First Impressions / Series Introduction / Tokyo Ghoul

「悲劇」 (Higeki)
“Tragedy”

OK, first sigh of relief of the season.

It isn’t that often that my anime season starts off with one of the very best hopes for an exceptional series (I did actually watch the Bakumatsu Rock premiere first, but didn’t even make it all the way to the end) but so it is this summer. I had big, big hopes for Tokyo Ghoul going in – it’s a genre I appreciate, with a highly-regarded source material and intriguing staff list. And based on the first episode, it appears that those hopes have a good chance of being justified. This was an excellent premiere on all levels.

The talk of the fanbase of Tokyo Ghoul has been focused on series length, with a solid contingent believing one cour would be a disaster. There’s been no official announcement but mixed signals right up to the minute – scenes from later in the manga showing in the preview, the announcement of a “Soundtrack 1” release (typically one-cour series don’t get multiple OSTs) suggesting two cours, but a listing of four 3-episode Blu-ray releases suggesting one (and prompting unconfirmed web reports to that effect). We still don’t know – my reading of the tea leaves is that this is going to be a split cour, with an announcement before the end of the season, but that’s simply a guess. For now all we can do is judge what’s put before us.

And so far, that’s really good stuff. I think it’s safe to say that this is the only series this season (and one of the few ever) that’s directed by an Oscar nominee – Morita Shuhei, whose Possessions was a 2013 Academy nominee for Best Animated Short Film (he also directed the highly-regarded OVA Kakurenbo). Seeing Studio Pierrot’s name attached to Tokyo Ghoul alarmed some, but they’ve always been capable of delivering beautiful art and good animation – they just seem to have chosen to go on the cheap more often than not of late. It seemed from the beginning as if this series was a priority at Pierrot, and the first episode looks plenty good enough to reassure doubters. I also love Miwa Kazuhiro’s (a terrific animator with a long resume, mostly at BONES) character designs, which are faithful to mangaka Ishida Sui’s originals, but sport an interesting, almost gothic look.

Make no mistake, Tokyo Ghoul is a dark ride. It chronicles the suffering of a good person, and does so in pretty graphic terms. The hero of the piece is college student Kaneki Ken (an excellent Natsuki Hanae), who we meet in a seemingly normal and mundane situation – sitting in a cafe with his best friend Hide (Toyonaga Toshiyuki). Kaneki is mooning over a girl and discussing first date options as Hide affectionately mocks his innocence (Kaneki looks the part in that respect), under the watchful eye of waitress Kirishima Touka (Amamiya Sora, who could hardly have asked for a more dramatic contrast to Kaori in Isshuukan Friends).

But all is not as it appears in this world. As the boys talk the TV news is droning on about a series of ghoul attacks, and it’s clear that ghouls are an accepted hazard of life in Tokyo – like tissue hawkers and vomiting last-train drunks. We know these ghouls eat people – we’ve seen it in the pre-open – and that while they can apparently live for more than a month on one body, there are so called “binge-eaters”, ghouls who kill for the almost sexual thrill they derive from it. And when Kamishiro Rize (Hanazawa Kana, disguising herself more than usual) walks in we recognize her from that pre-open – and when Ken tells Hide that this is the girl he’s been dreaming about asking out, it’s no secret where things are headed.

In many ways, this could hardly be a more classic vampire setup. We have a class of effectively undead creatures who feast on human flesh to survive, and a division among them – some like Rize who thrill at the kill, and some who try and co-exist (among which Touka resides). That group is called Anteiku (which I think is also the name of the cafe, suggesting it’s more than a normal cafe), who seem to be trying to organize the ghoul populace and minimize conflict with humans. And soon enough we have the main character forced to confront the fact that he’s become a ghoul himself. Kaneki manages to ask Rize out – they share a love for the same author, who I’m sure is going to be revealed to have a connection to all this later. But we all know what’s going to happen, especially after Rize tearfully lures Ken into walking her home. Things are looking grim for Ken once the feasting begins, but someone intervenes by crushing Rize under a bundle of steel beams (construction sites are dangerous, you know) and the doctor who treats Ken (he may also have a deeper connection) saves his life by transplanting Rize’s organs into him.

