suo primo vero amore. Non intraprende nella sua vita nessun'altra relazione amorosa, finendo ad alloggiare in uno stabile estremamente malmesso e a svolgere un lavoro che non sopporta. Dopo essere stato spinto contro un treno in corsa, scopre che invece del suo decesso si è verificato un incredibile viaggio indietro nel tempo, capace di riportarlo a prima della morte di Hinata. Lo scopo dell'esistenza di Takemichi diventa così proteggere Hinata, pur sapendo che ciò risulterà particolarmente difficile: la ragazza era stata infatti uccisa in seguito ad una rappresaglia da alcuni giovani criminali, e l'unico modo per impedire il fatto è diventare più "potente" di loro.
[Storyline]
First arc
Takemichi Hanagaki, a 26-year-old freeter, learns one day that his middle school ex-girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, as well as her younger brother Naoto, have been killed by the Tokyo Manji Gang. When Takemichi is pushed in front of a train, he teleports exactly 12 years into the past to 2005. While reliving his middle school years, Takemichi meets with Naoto and divulges the exact date he and Hinata will die. When they shake hands, Takemichi is suddenly transported back to the present, creating a time paradox where Naoto survives and is now a detective. Naoto deduces that every time they hold hands, Takemichi is transported 12 years into the past. Using his knowledge from the future, Takemichi vows to save Hinata.
In the past, Takemichi's friends are forced into underground matches led by Kiyomasa, a member of the Tokyo Manji Gang. Takemichi's determination to protect them gains the respect of the gang's leader, Mikey. Takemichi discovers that his new friendship with Mikey prevented one of his friends, Akkun, from going to jail in the present; however, after Akkun commits suicide out of fear, Takemichi realizes the Tokyo Manji Gang presents a stronger threat to his friends than he initially thought.
After traveling back to the past, Takemichi finds that the Tokyo Manji Gang is declaring war on Moebius, a rival gang, to avenge Pah-chin's friend. Takemichi learns that Mikey's second-in-command, Draken, will eventually be killed and lead to Mikey becoming violent. Draken survives the rumble, but Pah-chin turns himself into the police after stabbing Moebius' leader, Osanai. This causes infighting within the Tokyo Manji Gang, as they disagree on how to help Pah-chin.
Takemichi resolves Mikey and Draken's dispute; however, on August 3, 2005, the Tokyo Manji Gang are attacked by a group of Moebius members, who are led by Valhalla member Shūji Hanma. Takemichi learns that Peh-yan colluded with them out of anger for Mikey and Draken letting Pah-chin be arrested, while Kiyomasa had stabbed Draken for humiliating him and causing him to be exiled from the Tokyo Manji Gang. The Tokyo Manji Gang wins the fight and Draken recovers from his injuries.
Valhalla arc / Bloody Halloween
Takemichi returns to the present, only to find out that Hinata and his friends still die in the current timeline. With only the clue that Tetta Kisaki transformed the Tokyo Manji Gang into a violent organization, Takemichi returns to the past to find that Kisaki has recently joined the gang, using Pah-chin's absence to become his division's new captain. Moreover, first division captain Keisuke Baji is leaving to join Valhalla, after being recruited by Kazutora Hanemiya, a former co-founder of the Tokyo Manji Gang. Mikey promises Takemichi that he will remove Kisaki from the gang if he is able to bring Baji back. With that, Takemichi is officially made a member of the Tokyo Manji Gang under Takashi Mitsuya's division.
Takemichi discovers that Mikey holds a grudge against Kazutora for killing his older brother, Shinichiro, two years ago. In addition, Takemichi learns through Chifuyu Matsuno that Baji pretended to defect from the gang to investigate Kisaki. Furthermore, he learns that Kisaki had created Valhalla for Mikey to be its leader, and the Tokyo Manji Gang will eventually be absorbed into Valhalla after a rumble on October 31, 2005 known as "Bloody Halloween"; their loss had been caused by Mikey killing Kazutora out of rage over killing Baji.
During Bloody Halloween, Baji attempts to stop Kisaki, but Kisaki and Hanma convince Kazutora to stab him as planned. Though the Tokyo Manji Gang wins, Takemichi is unable to prevent Baji's death. Moreover, Valhalla is absorbed into the group, and Kisaki uses their defeat to raise his status within the Tokyo Manji Gang. However, Takemichi is able to prevent Mikey from killing Kazutora, and Kazutora decides to turn himself into the police. Takemichi is then made the captain of the first division as Baji's successor.
Black Dragons arc / Christmas Showdown
After returning to the present, Takemichi once again discovers that the Tokyo Manji Gang has grown into a large-scale crime organization after absorbing the Black Dragons, and his friends still die. When he travels back to the past, he learns that Hakkai Shiba is forced to leave the Tokyo Manji Gang and join the Black Dragons under the orders of his abusive older brother and the Black Dragons' current leader, Taiju, an event that affects the Tokyo Manji Gang's merge with the Black Dragons. Mitsuya makes a deal with Taiju that he will allow Hakkai to join on the condition that Yuzuha, the Shiba brothers' sister, no longer works for the Black Dragons, nor will Taiju be allowed to assault her. Before bidding them farewell, Hakkai tells Takemichi and Chifuyu in secret that Taiju has no intention of keeping his promise and that he plans to kill him soon to free himself and Yuzuha.
