Tokyo Ghoul was one of those anime that shaped the genre. The dark plot turned out to be very popular among viewers. The manga, created by Sui Ishida, was released in 2013 and was soon adapted into a 12-episode anime series. Another anime series called “Tokyo Ghoul: Re” is coming out for the second season in a row.
Both the manga and anime received praise for their impressive presentation of a dark storyline filled with action, surrounded by interesting characters.
“Tokyo Ghoul” tells the story of Ken Kaneki, who lives in an alternate reality where ghouls roam the Earth disguised as ordinary people. They hunt them and eat their flesh to survive and satisfy their hunger.
So, here we will look at some of the facts that intrigued us the most about the popular anime “Tokyo Ghoul”.
Kaneki's complicated relationship with his aunt
When Kaneki lost his mother, he went to live with his aunt. Things began to heat up when Kaneki began to perform better academically than his aunt's son, leading her to become jealous of him.
Aunt Kaneki began to make him uncomfortable and hostile, often giving him less food or throwing away his things. There was a time when she would just give him money so he could buy food for himself instead of eating at their house.
Characters
The characters were never the main problem of Tokyo Ghoul . On the contrary, they were one of the main ways in which the title could be elevated to the category of outstanding. After all, essentially, there are enough good characters in Tokyo Ghoul , but there have always been problems with their development - there simply wasn’t enough screen time to give it to all the interesting characters. And it would be logical to assume that in the second and third seasons this flaw will be corrected by revealing the characters already shown... but no. Both in Tokyo Ghoul √A and in Tokyo Ghoul:re , instead of using ready-made resources, the writers decided to throw packs of new heroes at the viewer. In almost every episode, five or even ten new characters appear that you need to remember. And they are needed only to flash on the screen for a few minutes and then disappear into oblivion. And now attention, the question is - why? What's the point of this? What kind of empathy can we talk about if you see the hero for a couple of minutes at best? The only interesting thing about the new heroes may be their appearance, but this is clearly not enough to justify their presence in the title.
On the other hand, some characters in Tokyo Ghoul:re did receive their share of attention. But I would also call the choice of these heroes controversial. So, throughout a significant portion of the series, the viewer has to follow the mental torment of Haise , who, to put it mildly, does not impress with originality - another guy who is kind to everyone with amnesia, which appeared to him without any explanation. I never thought I'd say this, but in past seasons, Kaneki Ken's personality wasn't that bad. Everything is relative. Another central character is Kuki Urie - an arrogant, cold guy who wants to become better than everyone else and show the world who is boss. Alya budget Sasuke. Oh, and how can we not mention the effeminate, modest Tooru Mutsuki with an eyepatch, or the pink-haired lady with a crazy smile - just an example of originality... Of the new characters, the only good ones were the guy with shark teeth Ginshi Shirazu and Lolya Saiko Yonebayashi , which, despite being corny, was at least funny. Among other bright moments, I’ll name the rare appearances of characters from the first and second seasons on the screen - after all, nostalgia played a role, and it was nice to know the fate of familiar characters. So, we were pleased with the appearance of Juuzou Suzuya or the good old aristocrat Shu Tsukiyama , who turned out to be the only truly revealed character during the season. Well, Touka Kirishima – she has always been a cutie. However, such faded reflections of progress did not at all correct the overall depressing picture.
“Tokyo Ghoul” – a reflection of the dark secrets of humanity
So, take a closer look at this anime: you will see a few normal creatures and a few more creatures that look like zombies. The difference between these zombie-like creatures and ordinary people is that they eat people, but they are not motivated by hunger per se.
In fact, the story is about people who have become monsters from within, but who look and act as if they are normal.
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Brief information
Tokyo Ghoul:re is the third season of an anime dedicated to ghouls - vampires who live next door to ordinary people and sometimes eat them for breakfast. Just like the first and second, the third season was released through the efforts of Studio Pierrot . The anime was released in the spring of 2021, consists of twelve episodes, and the script is based on the manga authored by Sui Ishida . I would like to point out that the first, and, in my opinion, the most successful season, was based on the manga (albeit crumpled, but still); the second, terrible and disgusting - based on the fantasies of the scriptwriters, and had practically nothing to do with the manga. When creating the third season, the writers again turned to the manga of the same name, trying to pretend that the second season was a stupid misunderstanding. A reasonable decision, but, however, it did not change the situation much...
The events of Tokyo Ghoul:re begin to unfold a couple of years after the end of the second season. The CCG, an organization dedicated to fighting ghouls, managed to win several significant victories and strengthen its influence in Tokyo, but the war is not over yet. Many organized groups of ghouls still pose a threat that must be eliminated. To deal with emergencies, the CCG organized a group of special employees, nicknamed the Quinx. These are people who have been implanted with ghoul body parts, thanks to which they can use their abilities. Haise Sasaki , a young man with a vague past and such a familiar appearance, became the head of the new division He, along with a team of loyal associates, decided to challenge the ghouls, and, in the meantime, deal with himself. But will he be able to defeat his demons?
