Tokyo Ghoul Re:view

This is a review of both Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re manga. Slight spoilers but nothing truly major or detailed. At first my opinion of Tokyo ghoul was lukewarm; I thought the world was interesting, but I didn't get the hype. My main issue was with the main character Ken Kaneki and how he didn't hook me in any meaningful way. The idea of a milquetoast human forced to eat humans is very interesting, Kaneki just failed to make me like him. The only thing I felt was pity for him, but I never wanted to see him win during the early sections. I can root for crybaby characters like Deku from My Hero Academia, but the same cannot be said for Kaneki. Everything changes however when Kaneki goes through extreme trauma. Ken Kaneki's character is based around the evolutionary cycle of an insect. Through both series Kaneki evolves mentally and physically, it is through these evolutions why I began to like him so much. To make such a meek character and turn him into a strong and deep character shows how great Sui Ishida is at writing.

Side Characters

Kaneki is not the only great character as there is also Amon, Touka, Tsukiyama, and Arima to name a few. The whole cast offers a wide range of perspectives on this battle between Ghouls and Humans. Even these two factions have factions fighting within and Ishida offers us a chance to grow attached to the characters. I was left in a state of not wanting any side to win at certain points because of how much I loved some of these characters. The series does a great job at showing how difficult it is to achieve co-existence and also how to achieve it.

Art

The art is another highlight as Ishida refines his style throughout the series and shows jaw dropping art on some panels. He is able to convey the emotions of the characters and how hopeless or panicked they can get. The use of paneling and text overlapping makes the reader feel the tension and pressure of some of these situations. The art is also sadly one of the main negatives specifically the fight scenes. I often found myself staring at panels for a long time either marveling at the beauty or trying to figure out what was being conveyed. The fights were cool, but I wish that they were portrayed more clearly so I didn't lose the pace of the fights.

Final arc

Another issue that I had was the final villain and just the last arc in general. The final arc had satisfying moments but it felt awkwardly put together. It was just a shame that such an interesting series ended with a villain that had a less than compelling backstory and reasoning. It was important for a series with such compelling villains leading to the finale, both Ghouls and Humans, but the final villain just does their own thing. It wasn't terrible, I still enjoyed it, but I just wanted a final villain that represented both Humans and Ghouls and the evil of both. There were just too many different better villains than the final one. I will probably reread the series and I might appreciate the finale more.  

Summary

Overall, the series was fantastic and definitely worth the read. I didn't watch the anime yet but I will due to how much I've heard about it, I will also write a review for the anime either by season or the entire series. Both Tokyo Ghoul and :re were great but I definitely prefer Tokyo Ghoul:re because of the art and full evolution of the characters. The great moments captured my attention, and the deep character arc captured my heart. I give the series a solid

80 legged centipede.