This is really the last piece of the textbook formula – Ken wrestling with trying to maintain his humanity even as he realizes he’s become a monster. Ghouls can’t eat normal food (it tastes terrible to them, as if all human food were natto), and when Ken gets hungry he undergoes the physical transformation into a ghoul – but only halfway. This may not be groundbreaking stuff, but it’s a good formula – there’s a reason it’s so popular across mediums – and the execution is excellent. The characters are quite believable and Ken is a sympathetic presence at the heart of the story, and the depiction of his horror at what’s happening to him is viscerally painful. The show is certainly graphic – lots of blood, feasting on severed limbs and vomiting up burgers – but the sense is that it’s still a character-driven enterprise.

It seems as if all the pieces are in place here for a top-notch thriller – a stylish and talented director, a source material with a gift for dialogue and character, a tried-and-true premise. My only real concern is with the series length, though not having read the manga it’s hard to know just how much to be worried. For now all signs point to yes – while it didn’t flat-out blow me away Tokyo Ghoul checked all the boxes I was hoping it would in its premiere, and it’s still on-target to be one of the most interesting series of the season.

OP Sequence

OP: (Unravel) by (TK)

93 Comments

  1. Coincidentally, I was just playing Skyrim and got to the part of “Eat the Flesh” (not going to go into any specifics in case spoilers) and then I watched this show…

    All I’ve got to say is…

    Nom nom… nom nom nom… OICHIIIIII~

    TLDR: GREAT START, LOVED IT!

    Ddadain
    Reply

    1. The “MC gains superpowers” plot is something I’ve seen rehashed over and over again, but I gotta say Tokyo Ghoul pulls it off beautifully by showing us exactly what the MC loses. He loses his humanity, which is embodied in his inability to eat human food. And my God, how terrible that must be, especially in a place like Japan where the cuisine is glorious.

      I probably would’ve tried stabbing myself in the stomach too.

      titus
      Reply

      3. Didn’t seem to be so much just stabbing himself in the stomach (in a committing suicide way) as much as him not thinking straight due to freaking out so badly (and who can blame him?) and thinking “I’ll just cut out the Ghoul organs put in me and I’ll turn back to normal!” way.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

    2. It feels like even more of a coincidence for me,as I was playing this older but really nice game called Vampire The Masquerade – Bloodlines where a society of immortals is presented quite well and a certain character you meet is a vamp who has to eat flesh to survive.

      MgMaster
      Reply

  2. Definitely looking promising and hope they keep it up.

    I already like Touka though, just taking charge as she did with shoving that chunk of flesh into Ken’s mouth. Doesn’t try to coddle him or try to make him feel better or anything like that. Just a “shut up and get used to it” action, lol.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

      2. For a minute there, I thought she rummaged through some guy’s colon, pulled out his crap, and shoved it down Ken’s mouth.

        This raised questions(for me) such as, do ghouls have to eat humans, specifically? Or is there some factor that can be reproduced (or harvested, without loss of life), which can be… I don’t know, poured over rice or something?

        That’s one explanation to look forward to in the upcoming episodes.

        ReverseTales
        Reply

  3. Thanks for the post. I am a sucker for gore and craziness. I thought this was a really great premiere especially when compared Glasslip which I found to be a little disappointing this was much better. Also what the heck did she shove in his mouth at the end my guess is a heart.

    PaladinJoe
    Reply

    1. Right now, I’m waiting to see what kind of plot it has. I’m not much for gore, so if its main attraction is the shock value from the gore, I wouldn’t be too excited about it.

      You know, for kids!
      Reply

      1. I never got into the series for that reason for a very very long time – but when I really started reading the manga, I found the gore which kept me away from this was actually an effective vehicle for other themes like definition of being human, and tragic heroism.

