If you're looking for a layered, gripping story that tears your heart out in the best way, then Tokyo Ghoul is the perfect manga for you. It's the story of Ken Kaneki, a quiet, unassuming college student who loves to read and really only has one friend in the world, Hide (Hideyoshi), since both of his parents are dead and he's not that outgoing of a personality. They live in a world where ghouls - beings who appear human most of the time except when under attack/when they fight (then appendages called kagune appear from various locations in their back and their eyes change color, among other things), and of course they can only eat human flesh to survive - exist alongside humans. This existence is a precarious one since ghouls are hunted down by an organization called the CCG.
The over-reaching arc of the story is Kaneki being turned into a half-human, half-ghoul, a very rare creature in this world, and the repercussions of that change. While this plot isn't that unique in and of itself (being an outsider and all that it entails), Sui Ishida does such AMAZING things with it, and the horrors of being a ghoul. Things are never black and white in the Tokyo Ghoul world. You should hate the ghouls for the fact that they feed on living beings, but he brings such humanity to these characters, not only Kaneki but Touka, Hinami and Nishiki, to name just a few. There are 'factions' within the ghoul world, those who want to live in peace and those fighting against the humans/the CCG organization. Again, the lines aren't so clear between who is wrong and who is right.
If you think the ghouls deserve to live in peace and the CCG side is wrong for killing them, you are presented with characters that are not so one dimensional, that have their reasons to be effective hunters. Ishida seems unable to present to the reader a character that is not fully formed in one way or another - even if they seem that way at first, give it time. So many characters evolve as the story goes, reveal new facets as chapters come out and, unfortunately, the tragedies and horrors pile up.
Then there is the plot itself. If you are someone who loves easter eggs in your movies, then this series is for you. There are so many clues and hints scattered about, you can tell that Ishida has done his research and hinting all along where things are going. Tarot card and book references abound, and that's just some of the symbolism.
Yes, the series is dark. Yes, it's a horror series. There are moments of levity here or there, but in the end this is one of the darker series out there, both in content and in the fact that people die (often in very messy, graphic ways), people change and not always for the better, and there are a lot of mature themes in this book. There are also a lot of great characters here as well, both male and female (some of the best female characters I've seen on a series, in fact). This is also one of those series that just seems to get better as it goes along, and even as I dread each chapter that comes out, I have to keep reading.
There's also an anime of the series (two seasons, the first is mostly faithful to the first half of the manga, the second doesn't follow the manga at all but was drafted by Ishida), and a follow up manga to Tokyo Ghoul called Tokyo Ghoul:Re that is ongoing.
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Reviews with images
High Quality Book With Minor Smudges
Book: The Book is nice, the pages are large(because its Viz Signature), there's a color page, which I always like the inclusion of. The Art looks pretty great. It has English onomatopoeia, which some don't like. There are no printing errors. Now, on to the one issue I had with the manga. The book has smudges on it, and yes I am aware how nit-picky that sounds. With the book being white, the smudges are very apparent. Luckily They do just wipe off with a wet napkin, but I feel you shouldn't have to wipe it down after getting it.Story: The story, in my opinion, starts off pretty strong in this manga, it deals mostly with the initial whiplash when Ken becomes a ghoul, with the last chapter or two focusing on a specific conflict(I know I'm vague, but I don't wanna spoil anything).Would Recommend.
Top reviews from other countries
Die Schneider Qualität ist gut, ebenso das Material und die Accessoires. Für mich etwas klein, oben schmal.
Gut
Reviewed in Germany on March 29, 2024