Torture changed Kaneki and Yamori in completely different ways
So, as we have seen, both Kaneki and Yamori were subjected to a very similar method of torture. But the fact is that, despite similar techniques, both characters came out as different people, striving for different things in life.
Yamori has turned into a psychopathic killer. He literally killed for fun, not to fill an empty stomach.
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On the other hand, Kaneki also “got cold,” but his desire to protect his friends did not go away.
Appearance of Juzo Suzuya: cosplay and how to do it correctly
The original manner of dressing is the “calling card” of Juzo Suzuya. All episodes of Tokyo Ghoul in which he appears depict him in either casual clothing or a CCG uniform.
The easiest way to cosplay is Juzo Suzuya's casual outfit. To do this, you will need a white shirt with casually rolled up sleeves, an oversized jacket and trousers with suspenders. The character's feet should be wearing red slippers instead of boots. As for the seams, the threads can be drawn on the skin, only as realistically as possible. The ideal option is to contact a master who specializes in body painting.
Juzo Suzuya's hairstyle is also quite simple. This is blond hair with the obligatory bangs, secured with red hairpins. They should resemble the number XIII. By the way, after the character was promoted to Special Class Investigator, hairpins began to be depicted as the number XX.
Photo: youtube.com/Kerry Gronder: UGC
"Tokyo Ghoul" - Director
Morita Shuhei is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter and producer. He worked on the anime “Tsukumo”, “Valvrave the Liberator”, “Gatchaman Crowds”, “Freedom”, “Koi Sento”, but gained real fame and recognition after he launched the project “Tokyo Ghoul”.
Now that the Tokyo Ghoul anime has ended and the project has been closed, fans are eagerly awaiting the director's new projects.
Second stage: clutch
Rc cells acquire a shape that they retain for a certain period of time. During this period, the owner acquires offensive and defensive characteristics and weaknesses in accordance with the properties of the Rc-type. The basic type of kagune is hereditarily passed on from predecessor to descendant: the size depends on the number of Rc-cells emerging from the kakuho, and the shape depends on the imagination and creativity of the owner. This stage includes manual control of the kagune, which includes: crystallization, concentration, change in length, flexibility, sharpness.
Third type: Rinkaku.
Rinkaku “red scales” is the third type. It is released in the lumbar region and takes the form of scaly tentacles. Increased regeneration, which is achieved by copying nearby cells. Rinkaku has an elastic structure and structure. The main disadvantage of this type is the weak connection of Rc-cells, which makes kagune fragile. Vulnerable against Bikaku wielders.
Panache
That's it, Tokyo Ghoul never had any problems with the graphical component. And the third season was no exception: yes, in some places you can notice a deterioration in the originality of camera angles and the elaboration of small details in close-ups like hair and facial features, and especially in the staging of battles, which have now been simplified, but the overall graphical level still remains at its best. Excellent character design , which is especially important with such a large number of them; high-quality background images ; as well as an atmospheric color scheme – the picture is not lacking in darkness. Still, Gul’s problems do not lie in his panache.
Music
Pleasant symphonic and meditative electronic compositions fit perfectly into the atmosphere of Tokyo Ghoul. Beautiful, melodic background music, coupled with competent visuals, made the title the way it should be - tense and intriguing. If the music in Tokyo Ghoul:re had also sagged, then that’s it, the title could safely be thrown into the trash. However, Yutaka Yamada , who, by the way, was the composer in the previous seasons of Ghoul, honestly worked his bread as a composer. Some people could use a lesson from him. The opening of asphyxia performed by Cö shu Nie was made in the tradition of the famous opening of the first season - the muffled voice of the soloist and a melodious but jagged sounding melody. Even though I have never been a fan of this style of performance, I have to admit that it sounds fresh - better than standard modern openings. The ending HALF performed by Ziyoou-vachi turned out to be good, but nothing more.
Second type: Kokaku
Kokaku “red armor” is the second type. It is released in the area of the shoulder blades and becomes like stone or metal. Takes the form of a bladed weapon. Stands out for its maximum strength of Rc-cells. It has a large mass, which makes it slow to use. Ideal for close combat. Capable of holding back a series of high-speed attacks and implementing defense against Ukaku-kagune. But it is vulnerable against Rinkaku, who is capable of causing serious damage to the integrity of the kagune.
Short films and feature films
In support of the manga and anime, two short films were released, which tell the stories of new heroes living in the same world, and one full-length live-action film.
Tokyo Ghoul: Jack (2015)
A young ghoul named Gourmand does everything to hide his essence from ordinary people, because he is not looking for problems. One day he meets a human girl named Chie Hori, who steals his heart...
Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto (2015)
The short film "Tokyo Ghoul: Pinto" takes place twelve years before the events shown in the anime. The main character is an ordinary schoolboy Kisho Arima, who, at first glance, is no different from his peers. He does his homework, helps his parents, meets with friends and looks after an attractive classmate. Few people know that at night he starts hunting ghouls...