        I had to force myself to start the manga, but I know after I got a few chapters in I simply couldn’t stop reading.

        Ori
        Reply

    2. I actually watched Glasslip right after Tokyo Ghoul and damn, I wish I watched Glasslip first. All the shows I watched following Tokyo Ghoul just did not compare o_o
      All I thought about afterwards was how awesome Tokyo Ghoul was and chicken =X

      Cherrie
      Reply

      3. @Drasca: You’ll have to watch Glasslip to understand the chicken reference =)
        @Enzo: No one’s fault, just a huge change of pace and I guess I should’ve given myself a break in between each anime =X

        Cherrie
        Reply

  5. Studio Pierrot has really been impressing me this year. I walked in eerie about The World is Still Beautiful, and it ended up being my favorite in the animation category. Tokyo Ghoul is definitely a contender for best animation, if it keeps up the quality.

    I love the psychological aspect of this series. Kaneki is everything I love in a main character going through a difficult time. I cannot wait to see more character development for him!

    Elsa
    Reply

  6. Amamiya Sora is definitely a seiyuu to look forward to this year. The contrast of her voice from Kaori in Isshuukan Friends to Kirishima in here is astounding.
    And while KanaHana and Hanae Natsuki’s voices are very recognizable(though the former is far removed from her usual roles), their performances in here are pretty much top notch.

    And so far so good. Doesn’t seem like ghouls came from a virus outbreak or something but more like vampires who just exists naturally(I could be wrong though). Apart from needing to eat flesh and finding normal food disgusting, there doesn’t seem to be much downside to their species. They have augmented physical abilities, can blend naturally in society and have those…things on their backs. How one becomes a ghoul is a question for now since the way Kaneki became one is definitely an abnormal method.

    This got my attention and will definitely look forward to it in the following weeks.

    belatkuro
    Reply

    2. Don’t think it’s the flesh the ghouls like specifically, it’s the blood within it. Too many vampire similarities here to have it limited to human flesh as that would imply they are unable to consume the raw flesh of cows, pigs, or sheep for example. All we know so far is they detest cooked food/plants (which ironically they can still eat, the taste is simply unbearable) and require nourishment to the same degree a normal human does; need more tidbits before we know for certain.

      What this really reminds me of though is the vampires from SM Stirling’s Shadowspawn series. Similar augmented powers and need for blood, but the key point being those vampires required blood to use their powers, not to survive; would be surprised if something similar wasn’t also going on here with the ghouls. Also the vampires got off on feeding from victims at the end of their mental ropes (whether that be from fear or sexual ecstasy) as it “made their blood taste better”; this might be what is occurring with the binge eating ghouls as Riza specifically loved victims with a certain mentality.

      Of course I could be completely wrong about all that, either way we should get some answers soon 😛

      Pancakes
      Reply

  7. Liking this so far, haven’t had very many good horror/thriller shows for a while (especially with Pupa being an utter failure). Had to laugh too at the vicious arguing going on regarding the pacing and cuts made just in this episode (think it was agreed that 6 chapters were adapted for this one); personally see no problems yet from an anime-only perspective, the pacing is tight and nothing was left confusing, even though it was hard sitting still waiting for Rize to finally showcase her true self.

    Hopefully things won’t fall apart later in the season, but so far Tokyo Ghoul has my attention. Oh and calling it now, the doctor is definitely a ghoul.

    Pancakes
    Reply

    1. Hehehe…

      When I recommend this to unsuspecting people, it’ll be:

      “So, this guy gets a ninetails transplanted into him, which gives him a red eye and renders him invulnerable to knives. Other people like him exhibit superior speed and jumping ability. There’s also this organization that starts ‘A-something’.”

