"Tokyo Ghoul" is a fantastic manga that tells about the existence of two such identical, but at the same time completely different from each other worlds of people and ghouls.
Guli: who are they?
The little known to us word ghul has Arabic and, oddly enough, English origin. In Persian, Arab and Turkic mythology, the ghoul is a mythical creature, similar to the more familiar ghouls and werewolves. As a rule, they have an ugly appearance, and their hooves are an integral part of their being and even when they transform, they remain with a ghoul. Ghoul in Japanese anime is closer to the image of a person. They have the same mind and feelings as a person. And there are several features that distinguish them from people. First, when hunting or fighting, the ghoul's eyes turn completely black and the pupil glows red. Secondly, these creatures hunt people, which they feed on. Simple human food is alien to the ghoul's body, with the exception, perhaps, of coffee. But the ghoul will not refuse to feast on human flesh. And, thirdly, each of them has an individual characteristic that can be used as a weapon for obtaining food or for their own protection.
"Tokyo ghoul": a brief description
In September 2011, Weekly Young Jump magazine will publish the first manga "Tokyo Ghoul", written in the genre of drama, horror, fantasy. The success so inspire the author of Japanese comics, Sui Ishida, for further creativity that for the next three years, until September 2014, new stories will be released, telling about the development of the manga plot. How did the story about ghouls "hook" readers? First of all, this is an immersion in such a familiar, and at the same time completely unknown to us world, where a person sitting next to him, quite nice, may turn out to be a creature standing above the human race in the food chain. And you are no longer the ruler of the world, but a prey for someone who is practically inconspicuous, but at the same time stronger, more agile and nimble than you. This is how this manga begins with a meeting of the protagonist with a pretty ghoul girl. Kaneki Ken, the main character, was sitting in a cafe as usual, spending time discussing girls with his school friend. The special attention of young people was attracted by a mysterious girl who often came to the cafe with a book in her hands. Kaneki Ken had already decided to take the first step to get to know her when she suddenly approached the young people herself. Riza, that was the name of the girl, charmed, but the main character and, at the end of the meeting, invited Kaneki Ken to take her home. The walk ended when Riza, passing by a deserted place not far from the construction site, pounced on the guy. He already understood that this sweet girl was a ghoul, whose existence was talked about in the city, and even managed to say goodbye to everyone he knew. But chance saves the life of a young man. A building block that suddenly fell off is killed by Riza, and Kaneki Ken is hospitalized with bites and other wounds. By transplanting the organs of the deceased, the doctor saves his life. But, waking up, Kaneki realizes that something has changed in him. While in the hospital, he felt that he could not eat anything. And when I returned home, I realized that the problem was not in food, but in it. After some thought, Kaneki realizes that he is now a ghoul. But his mind categorically refuses to accept human flesh as food. This is where events begin that will force Kaneki Ken to enter the world of ghouls unknown to him and learn to be invisible to those who already live in a foreign world of people.
Key Manga Characters
- the main character is an 18-year-old boy who leads a completely ordinary, unremarkable student life. Modest, keen on reading books, he looks at this world with optimism. Has only one close friend - Hideyoshi Nigachik. After conversion, the ghoul begins to learn about the life, but with all his might he tries not to lose his human essence. Working in the cafe "Anteiku" will give him answers to many questions about the life of ghouls, help him both find friends and gain enemies. Here he will be called Gantai (Eye patch). After being held captive by the Aogiri, Ken Kaneki will change once and for all. He will come to terms with the essence of a ghoul and will become a protection for all people who are dear to him. For the features of the eve will receive the nickname "Scolopendra".
- A 16-year-old girl who also works at the Anteika cafe. Unlike Kaneki Ken, she was born a ghoul. But it does an excellent job of not standing out in human society. Attends school, has a fear of birds. She did not immediately accept Kaneki Ken, but later became his assistant in training the qualities of a fighter.
- a ghoul, memorable for its appearance. The body of a ghoul, covered with tattoos, and a face that does not express any emotions, at the first meeting frightens off many, although with further communication he is quite friendly. He is the owner of HySy ArtMask Studio and a longtime friend of Renji and Itori.
- an investigator with a negative attitude towards ghouls. He is the mentor of Amun. The extermination of ghouls brings him great pleasure. Collects the kagune of killed ghouls, turning them into weapons for the further extermination of these creatures.
- a ghoul from birth, whose parents were killed by CCG employees. The girl seems modest and shy, but it is worth taking the first step and she gladly goes into conversation. Receives help from Ken to learn kanji as he cannot attend school.
- Investigator, student of Kureo Mado. Possessing a heightened sense of justice, he considers it his duty to exterminate the ghouls. The main goal is to protect children from the loss of parents who may become their victims. His kuinke is made in the form of a spear with a club at the end.
- a ghoul who helps Kaneki Ken to get a job at the Anteika cafe. As the manager of this establishment, he helps ghouls to survive, especially those who cannot get their own food on their own.
is an ordinary guy, Kaneki Ken's best friend. He has a sharp mind, observant, able to analyze the personalities of people, comparing various facts.
- a ghoul from birth, who made an unsuccessful attack on Kaneki Ken, which led to her death and the transformation of the young man into a ghoul.
- A close friend and associate of Yoshimura, also known as "The Raven". As a master of hand-to-hand combat, he trained Ken Kaneki for a while. Longtime friend of Itori and Uta.
- ghoul, also known as "Mister MM". A nimble, cunning, highly self-righteous ghoul who speaks several languages, prefers exclusively human flesh and gives great trouble to CCG investigators. He is fluent in martial arts, keeps himself in excellent physical shape.
- a young investigator working in tandem with Yukinori Shinohara. Differs in a specific appearance that frightens off many, and extravagant behavior that raises doubts about his mental health.
- The younger brother of Toki, the mercenary "Aogiri". The young man is arrogant, rude, hot-tempered, believes that only the strong survive in society, and there is no place for the weak. Kaneki Ken despises for his resemblance to his father Aratu, who, according to Ayato, was a weak ghoul.
- ghoul, second year student. He has a difficult character, in love with his girlfriend Kimi Nishino. He is so good at fighting skills that other ghouls do not dare to sort things out with him. Popular at the university, successfully hiding his inhuman nature.
- an ordinary student girl in love with the ghoul Nishiki Nishio. Upon learning that her chosen one is a ghoul, she did not betray his secret, although this is considered a serious crime.
- a ghoul, an employee of the Anteika cafe, one of Kaneki Ken's mentors. In the past, he was a very violent ghoul, but has undergone changes.
- a high-class investigator, distinguished by the ability to maintain composure, calmness even in difficult situations. He is disciplined and takes his work seriously, which is what he demands from his colleagues.
"Tokyo Ghoul": media publications
The originality of Tokyo Ghoul's plot was appreciated by the Japanese animation studio Pierrot, which released an anime version of the comic in 2014. The director was Shuhei Morita, and the script was written by Chuji Mikasano. The series has been licensed in North America, Australia and the UK. In 2015, the second season was released, called "Tokyo Ghoul √A".
A few years later, in 2018, anime fans were pleased with the release of the sequel to the anime series, Tokyo Ghoul: Rebirth, which was also split into two seasons.
In 2017, Shochiku Film Studio presented a feature film directed by Kentaro Hagiwara. The role of Kenaki Ken is played by Masataka Kubota, and Toki Kirishima is played by Fumika Shimizu.
In addition, a number of video games have been released based on the manga, which have gained wide popularity in Japan.
