Fate Rewinder

Fate Rewinder (運命の巻戻士, Unmei no Makimodo-Shi, lit. "Rewinder of Fate", and subtitled "All Great Achievements Require Time") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kimura Fuuta. Originally released as a one-shot on January 15, 2022, it was later serialized in February 2022 the following month, with its chapters collected in 7 tankōbon volumes as of December 2024.

Fate Rewinder
運命の巻戻士 (Unmei no Makimodo-Shi)
Genre	Sci-Fi Adventure Action comedy
Manga
Written by	Kimura Fuuta
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Monthly Coro-Coro Comic Kiracoro Comics
Demographic	Children
Original run	January 15, 2022 – present
Volumes	7

The story follows the adventures of Chrono, a young boy who joins a secret order of time travelers utilizing special temporal-manipulation device in their right eye to undo tragedies across time and space, hoping to solve and prevent the death of his beloved sister.

Synopsis

Setting

Fate Rewinder centers around the "Space-Time Police Special Forces Unit" (時空警察特殊機動隊, Jikū keisatsu tokushu kidōtai), a secret order of time travelers serving to prevent catastrophes on a larger scale across time and space itself.

Operating from a dilapidated building in the year 2087, they sent special agents called "Rewinders" (巻戻士, Maki modo-shi) to undone the deaths of their designated targets by repeated utilizing their "Retry Eye" (リトライアイ, Ritoraiai), an eyepatch-hidden prosthetic right eye with a built-in time machine that allows its user to rewind time and use their prior knowledge of the events that transpired to undo a doomed target's demise, as well as reviving recently deceased Rewinders at the cost of said Rewinders unable to remember the events that transpired, though the Retry Eye causes its user to suffer psychological damage and physical exhaustion as a major drawback on repeated use and can be impaired through various means to the point of being unable to use it.

Additionally, at certain cases, a Rewinder's Retry Eye might awakening its full potential in the form of "Version Up" (バージョンアップ, Bājon'appu, lit. "Version Upgrade"), a special ability unique to each Rewinder that grants limited access to a particular aspect of space-time itself, albeit with some caveats that limit itself to a singular use per loop at most.

Given the complex nature of the designated targets' death and the circumstance leading to it, a Rewinder's mission can quickly turn into a war of attrition, neccessiting the completion of their mission by any means before their body gave out from reaching their psychological and physical limits. The unit employs a ranked system to classify mission difficulty, with the prestigious "SS Grade Rank" reserved for the most complex cases, such as the infamous "Case 999" (ケース999, Kēsu 999), which no Rewinder so far has successfully resolved.

At times, the Space-Time Police Special Forces Unit frequently clashes with the "Clock Hands" (時空犯罪組織-クロックハンズ, Jikū hanzai soshiki kurokkuhanzu, lit. "Space-Time Crime Organization - Clock Hands"), a notorious criminal organization that wields time-traveling technology for illicit purposes and disrupts Rewinders' operations.

Plot

After a personal tragedy that took something from him, a young boy named Chrono is inducted into the Space-Time Police Special Forces Unit as its new Rewinder, under the mentorship of Shirai, a former Special Grade Rewinder. Shirai, who lost his ability to rewind after a traumatic event damaged his Retry Eye, trains Chrono for several years. With his Retry Eye, analytical intuition, photographic memory, and mental durability, along with the aid of his sentient flying smartphone, "Smartphone," 14-year-old Chrono rises through the ranks, aiming to solve "Case 999", an unsolvable case involving the death of his sister, Tokine, and a member of the notorious "Clock Hands" terrorist organization.

In the process, he have made numerous allies as he working alongside them in various missions: Akaba, a katana-wielding 16-year-old Rewinder whose Version Up "Forward" (フォワード, Fowādo) allowing him to move 200 times faster for a maximum of three seconds; Lemon, a monotonic 12-year-old "Super Combat Specialized Space-Time Rescue Android" (超戦闘特化型時空救助アンドロイド, Chō sentō tokkagata jikū kyūjo andoroido) whose Version Up "Stop" (ストップ, Sutoppu) halts the flow of time for herself and other Rewinders for up to 20 seconds, though it consumes energy and can only be used once per mission; and Chainu, a meek and timid 18-year-old Rewinder whose Version Up "Encode" (エンコード, Enkōdo) allowing her to transform into one of eight distinct personas, each with unique traits and abilities. Together, they often coming into conflict with "Clock Hands" in hopes of hindering their mission and preventing Chrono from rising up the ranks and tackling "Case 999" for reasons beyond everyone's understandings.