      ReverseTales
      Reply

  9. This first episode was indeed pretty good. The anime staff definitely put some budget into this one -it can easily pass as ova or a theatrical release- and it remains to be seen whether the quality will drop in subsequent ones.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    I may still watch a few more as it is entertaining enough.

    deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
    Reply

    2. How far have you read since the latest arc is really good. Also just wondering which characters are you finding unlikable since I do know some of characters are kinda meh but I find Touka & Amon quite likable/interesting since you get to see different perspectives from those characters.

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Naridas
      Reply

      1. Well, the 8 to 2 thing is strictly my interpretation, folks. That is, my opinion. I know what was told in the manga, but I don’t have to buy that 100% straight down. I just have a different take. That’s all~~. 😛

        Naridas, well there are about 70+ chapters translation out now and I probably went around 50 something before dropping it for good. I didn’t find the ghouls likable at all (save for 2 or 3), especially Touka. Or most of characters, humans or ghouls, save for 3-4 for that matter. Perhaps I will write why I feel this way with which character more specifically later on, but not now. I try to avoid specific spoiling even under spoilers.

        deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
        Reply

      2. I have read all the chapters translated, I’m Up-to-date chapter 73

        This manga is like Attack on Titan, AOT is a good manga, but the presentation of the anime blew my mind. I think Tokyo Ghoul’s director is a genius; he took 6 chapters to make such a great first episode. Normally, when you squeeze such an amount of source material nothing good can come of it, but in this one it was a success! I have read Tokyo Ghoul before viewing this first episode like what I did with AOT, but the two of them were good, not great just so-so. I’m now sure, if you have a good script writer combined with a good director and great animation, things happen differently from the manga.

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Rimel
        Reply

  10. I must be evil if I’m going to make my friends watch this in the dark close to the screen with me (at least with the very first scene when the person was thrown against the fish tank…was no expecting that!) I agree with Pancakes, since I haven’t read the manga, this episode was paced nicely for an anime-only viewer. I guess its good to not to expect all of these things. Of course with apparently 6 chapters adapted into this episode, as long as it stays away from Black Bullet levels of pacing then things should be okay.
    Two more things:
    1) Really Love any song that’s being sung by Ling Toshite
    2) Yeah….considering Bakumatsu (don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoyed it for its…randomness) is a show you would have to turn your brain off to comprehend the last few minutes….its not surprising that you of all people didn’t enjoy it.

    SDFGS
    Reply

  12. Easily the best first ep of the summer season so far. Wasn’t perfect though, obviously.

    As great as Kanazawa is (Evil Kana is best Kana), her voice didn’t really seem to fit Rize’s appearance. Psycho ghoul Rize was pretty good, but sweet, reserved Rize kept bugging me. (On the other hand, Amamiya Sora as Touka was just great. She’s shooting up my fav seiyuu list really fast.)

    The scene where Ken was trying to eat the food and kept puking it up was another thing that sort of bugged me. The music didn’t really feel right for the scene and (I felt pretty bad for this actually) made it feel more unintentionally funny to me. Seeing him do it over and over made me laugh even though I realize that it was because he was desperate and didn’t want to acknowledge the loss of his humanity and I don’t feel like the music really depicted that well.

    Another thing was that “jump scare” they attempted at the beginning. The atmosphere wasn’t really set correctly for that and it sort of fell flat. That kind of stuff works better when it gets your blood pumping and they didn’t really give it enough time to get that effect. (This is kind of a minor gripe and is pretty much me nitpicking as a horror fan though.)

    Other than that, the scene at the end with Ken torn between his instinct as a ghoul and his morality as a human was pretty darn powerful. Hanae Natsuki did a good job on that scene and I felt that struggle tug at my heartstrings.

    Even though I kind of focused a bit too much on the negatives there, it really was an impressive premiere. Can’t wait for more.

    Kuntzy
    Reply

  13. When I first decided to try this show out, I had entirely idea what it was going to be about; ignoring all the pvs, cast lists, character designs, and manga. As a result, I have to say, I have goosebumps all over. It was exciting seeing how Kaneki was exhibiting signs of appetite for human, and when those shots zoomed into the human parts that he was focusing on, I couldn’t believe entranced and curious I was about the ghouls and their behavior.

