Young men living in the city...the public of modern times builds a home out of corruption.
These young men of the sordid side of life, a side called "reality", are depicted here.
The story of Tokyo Tribe is heavily based around the hip-hop and street culture of modern day Tokyo. It focuses on members of the Saru street gang (Shivuya [sic] branch in the original manga, Musashino branch in Tokyo Tribes). The Saru exist as a safe haven from the rampant crimes that occur between the Bukuro (Ikebukuro) Wu-Ronz and the Shinjyuku [sic] Hands.
When three Saru members turn up dead, Kai, a lieutenant within the gang, hunts for their assailants. He finds Mera, leader of Wu-Ronz and former friend, and accuses him of the murders. Their fight ends in the death of Tera, the Saru leader, and begins the Second Gang War. Meanwhile, a prostitute named Sunmi may either hold the key to bringing the two friends together or destroying all three gangs from the inside out.
Tokyo Tribe and the sequel Tokyo Tribes were both written by Santa Inoue. The first was published in 1993 and covered the events prior to the First Gang War. Tokyo Tribes was published between 1997 and 2005 in the magazine boon. Tokyo Tribe 2 was the anime based on the second manga and was directed by Tatsuo Sato and produced by Madhouse Studios. The series ran for 13 episodes between 2006 and 2007.
A Live-Action Adaptation developed by Sion Sono (Suicide Club, Strange Circus) premired in late 2014 at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
This series contains examples of:
- Adaptational Villainy: Mera receives this treatment in the live-action film adaptation,
and how so. - Arms Dealer: Ibu.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: In Tokyo Tribe 2, the NEO WU-RONZ, after nearly taking over a majority of Tokyo, become the "Skunk Empire", named after its leader and former underling of Mera. The outfits of the Skunk Empire members are reminiscent of Nazi uniforms, with the kana "ズ" in place of the swastika. Even Skunk, who grew a mustache over the course of two episodes, dresses very similarly to Hitler during his reign as the leader of the Skunk Empire.
- Auto Erotica: In a fit of rage, Gondo kicks the shit out of some hippies and rapes a nearby girl inside his car. And then he procceeds to kick her out of the car while it was running. This scene was skipped in the anime.
- Band of Brothers: Members of the Saru gang are less focused on the turf war and more focused on bringing a settlement of peace throughout the region. In doing so, they build closer bonds than the other gangs.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: Galileo and Nkoi, respectively. Although Nkoi is quite tall.
- Blood from Every Orifice: Happens to the Bishōnen as a result of being raped so violently by Buppa.
- Bloody Hilarious: The "goosh goosh" rape scene is initially horrifying, but when you see the amount of blood coming from under the door in an amount comparable to The Shining, it immediately Crosses the Line Twice.
- Bowdlerization: The infamous "Goosh Goosh" scene is actually somewhat more tame compared to the gruesome aftermath of Buppa's rape in the manga where it clearly shows that the rape victim's back was brutally ripped apart. In fact, a lot of the most violent scenes are tamer in the anime.
- The fangirl who Nkoi has sex with still has her skirt on in the anime.
- The scene where Guppa and a younger Mera watch a kidnapped woman getting her limbs hacked off is entirely skipped.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Mera confronts Buppa about him killing his parents, chopping them to pieces and putting them on display, Buppa expresses his confusion and says he has no idea what he's talking about. Mera has a Heroic BSoD moment and starts laughing before killing the fat gangster.
- But Not Too Foreign: It's implied by their facial features that Mera and Kai might be of mixed Japanese/African heritage, or even simply 1st or 2nd generation Japanese born immigrants, though the show never goes into detail.
- Death by Irony: Buppa has a habit of cutting off people's limbs then placing their bodies in tanks of formaldehyde in order to preserve them. Guess what Mera does to him when he finds out it was Buppa who killed his parents.
- Depraved Bisexual: The same place the "goosh goosh" comes from: Buppa, in Tokyo Tribes.
- Devil Complex: In the Live-Action Adaptation of the manga, crime lord Buppa boasts that he's the real devil, and wishes to reign supreme as the Devil of Asia.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In the manga, Mera kills Tera by slicing his head off with his sword, with Tera' head landing on Kai's hands. In the anime, Mera stabs Tera in the stomach, causing him to die from extreme blood loss.
- Eye Scream: Renkon the Chef, when Jada Kins eats his eye out in episode 6 of Tokyo Tribe 2.
- Fingore: Not only Nkoi slices Gondo's face, he also cuts off all the fingers of Gondo's right hand in the manga.
- Gratuitous Rape: The whole "Goosh Goosh" scene. In one moment you see Buppa saying "This is very good" to a Bishonen man, and literally a second later, the Goosh Goosh scene happens.
- Groin Attack: Skunk gets his nuts clubbed with a microphone by Sunmi. Serves him right.
- Large and in Charge: Buppa is the head of the Wu-Ronz and towers over every other character.
- Out with a Bang: Buppa rapes a young man so violently that he gets split in half.
- Overdrawn at the Blood Bank: The amount of blood Buppa takes out of the Bishōnen guy is just amazing.
- The amount Nkoi, Buppa's son loses before succumbing to his impalement is just as absurd.
- Pet the Dog: In the manga, Nkoi rescues a stray dog and lets Galileo keep it.
- Buppa does actually pay for Galileo's hands prosthesis when his son Nkoi begs him to do so.
- Police Are Useless: A comment made after the Shivuya riots informs the audience the police never arrived.
- Pretty Fly For A Japanese Guy: The Anime/manga is about the conflict between American hip hop inspired gangs of Japanese delinquents.
- Pre-Violence Laughter: Mera engages in some of this before murdering Buppa.
- Scary Black Man: Jadakins. Also, to some extent, Mera.
- Shadow Discretion Shot: During the "goosh goosh" scene, the most explicit shot of the act is shown via silhouette from behind a curtain.
- Spell My Name With An S: Is it supposed to be romanized as Buppa or Bubba?
- Tank Goodness: Somehow, the Hands manage to get a tank on the streets.
- Those Two Guys: Buppa's bodyguards, Shiro and Ittoku. They are usually seen together.
- Villainous BSoD: Buppa, when he gets stabbed in the face by Mera in episode 10 of Tokyo Tribe 2.
- Would Hit a Girl: Gondo has no qualms with kicking and shooting girls. Though he misses the shot in the anime.
