WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Tokyo 24th Ward Episode 1, "RGB," now streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
The Winter 2022 anime season is now underway, and a standout title is the sci-fi action series Tokyo 24th Ward, taking place in a parallel reality where Tokyo has a 24th ward that's in the middle of controversy and high-tech intrigue. As it happens, a group of kids in their late teens are the only ones who can save the day.
While Tokyo 24th Ward is not actually a superhero anime -- indeed, it has more in common with the Minority Report movie -- the three main protagonists are almost like student heroes in My Hero Academia, complete with sci-fi Quirks and other special skills. This is what it takes to keep the peace in Tokyo's most troubled ward.
In 2020, the blue-haired wannabe hero Aoi Shuta tried to save Suido Asumi's life in a burning elementary school but failed. One year later, in May 2021, he gets another chance to become a real hero and save a life when no one else can. The Kizuna train has its grand opening in the 24th ward -- but with 150 passengers aboard and no conductor, there is no room for error. The train runs automatically, but what the public doesn't know is that its creators cut some corners to rush the vehicle into service six months early.
Shuta thinks nothing of the train at first, but when he and his friends, Suido Koki and Akagi Ran, receive a phone call from their dead friend Asumi, the three gain supernatural abilities through their ears. They all have new eye colors and can now view the near future with ultra-advanced technology. To Shuta's knowledge, nothing like this has happened before.
Whether or not Asumi's digital ghost is behind this, Shuta and his friends now have special powers, the likes of which not even SARG can dream of. They see a vision of the Kizuna train running over a girl trapped on the rails, but derailing it may lead to an even greater disaster. It's up to Shuta and his friends to somehow save the day.
In a sense, Shuta's powers in Tokyo 24th Ward are akin to the abilities found in My Hero Academia, albeit with a sci-fi twist. This future sight in particular is similar to the Foresight Quirk of Sir Nighteye, All Might's old sidekick. He could see the future with ease and use that intel to support All Might or evade enemy blows in combat. Tokyo 24th Ward has three Sir Nighteyes, giving Shuta and his friends a serious edge over any SARG agent or police officer. If things go well, they could even become folk heroes and an overnight sensation.
It's up to Shuta, Ran and Koki to use their Quirks responsibly and avoid becoming outlaws or criminals wielding powers they can't fully control. They use these abilities well in Episode 1, and with their future sight, they know Sakuragi Mari's predicament on the Kizuna train tracks and rush to the scene to help.
These Quirks are just the start, though -- the three boys must also use their own talents to serve as superheroes, and each has a secondary ability to finish the job. Koki has influence with his governor father and SARG, while Ran is a rogue graffiti artist/hacker who uses his drones to disrupt the runaway train and force it to brake. Finally, Shuta gains superhuman physical abilities and rushes onto the scene to retrieve Mari and her dog just before the train strikes them.
Shuta is effectively Deku and Sir Nighteye rolled into one, with a hacker friend and connections with SARG to back him up. This serves as a promising start to Shuta's heroic career, and with these combined Quirks, he and his squad will surely save the day once again as Tokyo 24th Ward continues.