    I’m actually more interested in how the ghouls interact in society so this is going to be interesting to watch.

    Dualash
    Reply

    1. Haha, yeah .. it’s pretty clear i’m not the only one who got a “Shiki” vibe from Tokyo Ghoul, not just the eyes, but also the atmosphere and even a little bit of the character designs, which is all in all a great thing.

      Hunter-Wolf
      Reply

  17. True, we’ve only gotten started; still though, Kaneki doesn’t strike me as all that much of an interesting character to watch. Admittedly though, watching him flail about like a wreck every couple of minutes desperately trying to cling onto his frail, underdeveloped concept of his humanity does inspire a certain perverted amusement. ;D

    Also, evil HanaKana? Yes, yes and more yes.

    Ryan Ashfyre
    Reply

    1. At first he is average. He is made to be our eye on this Ghoul world, but you can see that in this episode he was forced to grow as a character, if he grow or not that another question. He can’t be the average person he was anyway. So probably this is the start of a long character development. You said that he is boring. Do you want him to be from the get-go like Rize? Can he be our relatable eye on that Ghoul world that we know nothing about? Is Rize a better character in this situation? Anyway, being boring or not can’t be stick to a character this early.

      Rimel
      Reply

      1. M’kay, first of all, I wasn’t trying to compare Kaneki to Rize; if that’s the impression you got, then perhaps I should’ve been more clear in my comment.

        Secondly, Kaneki doesn’t have to be the most proverbial intricate ball of yarn in the world to grab my attention. I haven’t read the manga, but his newly found ghoul nature will certainly, for better or worse, provoke a growth in his character, and I recognize that as much as anyone. Not what I was trying to get at.

        What I’m talking about has little to nothing to do with his growth. I’m talking about his personality; who Kaneki is as a character. In much the same vein as Sakakibara Kouichi from Another, there’s really nothing about him, personality-wise, that stands out and has me thinking: “I want to see more of this”.

        As it was with Another, it’s more the world itself – specifically the Ghouls and their interactions with humanity – that’s drawn my attention more so than anything else. And while I hold out hope for Kaneki to develop into a more interesting character, at the moment he’s little more than a tool to hasten his world’s exposition.

        Ryan Ashfyre
        Reply

      2. Sorry, if I took you words wrongly, I judged that you didn’t like the main character because he was the exact opposite of what Rize represented even in her brief moment on screen.

        Kaneki is average, not overly complicated at the moment, his confidence is nonexistent or normal at best, you can’t say he can kick some asses, more like he will have his ass kicked, he is a beta-type and I can go on … But, the fact is: this is not a character depiction, a character value has nothing to do with that, if he is an interesting character have to do with his reliability and character growth.

        Do you know why people hate a Gary Stue character? He is all what Kaneki isn’t, he is strong, smart, confident and none can beat him, but he is the worst character that a story can have. Someone someday said to me that a Gary Stue is the death of a story.

        But what I see Kneki is like our eyes on this world we don’t know about, an empty box that will fill as time progress, I can see his pass from many phases like an underdog, you know when a champion battle an underdog-no-name it’s such a thrill to see that no-name beat that champion, this is the same sensation that a Kaneki type character aspire, he is weak, but he has to change, to grow, to be strong or die in this new word that he just opened his eyes on.

        Well, sorry but “Sakakibara Kouichi” have nothing to do with Kaneki. Kouichi is a vanilla character, he is there for the plot to keep going and he doesn’t need a character development, I don’t know why you choose to compare him to Kouichi, but the fact is: I have read the manga and I can tell you that Kaneki is an ever-growing character through all the series and he is interesting and likeable to boot.

        Rimel
        Reply

  20. I really am a sucker for gore. Hah, but Tokyo Ghoul’s got a lot more going for it than just that! Horror’s always better when the characters involved act like real people. And it helps that despite a craving for delicious human flesh, ghouls more or less are human.

