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Why Should You Read Tokyo Ghoul?

A Review of 'Tokyo Ghoul' by Sui Ishida

By Do BoPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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(The first volume of the manga novel Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida)

Okay! So my name is Twitchy and I'm about to tell you a bunch of reasons why you should read a manga called Tokyo Ghoul. The manga is very popular and has been turned into a very successful anime, and a movie version will be released this year (2018) so if you don't like reading manga, you could watch those instead, but honestly, I would recommend reading the story first. Personally, I watched both of the two seasons and the short spin-off before deciding that I wanted to purchase the manga, but it hasn't spoiled a bit of it.

Alright, so what's it about? Tokyo Ghoul is set in Japan, in a universe where creatures called Ghouls live in the shadows of Tokyo. So far, I am unsure as to whether they exist all over the world, but it hasn't affected the plot yet. In Tokyo, Ghouls are hunted down by a corporation of Ghoul Investigators that aim to exterminate all ghouls. The public is very much okay with this, and fear Ghouls. However, they aren't the bad guys. In fact, neither are the humans. That's what I love about Tokyo Ghoul. It isn't one sided, both are terrible, and both are good! The main protagonist of this story is a student called Ken Kaneki. (The following is from the blurb of the manga):

"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 - in eating it, that is. When a morally dubious rescue turns him into the first half-human, half-ghoul hybrid, Ken must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers."

So, you may be asking, what the hell are Ghouls? Well, this adaption of Ghouls describe them to look exactly like a normal human being, however, they eat only the flesh of humans (-and they can drink coffee). When hungry or threatened, their eyes turn entirely black with red pupils, decorated with red vein-like bolts darting from them. Each Ghoul is very unique too, as each one has their own "kagune." I don't want to go into too much detail here, as the manga explains them in a way that is very nicely done. Kagunes are like an extra body part, where the biology described is so well done and specific. Not is a boring, tedious way but it makes the information fascinating.

The audience of the manga has been described as... slightly insane. Online there are arguments roaring about different characters and many fans of the manga are furious about the anime version. This is mainly due to the second season. Many large areas of the plot were completely taken out when creating the anime, but I still found it to be very enjoyable and awesome. A season three is coming out at the end of this year too, and so I hope the community calms down a tad, however it shows the passion that this manga inspires in a pretty crazy way.

I wouldn't argue with people who dislike the anime or manga but, I do believe that those who do have no taste for its genre or stories like it. It's just not meant for them. It's not a bad thing or an insult, it's just how opinions work. My brother, for example, describes it as edgy and dislikes it, despite having watched all of the anime (he also said he will watch season 3 when it comes out after saying this) and he is 6 years older than me. Meanwhile, I agree. It is edgy. It's also very deep and I love stories that hit hard because they were made to mean something.

The first manga series (Tokyo Ghoul) contains 13 volumes and a second series that follows on after currently has 14 (2/3 converted to English as I am writing this). There is also a short book series version but I do not know what that contains, as I have not read it.

I would recommend this manga further to people who have enjoyed watching or reading: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Blue Exorcist, Princess Mononoke, Fight Club.

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About the Creator

Do Bo

Ignore me dude, I just couldn't find the 'delete account' button.

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