Tokyo 24th Ward is a brand-new sci-fi anime series of the Winter 2022 anime season, and the series hits the ground running in its first few episodes. Tokyo 24th Ward launches with a large cast of interconnected characters who all represent different aspects of this alternate-reality sci-fi setting, and fans need a way to keep track of them all.
The series’ main characters can be divided according to their faction of allegiance, with the three main characters forming their own shonen-style squad for viewers to follow around. Then, there are characters associated with the 24th ward’s government, a few more characters in a graffiti/hacker group and more. The characters of Tokyo 24th Ward really bring this world to life and offer unique viewpoints on highly relevant themes of society, state surveillance and what it means to be a hero.
Aoi Shuta, The Wannabe Hero Who Sees The Near Future
Aoi Shuta is the protagonist of Tokyo 24th Ward, and even in the double-length premiere episode, he has a lot on his plate. One year ago, he failed to save his friend Suido Aumi in a burning elementary school, and that defeat discouraged him from pursuing his dreams of being a hero. Now, he has the inexplicable ability to see crime and tragedy in the near future, Minority Report-style, and he can use this new talent to save lives and restart his heroic career. Strangely, Shuta gained this power after receiving a phone call from the supposedly deceased Asumi, leading him to believe that she might not be dead after all. Shuta is also good friends with Akagi Ran and Suido Koki, forming a squad known as RGB, named after their hair colors.
Akagi Ran Fights For Freedom With Graffiti
Shuta’s good friend Akagi Ran is a small-time hacker who uses his computer skills and graffiti to protest the 24th ward’s use of the Hazard Cast anti-crime surveillance system, and this may put Ran at odds with his and Shuta’s other friend, Suido Koki. However, whatever the risks, Ran won’t just abandon his cause, and he has an entire team of graffiti artists and hackers by his side. He received the same future sight ocular power as Shuta, and helped save Mari’s life by using his drones to slow down a runaway train to buy Shuta time to save the day.
Suido Koki Is Part Of The System
Suido Koki is the third member of the central RGB team, although unlike his two friends, Koki has official ties to the government of Tokyo’s 24th ward, with his father Suido Gori being the mayor. Koki is more upright and by-the-book than his friends Shuta and Ran, and he is much more likely to defend the Hazard Cast system and the government that put it there. This puts him at direct odds with the rebellious Akagi Ran, and that may cause some trouble in the near future. Koki received the same ocular powers as Shuta and Ran, and he feels a deep sense of responsibility to use that power for good. He is also certain that his sister Asumi is deceased, and won’t entertain Shuta’s theories that she might still be alive. Still, he can’t fully explain how he heard Asumi’s voice over the phone that day.
Sakuragi Mari Loves Okonomiyaki
Sakuragi Mari is a supporting character in Tokyo 24th Ward, and rather than being an upstart sci-fi hero, she is a hardworking okonomiyaki chef working in her family’s restaurant in the 24th ward, which she takes pride in. Mari wants nothing to do with superhero antics and battles in the streets, but trouble somehow finds her anyway, and she may need her childhood friends Shuta, Ran and Koki to save the day. Like Shuta, Mari blames herself for her friend Asumi’s death, and has yet to fully process her grief and self-blame.
Suido Gori Runs The 24th Ward
Suido Gori is the mayor of Tokyo’s 24th ward and Koki’s father. He has his hands full running this controversial ward already, and it’s even tougher when automated trains go out of control in his ward and almost hit someone. Gori is tough but fair, and he seems to have an amicable relationship with his son, who looks up to him. However, given his position, Gori may eventually be at odds with his son’s friend Akagi Ran, who will use any means necessary to fight for freedom in the streets and throw off the yoke of Hazard Cast.
Suido Asumi Seemingly Died & Returned With A Gift
It was Suido Asumi who seemingly died one year ago in that fire, and both Shuta and Mari have blamed themselves for her demise. Later though, Asumi’s voice emerged from Shuta, Koki and Ran’s phones, granting them the power to see the near future to save lives. It’s not yet clear how or whether Asumi’s spirit returned, but still, saving lives is absolutely what she would have wanted her friends to do.
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