    ShootPointBlank
    Reply

  23. Soo promising! Had my eyes on this one for quite long time ago. If only…if only they reduce the censorship a little…its too dark to see anything. But still, looking forward for the next one!

    onion warrior
    Reply

  25. If only Kingdom anime had received the same budget as this show did, because seriously, i was thoroughly impressed by the visual, animation, voice acting and whatnot from the very first minute, to the point that i couldn’t believe it was really done by Pierrot. Been long craving for decent horror series and fortunately this show managed to fulfill it. My impression of Pierrot seems to have lightened up a bit.

    Amiluhur
    Reply

    1. Not to mention Baby Steps. Hell, Pierrot even did crap work on the second season of Korra.

      It’s a funny studio. They’re highly capable of really top-notch work like this, and can do a pleasant, middle-of-the-road level of production values like Soredemo Sekai no problem. But they seem to be winning a lot of contracts based on underbidding, and obviously doing so by producing those shows with inferior production values.

      Guardian Enzo
      Reply

  26. https://randomc.net/image/Tokyo%20Ghoul/Tokyo%20Ghoul%20-%2001%20-%2023.jpg O.O My face when I realize that these were actually tentacles instead of claws. I’ve been reading the manga since it came out and they never seemed like tentacles to me.

    Everything looks twice as brutal because of the animation….and I love it! Please for the love of anime go past 10-13 episodes, I don’t want to wait for a second season that starts with episode 11-13 because that’s bullshit.

    I liked Bakurock’s first episode and I know it’ll be compared to Free, which I don’t like, at some point.

    magoiichi
    Reply

  27. Well I be damned…. and here I thought nothing would fill the void that Kara No Kyoukai has left. Tokyo Ghoul is definitely me too-go anime of the season for the thriller and dark theme itch that i havent scratched for a long time

    Ginobi47
    Reply

  28. It’s always gut wrenching when a anime with potential gets the 1 cour treatment and no sign in sight of sequel. Or worst shows like galilei donna with planed 2 cour all of sudden getting axed to 1 -cour.

    I think it’s more the rush feeling. I actually don’t mind unfinished anime as long as what’s presented is great and done well. A lot of older anime that were 24-26 ep were left in cliff hanger or anime original ending were more memorable then a lot of 1 cour now a days. But then again looking at last season black bullet and soredemo burned through their source super fast but black bullet was a rushed cluster mess while soredemo was very enjoyabl from what they covered, so definitely up to the directors talents which ghoul has a great one.

    Sherylfan
    Reply

      3. True, and i will be more than happy if any other show this season -from the ones that haven’t aired yet- can manage to top Tokyo Ghoul in quality so we can get more than one amazing show this season, although i highly doubt it from the previews and episodes i have seen so far, guess we will have to wait and see.

        Hunter-Wolf
        Reply

  31. 2 major complaints… Just 2…

    Why must Rize die???? Want more of Rize!!!!!

    Why the censorship???? Another didn have this much censorship…. Neither did PsychoPass

    c2710
    Reply

    1. 1. I’m pretty sure Rize lives on (inside of Ken) so it’s not like she’s completely gone, I guess?

      2.Depends on the TV channel that broadcasts the show and the time it airs it. Late night shows or ATX shows tend to be uncensored, for example.

      Helvetica Standard
      Reply

  33. I find it amazingly well done the way he got his ghoul part. It does seems likely that that doctor probably have some deep connection with ghouls, but it sounds almost believable that he only did that because he sworn to save lives, and so he did his best to save a person, regardless of shadow organization or ghouls. You have someone barely alive and someone dead, same age and (probably) good organ match.

    Good to see that the “organizations” in TG looks more like normal gangs than super powerhouses able to destroy the world with a click. Though it is only the first episode, it seems quite enjoyable.

