Anime Review : Tokyo Ghoul (Season 1)

So as I mentioned in my 'Attack on Titan' review, Tokyo Ghoul was another anime series suggested to me by my friend. The title (again weird but interesting) made me wonder what it was all about. The plot goes like this - Basically, ghouls are terrifying creatures which feed on human flesh. When Kaneki, the protagonist of the story, is almost killed in an attack, he transforms into a half-ghoul, half-human hybrid and is forced to adapt to their lifestyle in order to survive (from IMDB).

Now this may sound like a run-of-the-mill vampire story. The answer is between a 'yes' and a 'not really'. Kaneki's suffering as a ghoul is what holds this story together. He is unable to eat his favorite food and the only food he can eat is the flesh of humans which he is reluctant to do so. The pain of the character in such a scenario is wonderfully captured and his inner emotions is clearly described through very well-written dialogue (Japdub).

The animation was very well-done. The character models look good and you can differentiate between each one (which is surprising for a Japanime).

The music was average with the best ones being the opening and the ending theme songs. The voice acting, on the other hand, was exceptional with the right amount of intensity. Every character performed well, so I've got no complaints there.

Now I had some problems with this series as a whole - For some strange reason, the violence is awkwardly censored in that it is 'blacked-out' so to speak. That put me off a bit. Either you show the violence or simple, you imply it. Why have it if you need to censor it?

Also the ending was very quick. It would have been better if the epilogue took a bit more time. I mean, it abruptly takes a turn and before you know it, The end.

Apart from these gripes, the show was good as it captured my interest throughout without being a drag. Newcomers to the anime world can definitely check it out. I think you'll like it.

Score - 7.5/10

P.S. Season 2 is already out. Review coming soon.