I believe Izana Kurokawa is the official second strongest person of Tokyo revengers, the first one being Mikey. Let me tell you why.
As I watched the series I have always wondered who could possibly be able to defeat “the undefeated Mikey“. Not many can do but a few names were popping up in my mind. I think if there’s someone who can take Mikey down, that person has to be either South or Izana. Amid this daydream of mine (as an anime fan does make scenarios naturally) I found myself leaning more towards Izana. So we’ll dive into his world in a few minutes as I write this daydream down.
What truly amazes me about Izana is his two-faced personality. Throughout the series, we watch him be a kind and happy boy while living with the Sano family, and we also watch him become a lonely and violent person later on. He has an ability to completely shut down a part of his personality and awaken another.
Watching Izana’s journey in Tokyo Revengers had me believing that he wasn’t born a villain. He transformed into one, but he still could’ve been saved had people cared enough about him.
My take on Izana’s background
This boy struggled with loneliness and abandonment since he was born. His life spent in the orphanage, his childhood without a proper family, and his moment of truth finding out he’s not Shinichiro Sano’s real brother marked him to be the man he is now.
Izana’s world came crashing down when Karen Kurokawa told him in the cruelest way possible that Izana was not related to his family by blood. I felt it was as if he lost any sense of belonging he once felt with his family. Izana was always a bit jealous of Mikey, for Izana adored Shinichiro Sano and Shinichiro would often bring up Mikey in every conversation. (If you are confused about their relationship, here’s a guide. Izana is the half-brother of Shinichiro Sano and Manjiro Sano aka Mikey).
When he found out he wasn’t actually related to them he left the Sano family but had always kept a form of love for them, especially for Shinichiro. To be honest I think He never really hated them. he just wanted to be part of a family that was his. When Shinichiro died there was no one to keep Izana on the right path and he lost all sense of humanity he had over his loss. Nothing could stop him from doing cruel things after that. You know the classic path of becoming a villain. He then formed a gang called Tenjiku and pronounced himself the leader.
As the leader of Tenjiku Izana has no sense of empathy for his crew. he sees everyone below him and doesn’t care where they end up. Only seeking revenge and finding peace in violence, Izana is one of the most brutal leaders of Japanese gangs throughout the series. He is the proper bad guy. When he and his men lose a fight between Tenjiku and Toman, he even attempts to kill Mikey, his half-brother with a gun. That’s how ruthless he can be.
Later on, he gets awfully injured and somehow feels his humanity coming back to him. He finds that although he wears this mask of not caring about anyone, he truly cares for Kakucho who was his right-hand man. After the Tokyo Manji gang disbanded, Izana became a changed man and transformed Tenjiku into an organization that helps orphans. I was in awe of this transformation. As I said before, Izana can easily be a hero or a villain, it’s all about what he chooses at the end of the day.
In creating his back story Tokyo Revengers does an excellent job at narrating. It shows Izana’s desperate attempts to have a family and how all this violence came from a part of him that didn’t want to be lonely. He longed to be seen.
Appearance, of course
I believe Izana’s appearance to be as intriguing as his personality. Izana Kurokawa is a half-Filipino half-Japanese man of medium height. (5’5 for my curious followers). He has big purple eyes that match his bleach-blonde hair. His earings complimenting his handsome face. In my opinion, his looks are a reflection of his personality, for his white hair resembles his cold and violent demeanor and his big purple eyes mirror a certain warmth only Izana can offer. As we all know by now, Izana can be cold, but he can also be very warm. He rocks both perfectly.
Would Tokyo Revengers be Tokyo Revengers without Izana?
No. I believe that Tokyo Revengers wouldn’t have ever come to be this flawless series without Izana Kurokawa. Izana’s decisions and actions have impacted Tokyo Revengers in almost every aspect. Izana has great combat skills, for he’s known for his great speed, which no other Tokyo Revengers character masters. Other than that his presence in the series adds depth to it, exploring the impact of family issues on even the kindest people.
In my mind, Izana’s journey and transformation from kindness to violence and revenge-seeking natures to again kindness has shaped Tokyo Revengers’ theme and all its characters’ lives. It highlights the impact of the environment and the possibility of change for even the cruelest villains.
My take on his story
I have to admit that Izana Kurokawa has taught me endless life lessons. He may not have been the best person all the time, but he never gave up on his beliefs, even if some were wrong. It just shows that you gotta believe in yourself if you don’t have anyone to believe in you. He resembled a lot of us. We have often felt betrayed by our own family. We have felt jealous and we also have sought the attention of the people we loved. Izana was a victim before being a villain. Yes, he became a villain but he didn’t stay one, as he learned from his actions and changed for the better. That’s what matters the most.
Could Izana have been saved sooner? Yes. This boy was alone for years. He just needed someone to slap him out of his dark thoughts and then give him a big hug and whisper words of love in his ear. Therapy also would’ve helped. Izana could’ve been saved if Mikey had stayed by his side just like Shinichiru wanted, but Sometimes life doesn’t offer you the best environment to grow. We have to accept that and move on. Just like Izana did.