    P.S.: all the japanese cuisine around him, and he love burgers?!?! All humanity really thinks that the neighbor’s grass is greener over the fence

    Guren
    Reply

  35. I have to say that was pretty intense and interesting, the pacing is excellent and the art/animation is beautiful (if only we didn’t have that pointless censorship), more importantly the subject matter, while it surely has some elements from “vampire” stories this is a much darker territory, vampires merely suck blood of their victims and most of the time they do so elegantly, but the “ghouls” we have here are more like zombies, even worse than zombies becasue they are self-aware, this brings us to the heart of the subject matter, yeah .. “Cannibalism”, the act of eating the flesh of ones own species, it’s surely a dark and unsettling subject, made more interesting here by the inclination that ghouls have towards human-flesh and how all other foods taste like crap to them, that in way makes human cannibals in real life even far worse that those ghoul monsters in the series.

    And that’s the reason why i enjoyed the final scene where Ken was struggling and refusing to eat human flesh even though he tried to eat normal food but couldn’t keep it in his stomach, it’s an interesting struggle becasue unlike vampirism cannibalism has real-life examples that reflect upon this situation .. like when stranded people on an ice mountain of on a raft decide to eat the flesh of their dead (of even kill each other) to survive, does that make them monsters or in-human or is that just their survival instinct working, are we really such animals or can we elevate ourselves above such acts even if it costs us our lives, would you do it if you were in a situation like that or die starving !!?, that’s also why i like to know more about Touka, how exactly does her organization work this out, do they still prey upon homeless people and the usual drunk-guy-on-his-way-home or do they resort to other means (hitting the local morgue for some John-doe corpses), note that unlike good vampires (i.e like Blade) who depend on synthetic or animal blood you can’t substitute human flesh with other types of flesh (as clearly the burger didn’t work).

    Overall can’t wait to learn more about the world of Tokyo Ghoul and how things work out there (is this ghoul phenomena only in Tokyo/Japan, how did it start, why everyone seems so cool about having flesh eating monsters disguised as humans walking around, are there going to be ghoul hunters around, .. etc etc).

    Hunter-Wolf
    Reply

  36. Oh people , now feel the joy of being eaten alive by our cute Tohka, the pleasure and ecstasy, eat or eaten , this show rock! the pacing is quite fast in order to captivate people, I am sure but this will blow the pathetic excuse of PUPA last season, I am happy ,now I feel very hungry after this show. *smirk*

    PeTdo
    Reply

  39. I gotta admit that I’m pretty impressed. Out of all the anime I’ve been hearing about, the two most hyped up ones are this and Akame Ga Kiru. I’ve read the later so I’m naturally looking forward to it. However, I no next to nothing about Tokyo Ghoul, except that many people were awaiting it. So, I looked it up and what do you know, it’s pretty good. Now, if it could keep my interest until the end. There have only been two anime that managed to surprise me with the first episode and keep me until the very end. The first being Code Geass and the second being Kill La Kill. Let’s see if this could be a third.

    iion42
    Reply

  41. Now this is a nice surprise. The first good show of the season, I’d say (the others so far didn’t impress me). Definitely going to follow this one. Horror-ish shows are actually pretty rare, and good ones are even rarer (Pupa blargh). I need my fix.

    And while I doubt this’ll be a two-cour show, a split cour seems within the realm of possibility. Or at least I hope, if the story is as good as people say it is.

    Dvalinn
    Reply

  42. Have to say, the first few mins where the surprise scene with the fish tank truly made me jump, I knew I was in for a ride. Didn’t make me bite my nails like Shin Sekai Yori (being a different horror/psycho genre after all), but it really made my skin crawl with Ken’s struggle. Normal one min, abnormal the next. Outside of anime, an accident to anyone changes one’s life forever too. Been there!

    Teabie
    Reply

  43. I’m not the biggest fan of gore in anime–heck, in any medium even–but this was a really good premiere ep. A good storyline and interesting characters can keep me hooked while trying to half-cover my vision (like when I watched Kurozuka and Berserk). The struggle of ghoul-ness vs humanity should be interesting to watch. Just a bit bothered with the censorship (should I wait for Blurays?), but probably it was for the better as I was eating lunch while watching this… the Zinger tasted kinda weird.