Characters

Main Protagonists

Chrono (クロノ, Kurono)

Chrono (born September 9, 2049) is a kind-hearted 14-year-old boy who often goes out of his way to help others, even in small matters like spilling tea. Despite his compassionate nature, his unique laugh, characterized by the onomatopoeia "Nuboo" (ぬぼ〜っ, Nu bo), and his somewhat expressionless face can be intimidating, especially to children.

While he claims to be "good with kids," their fear of him suggests a disconnect between his intentions and their perception. His absent-mindedness, as often pointed out by his talking smartphone, has led to incidents like food poisoning from unfamiliar nuts and reckless behavior while focusing on helping others.

Chrono's stubbornness and positive outlook are evident in his determination to overcome challenges, even once cross-dressed to complete a mission and he maintains a hopeful attitude, even when facing potential failure. However, his past experiences, particularly the tragic death of his younger sister Tokine during "Case 999," have deeply affected him. He developed a strong aversion to the concept of "fate" and acts of disregard for life, often reacting with anger when confronted with such notions.

As a Rewinder, Chrono is dedicated to saving lives at any cost. He possesses the mental fortitude to tirelessly retry missions, even thousands of times until he successfully saves his target. His photographic memory aids him in strategizing and memorizing various routes.

Before becoming a Rewinder, Chrono faced bullying and social isolation during his elementary school years. He often compared himself unfavorably to his popular sister Tokine, leading to feelings of self-loathing.

Chrono's Version Up is "Copy" (コピー, Kopī), allowing him to summon a copy of himself from three minutes in the future. This copy can act independently, providing assistance in critical situations. Once three minutes has passed, the original Chrono rewinds to the past state, leaving only the copy behind.

Akaba (アカバ, Akaba)

Akaba (born October 4, 2056) is a 16-year-old Rewinder who uses a single katana as his weapon, typically carrying it on his back, secured with a belt.

A contemporary of Chrono, Akaba was promoted to Second-Grade Rewinder after taking the second-grade promotion exam alongside him. He uses the pronoun "washi" (わし, Washi) and speaks with a Hiroshima-like accent, often using phrases like "I'm ____" and "I can ____". His distinct appearance includes jagged teeth, and unlike most Rewinders, he does not wear an eyepatch, as his Retry Eye is hidden by his bangs.

Akaba is cheerful and lively, though somewhat violent. He does not hesitate to be a little tyrannical in order to complete his missions. Despite this, he is capable of calmly assessing and judging situations. Originally destined to die in a boat accident at the age of six on May 16, 2062, Akaba was saved by Shirai and now serves as a Rewinder. As a result, he holds Shirai in high regard, decorating his room with posters and photos of the two of them together, and often attempts to imitate Shirai by recreating the "record and replay" game.

Although Akaba initially disliked Shirai's only student, Chrono, even beating him during the martial arts test of the entrance exam, the two have since developed a good relationship. Having passed the second-level promotion exam, they now go camping together, meet up to hang out, and Akaba often tries to help Chrono in times of danger.

Akaba sometimes refers to others by the name of their species, such as calling Lemon "Android" or Smartphone "Smartphone," rather than using their real names. He is also a poor cook, producing "dark matter" through his cooking, though he remains unaware of this and continues to act normally around others.

Akaba's Version Up is "Forward" (フォワード, Fowādo), allowing him to move 200 times faster for 3 seconds, making him appear as an incomprehensible blur in the blink of an eye.

