The manga, and especially anime industry by extension, has boomed outside of its native Japan to become part of the mainstream media to an extent in the west in the last several years. While still comparatively niche when compared to other forms of popular media in the west--like superhero films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in particular--it is still a much more popular medium now. However, with the most popular series typically being shonen, some more mature series might fly under the radar for some.
Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul is one such series to some who aren't as well versed in manga or anime culture, but it deserves the attention it gets. It's a dark, enticing story in modern-day Japan that doesn't let up its pace and intrigue throughout. Here are 10 reasons why it's a must-read manga series.
10 The Art
As is important in western comic books as well, the art is among the first things that readers will notice. Thankfully, the Tokyo Ghoul manga is a visual feast in its own style. Everything from the characters (the most important factor in terms of the art) to the environment they find themselves in is drawn cleanly and with incredible care in the attention to detail.
The art especially comes into its own when depicting scenes of horror. This is emphasized also both in expressiveness of the characters and the action (more on those later). Another aspect, while admittedly minimal, is the style in which the cover art of each volume is drawn with Ishida's style and use of color.
9 A Modern Japanese Setting
Sure, the various fantasy worlds and settings in a lot of manga and anime can be very well done assuming the author's skills in world building are strong, but it is also interesting to see a world take place with a modern backdrop. Of course, the other half to it is to obviously have some kind of twist to make it interesting in some way.
The modern Japanese setting provides a great setting for introducing the various characters, particularly the ghouls themselves, and their various factions. Considering that constant air of danger in the air in this world, it gives the Japanese setting a feeling of an "urban jungle."
8 Intense, Vicious, And Gory Action
While there are plenty of factors or elements that make Tokyo Ghoul as fascinating as it is, the action is definitely one of them. Constant, high-octane action can even be a detriment if the author isn't careful. This series has drama and mystery in addition to its action, but the fight scenes are truly made into a spectacle.
The action isn't like a shonen series; they're an even more violent, brutal, and gory mess, so as long as the reader can stomach that, these scenes are jaw-dropping and exhilarating. The powers that the ghouls have are a major aspect to making the action as exciting as it is.
7 An Interesting Plot
This also has to be a given for most, if not every, series out there, manga or not. Especially given the context, a series like Tokyo Ghoul cannot coast off of constant, gory, and mindless action alone (not that the action is mindless, because of course it's not). As mentioned briefly before, this series also incorporates elements of mystery in particular to intrigue the reader.
And, of course, the most fascinating thing about the series is the fact that the plot revolves around ghouls; creatures who almost always appear like humans, but thrive off of human flesh. Mix that constant threat in with the stories of the individual characters and you're in for an enthralling plot.
6 Morally Gray Characters
The definitions of "good" and "evil" are often clearly defined, at least for the most part, in a lot of other series, with manga just being one medium as an example. But another aspect of Tokyo Ghoul that, as a result, also contributes to the appeal of the overall plot is the fact that the lines of good and evil are blurred. Plenty of characters exhibit morally gray characteristics.
At a glance, one would normally easily categorize the ghouls in this case as evil since they're feeding off of humans and the CCG--the organization tasked with dealing with cases involving ghouls--as the heroes. However, you come to empathize with some of the ghouls as they are trying to learn to coexist while, at least one CCG member in particular, seems to exude evil qualities.
5 A Constant Air Of Danger
One of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of the world and characters of Tokyo Ghoul is the fact that the characters, especially Ken Kaneki, never truly know who is on their side and who is waiting to kill and/or eat them. While there are certainly a group of ghouls who are generally peaceful and would rather find a way to coexist, there are plenty of others who are not nearly as kind.
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For instance, there are groups of ghouls who, in addition to eating humans, eat their own kind. Add to that the CCG who are looking to hunt down all ghouls and the air of danger becomes overwhelming in the best possible way.
4 It's A Top Seinen Manga
As one would come to expect in terms of what is popular in manga, and anime, culture is that the biggest series that get the lion's share of the popularity, sales, and general buzz are the shonen. This is not a bad thing as there are some truly great shonen out there with One Piece arguably being the best example of a highly-popular shonen series that also has the quality to back that up. Naturally, seinen works are going to be a bit more in the shadows.
Of course, there are seinen titans, particularly in manga, like Berserk, Vagabond, and Vinland Saga that dominate, but Tokyo Ghoul is another worthy example. It tackles everything it does from story, characters, and action in a mature manner.
3 The Blending Of Action, Supernatural, And Horror Elements
It is always incredibly captivating when any kind of series so effectively balances and mixes different elements and genres in the world and its characters. Sui Ishida does an excellent job of blending action, supernatural, and even horror elements and/or genres into Tokyo Ghoul. One could easily make the argument that because this series is a seinen-targeted one it has more freedom to explore these elements/genres.
The action obviously comes from (and is done well) in the fights between ghouls and the CCG and among the ghouls themselves, supernatural from the existence of "ghouls," and horror from the nature of the ghouls and the body-horror in particular that comes from the gore they induce.
2 Characters Are Drawn Expressively
Expressiveness in the characters, particularly in their faces, is definitely an aspect of and a strength in how the art is done, but this is such a notable asset to the series as a whole that this deserves its own entry and some elaboration. Something manga fans/readers will notice pretty quickly while reading Tokyo Ghoul is that, especially in moments of intense terror, emotion, and the like is that the panels take major close-ups of the character in question.
This emphasis on raw and physical reactions of the characters is excruciatingly detailed and is done so effectively that it could make the reader wince.
1 The Plot Keeps A Steady Momentum
There is never a dull moment throughout the plot of Tokyo Ghoul, but that also does not mean that the narrative goes at such a breakneck speed that it leaves the readers disoriented and exhausted. In addition to that, it also does not mean that there are not moments of more peaceful and tranquil dialogue between characters.
But that is part of the beauty of even those quieter scenes; the slower, dialogue-driven scenes are interesting and eventually lead to revelations unfolding within the plot. Add to that the fantastic action scenes and new characters being introduced--along with new factions--and you have a well-paced plot with a steady momentum.