    JD
    Reply

  44. Went into this thinking I would like it. I like Deadman Wonderland, I like Hellsing, I like Dance in the Vampire Bund. Honestly, I don’t think I’m a stranger to dark shows, even with inhuman casts, but this… is a little too much for me.

    He has to eat people to live. He’s giving up on his humanity, and all the other ghouls are pretty much completely unlikeable… I can’t even force myself to watch this. It doesn’t ask you to analyze what humanity is by having you walk in a nonhuman’s shoes (honestly thought that’s what it was aiming for) because the human element is SOOOO weak… The science behind the ghouls is ignored… like… they can only feed on human flesh… no one asks… why… and how can we coexist…

    Ahhh… I can’t wait till Akame Ga Kill comes out. It’s pretty dark but I fucking love the protagonist there… and the dichotomy between him and Wave.

    TitanAnteus
    Reply

    1. Unless you checked the manga it’s way too early to pass conclusive judgments like this, i suggest you follow the golden “3 episodes” rule, then after that we can talk more subjectively about how weak the human element really is or the science/logic/magic behind the ghouls.

      Long story short, the “3 episodes” rule is an anime fan’s best friend. 😉

      Hunter-Wolf
      Reply

  46. I wonder whether Rize’s conscience might play a role in the series. We obviously see her hugging Toka, while the surgery is going on. This could signify a fusion of consciousness. Also, why did the construction metal just fall coincidentally? Does this also mean Rize is going to come back, at some point? This seems a little too coincidental to me. The protagonist is isolated from his social support group and yet he somehow finds a new group to join? I definitely call bullshit, on that one. Overall, good introduction, but I guess I will have to watch more to find out, if the series is worth watching or not?

    Douglass An
    Reply

  48. That felt like japanese Vampire the Masquerade. Anteiku sounds pretty much like a local Camarilla and the conflict between them and the more chaotic guys sure brings the whole Sabbat/Anarchs stuff to mind. So far, so good. Now I want to see what tricks the series brings to the table.

    Goomyman
    Reply

  49. While some vampire shows present vampires as beings able to feed without killing their victims, ghouls are killers by definition. Thanks, but I can’t see any form of coexistence possible.
    As much as I like the MC having conscience to wrestle with, I can’t but wish him – and all of the ghouls – quick death.

    ewok40k
    Reply

  50. one way of coexisting would probably be Memorial Services, and Crematoriums.
    the ghouls could take whatever pieces that is not visible on a show casket.
    the ghoul gets their meat and the family of the deceased get their departed prepped up for burial or cremation. 😀

    buwitre
    Reply

  52. Daang, that was one of the best recent first episodes! I imagine that Kaneki is going to try to make the ghouls and humans get along, but I would be (happily) surprised if he decides to fully embrace his Ghoulish half and feast on the flesh of those around him! 🙂

    skysters
    Reply

  53. I also thought is was a fantastic premiere. The thing that made it disturbing to watch was just how well animated the bloody and gory parts.

    It felts disturbing and you could almost feel, Kaneki, the main character’s painful transformation.

    I hope just with 12 or 13 episodes it closes nicely. I am optimistic when it comes to 12 or13 episode anime series but lately with Black Bullet (sigh) and Brynhildr in the Darkness (triple sigh) kind of worried just a small bit.

    Cassandra
    Reply

  54. So sad T^T
    Why did the doctor do such a thing to him!
    If ghouls can’t be harmed by knives how can the organs be transplanted?

    Is the doctor just a simple doctor?

    Ending by the group that did the Psycho-Pass OP, nice.

    Reading the plot in the EN wiki made it feel like its a slice-of-life.
    Or is it shounen? Fight lackeys than fight boss?

    Unlucky Kaneki has lost his place in the world and starts to find his place again.

    iron2000
    Reply

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