Lemon (レモン, Remon)

Lemon (born June 10, 2075), originally designated as "Super Combat Specialized Space-Time Rescue Android LM-1" (超戦闘特化型時空救助アンドロイドLM-1, Chō sentō tokkagata jikū kyūjo andoroido LM-1), is a combat gynoid created with enhanced strength, speed, and endurance, though the name "Lemon" was given to her by Shirai. She possesses a Retry Eye and a wide array of combat abilities, including her "rocket fist" and her special "Machine Gun Mode: Valkyrie" (マシンガンであるMODE:戦女神(ヴァルキリー), Mashin gandearu MODE:Sen megami(vu~arukirī)).

As a Second-Grade Rewinder, Shirai describes her as a "rewinder with fighting power on par with Shirai's." Lemon is characterized by her calm and collected demeanor, keen insight, and a lack of visible emotions. It was only during a critical moment involving her and her designated target, when she received defiant words from Chrono against Kibaku/"12 O'Clock" during a mountain mission, that Lemon's capacity to experience emotions awakened for the first time in her life.

Lemon's Version Up is "Stop" (ストップ, Sutoppu), enabling her to stop the flow of time for herself and other Rewinders for a maximum of 20 seconds. However, since it consumes energy, it can only be used once per mission.

Chainu (チャイヌ, Chainu)

Chainu (Born November 1, 2005) is an 18-year-old Second-Grade Rewinder, who excels in infiltration, earning the title of "infiltration expert" from Shirai, partly due to her Version Up ability and unassuming appearance. She wields retractable spears, typically carrying two hidden in her right pocket, and is able to shrink them to fit inside. It is believed that she took the second-grade Rewinder exam alongside Chrono.

Despite this, she is a very timid person and has expressed fear and hesitation, saying, "After failing the Rewinder missions several times, I became afraid of seeing people die." Notably, she wears an eye patch for medical purposes.

It is later revealed that Chainu is a Clock Hands spy and the granddaughter of Hyde/"3 O'Clock." However, they are not related by blood as Chainu was raised by Hyde to gather intel on the Rewinders, particularly Chrono who joins her for a mission. Additionally, Chainu's seven revealed personas were not all that existed, for Hakugin, another Second-Grade Rewinder, is actually "Chanee," the eighth persona, lacking the cloud-like hair typical of her other forms.

According to Hyde, Chainu was abandoned by her biological parents. Her mother, a Rewinder, gave birth to Chainu after falling in love with a target during a mission. Through DNA testing, it is discovered that Chainu's mother was actually Chainu herself, leading to a bootstrap paradox in which she gave birth to herself.

Struggling with her existence after learning the truth, Chainu manifested the Retry Eye's Version Up in despair, developing eight personalities and a "transformation" to protect her emotional well-being. Fearing she would disappear by defying fate, she initially followed Hyde. However, after receiving Chrono's encouragement to "fight against fate," Chainu made a comeback as a Rewinder and helped Chrono and Goro defeat Hyde. Following the mission, all other Rewinders, already aware of her status as a Clock Hands spy, pointed their blades at her. Despite this, Chainu chose to continue as a Rewinder, finding her place in the world through her own strength and will to live her own, partly influenced by Chrono's support, urging her to live for herself.

Chainu's Version Up is "Encode" (エンコード, Enkōdo), which allowed her to transform into any of her eight personas, each with their own quirks, personalities, specialities and a different color for her usual red cloud-like bangs. Chainu's various personas, created by "Encode," represent non-existent family members who protect her, such as an older sister, grandfather, pets, and others. However, due to her origins, there are no personas corresponding to her mother or grandmother.

So far, apart from her true self and the eighth persona, only two of the seven reportedly-recorded personas are shown: "Chawan" (チャワン, Chawan), a cream-fur corgi with the personality of a middle-aged man, representing her "pet dog"; and "Chanii" (チャニイ, Chanii), a dashing ladies' man, representing her "brother".

