Tokyo Ghoul

I didn't know this title and never heard of it until it received an anime adaptation and the first season received tremendous hype.

The anime adaptation could never convince me. Although season 1 was still somewhat good, season 2 was almost unbearably sluggish and weak. Since many seemed to be comparing the anime to the manga, I gave it a chance too.

The result is pretty straightforward, the manga was far superior to the anime in many ways. And basically only because the anime only used the main scenes and left out all the structure and detail. And of course, this is a mistake. How can you get the idea that the fights and action scenes could replace the whole character's monologues and the detailed structure?

The theme and setting of Tokyo Ghoul are actually very interesting. This type of concept is already rare and the existing works hardly have any noteworthy implementation on average. Tokyo Ghoul has built its concept quite solidly. Especially in the manga, one experiences a detailed stubbornness and explanation of the beings "Ghoul" and all their different abilities, approaches, and weaknesses. I felt a bit like I was in biology class with these chapters.


The main story was present, but mostly only in the background. The sequel "Tokyo Ghoul Re" answers most of the questions about this manga and closes the story. I can almost say that this manga is just an oversized prologue for actual events in the future. And of what you have already got here, there wasn't much to see. Most of the main events in this manga have mostly been petty intrigues and fights. The detail was impressive. However, there was often a lack of explanations for the results. As an example, Kaneki takes a purely random book and finds information. He hits a wall and finds a secret path, are we here in Dark Souls? And this often happened in moments that were enormously important for the plot. This could have been approached significantly differently since Kaneki is not a warrior of fate to whom the world bows.

The characters were clearly positive as well as negative. In the sense of the protagonist Kaneki Ken. Which in the manga is actually a predominantly profound character, whose motives and actions seem understandable. Even if he's a little edgy at times by the end, it doesn't change the fact. I also liked his monologues, the internal conflicts, and the fact that he sets so many limits for himself. This is an enormous human approach that is left out in many works.
Most of the supporting characters struck me more negatively. They were less personable and, compared to the protagonist, seemed enormously irrelevant. Although they had character, they lacked monologues and depth of character. Kenaki Ken is the tragic protagonist, but this is no reason to drop the other characters. Also as an example "Hanami", 80% of their dialogues consist of "Onii-chan". Adorable, but it's completely weak and irrelevant. The same goes for the Human CCG fighters. Except for Amon, who certainly had monologues and an interesting contrast to Kaneki.

On a positive note, the screen time between the humans and the ghouls was balanced. Yes, many are dissatisfied with the fact that people got so much screen time and that Kaneki was not seen for almost 3-4 chapters. But this is also a good thing. A balanced relationship between opponents does not work if the other side is irrelevant. The approach that both sides acted both good and bad gives the work a beautiful gray hue.

What I particularly liked about the Manga was the drawing style, the presentation, and the atmosphere. The atmosphere in some chapters seemed enormously forced and not at all-natural. But this was seldom the case. The representation of the fights and the environment as well as the choreography was worth seeing.

Tokyo Ghoul's first manga is definitely worth reading. He is individual and has his own strengths. If you liked the anime and still want to read the better version, you should definitely give the manga a try.

Story - 5.5
Art - 7.5
Character - 6
Enjoyment - 7
Overall - 7