Sui Ishida’s two-part manga, Tokyo Ghoul, has been adapted into a popular anime series. Although the series wasn’t consistently praised, it is considered to be among the better modern-day anime series, especially in the seinen category. The story of Tokyo Ghoul was split into two parts – Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re – and we are going to explain the latter. So, what exactly is Tokyo Ghoul:re?
Tokyo Ghoul:re is the sequel manga to Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul that follows Kaneki’s path from being Haise Sasaki to regaining his memory and becoming the One-Eyed King. It is also the collective title of the third and fourth seasons of the anime.
The rest of the article is going to be all about Tokyo Ghoul:re, both the manga and the anime. You’re going to find out exactly what it is, how it fits into the series, and whether you have to (or should) watch it. Enjoy!
What is Tokyo Ghoul:re?
Tokyo Ghoul:re is the title of the sequel to Sui Ishida’s acclaimed manga Tokyo Ghoul. Tokyo Ghoul:re started coming out on December 19, 2014 and was set two years after the original manga’s ending, following Kaneki’s adventures as Haise Sasaki and him regaining his memory and becoming the One-Eyed King who would reconcile the ghouls and the humans. The manga ended on July 19, 2018 after 179 chapters, published in 16 tankōbon volumes.
A tie-in light novel, Tokyo Ghoul:re: quest, was published in 2016.
Tokyo Ghoul:re is likewise the collective title of the third and fourth seasons of the Tokyo Ghoul anime. The third season started airing three years after Tokyo Ghoul √A and, with a total of 12 episodes, the first season of :re aired from April 3, 2018 to June 19, 2018. The second season of Tokyo Ghoul:re, was finally released on September29,2018 and aired until December25,2018. It also contained 12 episodes, just like all of the previous seasons.
The anime adapted Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul:re manga and although it left out a lot of important moments from the manga, it showed us the whole story on a general level.
Is Tokyo Ghoul:re the same as Tokyo Ghoul?
So, now that we have explained what Tokyo Ghoul:re actually is, we can answer some more specific questions about it. As to the first one, Tokyo Ghoul:re is not the same as Tokyo Ghoul in the sense that is a sequel – both the manga and the anime – and follows a different storyline than Tokyo Ghoul, although it is technically a continuation of the same. In that aspect, Tokyo Ghoul:re is different from the original manga and anime.
As for the similarities between the two, Tokyo Ghoul:re is part of the same narrative universe as Tokyo Ghoul, as it is a direct sequel. It roughly follows the same characters as Tokyo Ghoul, those that survived, at least, although in different roles and it continues the story of Ken Kaneki and his path to becoming the One-Eyed King. There are, of course, new characters in :re, but they fit right into the whole lore, which makes Tokyo Ghoul:re, despite all of its differences, a valid part of Ishida’s larger narrative world.
Is Tokyo Ghoul:re a sequel?
Although we have said it several times before, Tokyo Ghoul:re is indeed the sequel to Tokyo Ghoul. It shows the surviving characters of Tokyo Ghoul after a two-year time skip and continues the story of Ken Kaneki and the others. A lot of things have changed, but a lot of things have also remained the same, and Tokyo Ghoul:re elaborates further on old events and introduces us to new ones while, at the same time, focusing on an ending for all of the characters, an ending that Ishida deemed proper.
Is Tokyo Ghoul:re good?
There are a lot of theories surrounding the quality of Tokyo Ghoul:re, both the manga and the anime. And while most agree that the original Tokyo Ghoul was much better, you have to understand that Ishida himself grew tired of the story at one point, which resulted in a lower quality of drawing in the later chapters of :re and a somewhat rushed ending.
As far as the manga is concerned, people are not overly critical of it, although most still prefer the original over the sequel. We personally liked it and think that, despite being not as good as Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re is a good work that you should definitely read. It’s not the best manga out there and there are a lot of missed opportunities there, but it’s still good enough to merit a read.
The same – and some might consider this a controversial opinion – goes for the anime adaptation. Certainly, a lot was left out, there are continuity issues due to Tokyo Ghoul √A being an original story, and it all felt a bit rushed – even when compared to the manga – but the whole series had the same feel like the first two seasons and it was the same emotional, action-packed story that we loved while watching the previous seasons.
Tokyo Ghoul:re was a direct adaptation of Ishida’s manga, so you cannot blame the producers for any narrative issues but again – as with the manga – it’s not the best one out there, but it was an emotional farewell to a story we truly like and we’re quite satisfied with how it turned out.
Can I skip Tokyo Ghoul:re?
Unlike some other anime series (this rarely happens with manga), Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul:re were short and on point with its story. They followed one narrative line and stuck with it, avoiding fillers and side stories in the main series. In that aspect, Tokyo Ghoul:re serves as a sequel that wraps up the whole story of Ken Kaneki. Since there is nothing beyond :re, there is nothing you can watch later to see the consequences of the story.
In that aspect, you cannot skip Tokyo Ghoul:re if you want to see how the story ends. This is a crucial element of Ishida’s narrative and there is no way you can skip it if you want to see the story through. There is nothing that can replace :re in terms of narration and we certainly encourage you to read/watch it.
Liked this article? Join us on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!
