Inspired by Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul has similar themes. It touches on the meaning of humanity, mutation, finding one's purpose, and tons of suffering to go around. Starring Ken Kaneki, Tokyo Ghoul tells the tale of a boy who finds himself the victim of a not-so-accidental accident that resulted in unethical human experimentation that turned him into a half-ghoul. Now, his human side is in a constant game of tug-of-war against his newfound monstrous side.

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Unfortunately, Tokyo Ghoul's anime adaptation disappointed avid manga readers. Certain events and arcs were rearranged, redone, or entirely omitted from the anime.

Updated on September 7th, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Tokyo Ghoul was one of the most anticipated anime adaptations of its time, but many fans feel like the anime butchered the greatness of its source material. Since this list was published in 2019, we've updated it with a few more inconsistencies between the anime and manga that infuriated the series' most avid fans.

15 Suzuya's Injuries Were Less Severe In The Anime

Juuzou Suzuya from Tokyo Ghoul: RE.

During the fight against the Owl, Suzuya joined the fight and fiercely fought against him. Just as the Owl was about to flee, Suzuya quickly caught up with him and cut off his left arm. Unfortunately, Suzuya lost his leg in the process.

This scene was altered in the Tokyo Ghoul anime. Instead of Suzuya losing his leg, it was just broken during the fight. This was another seemingly unnecessary change, and fans are still confused about why it even happened. Some wonder if it was because the studio was trying to censor some of the manga's violence.

14 Kaneki Never Invaded Cochlea In The Manga

Tokyo Ghoul / Tokyo Ghoul:re Haise Sasaki / Ken Kaneki
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The Cochlea raid was one of Tokyo Ghoul's most exciting moments, but Kaneki never did it in the manga. Instead, he invaded Dr. Kanou's lab and discovered that he was running unethical experiments on other one-eyed ghouls.

Kaneki also learned that Rize was still alive. The anime left it unclear as to whether or not Rize survived. Angered by his discoveries, Kaneki ate Dr. Kanou's experiments and obtained his new Kakuja. This is another example of how much the anime derailed from its source material.

13 Kaneki's Torture Scene Was Changed In The Anime

Kaneki tortured by Yamori in Tokyo Ghoul.

Kaneki's torture was, arguably, the most important event in the Tokyo Ghoul manga. It marked the point of no return. Unfortunately, the anime killed all hype around this scene since it changed many important details.

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In the manga, Yamori offered Kaneki a brutal choice. He'd have to choose between saving a child or her mother. In the anime, Yamori offers a similar choice, but it's not a mom and her daughter. In the manga, Kaneki ate Yamori's Kakuhou after breaking free and says, "I don't want to be responsible for your life," which was entirely omitted from the anime.

12 The Manga Has More Scenes With Kaneki & Touka

Touka leaning on Kaneki against a wall in Tokyo Ghoul.

Kaneki and Touka's relationship seemed far-fetched to some anime-only viewers. However, they actually had more scenes together in the manga that didn't make the anime's final cut. For example, Touka trained Kaneki to be a better fighter in the manga. This didn't make the final cut, so anime-only fans were confused when Kaneki seemingly had a wild burst of strength and could easily take down Yamori.

It may seem inconsequential, but it was an important mini-arc that showed how much Touka and Kaneki actually cared about each other. Plus, it made readers realize that they had an actual relationship that was always slowly building throughout the series and provided context for one of the anime's most epic defeats.

11 Kaneki's Sudden Hair Change Was Different In The Manga

Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul.

Kaneki spent ten days getting brutally tortured by Jason. Eventually, he underwent Marie-Antoinette syndrome and his hair turned white from the constant stress. Arguably, this depiction was one of the few things that the Tokyo Ghoul anime actually did better than the manga.

This transformation happened suddenly and without any real explanation in the manga. In the anime, however, Kaneki's hair gradually changed during his moments of dissociation. It made the viewers realize that the white hair was symbolic of his ghoulish half taking over and that he'd never be the same again.

10 The Anime Switched Arcs Around

One of the first things fans noticed about Tokyo Ghoul's anime adaptation was that the arcs were switched. This could have gone either way, but some fans were confused when two of the series' earliest arcs were flipped around. The events with Tsukiyama occurred first in the manga. Then, the Dove Emergence arc came right after. The anime switched things up by putting the events with Amon and Mado, then introduced Tsukiyama.

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There was no real reason or explanation for the rearrangement. Some think that it's because Kaneki and Touka's respective fights against the CCG were more exciting than those involving Tsukiyama. However, there's no confirmation.

9 Touka & Kaneki's Undercover Mission At The The CCG Headquarters Was Omitted

Touka going undercover at the CCG Headquarters in Tokyo Ghoul.

During the Dove Emergence arc, Kaneki and Touka snuck into the CCG headquarters. This somewhat comical moment did not make its way into the anime because the studio thought it was unimportant. However, one very relevant detail would have been good for anime-only viewers to know.

In the Tokyo Ghoul manga, Mado forced Kaneki through an RC detector, suspicious that he was a ghoul in disguise. However, the gate did not go off, indicating to the investigator his suspicion was false but also allowing the viewer to realize just how different Kaneki was from other ghouls. Unfortunately, this seemingly minor but crucial event did not make the cut for the anime.

