A sinister threat is invading Tokyo: flesh-eating "ghouls" who appear identical to humans and blend into their population. Reserved college student Ken Kaneki buries his nose in books and avoids the news of the growing crisis. However, the appearance of an attractive woman named Rize Kamishiro shatters his solitude when she forwardly asks him on a date.
While walking Rize home, Kaneki discovers she isn't as kind as she first appeared, and she has led him on with sinister intent. After a tragic struggle, he later awakens in a hospital to learn his life was saved by transplanting the now deceased Rize's organs into his own body.
Kaneki's body begins to change in horrifying ways, and he transforms into a human-ghoul hybrid. As he embarks on his new dreadful journey, Kaneki clings to his humanity in the evolving bloody conflict between society's new monsters and the government agents who hunt them.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
bladeangel
Remember when you were little and you tried to bake that really awesome cake following the instructions on a cooking-book and ended up forgetting half the ingredients or using the wrong ones and the cake looked like complete shit and shit was all over the kitchen and then your mother walked in and slapped you across the face? Whether or not you remember, if you can picture that scenario then you can picture how Studio Pierrot's attempt at adapting Tokyo Ghoul into an anime unfolded. Lets actually start off with the "good" in Tokyo Ghoul. Why? Because it's one sentence long so lets get itout of the way shall we.
The soundtrack is decent. The opening theme is good, and the ending theme is pretty catchy. Ok so that was two sentences.
I'm going to fess up now and admit that I have not read the manga although I'm aware that it's a lot better and that they crammed 60 chapters into 12 episodes. This review will be based on the anime alone, which I believe is more correct then the people giving this adaption a break solely for their admiration of the manga.
The worst aspect of Tokyo Ghoul are the characters and their development. Frankly I'm not going to talk about any of the characters aside from Kaneki because there is nothing to say about them after 12 episodes.
Kaneki is worth talking about because he is a boy born with a vagina..oh and he is a also a half-ghoul, almost forgot about that. As the MC of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki's main role is to disappoint us to death, cry a lot, and bitch a lot about how much he sucks.
With the characters being so dreadful, the anime relied heavily on the plot and the violence. The plot is very broad in the anime: Humans vs Ghouls and Ghouls vs Ghouls. At least that's what I got from 12 episodes adapted from 60 chapters. The violence is censored so that sucks, but apparently the DVD versions will be uncensored..cool, anyways moving on. The most pretentious thing about Tokyo Ghoul are the attempts at emotionally moving the audience by having some characters we know nothing about die and seeing other characters feel sad while the soundtrack playing assures us that this is indeed meant to be an emotional scene...awkward.
So about right now you're probably thinking to yourself that I don't have much to say about this anime. I just felt like reviewing this anime cause I wanted to write down that whole baking a cake comparison after which my passion ran out. This is much like the folks at Studio Pierrot. They had no passion whatsoever in the making of this anime, taking advantage of the fact that the manga is extremely popular and doing the most minimalist job possible.
With all this I thought I would take joy in witnessing how badly this train-wreck could end, and to my surprise they actually took that pleasure from me as well. The last 10 minutes of the last episode were legitimately entertaining. Right at the end, the show introduced moral ideas worthy of involving the audience and I found myself enjoying Tokyo Ghoul for the first time. What a bunch of trolls eh.
JKinky88
1) This is a rewriting of one of the first reviews I ever made, I deleted it because I did not know what the hell I was talking about. 2) There will be some minor spoilers, you've been warned ye little b- You know those stories that have these special entities that live in a world and pretty much kind of like x-men? Well recently that idea has been done a lot, out of most of the things that have done this idea recently, Parasyte is the only one that succeeds in doing it well, Beside it is this mess. Tokyo Ghoul, when I saw this showI thought it was gonna be some generic mystery show and when I started watching it......it was a generic x-men idea show, how wonderful? And guess what?It became popular and people praised it, now I'm currently taking my time reading the manga (which is better than this) so I won't be mentioning it.
Story: 3.7/10
So in this world there are entities known as 'Ghouls' who feed off human corpses and drink coffee. Yes, coffee. So one day a freshman college student goes out with some girl and it turns out, SHE'S A GHOUL! DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!!!! So after an accident before getting eaten, doctors thought it was such a smart idea (not) to take the ghoul's organs and stuff them into our MC. What happens? The MC is know a half ghoul, half human and struggles to maintain each side.
Cool idea right? Well you're wrong, the show fails to make the plot understandable, its such a mess, the reason why is that it never explains jackshit. For example, how do people turn into ghouls? What the hell is a ward? How do ghouls drink coffee but nothing else except water? What is this world? and so on. The show does the thing were it tries to solve everything in just 12 episodes, and this show fails it miserably, this show needs 24 episodes to space everything out, everything feels so rushed, cause of this it leads to the plotholes and cause of the plotholes its more confusing. I'll give it points for its idea but thats it.
Characters: 4/10
Our MC is Kaneki, I talked about him in my story segment, here I'll say whats good about him and whats bad. Now the good is we find out his life is pretty tragic, his mom dies as a kid, he can't eat normal anymore, it really makes you feel for him. The way he tries to keep his humanity and ghoulness is so well done and I give prontos to that. The bad side, the show hardly focuses on him, it tries to focus more on the world around him, this is really the main sector of why everything is messy. Cause of this Kaneki feels more like a plot-device more than anything.
Now the other characters, there isn't really much to say about them, there's Touka, there is meant to be some development between her and Kaneki but there isn't, its like the show is saying, hey look developme- NOPE FUCK YOU! As soon as the development can happen its just vanishes. This leads to so much under-development.
The other characters, there isn't really much to them and usually don't matter to the plot at all, there's so many chances for some good development and the show fucks that up too.
Sound: 9/10
Ok now the music, is just....epic. Its really well done and is so memroble. The OP, I don't know what to say. It is amazing and it looks at how ghouls and humans are equal and makes you question yourself and humanity? Are monsters really created by humans? The ED, is pretty meh. And thats really it for sound.
Art: 6/10
The art is pretty OK with some really well done backgrounds that shine, I'd give it a 7, but I won't cause of something in the animation which actually made me want to drop the show and its.....Censoring. There's a lot of blood in this show and it tries to censor it, but it does it so poorly, it uses black bars to censor things, it literally blackens nearly the whole screen and you wonder what the fuck is going on?
Enjoyment: 5/10
Welp really, the only reason I didn't drop this was cause of its action scenes and litlle cliffhangers at the end of each episode. The action scenes are really well done and put you on the edge of your seat. The cliffhangers, man these cliffhangers are a reason to continue the show, they usually leave big ones making you what to see what happens next.
Overall: 4.5/10
This show is a mess, it has some well done music and thats the best thing it has to offer, the rest is just either poorly done or rushed. This show could have been something really good but it falls on its ass everytime it has a chance. The ending is a cliffhanger which is just a cheap move and a reason to watch Season 2. I don't really reccomend this, shows that have done a better job of this are Parasyte which is STILL ONGOING (by the time this review is posted) and Tokyo Esp which is an OK show, its more light-hearted but it does a much better job than this. Tokyo Ghoul is meh. I'm out.
Stark700
Horror movies are amusing at times to watch. Sure, their intent is to strike fear into viewers but most times, they are so predictable and saturated with tropes that it almost seems like a cruel joke. Tokyo Ghoul doesn’t derive far from that. Despite being much longer than a typical horror movie, the series plays around with itself so much that it almost becomes a laughter stock. Don’t get me wrong though. The intriguing idea of supernatural creatures known as ‘ghouls’ living among human communities is quite well-built when it comes with premise. However, the show ultimately kills itself with its execution. Based off ofthe manga of the same name, I can say that they are almost like two different worlds.
The brainchild of Tokyo Ghoul is Sui Ishida as his first original work. Like the title implies, the series follows the idea of ghouls living among human population in Tokyo. They are regarded as savages and killers of injustice. News reports often sends the message that all ghouls must be eradicated in order for the world to be at peace. It becomes a near totalitarian-like state as the ghouls finds themselves at constant struggle for survival. If you don’t believe me, just ask Ken Kaneki. The young boy has a dark secret after one day as he comes face to face with the horror of reality.
Ask yourself first though: is Tokyo Ghoul a good adaptation of a horror story? At first, it does seem so with the premise. The first episode crafts the image well with the innocent Kaneki and his puppy crush on another woman named Rize. What comes next is a big surprise for him as his life spins out of control. This might be a surprise for him but is far too predictable for the viewers’ eyes to see. The beautiful girl with the mysterious aura, dark alley, and morbid news near Kaneki’s community should have all been hints that something terrible would happen to the boy soon. And exactly like that, Kaneki’s life is no longer human as he becomes part ghoul in Tokyo.
Despite being part ghoul, the show sends the message that Kaneki wishes to live as a human instead. His love for literature and struggle to contain his appetite are proof of this. Emphasizing on his human traits, Kaneki fights against his gluttonous desire to consume human flesh. No matter how great the temptation is, we see how determined the kid to retain his humanity. This conventional idea isn’t uncommon at all though. Other series such as Claymore and Shiki also have similar ideas. Unfortunately, Tokyo Ghoul doesn’t develop this idea all too well. For instance, can we really sympathize with Kaneki? While he is a good role model for others, some of his roles in this adaptation are questionable. Furthermore, we don’t really know much about the young boy such as his backstory. Taking a closer glance at his character, Kaneki is more like a plot device himself to steer the engine of the premise. In retrospect, Kaneki is an underdeveloped character with minimal characterization and lack of focus. The mask he wear is a motif to his character but the anime adaptation neglects its value.
Some focus are put together with the other characters throughout the show such as Toka Kirishima, a young girl and also a ghoul dubbed as “The Rabbit”. Other ghouls entering the story includes Nishiki NIshio, Hinami Fuegushi, Yoshimura, Gourmet, and among others. The funny thing about them is that despite being the ghouls, most of them are presented as protagonists while fighting for survival. It’s clear that society misunderstands them because of their gluttonous appetite for meat. Then, there’s also the Aogiri Tree that fits the profile that society that describes them as – brutal, violent, and craving to satisfy themselves. On the other hand, there’s the CCG, a Ghoul Investigation agency dedicated to battle against ghouls. I wouldn’t necessarily call them antagonists since their purpose is to secure the safety of the public. However, they do come head and head against Kaneki and the others. The consequence includes grief on both sides as they lose important people. It pinpoints the fact that lives are very fragile that can be taken away so easily whether you are a human or a ghoul.
A prominent character in CCG is Amon. Despite not being the main focus of the show, we find out about him more than almost any other character. These include his partnership with professional ghoul hunter Mado, his past, and how he became who he is today. Serving as a determined man, he has some similarities and differences with Kaneki. They both fight for what they believe in but with very different motivations. But taking for granted, Amon can be considered a breakout character compared to others. The sad part is that he is perhaps one of the only character that some of us can relate to. Others such as Touka just lacks any distinctive traits or characterization for us to get to know well. Oh and don’t bother asking about Rize. Despite her being the main reason of Kaneki’s change, the show neglects to focus on her as a character at all and only shows her influence through the show in ridiculous diehard ways.
Several consideration should also be considered as the show explores prejudice, morality, and identity. Apparently, the public shows fear of the ghouls so the show wastes no time to label them as pure monsters. But ask yourself this: should all ghouls be considered as monsters? This can be controversial as some ghouls truly are unredeemable while others such as Kaneki and Nishiki have human values. Then, there’s the identity issue with various characters. Kaneki struggles to battle this the hardest out of any other character as he adapts to his new life. He must hide his ghoul tendencies from his neighbors, teachers, and even his best friend Hide. While all this seems to strike keen interest, it just feels repetitive and quickly grows old. The show just tries far too had when attempting to get viewers to realize what Kaneki strives to be.
Now comes perhaps the worst part of the show: the adaptation of the story. The craftsmanship had the right source material but it didn’t know what to do with it. Studio Pierrot failed to deliver a faithful adaptation with both the characters and the story. There’s little development with any of the characters and fails to achieve adequate accuracy with the main story. The main story cuts off important parts that were hugely influential to certain outcomes. It lacks credible built-up, has a poor execution, and is ultimately beyond salvage at a certain point. For the characters, most of them suffer from development and characterization. While we can feel sympathetic at times, it’s hard to relate to them at all. Most of them aren’t good role models besides Kaneki. Furthermore, the relationship he builds with others is vaguely expressed. Touka often gets into arguments with Kaneki while Nishiki picks on him as a weakling. Hinami’s relationship with Kaneki has some innocence to it but really lacks compatibility. There’s also a sense of hate between some ghouls but most of this is degenerated to weak expression because of its pacing. In retrospect, this adaptation lies in the ruins.
Despite all this, Tokyo Ghoul is a horror fest when it comes to action. The artwork of the series is done well visually to capture the gruesome moments in the ghoul world. Speaking of which, the ghouls themselves are designed with monstrous traits such as their razor sharp teeth, scarlet eyes, and body structure. The ghoul’s predatory organ known as the Kagune is designed to look artistically endearing with blood-like muscles. Although the show doesn’t focus too much on the mechanics, it’s easy to tell that they are a race to be feared. Likewise, most of the other character designs are designed with accuracy. I say this because of their ability to blend in with human society despite being ghouls. Just take a good look at Nishiki. The background and dark chilling atmosphere also has noir-like feeling to provoke power. Overall action coordination remains top notch with cinematic battles scenes from start to finish. I just hope the BDs will remove the horrid censorship from the TV series.
On the soundtrack front, the show’s delivery is effective. It shows enough ways to get most of the job done. In fact, the very first minutes of the series wastes little time with its high volume of violence. The haunting tones strikes fear with both wish-fulfillment brutality and chaos. Voice expressions too crafts the imagery of our characters’ struggles. I also give credit to Kana Hanazawa who is able to play the character Rize. She was able to convey the character as a graceful beauty until her true visage is revealed. Others such as Toka and Gourmet have distinctive ways of speaking similar to those of a tomboy and aristocrat respectfully. Finally, the OP and ED songs are beautiful and well decorated.
To say the least, Tokyo Ghoul is an adaptation gone wrong when it comes to story and characters. The way it is adapted is a degeneration of its original source. But if you’re coming in as an anime original viewer, then this show might be something to take a keen interest on especially when it comes to the cinematic battles. The first episode will hook you in but the rest of them lacks that sort of development. Although there are some occasional comedy, the majority of the show takes itself seriously, perhaps sometimes for its own good. I wouldn’t call Tokyo Ghoul a hollow shell of what it should be though. Rather, it’s more of an adaptation that should have been handled differently. VERY differently.
Stuffies12
Prior knowledge Manga: None Tokyo Ghoul is one of the more hyped up anime this season for a number of reasons. Mainly because it was, as I have heard, a very popular manga. The premise itself is easy to follow. The world is inhabited by two types of people: regular people and ghouls who eat people as a source of food. The main character, Kaneki Ken, after almost being killed by a ghoul is turned into a half ghoul-half human hybrid. By this time, I, who has not read the manga, assumed the show would explore the morality of and question the prejudice between the two groupsusing the MC as a focal perspective. While at the same time having some kickass fight sequences.
Boy was I wrong.
Story – 6/10
For the most part, Tokyo Ghoul’s storytelling was decent. It explored the different aspects of the ghoul community and made its point simple and concise. Although that’s about it. There isn’t anything too fancy or well done with its storytelling. Tokyo Ghoul is quick to establish the lore with the Wards (sectors), the Doves (anti ghoul police), and different types of ghouls. This last point emphasized by Anteiku and it’s here that Kaneki spends most of his time deliberating between his new and unique situation. The plot itself didn’t seem to be headed in any clear direction, but splits itself into different ‘mini-plots’ (similar to different story arcs in the manga) as Kaneki observes the different ghouls coming in and out of the cafe, and learns their own perspective of being a ghoul. While this in itself is fine, it creates other problems for character development and overall pacing. This is clear at the show’s 9th episode when there is a ghoul invasion in one of the other wards. It’s clear that this is the climax of the show, yet it feels blatantly out of place from the ‘mini-arc’ format the show was using so far. There was hardly any buildup leading up to the massive invasion and the last 4 episodes seemed to compress as much content as possible by amping up the pace, shown by the sudden high stakes and side characters being quickly introduced. It’s clear the ending was very rushed. Simply put, the show’s plot lacked focus. It did not take advantage of the interesting premise they had to work with.
Art – 8/10
I don’t have any complaints here. The animation is slick and smooth. The (very few) fights and battles are nice to watch. The weapons, qunique and kagune, were an interesting concept for the show and there were enough different types to show off. The show tended to lean toward more vivid colours in its art style and wasn’t afraid to use its full range of colours which I thought was a good decision for the show to make.
The characters themselves are distinct from one another in their art design and colour and I particularly liked how a character’s colour was associated with their personality. It’s a welcome change from other anime where characters look way too similar to one another. The OP and ED sequences were great to watch and is one of the few shows where I don’t skip its sequences. I especially like theme of contrast and reflection used in the OP.
Sound – 8/10
There wasn’t anything wrong with Tokyo Ghoul’s sound direction. Overall effects in fight scenes were synced well and so was background noise. Each character had their own defined voice and the voice acting complimented well with the art and colour style. That is to say, their voices were a little more on the melodramatic side. But it was used to good effect in presenting their own personalities and character. The OP and ED are both fantastic and fit well into the tone of the show, or rather the tone the show was trying to show.
Character – 5/10
Here is where Tokyo Ghoul suffers from the most and ultimately hinders enjoyment of the show. The show has a lot of side characters. A new character is introduced maybe every 1 to 2 episodes and none of these characters get enough screentime and character development. The fault of this is partly due to its 1-cour situation, but it’s also because of the mini-plot format of the show. A new character is introduced who interacts with Kaneki in some way before being pushed to the sidelines a couple of episodes later and a new character takes the stage. There is barely any exposition for the side characters and the way they were simply dumped to the side until the climax arc in the 9th episode was simply lazy.
The main characters themselves are regrettably 2-dimensional. Kaneki’s initial panic with his newfound situation was acceptable at first but he never grew out of his timidness despite the abundant characters and small setting he was confined to. Unfortunately, the lack of development for the side characters also meant Kaneki’s character development also suffered as a result. Kaneki himself always seems to be in helpless situations which he can’t get out of. The only ounce of character development is during Hinami’s arc in Episode 3 where he sees that there are ghouls who don’t wish to kill people. His entire character is just a tease to the final episode when he goes all badass. And even that in itself is a disappointment. That wasn’t what I wanted to see from the show at all.
Enjoyment – 6/10
I can tell you this. If you switch off your brain you’ll most likely enjoy this show. It doesn’t do anything new or unique within its own genre. Battles are cool. Characters are predictable and the setting is interesting enough. But if you’re looking for something of a higher quality caliber, then this show isn’t it. I was strung along the entire show thinking ‘this next episode is going to have more action’ or ‘this time Kaneki is going to do something’. The entire time the show left me with blue balls just waiting for the moment the show would present some sort of meaningful sequence or a badass fight scene. I was sorely disappointed. The final episode had some element of the exploration of morality and choice and it was at a level I was satisfied with, and something I expected to see from the first episode. Yet this wasn’t the case.
But hey, if anything else it was a decent Thursday night filler show. Better than Glasslip that’s for sure. The final episode did have me on edge, even if the characters are 2-dimensional, the execution and presentation of the final episode was able to convey a suspenseful tone which regrettably did not appear in any of the other episodes. I suppose its simply another typical shounen anime.
Overall – 6/10
I’ll admit to enjoying it enough. It wasn’t anything special in the end but it’s a decent show to watch if you’re looking for something to pass the time. If you were expecting any level of depth then you definitely won’t find it here. As explained before, the show had a lot of potential in presenting the different aspects and perspective between ghouls and humans and failed to capitalize. Unfortunately, in the end the show is average at best. It wasn’t the fault of the staff entirely as it could have benefited from more episodes, but the adaptation of the source material was mismanaged. For all its visual style it could not save the show from its muddled storytelling.
This is my first review. Feedback is welcome. A more detailed review can be viewed at my blog!
MosesTransports
The only thing you'll be left with after watching this series is an extra song in your playlist and a very sour taste in your mouth. That is, of course, if you manage to wrestle the choppy pacing of eleven episodes of underdeveloped characters that live in the shadow of a wasted premise, beautifully presented through the familliar eyes of the melodramatic queen of a main lead. Bonus feature: imbecillic censorship.
Imdadinho
No long reviews that take all our god-damned time. Those words hit my head when I started this anime. "It is very strange, this domination of our intellect by our digestive organs. We cannot work, we cannot think, unless our stomach wills so. It dictates to us our emotions, our passions.... We are but the veriest, sorriest slaves of our stomach." Jerome.K.Jerome Did you ever think you will be rooting for man eaters in an anime? If no, then Tokyo Ghoul is here to disprove you. Tokyo Ghoul is one of the best anime this season and it is sure to keep you on your toes. Withits darkness and gore most likely to attract gore fans but it can be equally enjoyed by anyone.
Although the concept of getting new powers and meeting a whole different kind of people is not new to anime, but Tokyo Ghoul executes it in a very efficient manner. It focuses on the point that there is no clear distinction between good and evil and it all depends on perspectives. In a deeper sense, it reminds us that we should not jump to conclusions without considering the circumstances and difficulties faced by the others.
The only disappointment is some censoring in a few scenes but it is overshadowed by the awesomeness of this show.Overall a very enjoyable anime, Art is crisp and up-to-date, sound effects and OP/Ending are amazing, characters are unique and interesting.
A must watch for gore and thriller fans.
Link_of_Hyrule
**SPOILER FREE REVIEW** Tokyo Ghoul can be summed up using the same three points that just about every other overhyped adaptation of an unfinished manga series ends up falling under: 1. Incomplete (ends dissatisfyingly with almost nothing resolved) 2. Undeveloped characters (because they were written to have nearly 100x the screen/page time as they ended up having) 3. Mediocre plot (because it was written to be nearly 100x as long) In other words, Tokyo Ghoul is a commercial for its manga. Watching it as an anime is almost entirely devoid of purpose (and no, I haven’t read the manga). Synopsis: In a world where mysterious beings called “ghouls”, people who can eat nothing excepthuman meat, must live along side humans, there is a fierce ongoing war between the two groups. Ken Kaneki, our protagonist, finds himself experiencing ghoul-like urges shortly after an accident, leading him to eventually discover that he has become a half-human half-ghoul.
The premise of Toyko Ghoul is very, very straightforward, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s easy to understand and easy to follow, so therefore it should be able to deliver entertainment easily, right? Well, not so much, and that can be chalked up something I already touched on; incomplete manga adaptations don’t go anywhere. From the beginning to the end, Tokyo Ghoul comically tries to cram an entire manga’s worth of subplots, side characters, and blood/gore into their show all the while attempting to have a coherent plot. Unsurprisingly, this fails. To its credit though, the anime has a great stretch of episodes where it focuses on the similarities between the ghouls and ghoul hunters, demonstrating that they are really quite similar. This makes the show morally grey and adds a significant layer of intrigue to both the plot and the characters. However, it manages to completely contradict and ultimately ruin itself by creating completely one-dimensional, obviously evil, totally unrealistic antagonists. One in particular, a man who calls himself “a gourmet”, is so stupidly over the top and exaggerated that it becomes impossible to take the conflict of the show seriously. It clashes with the stronger aspects of the story and ultimately hurts the narrative. The plot can be suspenseful at times, but it is also a combination of melodrama and a serious lack of direction. The cliché “last second save” plot convenience is nearly an every-other episode occurrence, for example, making the plot even harder to take seriously. Occasionally, it comes across as just cheap violence that’s only edgy for the sake of being edgy. In short, the plot is just overall unrewarding.
The characters, as previously mentioned, show great potential for development. There is a lot of framework set up for most cast members to become tremendously written, dynamic characters. Unfortunately, this is a 12 episode adaptation of an incomplete manga, so none of that development is ever seen. Really, I don’t think anything else needs to be said. There is an undeniable disconnect between the adaptation and the source material due to the incomplete nature of the narrative. At least one entire dimension is missing entirely, and that greatly prevents Tokyo Ghoul from being an enjoyable show. Top that off with the bad written and laughably stupid villains and you get a severely underwhelming group of characters.
To complete circle of disappointment that is Tokyo Ghoul, I give you the animation. Don’t get me wrong; it looks pretty damn good, y’know, when I can actually tell what the hell is going on. There is an absolutely ludicrous amount of the least subtle censorship I’ve ever seen in an anime and it is unbelievably aggravating. Few things grind my gears as much as unnecessary censorship, and it left me with an amazingly sour taste in my mouth. FUCK censorship. Luckily, the music is executed quite nicely and serves to significantly enhance some of the more dramatic scenes, so at least there’s that.
In conclusion, Tokyo Ghoul is the framework of a good story, but it’s just that: a framework. We are never going to see the character development put to animation, we are never going to see the plot lead anywhere noteworthy in animated form, and we are never to going get anything worthwhile out of this series (unless, of course, you read the manga). For that reason, Tokyo Ghoul is a failure of an adaptation. It is a commercial and nothing more. I do not recommend watching it, despite its moments.
Ed0000
First review on MAL: Tokyo Ghoul is a dark fantasy and seinen anime adaptation of the manga made by Ishida Sui, and the TV anime was produced by Studio Pierrot containing 12 episodes. There are also some horror elements, but they aren't that present on the animation. The main character of the story is Kaneki Ken, an ordinary college student, and his life changes when he meets Rize at the café he frequents with his college friend Hide. Little did he know that she is actually a Ghoul, a carnivorous species only able to feed on humans and even other ghouls too, and during the night, heis attacked and almost got killed and eaten by her. He got saved by an emergency operation, when he got ghouls organs transplanted into his body.
Basically he became a half-ghoul half-human, or, like many people say, one eyed Ghoul.. then the struggle and the tragedies start for him since he is now inserted into the ghoul world.
Anyway, how is it? Well, the anime has a promising start in the first episode (usually I would be complaining about the censorship, which is indeed weird, but there are the uncensored episodes available already since a long time already) and at first, as an anime-only watcher or not, you will be looking forward to the storyline, although... Pierrot simply rushed the anime A LOT, skipped so many things and they even changed the order of some events (manga readers know what I mean), which is... really disappointing.
Also, the studio tried TOO HARD when they made Kaneki expressing his emotions and his struggle while he became a half-ghoul, even though he did some work there, the anime made him look like someone who mostly cries and keeps whining a lot until a certain point, so yeah, he looked like a wimp unfortunately, and there wasn't much development along with the evolution and progress on Kaneki unlike on the manga where these were strong points of his character... his characterization had many problems too. Yes, he suffered a lot with the anime changes on his character.
Not to mention other scenes that they did some weird changes especially on some fights and some censored scenes during the time that the anime was airing, some scenes were so hard to understand to guess what was happening.
Thankfully the Blu-ray came out on Japan and you can check out the uncensored episodes already since they are available on the internet.
Now, talking about the animation, you will probably enjoy the quality on it during some fights, even if there are some awkward and sloppy moments on the animation quality like it happens on other animes from studio Pierrot. The kagunes and the quinques were well made though, especially the first one... to be honest, some kagunes (including mainly the Ukaku from Touka) were even beautiful to watch. The animation during the episodes isn't particularly that amazing and the exception happens mostly on the fights or important scenes, so they actually did well on the animation there.
The story itself is actually pretty interesting and there is a lot of potential on it, and it's nice to see how it shows the perspective from both sides, Ghouls and the humans too, especially on the investigators from the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul), it explores characters from both of these sides, which is really interesting, it makes you wonder which side was like the right one and who are the monsters, it makes you wonder a lot about those details, since you will eventually see that not every single Ghoul is evil, and also that the human side also got some bad people, and it gives many possibilities on the storyline but there aren't enough episodes to explore it pretty well, and the studio didn't focus so much on these concepts and ideals involving humans and ghouls, they just jumped into the violent scenes and the action.
And unfortunately, 12 episodes means that you won't really see a developed plot and character development wasn't the best thing since the story was sooo fast paced and rushed by the studio, and you couldn't really know much about the characters or get attached to them, except for a few ones who got more screen time.
Also, after the first episode, the events there felt like all over the place sometimes. However, the 2nd half of the first season was more entertaining, especially the last episode.
The original soundtrack and the voices of the characters on the anime are great though (especially on Kaneki, his voice actor did an amazing job, and other characters like Touka, and Tsukiyama too, which made his scene even more hilarious... and weird too). I must admit, they did a pretty good job at the soundtrack aspect of the anime. And yes, the opening song of Tokyo Ghoul, Unravel is so addictive and it fitted perfectly on every aspect with the anime... just like the ending, Seijatachi. Anyway, the music was a good thing on the anime, it did fit pretty well, and OP and ED are pretty catchy.
As you can see, I made some complaints regarding the anime and its studio ruining some aspects of the adaptation while I tried to not compare too much with the manga (it was inevitable though), but... I must say, it was kind of enjoyable for me when I was new to the series, it had potential like I said, but the feeling that you will get after finishing the first season is that it could have been sooo much better, and there could have been more explanations with many elements of the series like the Kagunes and the RC Cells who were skipped, along with the development of the storyline and the characters... it's like throwing the whole potential away.
You can clearly notice in the anime that Pierrot didn't pull out so much effort and their budget wasn't really the best (there is a reason why many people had bigger enjoyment with the first and episode 12, since it looked like they invested a lot more on these two episodes) while they made that first season.
Sometimes even I imagine that Pierrot just wanted to do that shounen treatment at Tokyo Ghoul's anime since they didn't have the best idea in how to make an adaptation. It even felt like an insult or a disrespect towards most of the manga fans/manga readers, since that first season felt like a prototype version of the manga storyline. I do hope that the anime will be remade in the future and do justice to be as great as the manga.
Is the anime enjoyable after all? Well, if you are new to the series, give it a try... you can either love, or see its potential and wonder how it could have been then watch season 2, and check out the manga to see that potential being developed to something amazing, or then hate it due to what the studio did on that adaptation.
313_Archer
I REALLY almost desperately wanted to like this anime, but it failed me and went off the rails like a possessed train. I’m sorry, to all Tokyo Ghoul fans, I really am. I had such high hopes for this show, but, it had so, so many issues. So, lets get down to it. This post is spoiler free! :D Characters: 3/10 The show started with a bang. In the first two episodes, I was ready to adopt Kaneki as one of “my precious babies”. Then show unraveled like cheap sweater. While Kaneki remained interesting, his emotional development got lost in the rather vast world of ghouls.Kaneki became background noise battered like a pin-pong ball between the too-fast plot and integration into the ghoul society. It's a shame too. Kaneki could’ve become one of my favorite characters (I still plan on reading the manga despite the anime so it could happen!).
Kaneki aside, I (in all honesty) can’t recall the name of a single character (I looked them up for this review) aside from Hide, who barely appears. I had a difficult time caring about anyone, especially the ghouls. Let me explain why the ghouls mostly sucked (for me).
First, I’m supposed to believe the characters live in a dystopian society, yet none of them (excluding Renji and Yoshimura) behave as if they do. Most characters have angst oozing out their pores, but, if ghouls live in such a crappy culture, how come none of the characters seem to realize it before the anime? For example, one character (who will remain nameless for spoilers sake), literally sits in [his/her] room for THREE days (or longer, not sure) because someone called [his/her] “ghoul power” beautiful. Seriously? If I’m supposed to believe [he/she]’s is someone who grew up in a world this grating, why does something so small make [him/her] mope for three days? [He/she] is allowed to be upset, but honestly. If this character lived in such a war-torn and desperate society, a compliment shouldn't shatter [he/she].
If you’re thinking I missed the point and that [he/she]’s reaction to a compliment should help me understand how hard the world is, I disagree. Watch Berserk, Attack on Titan, or Akira. Those characters live in a terrible world and act like it (note: I’m not saying every character in a dystopian society or situation needs to be angry and miserable, take Allen Walker, for example).
I have another beef with this compliment drama—a human complimented the ghoul. This character’s relation to humans befuddled me. First, [he/she] acts as if humans are beneath [him/her]. Then, suddenly, the character has a valued human friend and a compliment from a human that [he/she] had such contempt for before make [him/her] pout for three days. I did not understand that whiplash.
This character isn’t the only one filled with hypocrisy. Another character (for the sake of spoilers I’ll have to be vague here) acts badly towards a human and shows [him/herself] to consider humans nothing but a food source and then—suddenly—is in love with one! It made no sense whatsoever to me.
Several characters did some bewilderingly stupid things. Instead of feeling sorry for them, I could only blink at the sheer stupidity of their actions.
Lastly, many characters have rapidly changing opinions. They’ll yell and berate or even attack in each other in one episode and--bam! They are desperate to save and protect each other for no real reason in the next. Again emotional development is sacrificed for plot.
Story: 4/10
The story moved too fast, plain and simple. I understood it, but I just didn’t give a two figs. Every other episode spent the first five minutes (after intro and recap) telling the viewer what happened since the last episode ended and the first began (in other words, most episode have huge plot developments and time jumps between each one). This made it extremely difficult to invest myself in the story.
As I said before, new aspects of the world kept cropping up like jack-in-the-boxes. Unfortunately, most of those elements vanished. The world didn’t feel well-rounded, more like someone puked out a bunch of interesting ideas without considering how it all meshed together (I kid you not, someone ends up having a brother the viewer knew almost nothing (if anything, I can’t remember) about that shows up around episode 10 or so. And I was supposed to care about this new sibling relationship (hint: I didn’t)). Most of the world’s elements fit the story’s tone, but there was one bizarre arc that felt like it belonged in Pandora Hearts, Black Butler, or D.Gray-man. I enjoy all three of those, but such a tone certainly didn’t fit Tokyo Ghoul.
The show is also chuck full of clichés. I know some people will give me heat for saying this, but it’s just true. I’ve seen all of those plot elements numerous times.
Another big problem of this story: I was supposed to care about the ghouls. Um, how? None of the ghouls seemed to like humans; most of them seemed to hate humans, have contempt for them, or blame them for how tough I’m supposed to believe their life is. But I didn’t pity the ghouls. They eat people without much remorse, for the most part anyways. I can sympathize with a bad guy; I can sympathize with non-human characters; but I found myself struggling to even view the ghouls as the good guys.
Another problem: I’m supposed to believe (minor spoiler) that one of the reasons this world is so tough and rough is because ghouls and humans can’t co-exist. But the only thing standing in their way was anger. No one seemed willing to give an inch and even try to understand each other (say Kaneki, for obvious reasons). In the end, I found them all stupid.
The plot moved faster than the Shinkansen, which through pacing, investing me in the story, and developing characters out the window. It seemed the anime aimed for big and shocking moments to show people how awesome and fast-paced it was. While it obviously worked--the show is popular, after all--it didn’t work for me. I didn’t care about the “shocking” moments because I couldn’t care less about what was happening.
Art (and cinematography in general): 10/10
Here the show shined. Beautiful animation that made fights look like brutal yet elegant. Total eye candy.
(music): It added to the show but wasn’t particularly amazing.
(angles): They did a fairly standard job here.
(intro/outro): I loved both, and the intro’s animation was creative and stunning.
Fan service: 1/10
The show did not have up-skirt shots or laughably big-chested girls. Someone did fight mini skirt, but the female lead usually wore pants (shock). Here, the show did a pretty fantastic job.
Sub vs Dub:
Watched it in sub and thought it was pretty good. It hasn't been dubbed.
Warnings:
The show has a few plot holes. No matter how I racked my brain, I simply could not figure out the problem’s resolution.
That being said, Tokyo Ghoul is beloved. My opinion isn’t a popular one. In fact, I think its reputation set my expectations too high (so did those first two episodes). Anyways, I plan on reading the manga, which could change my opinion on the anime.
Overall: 5/10
kaizersaber
Tokyo Ghoul, a classic human vs "species that eats humans" cliche, that was pulled off in a dramatic, action-packed manner, that ultimately ended in a disappointing cliffhanger. TL;DR Story: 7/10 Art: 8/10 Sound: 6/10 Character: 6/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Overall: 7/10 (rounded down from 7.25)Good Points:
+ Gripping and exciting story line
+ Excellent animation and character design
+ Excellent BGM
+ Cool and varied cast of characters with powers
+ Good main character development
Bad points:
- Ends in a cliffhanger (wait for the sequel!)
- Poor OP and ED themes
- Many underdeveloped supporting characters
- Underdeveloped main antagonist
- Underwhelming final two episodes due to lack of resolution (yet)
Other comments
You will love this show if you like:
1. Good action sequences with superpowers
2. Blood and gore + screaming
3. Emotional scenes that make you cry T.T
4. Cute tsundere main female protagonist :3
Story: 7/10
The story starts off with Kaneki, a young high school student who chances upon an encounter with a girl, who turns out to be a ghoul. Both are nearly killed in an accident, that was not really an accident, and Kaneki inherits the girl's internal organs, effectively transforming him into a half-ghoul half-human being. Throughout the anime, Kaneki exemplifies both sides, the ghoul and the human side, and starts to realize how similar they actually are and explore how they can co-exist peacefully.
But not everyone thinks that way. Other ghouls like the gourmets and binge eaters feast on human flesh waay beyond their expected calorie intake, whilst a mysterious group called the Aogiri, led by a one-eyed ghoul, is taking over 11th Ward. The humans, in the form of CCG, are fighting back against the ghouls, using weapons made from ghouls themselves, which they call "quinque". Their job is to drive out the ghoul scum from Tokyo.
The plot itself is split into 3 main arcs. The introductory arc focusing on Kaneki's transformation and from human to ghoul and then to a realization that he is half-of-each, the Hinami arc, where both her parents are brutally killed by "doves", members of CCG who are hunting the ghouls in 20th ward, as well as the final but incomplete Aogiri arc, where all-out war is imminent between ghouls and humans. All three of such arcs are gripping and have excellent development. (+3)
As far as coherence goes, I can't say much, because the anime ended in a cliffhanger, and it's not entirely fair to point out things that haven't been explained. However, there are a few things that have been explained in a rather unsatisfactory fashion.
