Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

"To be, or not to be" says William Shakespeare in Hamlet. If Sui Ishida was a poet, he would maybe have written something similar to this, "To be, or not to be a ghoul". But Mr.Ishida is Japanese, not English and that's why he wrote a manga and made a lot of Otakus very happy. In 2014 an, on this manga based, anime came out, with the same name. May I present...TOKYO GHOUL!

Plot and Story Line

Okay, before I start with the plot and story I have to make one thing clear. Although the manga and the anime are similar, they are not the same. Funimation changed the chronology  and a trifle of the main plot  and added some annoying censorship (more about it in animation section).The main story line however, remains the same, and let's review this thing already. 

We firstly need a setting for this story. Tokyo, Japan. In recent time the city is being haunted by half-human half-monster creatures called Ghouls. The ghouls have special abilities and enormous strenght, but have to carry the "curse" of not being able to eat human food. They have to eat human flash in order to survive. But eventough it's hard for them to survive without it, some ghouls try not to eat humans. At least not the living ones. In such a crazy world lives Ken Kaneki, a rather ordinary 18-year-old university student. One day, Kaneki decides to go out on a date with a very intelligent, as he thought, girl called Rize. Poor Kankei, he didn't know what was waiting for him. While walking Rize home, she suddenly attacs him and reveals her true self. Yes Kaneki, Rize is a ghoul. I am sorry. Luckily, an accident on the construction side, stopped Rize from eating Kaneki, yet he had to be hospitalized. In order to save his life the doctor Kanou transplanted some of Rize's organs into Kaneki. But what Kaneki thought was a kidney was actually Rize's kagune (a ghoul's predatory organ used as their weapon). Dear dr.Kanou, that usually  makes experiments with ghouls, turned our cute, innocent Kaneki into a half-ghoul. And that's my dear readers when everythings starts. 

I mentioned the Hamlet quote for a good reason, because most of the anime turns into a fight of human-Kaneki and ghoul-Kaneki. The steady struggle inside kills him (not literary). Just imagine the pain he had trying not to eat human beings, being one too just a day ago.

 His moral and attachment to humanity kept him up all this time. And as such, he also tryed to make the humans and ghouls understand each other. In a couple of moments he spares the life of ghoul investigators trying to explain that ghouls also have a human side, like him and the other non-human-eating-ghouls at Ainteku. Unfortunately, that didn't work. His dream as a half-ghoul to be the linking bound between those two worlds turned into a nighmare and made him realize on thing: "This world is wrong". (This pic is from the manga, still the same thing happens in the anime.)

If you decide to watch or read Tokyo Ghoul, be prepared. There is so much action, so many fights and so many bloodshead. It is just amazing. I really love action and there were some action scenes I watched twice. I just had to, because they were so epic. If you are a action-adict as me, I am sure that you will love Tokyo Ghoul. I garantee you an intersting story from the very beginning making you imaptient for the third season to air. 

The only little disadvantage of this anime are some plot holes in the background stories but they are negligible. 

I became a huge fan of Tokyo Ghoul after watching it. You should see my school notebooks. Full of drawings of Suzuya, Touka and my own Tokyo Ghoul O.C.s. Now let's see the characters.

Characters

Hmm...Wahat to say about the characters. Just great. There are so many different charactes, unique personalities and awesome character developments regarding their background stories. I loved almost every character in this anime, whether he was a villian or a hero. The "almost every" is beacuse of the one and only guy I hated in this anime. Ayato Kirishima, the younger brother of Touka. I just didn't like his attitude and the way he thought about the world. Nevermind, let's move on to the three I want to talk about.

KEN KANEKI as said in the beginning, an ordianry 18-year-old student that loves to read in his free time. Although most people would call him weak and a cry-baby, I wouldn't. His pain is so damn hard to bear because he was made as a ghoul, he wasn't born as one. You have to look at it from his point of view. I envied him on his humanity and attitude, I really did.

There she is. TOUKA KIRISHIMA is such a badass of a woman. She is so strong and independent, and although she looks cold-hearted, deep inside she is a very caring and nice person always ready to save the ones that are close to her. I also have to mention the way she manages to have a normal human life despite being a ghoul. I am actually a bit sad about her loosing her tuff and badass personality in the end, not fair Mr.Ishida and Funimation.

This is my favorite character of all. JUUZOU SUZUYA is a childish, optimistic and crazy person that went trough a lot of pain in his childhood. He is so funny but detremine and careless that makes him the most unigue character I've ever seen. His personality developes to a more responsible ghoul investigator in the Tokyo Ghoul: Re manga series. It's still airing...

Animation and Style

As said in the previous review I decided to add "Style" to this review section, so let's see. Firstly the animation. As expected from a 2014 anime, the animation is awesome. Bright and dark colors when needed, awesome backrounds and what's most to pride is the caharacter design. The style of this anime is also outstanding. One of the best I've ever seen. It's unique and special, just beautiful.I have to mention the fact that that's the reason that made me watch this anime. A good friend of mine told me about the epic animation of Tokyo Ghoul and I thought :"I have to see that one". I wasn't disappointed and became a great fan in an instant.

Conclusion:

Watch Tokyo Ghoul folks! It is amazing and has already become a cliche anime in the world. You have an interesting story a smooth plot, some awesome characters and unfrgetable fights. I truly recommend you to watch it and please don't judge it on the first glance, there is a lot of deep stuff in this show. My dear readers, Tokyo Ghoul!

Your AnimeGirl <3

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