Shirai (シライ, Shirai)

Shirai (born April 6, 2024) is a 26-year-old Rewinder, wielding a katana as his weapon of choice. Originally designated as a Special Grade Rewinder, Shirai lost this status during the infamous "Case 999" incident. During the operation, his Retry Eye was damaged by "1 O'Clock," a leader of the "Clock Hands" organization. This injury rendered him unable to perform retries, leading to his reclassification as a former Special Grade Rewinder. Despite this setback, Shirai maintains a distinguished record, with a mission success rate exceeding 98%. His smartphone companion, Kurohon, refers to him as "the strongest Rewinder" due to his strategic mind and exceptional combat abilities. Following the impairment of his Retry Eye, Shirai became a mentor to Chrono, training him as a Rewinder.

Shirai is known for his fondness for sweets. He has been observed attempting to consume multiple taiyaki on his own and has a particular liking for strawberry milk, though he keeps this preference hidden from others. While Shirai initially appears composed and serious, he has a notable fondness for wordplay and humor. He is frequently seen carrying books consisting a collection of foreign jokes and often incorporates puns into his conversations. Despite claiming to dislike "boring things," his puns are frequently met with indifference or amusement at their simplicity.

During his junior high school years, Shirai led a solitary life, describing this period as lonely. This changed after meeting Chrono, Akaba, and Lemon, who became his companions following their mission to rescue him from a Clock Hand member.

Shirai's Version Up is "Record/Replay" (記録(レコード)/再生(リプレイ), Saisei(Ripurei)), which functions in two parts by "recording" his prior actions up to that point before summoning a semi-tangible afterimage that repeats that exact action.

YouTube-Exclusive Protagonists

Engine (エンジ, Enji)

Engine is a female Second-Grade Rewinder characterized by her short crimson hair. She appears to be somewhere the same age range between Chrono and Akaba. However, her mental maturity remains underdeveloped, leading to a laid-back and occasionally careless personality. This often results in her becoming distracted or jumping to conclusions, which frequently causes trouble.

Despite her flaws, Engine prioritizes cuteness in all aspects of her actions. Even when a mission appears successfully completed, if she deems the result "not cute," she will persistently attempt it again, demonstrating a determination and straightforwardness comparable to Chrono's.

Engine wields an M16 rifle as her primary weapon. Ironically, she lacks proficiency in firearm usage and often resorts to employing the rifle as a blunt weapon.

As she is an original character for the YouTube-exclusive stories, she is not involved in the main story at all, but she has been shown as one of the characters during crowd shots in the main story.

Anko (アンコ, Anko)

Another female Second-Grade Rewinder with black and white two-tone hair and curly twin tails . She uses the first-person pronoun "boku" and often ends her sentences with "dabe (sa)."

Smartphone says she is an excellent Rewinder, but she has a strange habit of playing the recorder she carries around with her when she gets embarrassed or excited, which often surprises people who meet her for the first time.

Like her friend Engine, she is an original character for the YouTube-exclusive stories and thus, not involved in the main story at all, though she has been shown as one of the characters during crowd shots in the main story.

Supporting Characters

Smartphone (スマホン, Sumahon)

A special AI smartphone companion who supports Chrono on his missions as his partner. It floats in the air and moves using its twin propellers. By activating its data mode, it can access the Rewinder HQ database and provide information. It is quite expressive for a sentient smartphone, often pointing out Chrono's flaws and obsession with perfect success. Although it recognizes Chrono as an idiot, it highly values ​​his observational skills and mental strength, even going so far as to consider him a "once-in-a-century talent."

Kurohon (クロホン, Kurohon)

Shirai's AI smartphone partner, who supports him on missions. His appearance is similar to Smartphone, but he has a rougher tone and a more stern expression. He is a talkative person, and he explained Shirai's abilities at length, and he felt that Chrono had the qualities to be a Rewinder.

Goro (ゴロー, Gorō)

Goro (born May 6, 2045) is a 42-year-old veteran Rewinder and the founder and captain of the Space-Time Police Special Forces Unit. Renowned as the strongest of all known Rewinders, his exceptional mental fortitude rivals that of Chrono. Goro wields a unique transforming clamshell phone as his weapon of choice. This device, through specific keycode combinations, can generate a variety of functions, including weapons and utilities.

