Nightstrike's Reviews: Tokyo Ghoul:RE - Volume 15

If I'm to be completely honest here, part of why I highly recommend this manga is due to how much it contrasts with the anime adaptation. The events of the manga take course over several years, while the anime not only tries to cram these events into about a third of that time, but it also cuts out important story arcs and details, thus leaving the viewer wondering what actually is happening, and why some characters are suddenly back from the dead. That's roughly 300-350 chapters in total, cut down to four seasons with 12-14 (less than) half-hour episodes. Granted, they probably would not have been able to do just 2-3 chapters per episode, but there were severe plot holes from all the portions that were cut out, the biggest of these being the second season, and the fact that canonically (and even with the slightest granule of knowledge on trauma and its effects) it should not exist.

Okay, rant over. On to background information and analysis of this volume. For the uninformed, you probably might want to disregard this review for now, and start from the beginning of the manga series. Be prepared, though, as it's quite a wild ride, and you'll probably spend sleepless nights contemplating the series.

Warning! Serious Spoilers Ahead! Scroll to the bottom for a rating, if you want to avoid the spoilers.

~~~

Volume 15 is the second-to-last volume in Tokyo Ghoul: re, a sequel series to the original manga. Haise Sasaki, having gained his memory back, and realizing that he was Ken Kaneki, broke away from the CCG, and made several attempts to push the world towards equality between humans and ghouls. Unfortunately, Nimura Furuta, a sly, ruthless, and outright insane CCG investigator has other plans. Furuta, otherwise known as Kichimura Washuu, is one of the illegitimate children of the Washuu clan, the family that founded the CCG, and ironically enough, is comprised partially of ghouls. Having ties to both the mysterious organization known as V, and the, well . . . OTHER mysterious organization, the Clowns, he planned to set in motion a catastrophic idea that would have far-reaching consequences, redefining life and death. Furuta, now leading the CCG, as he was the only living member of the Washuu family willing to come forward, approved of a project similar to the Q's Squad: The Oggai. Around a hundred members, each implanted with Rize's kagune, they became particularly adept at hunting down and eliminating ghouls. Backed into a corner (somewhat literally) and severely wounded, Kaneki is forced to consume the Oggai in the hopes of healing, but it doesn't quite go as planned.

You may recall Dr. Kano's experiments and the hundreds of half-ghouls created from Kuzen Yoshimura's kakuho, as well as that of Rize Kamishiro. Kano assisted the CCG behind the scenes, and later aided Furuta, who was one of these half-ghouls. Implanted into Furuta, Rize, and possibly Kuzen, as well as several unnamed others, were 'cores,' while the other 'patients' became fodder for the monstrosity that Kaneki would trigger.

By consuming the Oggai, Kaneki triggers a chain reaction, that results in the creation of a massive abomination known as the Dragon. Filling all 23 wards, and possibly more, this frankly nightmarish mass of RC Cells was too large to move, instead producing smaller monsters that would feed on humans, and return to the beast to replenish its mass. Kaneki himself, became the core of one of these 'branches,' and remained unconscious, but was aware of the damage he caused.

~~~

I won't delve too much into what occurs, because I could wax on for pages, but I was surprised at the detail that went into the art, even with distant shots. Ishida is incredibly skilled, and while (at least according to him) this series isn't the most polished, I personally was amazed at the storytelling and how much he had invested in the science and small little details, such as Eto's kagune behaving similar to a cordyceps fungus, or the cheeky little reference that was the Aogiri Tree. After finishing reading this, I can say with utmost certainty that it's one of the most chilling, spine-tingling works I have ever read. I was particularly surprised at how feasible a lot of these details are from a scientific standpoint, and if you're ever looking for something to really invest in, read Tokyo Ghoul. But please. Manga, before the anime. The only purpose the show serves, is to put a voice to the face. It cuts out so much of the storytelling, it's comical.

Overall Rating: 10/10