Tokyo Ghoul
a review by Zedlin
a review by Zedlin
Going into the first episode I was nervous, butterflies were jumbling at different rhythms in my stomach. My heart of hearts, Mr. Brain, knew it was time, yet I was complacent. The though of having to watch the OG Tokyo Ghoul once more, then read the OG Tokyo Ghoul manga, then the sequel manga, followed by the entire amalgamation that turned out to be the rest of the adaptation made me dread the future. Sort of like how one day I'll have to watch all of SAO again to finish it. Tis the horrid fate of a stubborn no-drop dumbass. Once you commit yourself to this fate, your future is bleak. I held my breathe and sunk my hesitant face down below the mysterious liquid. Down beneath was a pleasant surprise, an all too familiar smell, a feeling one can only reach via a link to the past. The view underneath the goopy substance was rose-tinted, it was like catching up with an old friend. Memories surged, some were good, others well less inviting, but all of it felt right. Tokyo Ghoul is an old friend, you don't keep up with as much as you used to, yet once you finally meet again everything comes back in an instant.
Consolidating my thoughts on Tokyo Ghoul is an arduous task when it feels like it's stuck behind such a overtly thick lens, how do I traverse this minefield filled mindscape? What do you think dearest reader? The solution is simple, I don't plan to! Part of the joy of watching series from your childhood is remembering the past. That doesn't mean some of my opinions of Tokyo Ghoul have evolved with age, nevertheless that also doesn't mean my general opinion of the series is probably higher because of when I watched it. Teenagers are susceptible horny assholes, I was no different.
Tragedy, seeing fictional characters seethe in agony, following their cataclysmic fiascos, ogling as they mutualize themselves further and further into a downward spiral is one of my great pleasures. The way my eyes widen, my heart fastens, my internal temperature rises, and that sneer on my face as I cackle under my breathe, I can't help it. We watch with jubilant smiles on our faces as our innocent protagonist Kaneki Ken befriends the enigmatic glasses wearing beauty, Rize Kamishiro. Rize may not believe in fate but the following moments speak themselves. Under the allure of Rize, Kaneki follows her to a secluded area where she can feast upon him. For shame, Kaneki the strong shall feast on the weak, alas it seems luck fortunes those in power. However what's this? A metal construction beams falls from the heavens to mortally wound Rize. Though, with awfully large wounds himself it would take a- oh, let's put Rize's organs into Kaneki, all fixed doc! And that kids, is how a half-ghoul is born!
What does it mean to be human? The theme of humanity versus the monsters that are ghouls is ever constant. Kaneki with this new ghoulish side of him is conflicted, for him to stay human by his definition he must not kill. Yet for a ghoul to live one must devour the forbidden flesh. No more are is favorite foods, any regular food Kaneki attempts to swallow quickly is rejected by a force out his control. There's something he cannot control incubating inside his human tissue. Like a ticking time bomb out of his control the race he used to call his own is filling his headspace as livestock, a voice aching him to eat them. Early on we stumble upon another ghoul eating, Nishiki Nishio. In a hungry state Kaneki finds it tough to control himself, he doesn't have much strength in his body. Nishiki makes quick work of Kaneki and tries to snuff him away, yet Kaneki is able to fight back in a frenzied state. One eyed ghouls are stronger than regular ghouls (of course they are, the power of rarity heh) and nearly snuffs Nishiki by piercing him like a blood filled piñata. Great scene. In this frenzied state he stares upon his best friend whom he saved, yet all Kaneki can think of is: "meat, meat, meat, MEAT!" Thankfully he doesn't succumb to the urge, and is saved by a cafe full of peaceful ghouls named Anteiku. Kaneki learns how to blend into human society, and slowly realizes this messed up situation that is his life isn't changing anytime soon.
It would seem a challenger for weirdest guy has approached me, Tsukiyama Shuu, or the Gourmet Ghoul, is an eccentric who acts gentlemanly to lure Kaneki into his battle dome for the sole purpose to Kaneki's flesh. I'd do the same Tsukiyama, can't blame you. Overall this part the OG Tokyo Ghoul is the least compelling part of season one, but it did introduce a great character which is always a plus in my book.
After besting Tsukiyama (for the time being) we get to see the alternative protagonist Kōtarō Amon and his twisted mentor Kureo Mado. More tragedy ensues as Hinami's father is slain by Mado, followed by her mother in heartbreaking fashion. What makes Mado more human than a ghoul? The ghouls at Anteiku are peaceful, eating mainly those who are already dead as sustenance. They choose to not kill humans and instead want to blend in harmoniously. Everyone needs to eat, ghouls are no different, the sole difference being is ghouls need human flesh to survive. Touka's filled with rage of the news of Hinami's parents being slaughtered and wants revenge. Her parents were harmless yet they were hunted down like scum. Touka couldn't stand the injustice. Which leads us to a great peak of Tokyo Ghoul, episode eight. The first of many interactions between our two polar protagonists, Kaneki and Amon. Kaneki is the only person on the planet who understands the plights of both side of the equation, he could be the catalyst to bring comprehension between the two. The first fight between them is one-sided, but comes with a simple purpose. As Amon pummels Kaneki with no regard, Kaneki continues to get up and not fight back. Kaneki only needs to keep Amon from joining Mado and ruining the chances of Touka beating Mado. After taking a bite out of Amon to gain the power of his kagune, Kaneki tells him to escape before he becomes a killer. Kaneki wanted to spare Amon which tore into Amon's mind to no end. Mado is snuffed out by Touka and Hinami after some traumatizing scenes. In all the value of episode eight comes from the conflicted world views. The peak is when Pierrot kept swapping between to two sides presenting a similar story despite their hatred for each other.
The collective of my thoughts all comes to a singular moment in Tokyo Ghoul, the culmination, the pinnacle scene everyone thinks of when Tokyo Ghoul is mentioned. Kaneki's torture and subsequent degression into hell. Kaneki's desperation for salvation comes in form from visions of Rize, the torture shifts his moral compass beyond repair. Kindness is weakness; Kaneki's mother died because she was mentally weak, she should have been selfish and put herself first. Via his psychosis filled mental escapes he continued to vison worse and worse things. Rize challenged Kaneki's nature by the way he chooses to not change, not willing to accept who he really is. Kaneki has the power to change his life and save those he cares for. As the intense stress comes to a boiling point his hair wilts to white and he shatters the chains, neat symbolism. The imagery of all the white flowers finally turning into red ones as Kaneki doesn't choose to accept Rize but to use her power and devours her, once again well done visually. This is followed by the most famous fight, Kaneki v Jason. During this rewatch I found myself preemptively speaking the lines before they popped onto the screen, it's that ingrained in my psyche. The word that pops into my head is classic, never gets old.
It's a damn shame there's only 12 good episodes of Tokyo Ghoul. There was no logical reason to derail the story in the direction Root A partakes. It aggravates me to the same degree it did 7 years ago, if not more. The single blessing in disguise from the botched adaptation is it introduced me to the manga, which c'mon the art is other-worldly virtuosic. One would think with the amount of times I've watched Tokyo Ghoul it'd wear down on me, yet rose-tinted glasses aside I believe it holds up very well even as an adult. Hasn't aged much animation wise either, the OST has some all time classics, the OP is one the most memorable OP maybe ever? The ED has a fantastic math rock undertone vibe to it which is my favorite genre of music so major bonus points! Tokyo Ghoul was an integral part to introducing anime to me and shaped who I was back in the 2010s to a certain extent. What does it mean to be human? If being human means growing up and not watching anime, I'm swapping over, Rize gimme your organs! May we further unravel the mysteries and tragedy of Kaneki Ken another day.
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