MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Tokyo Ghoul Season 1

Genre:

Young Adult

Anime/Seinen

Supernatural/Horror Action/Drama

Season:

1

Episodes:

12

Rating:

R-17

(contains violence & profanity)

Run Time:

25 minutes

Release Date:

July 4 2014 - September 19, 2014

Based on the manga series by:

Sui Ishida

Directed by:

Shûhei Morita

Studio:

Pierrot

Produced by:

Studio Peirrot, FUNimation Entertainment

Plot Summary:

Tokyo has become a cruel and merciless city—a place where vicious creatures called “ghouls” exist alongside humans. The citizens of this once great metropolis live in constant fear of these bloodthirsty savages and their thirst for human flesh. However, the greatest threat these ghouls pose is their dangerous ability to masquerade as humans and blend in with society.

Based on the best-selling supernatural horror manga by Sui Ishida, Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a shy, bookish college student, who is instantly drawn to Rize Kamishiro, an avid reader like himself. However, Rize is not exactly who she seems, and this unfortunate meeting pushes Kaneki into the dark depths of the ghouls' inhuman world. In a twist of fate, Kaneki is saved by the enigmatic waitress Touka Kirishima, and thus begins his new, secret life as a half-ghoul/half-human who must find a way to integrate into both societies.

Cast:

Natsuki Hanae, Michelle Rojas, Sora Amamiya

See Full Cast on IMDB

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*My Thoughts*

Animations is nothing to scratch at nowadays unless you’re trying your hand at 3D or CGI; Tokyo Ghoul follows with lovely details and pattern-like colors (meaning the picture isn’t flat like 90s’ animation). At first Tokyo Ghoul was just a manga that was passed along as scanlations through several sites but to me it made a sudden boom in popularity after the anime was released last year. It escalated quickly in terms of introducing Kaneki to the ghoul world that was literally in front of his face. The anime lacks much character development compared to its’ manga influence and all reoccurring characters are introduced by name and face only. The relationships are rather shallow other than, “We’ve known each other for a while already,” and it seems like the events pass by in a matter of 2 weeks. A time skip appeared because it was blatantly stated but that’s explored more in Tokyo Ghoul √A of the anime series. While the Tokyo Ghoul anime looks great with intense fight scenes, I think it could have done better with more support and a longer run time therefore creating a deeper story, more thought out characters, and a more emotional ending (all of this not including √A).

My rating:

MARIAH'S THOUGHTS on Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 2 by Sui Ishida

Genre:

Manga/Seinen

Dark Fantasy

Series:

Tokyo Ghoul, #2

Publish Date:

August 18, 2015

Publisher:

VIZ Media LLC

Synopsis:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way--except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Unable to discard his humanity but equally unable to suppress his Ghoul hunger, Ken finds salvation in the kindness of friendly Ghouls who teach him how to pass as human and eat flesh humanely. But recent upheavals in Ghoul society attract the police like wolves to prey, and they don't discriminate between conscientious and monstrous Ghouls.

      

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Tokyo Ghoul Series:

   

  

      

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**About the Author**

Sui Ishida (石田 スイ, Ishida Sui), born  December 28, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese manga artist. In 2010, he won the Young Jump 113th Grand Prix Award with Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種, Tōkyō Kushu ). In March 2011, the same oneshot was published in the 2nd Issue of Miracle Jump. And later in September 2011, Tokyo Ghoul started as a series in Weekly Young Jump 2011-14 Issue. In December 2011, he made another oneshot about Rize that was published in December 2011 in Miracle Jump 6th Issue, which was later collected in the 6th volume of Tokyo Ghoul.

In 2013, he also started Tokyo Ghoul: Jack in the digital magazine Jump LIVE.

Stay connected with Sui Ishida

  

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

I'm not going to lie; the main reason I like buying certain manga volumes is because they contain my favorite characters or scenes. And besides, if you want that series to keep coming, you should support that manga through buying the manga; volume 2 includes Uta and Yomo. Basically, the reader learns a bit more about how ghouls live and Tokyo Ghoul makes the reader question what it means to be human. Between ghoul families and ghoul investigators (who are the police of Tokyo Ghoul), your morality of justice should be thrown out, objective accounts of survival must remain, and yet all sympathy should be taken into account. A little tidbit I didn't add in the previous review is that there are funny omakes or shorts in the back of each volume that reveal a more light-hearted side to characters. Sui Ishida's  Tokyo Ghoul puts major importance on knowledge, "What you don't know, will hurt you," added secret messages about characters through tarot cards and small details that are often overlooked but it's a signature marker for Sui Ishida that makes this interesting. So far, Tokyo Ghoul has become one of my favorite anime/manga in a while.

My rating:

MARIAH'S THOUGHTS on Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 1 by Sui Ishida

Genre:

Manga/Seinen

Dark Fantasy

Series:

Tokyo Ghoul, #1

Publish Date:

June 16, 2015

Publisher:

VIZ Media LLC

Synopsis:

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she's only interested in his body--eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.

      

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Tokyo Ghoul Series:

   

  

      

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Sui Ishida (石田 スイ, Ishida Sui), born  December 28, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese manga artist. In 2010, he won the Young Jump 113th Grand Prix Award with Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種, Tōkyō Kushu ). In March 2011, the same oneshot was published in the 2nd Issue of Miracle Jump. And later in September 2011, Tokyo Ghoul started as a series in Weekly Young Jump 2011-14 Issue. In December 2011, he made another oneshot about Rize that was published in December 2011 in Miracle Jump 6th Issue, which was later collected in the 6th volume of Tokyo Ghoul.

In 2013, he also started Tokyo Ghoul: Jack in the digital magazine Jump LIVE.

Stay connected with Sui Ishida

  

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

I really shouldn't be surprised that Tokyo Ghoul was released about 4 years earlier in Japan but I suppose "better late than never." At first I thought, "Oh, this is a nice manga... even though it's gonna get bloody." The story escalates rather quickly and gives the reader the main cast in about 2-3 chapters that's better than watching an anime that takes 4-5 episodes to introduce a few characters, which I'm really happy about. There are more characters to come though. The characters are on point so far for their respective roles and personalities. Kaneki needs to grow up, Touka's stubborn, Hideyoshi really friendly (I kind of wish I had a friend like him. Poor little side character though needs maybe an honorable mention.), and I really don't want to describe each character even if it's just one word but so far I really like the Mr. Yoshimura and even Rize. Whether all of these characters are ghouls or human, I'll let you read it; I guess you probably have though, through scanlations. The plot is of major interest (It should be.) because so many questions are raised and a new community is introduced to the main protagonist. It's a fun journey when being transferred to another place, I suppose. My only concern though: "How do you get so much detail into each panel, when you're using ink?" I bet it's just Photoshop or some computer program; I wonder if there are still people that use actual medias like charcoal, paint, or an actual pencil.

My rating: