‘This world is a horrible place. Only the cruel survives, and the humble are devoured.’ This or another similar harsh yet real thought will be summoned in your mind by the series we will talk about today. Yes! You guessed it right! Today, we will take a look at one of the most popular anime ever, Tokyo Ghoul, a series filled with pain, despair, darkness, fear, and, most importantly, TRUTH. But before we dive into it, let’s take a look at the summary, shall we?
A bookworm college student named Kaneki Ken meets Rize at a cafe he used to visit frequently. Due to similar ages and interests, they quickly come close to each other. However, Kaneki doesn’t know that Rize is a ghoul (a being who devours humans for food). When her unique organ called “the red child” is transplanted into Kaneki, he becomes a ghoul himself, leaving no room for him in the human world.
Review: Narrative
Ghouls! Initially seems like a Vampire x Zombie fusion with the strength, 100x more than what a zombie or vampire has. A world where humans as well as creatures who devour humans exist. Not that horrifying until you realize that those creatures also share intelligence with humans, the power that led humanity to this height. How would our society be with these creatures residing in the same house? Well, that’s the idea we derive as we watch Tokyo Ghoul.
A series that explores its genre with a concept that can make the viewers shiver as they watch this anime. A show filled with cruelty, ruthlessness, brutality, and the truth about this world we all live in. No matter how much we try to escape it, the fact that the bitter side exists and the ruling is presented beautifully. One can appreciate the series for its dark and straightforward approach, along with an acceptable pace. The story gives us the idea that we, as individuals, must consider evil, despite our great mindset, to live in this world.
Execution
Giving chills and anxiety is a job done finely by Tokyo Ghoul. The climax was presented in a commendable way without giving it a ‘Happy’ end and instead of changing the mentality of the characters and the viewers by showcasing the despair this world offers.
The fight sequences were very choreographed and served. The hand-to-hand combat between the characters and their movements was eye-pleasing. One can say that the series lacks a bit of drama. Still, it can be overlooked easily by focusing on exploring the ‘Horror’ elements of the series and the expressions/reactions of all the characters, which are natural and relatable—a well-executed show with scenarios and thoughts that will shake you for sure.
Animation
Sloppy, at times, the animation during fights and important moments was decent, and the art style is excellent for a seinen series. The character designs are distinguished and complementary to their personality. Some shots/camera angles gave us the quality we would appreciate wholeheartedly, along with the appropriate focus given to terrifying psychological scenarios offered by the series.
Characters
A bunch of admirable, relatable, and sensible characters with emotions, feelings, and personalities that can be called insane yet logical at the same time. The main character goes through the best character development and receives the perspective he was supposed to, from the first episode. In most cases, the protagonist changes others by his humble and pleasing belief, whereas in this case, others changed the protagonist, and that’s fabulous.
The side characters are also adorable and rational in their approach. The evil ones are obstinate and don’t change their viewpoint at all. The good ones, on the other hand, realize and accept the reality they were hiding from and end up embracing the change with absolute content.
Criticism
The concept of Ghouls should be elaborated more lucidly. How normal Ghouls function and how special one does should have been explained in the initial episodes. The series could have put forward the seinen elements in a better way. It’s not bad, but a bit more effort would have increased the value of the story a lot more.
