Fans have taken to social media to voice their demands for a new Tokyo Ghoul reboot. They even created a Tokyo Ghoul remake petition that already has thousands of signatures.
Even though reboots often feel unnecessary and redundant, fans feel differently about Tokyo Ghoul. They feel the manga was never given a faithful adaptation in the first place.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Tokyo Ghoul is a popular supernatural manga created by Sui Ishida.
Inspired by Kafka’s The metamorphosis, Tokyo Ghoul has a total of 14 volumes. It had a sequel, Tokyo Ghoul:re, that ran for an additional 16 volumes.
Studio Pierrot picked up the series for a 12 episode anime adaptation in 2014. A year later, they released the second season, Tokyo Ghoul √A.
Tokyo Ghoul √A, features an anime original story that branches away from the manga. Although Ishida himself wrote the second season, the story elements are so different most people don’t consider it canon.
The third season, Tokyo Ghoul:re, is actually the first season of an anime adaption of the sequel manga. Tokyo Ghoul:re ran for two seasons in 2018.
What is Tokyo Ghoul about?
In case you haven’t seen it, Tokyo Ghoul takes place in an alternate world where ghouls prey on humans. Ghouls are monsters that look like regular people but have to consume human flesh to survive.
The story follows Ken Kaneki, an average 18-year-old Tokyo University student. After an ill-fated organ transplant, Kaneki is transformed into a one-eyed half-ghoul, who must now feed on humans to survive.
Tokyo Ghoul follows Kaneki as he attempts to navigate his new life as a half-ghoul hybrid.
Why fans are demanding a reboot
While differences between a series’s manga and anime are common, Tokyo Ghoul takes it to another level. Some events take place out of order, some are rushed through, and others get skipped entirely.
Part of this is due to the fact that the Tokyo Ghoul manga has 179 chapters, compared to the anime’s 48 episodes. There just wasn’t enough time to get through the story without making cuts and rushing through.
In addition, the anime’s original story of the second season makes the continuity difficult to follow. To further complicate things, Tokyo Ghoul:re skips over the events that took place in Tokyo Ghoul √A, leaving anime-only views confused.
Differences between the Tokyo Ghoul manga and anime
As previously mentioned, there are many differences between the plot of the Tokyo Ghoul manga and anime.
In the manga, Kaneki is forced to walk through a ghoul detector. The detector didn’t flag him as a ghoul, and he was able to pass without issue.
While this may not seem like much, it’s important in distinguishing just how unique Kaneki’s status as a half-ghoul is.
Another key difference is that in the manga, Kaneki has a habit of touching his chin whenever he lies. The movement is subtle, and many readers didn’t pick up on it until Kaneki’s friend, Hide, called it out.
While it may seem trivial, this small quirk shows a lot about Kaneki’s character and gives insight into his true feelings. It adds an extra layer of characterization and charm that was missing in the anime.
Kaneki’s eventual acceptance of his half-ghoul identity also played out differently in the anime.
In the anime, Kaneki accepted his nature with calm dignity. His black hair turned white immediately, further signifying the change.
In the manga, on the other hand, Kaneki’s transformation was painfully drawn out.
He viciously clawed at his face in an outward display of the torturous emotions welling up. His hair turned white gradually, as he incrementally broke from stress.
These are just a few examples of how the anime differs from the source material. However, diverging from the manga isn’t the only thing fans take issue with.
Tokyo Ghoul’s animation fell short of expectations.
Another major issue is the quality of the animation throughout the various seasons. While fans praise the manga for its art style and beautifully drawn scenes, a lack of detail and poor direction plagues the anime.
Some people even compare the animation to a slideshow.
At the time of airing the third season, Studio Pierrot was focusing a lot of its attention on two rising series: Boruto and Black Clover. They outsourced an increasing amount of animation to cheaper studios, leading to a further decline in quality.
Who should make the Tokyo Ghoul reboot?
Fans have created multiple petitions to get a major studio to pick up the reboot. While the petitions center around getting studios Ufotable (Demon Slayer, God Eater) or MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen) to spearhead the reboot, other fans are calling on WIT studios, Studio Bones, or Madhouse to take it on.
If MAPPA does decide to reboot Tokyo Ghoul, it won’t be the first time they’ve remade a popular series. The studio rebooted Dororo in 2019, to rave reviews.
Will there be a Tokyo Ghoul reboot?
Unfortunately, the chances of Tokyo Ghoul getting a reboot are slim. The series isn’t as popular as it was when it first came out, and manga sales have slowed down drastically.
Still, with the popularity of reboots like Hunter x Hunter (2011) and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it isn’t completely out of the question.
Only time will tell if anime studios listen to the fan’s demands. In the meantime, you can sign the petition here.
So, what do you think? Will Tokyo Ghoul get a second chance? In the comments below, let us know which studio you’d like to see take on a reboot!