Ghouls can't eat human food and puke when they eat food, but can drink coffee, which is perfectly fine. Alright, they also forget to mention that ghouls apparently also can drink water. So the question is this - what's so special about coffee/water - that makes it different from other poisonous human foods? None of this is ever touched on, it's just been assumed for sake of a more touching story of Tohka and her friend giving her food to eat. Next, if Tohka really couldn't eat all that stuff, why didn't she just pretend she was on a diet. Even if her friend would be disappointed, at least as a FRIEND she should understand and respect other people's dietary choices, right?
Next point, Ghouls unleash their powers in a pretty cool fashion, but nowhere does the anime ever touch on where these special powers come from, and why are they so varied? We can see from Hinami that because she inherited her powers from her parents, she has BOTH of their abilities, but what about the others? Wouldn't they have inherited multiple powers as well? Why are so many of them only using one power - since, by assumption, most of them have parents and none of them are "1st Generation Ghouls".
That brings me to my next point - the story misses out a key plot line, which I think can really be developed on, the origin of ghouls in the first place. Although this is not so much a problem but an opportunity for further plot development.
Lastly, if ghouls are running rampant everywhere, and could be anyone you know, and the public knows of the existence and general workings of the ghoul (nowhere in the show is it stated or even implicitly shown that the existing of ghouls is a secret), it makes absolutely no sense for the rest of the human public to live life as if nothing is wrong - even with CCG supposedly "controlling the problem", because as long as one life has been taken - it would be all over the news and would spread MASSIVE panic and havoc (which is not seen, as of yet). But okay, I contend that the anime did make "most of the public evacuate from the area", but that was only in the Aogiri incident, what about all the killings before that in 20th ward? Kids can still go to school and feel safe? No way, man.
The anime still has lots of explaining to do, and has no resolution yet, so I'm hoping the sequel addresses these problems and ties everything up nicely. Still, most of the story is fairly coherent, and inconsistencies don't lie on key plot premises. Characters act naturally based on situations and so do the organisations (except maybe CCG might want to use tanks/aircraft against the ghouls instead of just soldiers) (+1)
As for plot depth, it is definitely quite substantial, because the anime doesn't stick to one main character, Kaneki, and just leave you the whole anime from his perspective. It jumps from the point of view of the CCG, to the people at Anteiku, to the people at Aogiri. All the perspectives are different, but all of them are essentially fighting for their lives or to protect their population/species. The central theme to this anime is basically "What defines being a human?" And that question is up to you to decide for yourself. The author hints that being human is essentially just a way of life, and it is our moral compass, conscience and actions that we take that make us human, or not human. (+3)
Like I said, there was no resolution, so I'm rating the story fairly as if I have only watched half the series.
Art: 8/10
The art for this anime is quite good. I love how the powers of the ghouls are fleshed out, all the blood and gore is a bit disturbing, but I guess it suits the anime well. The different character art styles and hair styles are also pretty unique and interesting.
Sound: 6/10
The anime has some quite poor OP and ED themes, but the background music never seems out of place, it was generally alright and kept the excitement going. The voice acting, really top notch here - must've been difficult doing all that screaming. Music was really good for all the touching scenes as well as the action scenes - job well done!
Character: 6/10
The characters in the story are many, but of course, in this 11-episode anime, not all of them can be fleshed out and fully developed. Character development-wise, we got to know the backstories of most of the main cast, Tohka, Kaneki, Nishiki, as the plot progresses, and their pasts tell a lot about why their personalities are the way they are now. There's also quite a lot of dialogue and interaction that goes on between the main characters, and it adds a lot to the identity of the characters. Even Mado and Amon's past and interactions are clearly portrayed throughout the anime, which I thought was a good thing (+2).
The main character in the story is actually quite cliched, but there's still reason to love him because it's the "good" kind of cliched, and he doesn't really get that annoying until the last arc where he keeps screaming and starts getting multiple hallucinations. Other than that, you can really feel for Kaneki every time he tried to fight his urge of becoming a ghoul. The character's struggle completely grips you each time. Some people might be slightly annoyed at how useless he is most of the time though, and always needs saving, but this is only present in the first arc, by the second arc his involvement, while still weak, manages to help Tohka defeat Mado, which is a statement to the increasing trend of his usefulness as the anime progresses. (+1)
My favourite character definitely has to be Tohka, even if she is the cliche tsundere in the story. She still ends up kicking ass and has some really beautiful wings, even for tomboy, which she uses to slay people in battle with a rain of red crystals. She's also kind, and slowly opens up to Kaneki, and ends up liking him, as she reciprocates the kindness that Kaneki always shows her, in spite of her cold exterior. She also protects Hinami like her younger sister and has strong affection for her. I also find her really cute, especially the way she blushes and the fact that she wears a rabbit mask. :3 (+1)
The final character who bears some interest is Rize, whom we still know nothing much about (except for the fact that she is a well-read bookworm who shares a similar taste with Kaneki), other than the fact that she is basically the "ghoul-side" of Kaneki after merging with his humanity. She haunts him about how it was "all his fault" and about how he has to "suffer" because he refuses to hurt other people, and about how his "inability/powerlessness in making decisions/taking action" result in the various tragedies surrounding him. She eventually convinces him that in order to "protect something" he must "sacrifice something else in return", which Kaneki eventually concludes that he has to sacrifice his own sense of "humanity" and become a monster to attain the power he needs to protect the people whom he cherishes. (+1)
Rize's character continues to be mysterious, but her influence in the anime seems much greater than many of the other supporting cast that the anime introduced and then totally left them out of any form of development.
None of the other characters actually stand out much because they aren't focused on too much. Yamori is one of the evil bad guys who goes crazy for no apparent reason and begins torturing Kaneki, for no other reason than, "Hey guys I got tortured, so I think I should torture him too." Which is like...uhh bad reason yo. Also known as "Jason", he is the main antagonist in this 12-episode run, but he doesn't get much a back story and gets even less of development despite his central role in the anime, so that was disappointing.
In terms of character growth, Kaneki shows outstanding growth throughout this anime - from being a wimpy kid at first, to growing slightly stronger but still being generally weak, to end up going crazy because of Rize that is in him and accepting his ghoul-ness despite his best efforts in being human, because he realizes being human ain't gonna help him save his ghoul friends anymore, and he is too powerless as a human. (+1)
Tohka also shows a bit of growth, slowly opening out of her shell. While Hinami goes from simply crying and whining about her tragic life, which is truly sad, to growing stronger than she is expected to, and volunteering to fight to get Kaneki back at Anteiku. The other one who shows growth is Amon, who starts to wonder about whether ghouls are all that bad at all when he meets Kaneki, who spares his life and does something only humans would do. Amon also gives into the desire for revenge against the "Rabbit" Tohka-chan, for taking away his boss, Mado, whom he respected and looked up to a whole lot. But none of these are actually portrayed well enough, we can see the change in the characters but the progression to that state, not so.
Tohka's growth came while "sitting idly by" and "reflecting about stuff that happened", all of which was essentially skipped, and we only know this because Kaneki bothered to see her in her room. Hinami's growth came in the midst of her crying... it really does solve everything doesn't it? Amon's growth came from visiting Mado's grave. But the anime showed little or none about what led him to any of these characters' conclusion.
The anime also left me with some characters whom I'd really be interested to know about, like the old dude who leads Anteiku, Yomo, and of course the girl at the bar, Itori, because their character exudes some sort of special aura about them. Too bad they weren't fleshed out in this series.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I really enjoyed most of this anime, from beginning all the way until the final arc. The scenes are action-packed, and when they are not full of heart-racing action, they are full of touching scenes of people crying, screaming, and talking to each other in meaningful moral dialogue. This anime I didn't want to put down from the time I started, till the time I ended, so good job for that. I did think that the entire of episodes 11 and 12 focused too much on the torture that Kaneki was going through. Firstly because the torture made no sense whatsoever anyway, and secondly because it just felt soooo long. Too long, in fact, and while it first gripped me, I slowly lost interest because it was the same screaming over and over again, and it was the same blood over and over again.
So, I can't give full points for enjoyment but it's still a very exciting anime to watch.
Overall: 7.25/10
jedman
OK I had to write this review as all I saw on this page was a load of reviews with really low scores which is bizarre as this anime is actually really good. Some people claim that this anime is a bad adaptation of the manga which I completely disagree with. While this is not a perfect adaptation and some scenes have been changed around I do not think that this makes this Anime bad in any way. It is more like a slightly different take on the story which is still very good in its own right. Having read the manga the manga and theanime are for the most part the same. There are some scenes in the anime which have been rearranged and a few smaller scenes that have been cut most likely due to restraints of the 12 episode anime format, but overall it is very close to the manga and does a great job of adapting all of the main scenes.
I will say that Kaneki's character is presented slightly differently in the Anime as opposed to the Manga though. In the Manga he does come across as being more competent and heroic due to the slight change of a couple of key scenes and the omission of another quite major scene in the last arc. So I recommend that people check out the Manga as well to see this difference.
I wouldn't say that this spoils the Anime though it actually made more sympathetic towards him in a way, so it is a different take on his character similar to the original Evangelion series and the rebuild movies. Kaneki is a bit more passive and reactive in the Anime as opposed to being more of a proactive competent protagonist in the Manga.
If you don't like the more sensitive reactive kind of protagonists then you may dislike the main character in this Anime. I love those kind of characters though so its a matter of taste.
