Manga Review: Tokyo Ghoul V2 by Sui Ishida

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I am trying to get back into the swing of reading multi volume manga series again. It has definitely gotten more difficult for me to maintain any level of enthusiasm when there is a wait of months, sometimes many, many months, between volumes. When my favorite series go on hiatus, or get canceled by the US publisher, it breaks my heart. I love comics, I get all caught up in the stories and the characters, and when all of that grinds to a premature halt, it stings. I’m not a happy camper, and I’m reluctant to become invested in other series. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy the Harlequin manga adaptations so much; it’s usually only volume and you’re done. I was also burnt out on all of the series I had been following. Now, though, I feel the urge to dip a toe back into the manga waters. I’d like to finish up some series that have concluded, and maybe test drive a few new ones. Tokyo Ghoul looked interesting, so I decided to give it a spin.

This is the second volume that I’ve read. The story is finally starting to pick up some momentum for me. The world building is getting more complex, and Kaneki has more to worry about than how he’s going to keep himself fed. The Ghoul Investigators are descending on the 20th Ward, searching for ghouls trying to blend into human society. When Kaneki witnesses the brutal murder of a customer of the café he works at by the ghoul police, he is distraught over his sense of helplessness. After Touka takes matters into her own hands, and fails to achieve the vengeance she sought, Kaneki asks her to show him how to use his kagune, or weapon. While he still refuses to kill humans, at least he’ll be able to defend himself or his friends if they are attacked.

The investigators are a shady bunch, and Mado is one creepy dude. It will be interesting to see how Kaneki and Touka keep from meeting an unpleasant end from them, because they are as ruthless as the ghouls. The series is starting to click for me as Kaneki struggles to fit into both human and ghoul society. He is so passive that I didn’t find him a compelling character at first, but now that he is determined to not be a doormat, I am hoping that he blossoms into a stronger individual. I don’t have prior knowledge of this series, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

I am not overly wild about the art, maybe because so many of the characters are so unpleasant to look at. It does have a dark vibe that is perfect for the story, but it isn’t a favorite of mine.

Grade: B-

Review copy provided by publisher

About the book:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Unable to discard his humanity but equally unable to suppress his Ghoul hunger, Ken finds salvation in the kindness of friendly Ghouls who teach him how to pass as human and eat flesh humanely. But recent upheavals in Ghoul society attract the police like wolves to prey, and they don’t discriminate between conscientious and monstrous Ghouls.