Tokyo Ghoul

The first season of this entire series is somewhat enjoyable; the thrilling action sequences and some of the bone-chilling line deliveries from the voice actors do put viewers on the edge of their seats, sprouting high expectations for the seasons following it. But we all know how that goes... Even though Tokyo Ghoul has major plot holes and unexplained narratives (basically lacking any of the good stuff from the manga), it does manage to end up satisfying viewers as a great standalone anime, especially when comparing it with its sequels. If anything, this anime should really help bring the Tokyo Ghoul manga series to the attention of hardcore fans like myself who want more from the story (which, by the way, is 100% worth reading!!). Besides that, the anime manages to capture the psycho-horror aspect of the story in a very compelling way. [SPOILERS, KINDA] We see the first arc of Ken Kaneki's character depicted pretty accurately throughout this season. When Kaneki, the protagonist, goes through the traumatic after-effects of turning into a ghoul, the viewers are bound to feel its effects as the music and the camera work make it highly disturbing and spine-chilling. When he carries the emotional weight as he tries to accept himself as a man-flesh devouring ghoul, we unconsciously carry the same weight too. The viewers would easily be able to empathize with the character of Ken Kaneki. That goes to say, this only applies to the main character... The side characters have somewhat of a role in the storyline but are pretty much two-dimensional and are not given enough reason (arc development or backstory even) to empathize with them. In fact, that is one of the major problems with the entire series; the characters are not given a fair enough introduction so the viewers won't know why they should care about them at all! Besides that, there's plenty of Safe For Work gore, which is a bit of a letdown considering the NASTY amount of gore the manga contains, but it should do for a first-timer or for people who may not like the heavy violence or bloody graphics depicted in the manga. Personally speaking, I would've liked them to beef up the violence a little more as I believe it to be an unsolicited necessity at the core of any action-horror anime genre. Overall, I think Tokyo Ghoul works as a great standalone anime and a great way to set the premise for those interested in reading the manga themselves. The success of this anime, in particular, is what set Tokyo Ghoul as a household name in the otaku community, and its manga counterpart is what set the bar for amazing action-horror story genres for years to come. This anime should be worth your time if any of this sounds like your cup of tea. :) ALSO P.S. 'UNRAVEL' IS BY FAR ONE OF THE GREATEST ANIME OPENINGS EVER... PERIOD.