This anime kept me on the edge of my seat and it was very addictive and I couldn't wait for the next episode. The main themes of humans and ghouls trying to coexist and the complications emerging from this were well explored in the story and character interactions. The story goes into a lot of detail in fleshing out the setting to show the different perspectives of the ghoul and human characters. The picture painted is not a black and white good vs evil story but a multi layered one with different shades of grey. You will sympathise with both human and ghoul characters and also despise some of the human and ghoul characters, so the anime does a good job of getting you emotionally involved with the story.
The production values of the anime are overall very good with some awesome battle scenes and great music and sound effects. Special note must be made of the voice acting which especially for the main character really stood out as being exceptionally good.
This is probably the bloodiest anime I've seen and the attention detail in the fight scenes and blood and gore really was spectacular. You do really need to watch the uncensored version of this Anime. I feel it is unfair how people have marked this Anime down due to the censorship of the TV version because the Uncensored version of this Anime really does do the Manga justice in the level of gore. It is actually more gory than the Manga in certain parts with one new added scene in particular that really was very disturbing and very well executed.
The are a couple of standout scenes in this anime which really got to me emotionally, the pacing was very good to lead up to these events and they made this anime really memorable.
One particular episode is up there with the best I've ever seen in anime so I highly recommend this anime to everyone.
Tokyo Ghoul really was an intense and unforgettable experience.
TheAlgea
First of all, just so you know, I have not written many reviews. Ever. Of anything. Also, I realise that in comparison to many other reviewers I'm like a newbie, seeing as I have only watched about 20 animes and have just (since a few months) started reading manga. Also, while scrolling down numerous reviews I noticed a very distinct pattern: the reviewers who first read the manga and those who either haven't, or just started reading it. Those who read the manga seem to give the show a very low score while those who haven't seem to give it an absurd high score. Now, I'veread the manga after watching the anime so I guess my score will be something inbetween.
Story: 8/10
I would like to give it a 7,5 but since that not possible I'll stick with 8. The story itself is very interesting, while at first glance it looks like your typical horror/supernatural anime with 'bad guys', ghouls who eat humans and the humans themselves, who are obviously the "good guys". However the story shows both sides, the human side, firstly via Kaneki but later on via Amon, and the Ghoul side via numerous ghouls that Kaneki meets. It explores grey areas of both species and forces you to ask the question: "Who are the monsters?" A very interesting story with so many possibilities had it not been so rushed and jumbled up. In the first few episodes it follow the manga fairly well but then it starts to diverge. Now everyone should probably realise by now that an anime that follows its manga to the letter is rare if not inexistent. However I think the anime made a mistake by not following the manga more closely, it made everything seem too rushed. Not fully recovered from the previous arc it throws you into another one without warning. Also something, that apperantly many reviwers dislike, is the ending. To me, personally it seems like a good ending, be it a bit rushed and sudden it definetly makes you yearn for more. which is after all, it's purpose I think.
Art 7/10
As someone who values the art as something that must be either perfect or close to it Tokyo Ghoul wasn't a total disappointment but doesn't fit the criteria either. I do love the fact that they coloured the kagune differently than it's done in the manga, mostly because its colour reflects its user very well. Red would have done it too ofcourse but the change of colour is a nice touch. But then they added the censoring: piece of advice: please watch the uncensored verison (unless you really can't stand blood). The censoring was bothersome and unnecessary, maybe even plain on ridiculous.
Sound 8/10
During the episodes I did not really pay cose attention to the sound or music on the background, mostly because I was too busy following the story (so technically, that's a good thing) but what I can say is that the OS could not have been better or more fitting.
Then there is also the voice casting. Personally I think they did a very good job, the voice casting really matches the characters and the voice actors did a really good job.
Character 6/10
The characters themselves are very interesting and very promising, none of them are boring and for once there was not one character that I wished would just die (very rare for me). However, because of the rushing and the fact that they sqeezed, like 60 chapters into 12 episodes they do not get the attention or development they truly deserve and desperately need. They are easily seen as unimportant and merely stepping stones for the plotline or the development of other characters. Especially Kaneki Ken who only gets his develompent (or personality description) in the last few episodes and remains weak until the final episode, which was actually quite bothersome, even more so because he is the protagonist. And knowing that even the protagonist gets close to no development at all you can probably guess how much development the side characters get.
Enjoyment 9/10
The reason I enjoyed it so much must be because I hadn't read the manga at the time seeing as everyone who did seems to either dislike it or plain on hate it. Besides a few issues here and there the anime did a good job and attracted quite a lot of attention as one of the most popular anime's in it's season. And seeing as after I watched I could not get enough of Tokyo Ghoul and started reading the manga and it's sequel and spin-offs etc. I think it's fair to say: job well done!
Overall 7/10
It's a good anime and that's that, I understand that there are a lot of people who've read the manga first that are disatisfied but I am not one of them. I look forward to the next season but I do hope that they will stick closer to the manga than they did in its first. I would recommend you try watching the anime because it's definitely worth your time and I also recommend reading the manga which is really amazing and feels less rushed. Also the manga is not censored (thank god)
Manumento
Please tell me, what is the monster inside of me? Tokyo Ghoul is a dark action supernatural manga adaptation of the same name. It was one of the more hyped anime for the 2014 Summer season, due to the success of the manga and the proposed themes. It is an another take on the survival sub-genre, one that is really popular nowadays in the West, however fails to have a clear direction of where it wants to go with it. Plot: After a ghoul - monster that has superpowers and devour humans for living - attack, Ken Kaneki overgoes a surgery that makes him a half-ghoul, half-humancreature with one red eye. He must become accustomed to the new world he's thrown in, as the tensions in 20th Ward arise with increased ghoul and dove - ghoul investigator - activity.
The plot is pretty basic and simple but the premise looks really promising and you expect it would deliver a thrilling experience on what it takes to be a ghoul and how to survive in the cruel world. And that's where it ends. Soon enough it turns out to be a ghoul gang turf beef anime where the "good" and the "bad" ghouls fight each other for territory while the "police", the doves, try to eliminate them, and it starts playing out as a shonen.
The psychological aspect of the show, after the first three episodes, quickly becomes forgotten. Kaneki's demised encounter is made to be just an excuse to introduce us to the ghoul world, so much that he almost acts as a plot device. The anime tries waaay too much at the same time, introducing plot devices and characters that hardly get any explanation at all. They desperately wanted to include everything in the show, focusing on nothing specifically and ending incomplete. There's no direction, hardly any foreshadowing, and everything is just a big mess. There are a couple of distinguishable arcs but but they overlap each other and don't seem to have any significant importance. The ghouls are made to be either "good" or "bad", the good ones being ones that don't kill people but instead eat the already dead ones, and bad ones being those who kill for fun, and are just made to be bad so the characters could disagree and hate them and spark up conflicts. It could have been an interesting ideology and morality clash between sides but yet again, the series fail to flesh out the aspect.
Characters:
Tokyo Ghoul is one of the rare anime that I would safely tell that the main character is the best one. Ken Kaneki, the protagonist, is just your everyday student, and then everything changes when the ghoul nation attacks. He is dubbed a half-human, half-ghoul creature, and acts sort of a bridge between two worlds. Sadly, that aspect is not focused on, and he doesn't seem to have much importance in the story as he's just a throw-in piece to get the audience accustomed to what is going on. What is good about him though is that he develops a pseudo-double personality, with Rize, the eccentric ghoul that tried to kill him but died instead and got her organs replaced with Ken's, acting as the ghoul part of him, and Ken acting as the human part. The double-personality part is really well done, but didn't receive enough time.
Then we have your obligatory cliched characters that you'll quickly forget: Touka, the female interest and a pseudo-tsundere that has the most development out of the rest of the cast, but otherwise unimportant; Amon, a dove that acts as a representative for the rest of the investigator squad and is the only other character that receives significant development, when his motives for killing ghouls and the view on ghouls are questioned; Mado, a one dimensional villain dove that kills ghouls because he thinks they must be eliminated; and a ton of other insignificant one-dimensional characters or villains that are just there to catalyze the story forward.
In all honesty, the side cast of Tokyo Ghoul is the worst part of the show. There are maybe 2-3 characters that are important to the story at most, the rest are completely irrelevant, in addition to being one dimensional. The bad ghouls are all made to be sadists: there's absolutely no variety between them, and no backdrop as to why they are like that. Meanwhile, the good guys only show up to infodump you or to save the protagonists, and have no personalities of their own. Tragedy is an important part of the themes and the story and it is quite frequent in the anime but it is really hard to care for characters you barely know about.
Writing:
I wouldn't say that Tokyo Ghoul has bad writing but it's certainly below average. There are plenty of inconsistencies and jumps in story telling, and quite a few things that don't make sense at all. For the first couple of episodes where the anime was still slow, writing was decent, but they dropped the ball the moment the gladiator show was introduced. There is no ground level perspective presented: even though the main character is a representative of both human and ghoul societies, we are not given any idea on how ordinary humans feel about being killed everyday by superior species. It plays out as just a normal and obvious thing and no one seems to worry much about ghouls' existence.
Since the story is focused on so much and yet on nothing, lots of interesting plot devices left unexplained and you only know about how they work based on assumptions. For example, Quinques, the weapons that ghoul investigators use, are supposedly from Kagune, a ghoul's organ that acts as a superpower, but it's not explained on how they are able to use them, how exactly do they get them or why. The ghoul's nature is hardly explained as well, resorting to a simple "they need human flesh to survive" explanation, even though their Kagune is a very cool and interesting superpower. The limits to said superpowers and varieties are not mentioned.
