!!!Spoiler Warning!!! If you haven’t read this book yet, I give away some key spoilers!
Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 1
by Sui Ishida and Joe Yamazaki
I read this book as part of the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge 2019—check out how I’m doing!
I absolutely loved this!
I’ve heard such good things about this series, both as a book and on the TV, but sometimes when something is so hyped up the actual experience can be disappointing. This was not the case for this one. It was beautiful.
I will definitely be continuing with the series, and possibly even watching the anime.
I’m not the protagonist of a book or anything. I’m just a normal college student who likes to read. But, if I were to write a book with me as a main character, it would be a tragedy.
The story follows Ken Kaneki, a pretty normal young guy who’s into girls and books. He asks a girl on a date and is excited when she accepts, unfortunately it turns out she’s only after his body. Literally. She’s a ghoul and her only reason for going out with Kaneki is so she can eat him.
While she’s trying, there’s a fortuitous accident with some scaffolding and she gets splattered. Both her and Kaneki are rushed to hospital, but she dies en route. In order to save Kaneki’s life, the doctor transplants some of the girls organs into him. When he wakes up, it isn’t long before he discovers that this has turned him half ghoul.
At first he’s appalled, but as he learns more about ghoul culture and society, he starts fitting into the role better. Eating human flesh doesn’t come easily, but if it stop him from becoming a true monster and killing his friends, what choice does he have?
H-how could I eat human flesh? There’s no way I can do it. I… I’m a human being!! I’m not like you monsters!!
The story is imaginative and well written. I love that it’s set in modern day Japan, so there’s no need for huge fantasy worlds, but there’s this hidden society of ghouls that look just like humans. It’s reminiscent of vampire lore or werewolves.
The characters are easy to like, or hate, depending on what the author needs, and there’s even a little bonus comic at the back of the book that broke my heart! Seriously, they take a background character that means nothing much as you’re reading the story, and give him such a life that you retroactively get all the feels for him! It’s pretty cool.
The artwork is stunning, and never difficult to work out like some mangas can be. The pictures are clear and crisp, and extremely well done.
It’s terrifying how well a ghoul like him can play the part of a human. It’s kind of amazing.
There are some horror elements, but also some light hearted comic elements to the story, too. This is a book you can read in one sitting and feel disappointed when it’s finished.
I had a great time. I definitely recommend it.
Villain Rating
I think the gorgeous Nishiki Nishio is the villain of this piece. Most of the ghouls are just looking for a meal, but Nishio manages to make it personal. He attacks Kaneki’s best friend and plans on eating him, only to get under Kaneki’s skin. He’s aggressive to the extreme, and kills another ghoul he accuses to hunting in his territory, without even hearing an explanation, and what’s worse is the guy was given the territory in the first place, so it wasn’t true!
Nishio hides in plain sight as a human and can be found on the college campus, which is terrifying when you think about it. He comes across as confident and aloof, and most of the other students think he’s pretty cool. He’s on the festival committee for the school because he thinks it’s a good way to network. He’s truly bad to the core and completely unremorseful, but he hides it so well. Plus he’s a real cutie! 8/10
Happy Reading,
Claire
Love the Villain 