Takemichi asks the Tokyo Manji Gang for help, but they decline to intervene, as breaking the agreement would reflect poorly on Mitsuya. However, he and Chifuyu reluctantly succeed in only getting the help of Kisaki and Hanma. Together, they learn from Koko and Inupi, two members of the Black Dragons, that Hakkai plans on murdering Taiju on December 24, 2005. On December 24, Takemichi confronts them, but he discovers that Kisaki and Hanma had betrayed and abandoned him. However, Chifuyu escapes and enlists Mitsuya for help in defeating Taiju.
After inadvertently preventing Taiju's death, Takemichi realizes that in the original timeline, Yuzuha had killed him after being coerced by Kisaki, which then led to Hakkai taking the blame for her and being forced to follow his orders. Takemichi convinces Hakkai to stand up to Taiju in order to save Yuzuha, and with Mikey and Draken's timely arrival, the Black Dragons are defeated. After their disbandment, Koko and Inupi carry the titles of co-leaders of the Black Dragons' 11th generation and join the Tokyo Manji Gang as Takemichi's subordinates. Having learned about Kisaki's betrayal, Mikey removes him from their group. Mikey's decision also causes Hanma and the former members of Moebius and Valhalla to leave, downsizing the Tokyo Manji Gang by 350 members.
Tenjiku arc
By the time Takemichi returns to the present, Tenjiku has absorbed the Tokyo Manji Gang after an event known as the "Kanto incident" and left Mikey demoralized to the point of killing all his friends. While Takemichi and Naoto investigate Tenjiku, both of them learn that Kisaki is a member and that Shinichiro is the founder of the Black Dragons. When they are ambushed by Tenjiku members, they become fatally wounded, and Takemichi travels to the past before they both die. Hinata overhears Takemichi mourning Naoto's death, as well as the fact that he had been time-traveling.
Takemichi learns that Tenjiku's leader, Izana Kurokawa, is a close relative of the Sanos, and he holds a grudge against Mikey out of jealousy, especially when Shinichiro intended for Mikey to become the leader of the Black Dragons. In the midst of this, Mucho and his vice captain, Sanzu, have joined Tenjiku, and Koko is forced to join them. Impressed by Takemichi's resolve, Inupi passes his title as the leader of the Black Dragons to Takemichi and reveals to the Tokyo Manji Gang that Izana is planning an attack on the Black Dragons' 11th anniversary, February 22, 2006. On the day of their fight, Takemichi loses the support from the other captains, as Kisaki and Hanma have severely injured Mitsuya and fourth division captain Smiley. In addition, Kisaki kills Mikey's half-sister, Emma, leaving Mikey and Draken distraught. Nevertheless, Takemichi rallies the rest of the Tokyo Manji Gang to fight Tenjiku, with only 50 members fighting against Tenjiku's 400 members.
Near the end of the fight, Mikey and Draken arrive after learning from Hinata that Takemichi had been time-traveling to save them. As the Tenjiku are forced to admit defeat, Kisaki shoots Kakucho, Tenjiku's second-in-command, and Izana, fatally wounding the latter, and flees. When Takemichi confronts him, Kisaki confesses that his reason for taking over the Tokyo Manji Gang was to boost his social status and woo Hinata; he also views Takemichi as an enemy for stealing her attention and has Hinata killed in every present timeline for rejecting him. In the midst of this, Kisaki is hit by a truck and dies. After the Kanto incident, Hanma goes on the run, while Mikey decides to dissolve the Tokyo Manji Gang, allowing all of its members to move on.
Final arc
Takemichi returns to the present to find out that his friends are alive and successful, but Mikey, who has not been in contact with any of his friends for the past 12 years, has established a new gang called Bonten. Takemichi is no longer able to travel to the past through Naoto, but when he saves Mikey from jumping from a building, he suddenly travels 10 years into the past to 2008. Takemichi is now in high school and learns that since the Tokyo Manji Gang has been disbanded, there is currently a power struggle between Rokuhara Tandai, Brahman, and Mikey's new gang, the Kanto Manji Gang. In hopes of reaching Mikey, Takemichi joins Brahman, led by Senju Kawaragi, and suddenly develops the ability to see into the future. On July 7, 2008, Rokuhara Tandai launches an attack on Takemichi and Senju. Takemichi prevents Senju's death, but Draken is killed while protecting them. As a result, a brawl, known as the Battle of the Three Deities, erupts between all three gangs and ends with Mikey killing South, Rokuhara Tandai's leader. The Kanto Manji Gang wins and absorbs Rokuhara Tandai; meanwhile, Senju disbands Brahman in order to stop Mikey from killing Takemichi.
One month later, Takemichi recreates the Tokyo Manji Gang and challenges the Kanto Manji Gang to a fight on September 9. During the fight, Sanzu attempts to drive a train into the battlefield to kill the Tokyo Manji Gang. Though Takemichi is able to prevent this, Kakucho dies in the process.