8 Amon's Arata Didn't Make The Final Cut

Tokyo Ghoul- Amon versus Kaneki.

The final fight between Kaneki and Amon in Tokyo Ghoul had a lot of anticipation surrounding it. Since their first fight, the two had been intrigued with one another, often questioning the other's motive and blocking their clashing paths.

In the manga, we got to see Amon equipped with the Arata armor going all out against Kaneki. The battle left Amon without an arm and Kaneki with a gaping wound in his side. In one of the final episodes of Tokyo Ghoul √A, Amon did not fight with the Arata Proto II, only using his quinque.

7 Key Pieces Of Information & Context Were Omitted From Tokyo Ghoul:re

Sui Ishida's illustration of Haise (Tokyo Ghoul:re).

In the beginning chapters of Tokyo Ghoul:re, anime-only viewers were likely to be a little lost. New characters, a different environment, and confusion from the final events of Tokyo Ghoul culminated in a need for explanation. However, these details and key explanations are overlooked, essentially skipping character backstories and details specifically regarding the Quinx squad.

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Moreover, the final season of Tokyo Ghoul:re followed this pattern, skipping more key information about events and characters. Haise/Kaneki leaving the Quinx squad, Takatsuki's characterization, and basically the whole Operation Rushima, were overlooked. This lack of depth made the plot difficult to follow and left many viewers perplexed.

6 Kaneki Didn't Break 103 Of Ayato's Bones In The Anime

Ayato versus Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul.

Kaneki became stronger after enduring days of torture during the Aogiri Tree arc. When he finally broke free from his imprisonment and saw that Ayato nearly killed Touka, he was furious.

Kaneki and Ayato fought, but Kaneki gained the upper hand and decided to give Ayato a taste of his own medicine. Since Ayato half-killed his sister, Kaneki thought it was only fair that he would half-kill Ayato by breaking half of the bones in his body. This was omitted in favor of the Aogiri Tree members coming to collect Ayato and forcing him to retreat from the fight.

5 Rize Had A Bigger Role In The Anime Than She Ever Did In The Manga

Rize in Tokyo Ghoul's manga versus the anime.

Rize appears to Kaneki more in the anime than she does in the manga. Through hunger-induced hallucinations, Rize taunted Kaneki for struggling against his ghoulish half. In the manga, the hallucinations don't appear until his torture scene. This change is interesting because it's one of the first additions instead of an omission. Some argue that it gives the first season more dimension.

However, in the later seasons, Rize's fate becomes a bit iffy. In the Tokyo Ghoul manga, Kaneki finds Rize in Dr. Kanou's lab, where he uses her to make more one-eyed ghouls. Before the 4th season of the anime, it was unclear if Rize was dead or alive as it did not include these events.

4 Kaneki's Chin Touch Didn't Happen As Much In The Anime

Haise/Kaneki's habitual habit of touching his chin when he lies in Tokyo Ghoul.

After everything Kaneki has endured in the series, he's no longer the honest, innocent kid fans met at the beginning. He became a compulsive liar and spreads blatant misinformation to everybody he meets, whether it's his mother, Hide, Touka, or even himself. In the manga, he habitually touched his chin whenever he lied. This mannerism added more dimension to his character at that point.

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For some reason, this particular character trait didn't happen as much in the anime. It was one of Tokyo Ghoul's biggest production mistakes since it took away from Kaneki's characterization and took away from Ishida's excellent writing.

3 The "I Am A Ghoul" Scene Was Watered Down

Sui Ishida's illustration of Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul).

During his days of torture at Yamori's hands, Kaneki underwent a major transformation- physically and mentally. Kaneki got more in touch with his ghoulishness as he prepared to break out of the shackles and defeat his captor. In the manga, it was a major scene with one of the most iconic visuals of all time. The panel made it look like Kaneki was ripping his skin off and digging his fingers into his eyes as he yelled, "I am a ghoul!"

Unfortunately, the anime seriously disappointed viewers with its version of the scene. Instead of an emotional gorefest, it was watered down into an anticlimactic, melancholy scene that made Kaneki look like a generic emo kid while reciting the line.

2 The Anime Changed Hide's Fate For No Reason

Kaneki and Hide in Tokyo Ghoul's manga.

In the Tokyo Ghoul manga, Hide's fate was unknown. Ishida purposely left it up for the viewers to debate and decide what happened to him. Kaneki found his best friend underground. It was implied that Kaneki blacked out and killed him during a moment of instability.

In the anime, this plot beat is entirely altered for no reason. Hide died from a fatal wound he received in battle. Kaneki couldn't handle the loss, but he carried Hide's lifeless body to Arima. It was a major inconsistency that made the series more complex than it already was.

1 Tokyo Ghoul √A Entirely Deviated From The Source Material

A promotional artwork for Tokyo Ghoul Root.

Tokyo Ghoul's second season infuriated a lot of manga readers. It entirely deviated from the source material. Even anime-only fans consider it the worst season because it just felt so nonsensical and contrived. All of the anime's events essentially function to eradicate any character development that Kaneki underwent in previous episodes, making him a shell of who he became in the manga.

Many fans disregard Tokyo Ghoul √A as noncanonical. Though it technically leads to the events in the third season, it's still disappointing. So much of the budget went to such an unnecessary plotline and ultimately took away from the quality of seasons one and three.

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