Goro is characterized by his rugged, shaven appearance and a pragmatic, often ruthless demeanor. He is willing to make difficult, cold-blooded decisions to ensure the success of his missions. Despite this, he demonstrates genuine concern for other Rewinders, particularly those who exhibit unwavering determination in their pursuits.

During a mission, Goro forcibly deported Chrono and Chainu before falling into the crater of a volcano, seemingly taking Hyde/"3 O'Clock" with him to his death. However, an older version of Goro later appeared before Chrono and the other Rewinders, revealing that he had survived thanks to the final function of his transforming phone. Following his survival, Goro spent several years with Hyde, gathering intelligence about the Clock Hands. After Hyde succumbed to illness, Goro encountered his younger self from that era. This pivotal moment led to the establishment of the Space-Time Police Special Forces Unit, after which Goro withdrew from public life. His foreknowledge of his eventual survival allowed him to prepare for his battles with unwavering resolve, knowing he would live to see that age.

Goro's Version Up is "Reverse" (逆再生(リバース), Gyaku saisei(Ribāsu)), enables him to playing out a future event from 20 seconds ahead in reverse, giving him an ample opportunity for planning out his next move. During the 20 seconds that the ability is active, everything played in reverse, resulting in surreal scenes such as the opponent running backwards or flying off a wall. However, it also consumes a lot of energy, leaving Goro so exhausted that he are unable to stand up properly after using it.

Hakugin (ハクギン, Hakugin)

A female First Grade Rewinder with a mission success rate of 91% in the five years she has been with the order.

A cool woman with short, wavy hair, she is an incredible spearman. However, she is also a spy for Clock Hands, who steals entire lists of Rewinders from the past years. After returning from a mission, she is discovered to be a spy, but then she suddenly disappears just as quickly, revealing that Hakugin is actually "Chanee" (チャネエ, Chanee), the eighth persona of another Rewinder named Chainu representing her "sister".

Glay (グレイ, Gurei)

A Third Grade Rewinder who requested to become Chrono's apprentice.

A your girl with enough strength to carry a rocket-propelled hammer capable of easily break through walls. However, her aptitude as a Rewinder is exceedingly low, as she reached her mental limit after just two retries, and she also has a poor memory. She is cheerful, but has a foul mouth and is quick to pick a fight.

Her name comes from the English word "gray." Her hair is pink in color.

Hizaki (ハイザキ, Haizaki)

A young boy who uses a couple of handguns and applied to become Chrono's Rewinder apprentice, just like Glay. He also has very weak mental strength and memory.

He has a cheerful and calm personality, sometimes to a frightening degree. He accompanies Glay on the mission that is said to cost Chrono his life.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kimura Fuuta, Fate Rewinder is first released as a one-shot on January 15, 2022, the manga was later serialized in February 2022 the following month, adopting a monthly chapter release schedule.

Shogakukan compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on May 27, 2022, and as of December 7, 2024, 7 volumes has since been released in Japan.

Volumes

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	release date	ISBN
1	May 27, 2022	978-4-09-143399-2
Chapter: 1–4
2	September 28, 2022	978-4-09-143551-4
Chapter: 5-9
3	March 28, 2023	978-4-09-143589-7
Chapter: 10–14
4	May 26, 2023	978-4-09-143606-1
Chapter: 15–18
5	October 27, 2023	978-4-09-143650-4
Chapter: 19-22
6	April 17, 2024	978-4-09-143687-0
Chapter: 23–26
7	July 26, 2024	978-4-09-149749-9
Chapter: 27–31

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were serialized on Monthly Coro-Coro Comic.

• Chapter: 28–36

YouTube

Fate Rewinder ~The Great Turnabout from Despair~
YouTube information
Channels	Fate Rewinder ~The Great Turnabout from Despair~
Years active	March 5, 2022–present
Genres	Sci-Fi Adventure Action comedy
Subscribers	290,000
Total views	336.64 million

An official YouTube channel based on Fate Rewinder has been released on March 5, 2022, with new content specifically original to the channel aired on a bi-week upload schedule alongside official content from the manga release.

External links

• Official website at Weekly Coro-Coro