As for the genres and atmosphere, Tokyo Ghoul manages to create tension rather successfully - it doesn't have shameless fanservice or stupid comedy just for the sake of it, and tries its best to deliver the message (again problem being that there's just far too many messages to be delivered). There's not so much of a mystery though, since there is no foreshadowing and lots of things are introduced on the bat that you have to care about or you won't be able to understand what's going on, therefore there's not many expectations that some big revelations are about to show up later on.
Animation and sound:
There was a huge hiatus going on when the show aired regarding its massive censors on gore. Yes, that was actually a big thing. The censors killed a lot of fun, and it was a mandatory for a dark, almost horror anime to have excessive gore, because there were more than enough reasons to have them. It's not like the gore happened off screen - it was blurred out with black or even worse - changing the color palette to full green whenever a gruesome fight scene occured when it was impossible to just blur our the gore. I thought a lot about how much gore was needed for this anime and how much should we care that it was presented this way, but from a storytelling point of view it's not too much of a worry since you definitely know that gory stuff is going on, you just don't see them.
The animation itself during fights is well done, especially in the final episode. Character designs are made to look really emo, which coincidentally plays out to the advantage of the dark atmosphere. The voice acting is decent, with Miyano Mamoru pulling off an exceptional performance voicing the gourmet ghoul. The music is pretty okay, no stand out pieces but they do fit in the situation. All in all, apart from the censors, art and sound don't have anything wrong in them.
About the opening and ending, the ED is very basic and generic with a couple of still-frames of the characters changing while the song plays. However, the OP is currently the best of the year - it has AMAZING animation and exceptional music, and does everything that a good OP should do - mirror the atmosphere of the anime and foreshadow the characters. It is more emotional than the anime itself, and I definitely recommend to check it out.
Summary:
Tokyo Ghoul draws many comparisons to Deadman Wonderland, but it's much better in execution (that's not saying much though). It has a lot of interesting ideas but there's none that are given enough focus. The manga fans are screaming that the adaptation ruined the franchise, as the original material is actually very slow compared to the "too fast" anime version. It should have had atleast a dozen episodes more to avoid being so rushed. This again proves why 2 cour anime are usually superior to 1 cour.
Even so, it still was one of my favourite anime of the season, because tastes, and not because it was objectively good (because it was not). If you like survival genre, or dark settings in general, you could check this out, although don't expect much.
Final Verdict - 4.6/10
Papermate
"Some things are better left unsaid" I dont' know why, but this quote is implemented into the story of Tokyo Ghoul, literally and practically. I will go in-depth towards this perspective throughout the review but keep in mind I will keep this review short and precise so that you readers can make a choice of either to prioritize this anime over others or to not.. I also will not include a synopsis in this review, because the description of this anime is written on the anime page. Opinion: Tokyo Ghoul is far more superior than other anime in that it has a solid story and presented it well withinthe two episodes. We get the feeling as if, the main character (Kaneki) is going to turn out like the typical bad ass character. I feel that Kaneki didn't have enough background information and who his mother is. As to the quote I have mentioned above; the quote is said throughout the anime couple of times and you get the image that Tokyo Ghouls creator has lived life that way. I may sound kiddish hear but wait until you watch the anime.
So let's get into the specifics here shall we?
["What are ghouls?"
"Why can't ghouls taste human food the same as humans do?"
"What is CCG?"
"What the hell is a Quinque"
"What is with all the wards and fight between Humans and Ghouls?"]
Tokyo Ghoul fails to answer these questions and seems to think the audience will just pick up the answer throughout the show. Nothing important gets background information. The whole concept of Ghouls and their nature and society hasn't been given any screen time and I feel that is what Tokyo Ghoul needed in order to properly build up the climax and plot in order for us audiences to completely be satisfied with the ending. What Tokyo Ghoul needs is a proper background detail of what each and everything is so that we can understand and build emotions to characters. Throughout watching the anime, I didn't get to feel a emotional attachment throughout the characters or even Ghouls; who are supposed to be badass and cool. They didn't have the character development in order to feel that way, and this is what Tokyo Ghoul did wrong. Now I understand, its a 12 ep anime. But I believe they haven't used that 12 ep wisely and just quickly proceeded through the story without having and logic. Now all of this doesn't make this show necessarily a "bad" show. It does have very intriguing action fights which appear from time to time though are very small due to lack of time.
I will now go into the real review containing:
Story|Character|Setting|Animation|Sound|Personal Enjoyment|
~Story~
The story of Tokyo Ghoul was similar to Parasyte the Maxim who some of you may call Kiseijuu. A protagonist human being invaded by a non-human creature. But in Tokyo Ghoul, it was more of a decision in order to keep Kaneki alive. The story line does pick up well through the end of the anime where all characters are revealed and shown. I think Tokyo Ghoul is far advantageous because the story it has is of it's own kind other than the one similarity of Kiseijuu. The only problem is that it wasn't delivered quite precisely.
~Character~
Where the show really doesn't shine is Characters. Not even a tiny bit of screen time for any side characters except if the main character is in the setting. None of the characters have any background details of them and there was no emotional attachment to the characters if one of them end up dying.
~Setting~
Not much to say in this field, except that everything in the setting perspective what though out well. All ghouls in one area (Anteiku) and humans were seperated. It was managed well and there wasn't any problems with switching settings.
~Animation~
Really well done. I loved how they made the uncensored version of this
anime because it really does give more feelings to this anime. This section is for sure where Tokyo Ghoul excels. Blood and Gore were a part of this anime so if you're a fan of that, you should check this out.
~Sound~
The opening of this Anime is one of the better ones and believe it or not, I still get goosebumps when Kaneki's hair is flying in the beginning. The ending wasn't too great but that may be because I didn't take time out to actually hear it. The overall sound in this anime isn't something I critiqued often but as far as I remember, it was suitable to the situation and setting so you could say it was well done.
~Personal Enjoyment~
I liked this anime, and some of you may think I don't; but to make reviews, you must look at the anime from a different perspective and pinpoint small flaws and details that could have altered the anime from being different than how it is. I feel Tokyo Ghoul had great potential if they had used their time thinking out each character and took more time to build up the process of Kaneki being a stronger hybrid.
I know this review may have seemed like a rant at the beginning, but I had to let out how I felt after watching this anime, and hopefully you can make a decision to watch this anime or not, or to agree with what I have just said.
Thanks for reading!
RazorRamona200
WTF kind of anime that I just watched? That's my reaction after watching the last episode and according to the forum commentators, it was pretty much rushed and they were certainly right. I guess you might said that some manga would have better be left as mangas than be adapted as an anime...that is, if studios such as studio Pierrot won't do it right, so I'm gonna keep my review of this anime simple as I present my ratings for each of this anime's category: Pathetic 1. Story- it was basically another one of those plot where the protagonist become somewhat of a........let's just say being ableto get intertwine in the middle of two worlds in this case Kaneki being a half ghoul and a half human. What makes it pathetic was how he get to be one, where he almost becomes a monster's snack if not for some weird accident that befalls the monster where she get's killed (where the scenario for the lady ghoul was too stupid to say the least) and the victim (Kaneki) become a victim of the doctor's malpractice where he get's organ transplant from his attacker. Now, this is the part where I would ask as to wtf was this series writer thinking Sui Ishida for coming up with such dorky concept as how Kaneki become a half human/ half ghoul kind of thing? If I were Sui Ishida I probably make Kaneki as some sort of lab experiment that got away, that would have have been cool than some scenario that is too stupid.
Overall- because it was rushed, it was pretty obvious that studio Pierrot should have extended it up to 20 episode, also we should have seen as to how Amon's rematch with Toka had transpired. Since the anime ended in a sour note, I wouldn't be surprise if the manga only run for about 13 volumes, pretty obvious that the whole series whether it's a manga or anime was more like gore porn than anything else.
Good 7.
Art- what can I say I love the blood and gore that see in this anime and that's that.
Poor 3.
I don't like the opening and the closing theme, I don't like Kaneki's pussy voice, expect of course for Mado, I like the way that he voice out his pleasure of killing ghouls.
Dreadful 2.
Character- the reason why I gave it such rating was basically the way on how they were double standardize, now Nishiki Nishio and Shū Tsukiyama where suppose to be dead and yet we still see them alive and kicking. Now, if them ghouls can't be killed then Rize Kamishiro should still be alive and them Doves would have been exterminated easily by them ghouls, also how the fuck did a half ghoul like Kaneki become a super ghoul after being tortured by Yakumo? Now he's a half ghoul right? So he should have some form of limitation, so how come he doesn't? I'm guessing that since he is the main protagonist he should come on top which it would be such a pathetic idea coming from series writer Sui Ishida. Now, the only characters that I see whose roles were right are Toka, Mado, Amon and Hinami.
Decent 4.
Enjoyment- Well it was a bit enjoyable from episode 1 to 11, but the last one was shit all the way, I didn't even get to see Amon's duel with Toka which was a bit disappointing.
dokiboki
I'm gonna keep this straight up and simple, This is an anime that you've already seen, a story in which you already know, characters who you already know, and an ending you'd pretty much expect. Tokyo Ghoul at first had my expectation and interest at a completely maximum level, and the first episode totally delivered that to me, I was sucked into the series and wanted to see more and more of it, BUT after I had begun to watch the second episode and so on, the story and its characters had begun to take a completely cliche' and predictable turn, with a completely unsatisfied ending. All inall, Ghoul is basically a clone of a lot of other anime series, Main character suddenly gets or is forced with powers or special abilities, then is suddenly stuck between 2 worlds unable to live a normal life ever again, then has sympathy for both opposing sides, then suddenly becomes over powered out of nowhere when that power is needed.