Tokyo Ghoul: 2021 and Tokyo Ghoul 2: 2021 (films)
Japanese director Kentaro Hagiwara was responsible for creating the first live-action film in the fantasy and horror genres. It was released in the summer of 2017.
In the film adaptation they played:
- Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki;
- Fumika Shimizu as Touka Kirishima;
- Yu Aoi as Rize Kimishiro;
- Nobuyuki Suzuki as Kotaro Amon;
- Ye Oizumi as Kureo Mado;
- Hieri Sakurada as Hinami Fueguchi;
- and others.
The film was well received by critics and audiences.
The second film was directed by Kazuhiko Hiramaki in tandem with Takuya Kawasaki. The plot of the second film revolves around the confrontation between Kaneki Ken and Gourmet. The gourmet pursues the young half-ghoul because he sees him as a special delicacy. Viewers and film critics rated the second part of the film quite highly, but it could not beat the results of the first part.
Plot
In order to understand the deplorability of the situation, let's plunge into history and try to remember how the atmosphere around the epic about ghouls changed during the first two seasons. So, as you already know, Tokyo Ghoul is based on a manga by Sui Ishida . A good, dynamic and interesting manga that has many fans all over the world. Therefore, when the release of the first season of the anime was announced, they were excited and joyful - finally, their favorite manga was being filmed. However, after the broadcast of the first season, the viewership split into two camps: those who read the manga were dissatisfied with the fact that many important details in the anime were not touched upon or were considered only in passing - this is not surprising, because in one episode of the anime the writers managed to cram in 8-10 manga chapters. Those viewers who were not familiar with the manga were generally satisfied, because the anime turned out to be atmospheric, beautiful and quite interesting. This explains the decent ratings on various major sites - after all, there were several times more viewers who were not familiar with the manga. However, then everything went awry: after seeing good ratings, Studio Pierrot decided to release a second season called Tokyo Ghoul √A . But instead of drawing conclusions and correcting the mistakes of the first season, enhancing its merits, they decided not to stick to the plot of the manga and came up with something of their own - awkward and stupid. Here, even people who had not heard about the existence of the manga began to suspect that something was wrong with the franchise. This is also the reason for the much lower ratings for the second season. However, this did not bother the most devoted fans...
The Tokyo Ghoul franchise has a huge fan base, which is both its strength and weakness. Power, because fans provide anime creators with attention and money, which means the studio has the resources to create sequels. A weakness, because many Tokyo Ghoul fans turn out to be so devoted that they are ready to completely turn a blind eye to any existing shortcomings, of which in the anime there is a carriage and a small cart. I myself have encountered this many times and was surprised. But since the fans are happy, then why develop? Why go down a complex path of risks and potential losses when you can continue to sculpt controversial sequels that will be swallowed anyway? Why develop characters and write an adequate plot when you can add more blood, simple drama, nudity and madness , put a high age limit so that the young audience has a feeling of “forbidden fruit” - and voila, increased attention to the work is guaranteed , the crowd applauds and applauds. In the pursuit of popularity (it must be said, successful - few anime fans have not heard of Tokyo Ghoul), quality suffers greatly , and so creations like the second and third seasons of Tokyo Ghoul are born. Here is an excellent example of the degradation of a work, associated with low demands from fans and a sky-high threshold of trust.
Even if this is subjective, the storyline in Tokyo Ghoul:re really seemed banal and uninteresting to me. Half of the series is dedicated to a guy with the “well, finally acknowledge me, senpai” syndrome, and the other is a hodgepodge in which only the last three episodes . Even the fact that the season was again based on the manga did not help improve the situation. I literally had to force myself to watch each new episode with a significant effort of will. There is no dynamics in the title - even the battles, which were one of its strong points, have now turned into performances unfolding according to one scenario. CCG and Aogiri attack each other in droves, the main characters kill various nameless pawns in batches, who fight worse than NPCs in fighting games on easy difficulty, then a couple of strong heroes meet each other, chat about life, fight and go their separate ways. Well, a couple of minor characters die. Cool, whatever you say. At the same time, neither the abilities of ghouls are shown in all their glory, nor how they manage them and why they are so strong. And the shonen-style chatter completely kills any action. Add to this the overall slow pace of the story, with minimal events happening in each episode, and a huge number of characters that you need to remember - and you get a list of the main problems of Tokyo Ghoul:re . And the advantages... I practically didn’t notice them. The only thing I liked was the ending, which gives hope that the next season will be more successful. Another bonus is that in the last three episodes the battles have become more dynamic. But how long, damn it, I had to wait for them, forcing myself to wade through the abyss of mediocrity and despondency. Don’t think - I love Studio Pierrot , because it was she who gave us Naruto , Bleach , Great Teacher Onizuka and many other famous and cool titles, but in the case of Tokyo Ghoul, everything somehow didn’t work out yet again.