I'd recommend this anime, if you like senseless violence and gore. Nothing special or unique about the story.
realkonnie
(This is my 1st review) I was looking forward to this show because friends told me how good the manga is & how excited they were about it getting an anime. Tbh I wasn't expecting that much from it but entertainment. Didn't think it would be the anime of the season but still a cool thing to watch ! Story: It starts off with that guy getting mixed blood with a ghoul & becoming some kind of half human / half ghoul dude. That part was ok I guess, you kinda think ghouls are gonna be scary etc since they eat humans. But like every ghoul issome kind of emoteen... almost feels like the author thought only gothics could fit the role.
To be fair I really didn't pay much attention to the story since it was so confusing. Not like complicated or anything but just borrinnnnggg as hell..
Art: I guess it well animated, I just don't really like the design it's so shonen & basic.. I guess the manga is like that too but it can be fine in animes with an actual PLOT. The art is the best part of the anime though
Sound: Wow! Not gonna hate but you really gotta be into that anime opening J-HARD ROCK/METAL kinda music which I really don't feel. It really deserves the DREADFUL 2 I gave it
Character: I guess some are bearable, the MC is a whining bitch, dude can't get over being a ghoul. PFFF... I hate that kinda character, just slowing the pace of the story/action bc he keeps whining. If they actually put content every time he was crying the anime would've been a lot better.
Most the bad guys are crazy dudes on LSD / good guys are emos or just regular people.
Enjoyment: Can't hate on the action scenes & the art which are the only things making this anime somewhat relevant & watchable.
The story made no sense, the characters had no depth, the sound was terrible.
Boring show overall, I don't recommend
fearlessEdition
Oh god this show is impossibly difficult. On one hand, it was actually pretty badass. I mean the concept itself is something very appealing to many fans in general, and the manga was already quite well received. But then, once you actually watch the show, all the hype turns into...confusion. Well here it goes, Tokyo Ghoul: The show revolves around Kaneki Ken, an introvert who spends all his free time engrossed in literature. By the miraculous hands of the anime gods, he ends up on a date with Kana Hanaz- I mean Kamishiro Rize, a purple haired beauty with the same tastes as him regarding novels andbooks. A few plot points later, and our friend Kaneki turns into a ghoul. Now, ghouls are a huge problem in Japan. They essentially live off of eating humans, and they are hunted by various police investigators, known as “Doves,” who aim to end the ghoul threat once and for all. Now this sounds pretty interesting, and at some points during the show, it genuinely is. For a majority of the show, the issue between the ghouls and doves is a point of high contention, as well as the moral boundaries of the ghouls themselves. Other characters include Kirishima Touka, the other purple haired beauty (ha) that acts as Kaneki's superior in a way, and a varied secondary cast that is really not worth mentioning. This leads me into the main issue with the show.
The characterization and characters themselves are what drive this show to the ground. Honestly, nobody really gets fleshed out during the period of the show. 12 episodes is generally enough time for this to happen, but Tokyo Ghoul could not accomplish this at all. It force feeds emotional situations down our throats, expecting viewers to sympathize with whomever is having an issue during any particular episode. The problem is, no character is developed to the point where I'd care about them in the first place. Speaking on Kaneki a bit, his characterization is not particularly weak, however, the way the creators went about it was quite counter productive for a show of this type and length- it was not until very later on in the show did we see some real development for him, and by that point, its effectiveness was little at best.
The characters are not the only seemingly lost aspects of the show, as the direction the show wanted to head in was quite skewed. This is a common problem in anime: the show does not know where it wants to go. At one point it will focus on the Ghouls vs. Doves, then it will jump to deep character relations, etc. The problem is none of these individual parts are fleshed out enough for viewers to really understand motivations and enjoy anything. And the ending. It certainly came as a surprise. I have not read a lick of the manga, (which ironically ended the same day as the anime.) therefore, I have no basis of comparison. However, the ending of Tokyo Ghoul is the largest example the skewed directions I just mentioned. It came out of nowhere. Literally nowhere. Everything about the show changed instantly. To be honest, it would have been enjoyable if the show gave itself time to get to the point. However, it fails in this regard as well.
As a positive, the show for the most part, looks great. Ghoul forms are uniquely designed, and overall quality is medium-high. The show is not consistently good looking however, as many have pointed out. Animation can also be a bit wonky, but for the most part, is solid. This may deter a bit visually, however compared to the story flop, it is quite minimal. Sound wise, the show performs quite well. The OP and ED are simply superb, the OP being one of my favorites for the Summer 2014 season. The BGM did its job well, especially during the final episodes of the show. The sound, and to a lesser extend, animation and art, are strong points for this show.
Finishing Tokyo Ghoul, I really didn't know how to react. Honestly, I liken this show to Evangelion in many ways, for those of you who have seen it. However, this show fails on so many basic levels, that it simply does not deserve a solid score. However, if you do choose to watch regardless, it is highly recommended to wait for the BDS, as the show is quite censored in the visual department for blood and gore. I don't necessarily regret watching this show, but could it have been done better? Hell yes.
Have fun.
Black_Butterfly
What do you get when you have X men meet Resident Evil? That would be Tokyo Ghoul. Tokyo Ghoul is an anime that contained a large amount of hype stemming from those who have read the manga, and for good reasons too. The premise would sound very enthralling and interesting to those who are in love with the supernatural and psychological genres of fiction, like myself. Since the show also throws in a high dosage of fast-paced graphic violence here and there along with a good soundtrack, you pretty much have the most entertaining show of this season, right!? Wrong. What makes Tokyo Ghoul a below-averageshow at best comes from its mediocre job of the most vital components that a show must have: the story, the pacing, and its themes. Instead, Tokyo Ghoul feels like a rushed adaptation of what seems to be a promising and worthwhile story. While its music and most of its characters are well-developed, the show suffers from an incredibly poor direction.
What Tokyo Ghoul fails to do with its story is provide a coherent focus on what it wants to show you. Essentially, the story is about a college student named Ken Kaneki who tries to find his place in a world that is full of violence and hate. The cause of this violence and hate come from those known as ghouls, who are biologically-evolved humans that feed off of other humans. Long story short, Kaneki, due to a horrific accident, becomes a half human, half ghoul and must learn to live in a society that offers tranquility to humans but hatred and oppression towards ghouls. While the synopsis and exposition for the show are delivered very well, experiencing the bulk of the story will make you feel as though it is ultimately unorganized and messy. The reason for this comes from the extremely awkward pacing and the overbearing focus on subplots that feel completely unnecessary and very rushed, causing you to question the choice of direction for the show.
What also makes the story of this show mediocre comes not from the main character Kaneki, but rather from the supporting cast of characters and the been-there-done-that tropes connected with them. I honestly don't think that I'm lying when I say that Tokyo Ghoul probably has one of the most boring and predictable cast supporting of characters you can view in an anime today. The presentation of the many different characters isn't the problem I had with them. The central problem came from the fact that each and every one of the supporting characters' actions are completely predictable along with their personalities. For example, the character Nishiki is the obvious hotheaded male who will always react to an insult that you can find in many different anime's. The character known as Hide represents the all-to-familiar obnoxiously loud friend of the protagonist of an anime. Kaneki, while being a pretty decent protagonist, also shows many tropes that many should already be accustomed to in other shows, the most notable being the frightened and soft-spoken character who always needs to get pushed around in order to do something, which is what the majority of his scenes in the anime involve. However, like I said, Kaneki is still much more enjoyable and developed than the show's various characters that seem unique at a first glance, but quickly become easy to read.
What's also disappointing about Tokyo Ghoul is not only its disjointed pacing and focus of characters, but also its focus on the different genres it tries to become. While researching Tokyo Ghoul for the first time, one would notice that it is described as a psychological action mystery with horror elements thrown in it. The problem is that the show lies many times about the genres it delves into, with the exception of action and drama. In terms of the psychological aspects of the show, the first and last episodes are literally the only episodes that contain a well done manner of psychological elements, while the other episodes of the show completely forget about the psychological aspects that were being shown previously in favor of flashy action and very cheesy comedy that will sometimes appear in various episodes. Because of these irritations, the show has a hard time figuring out its identity for a genre for it to fall under.
Although I said that the flashy action takes away the psychological/suspense aspects of the show, I must admit that I would be lying if I said that the action is mediocre. What makes the action in Tokyo Ghoul so damn good is not just the fact that it is both thrilling and fast, but it's also because of the music and art that make it even more exciting. The soundtrack of the show is incredibly addicting and perfectly fuses in with the action on screen. The visuals are also breathtaking to look at, especially from the many transformations and horrific, yet beautiful, mutations of the characters who are ghouls. The one annoyance that you shall find with the show's action, however, is undoubtedly its heavy censoring. I can understand that Tokyo Ghoul is a story that involves a plethora of gore, but the show is censored to the point of it looking like as though it's rated PG.
Tokyo Ghoul is an anime that ultimately does not feel as though it is has a clear pathway for what it's trying to show you. The pacing is disgruntled and suffers from focusing on too many different plot points in only a total of twelve episodes. Majority of the characters in the show are predictable and boring with their actions and how their personality is presented to you. The question is, is Tokyo Ghoul worth the watch? To this I would answer, yes it is. While aspects such as the pacing and censoring can be annoying, Tokyo Ghoul still manages to offer up some very impressive world-building and exposition while trying its best to stay focused on its story. The action and music in the show is also some of the best that you can find in an anime this year. Overall, Tokyo Ghoul is a show that shows much potential for improvements, but still proves to be a fun ride for those who love aesthetically directed action and minor psychological elements, all under twelve episodes.
