Is your appetite whet for a gourmet helping of Tokyo Ghoul? The 2017 Tokyo Ghoul live-action movie just got our tummies grumbling by introducing film audiences to Ken Kaneki, but now in 2019, the live-action Tokyo Ghoul S movie is serving up the beginning of the feast.
Funimation Films is the theatrical division of Sony Picture Television’s Funimation. We reviewed Funimation’s Tokyo Ghoul S English subtitled film that’s scheduled to release in 400 Canada and U.S. theaters on September 16, 18, and 20. To put things in comparison, Funimation’s launch of Dragon Ball Super: Broly included 1,260 theaters.
In order to get a foretaste, we first watched the 2017 Tokyo Ghoul movie with English subtitles even though an English dub does exist. Yes, the Tokyo Ghoul S movie is currently only available in Japanese audio with an English sub which should make some elitist fans happy. So far, there’s no Tokyo Ghoul S English dub being advertised, but perhaps it’ll be part of the eventual Blu-Ray/DVD box set?
Tokyo Ghoul S Review
For those who do not already know, the films are based on the Tokyo Ghoul manga series by writer/illustrator Sui Ishida. The first film managed to condense 28 manga chapters into a coherent vision that did not follow the manga exactly but still honored the heart of the story. The camera angles of some scenes were straight out of certain manga panels, whereas some movie-only scenes were added in order to connect the dots.
All in all, the first film managed to capture the feel of the manga series. The Tokyo Ghoul S movie definitely takes way more liberties with the manga’s story, but it could be said the film still does the manga justice in its adaptation of the story arc about the ghoul gourmet Shuu Tsukiyama (which begins at the ending of Chapter 32 if you’re interested in picking up the manga).
The film ups the ante even further with the amazing cinematography. The direction of the opening scene teases the visual feast that awaits. Having watched the two movies back-to-back it definitely seems like the special effects received an upgrade.
Let’s just hope that Tokyo Ghoul S receives a sequel. More enjoyable than the anime series, the live-action Tokyo Ghoul films are arguably the best adaptation of the manga. Even for those who do not know the manga or the anime, they stand alone as great films.
Who knows… the movies could potentially rectify the mistakes made by the Tokyo Ghoul √A anime. Maybe we’ll even be treated someday to a Tokyo Ghoul: re live-action movie series. Let’s just hope.
Tokyo Ghoul S movie 2019 synopsis and cast
“Now a member of Anteiku, Ken Kaneki grows closer to the ghouls around him. Determined to protect his new home against anti-ghoul forces, he trains his powers in secret. But when the infamous gourmet, Shuu Tsukiyama, wishes to savor some half-ghoul flavor, Kaneki’s training is put to the test of a lifetime.”
When it comes to the biggest roles in the Tokyo Ghoul S cast, Ken Kaneki is played by Masataka Kubota, who also played Light Yagami in the 2015 Death Note TV Series. Toka Kirishima was played by Fumika Shimizu in the first film, but for Tokyo Ghoul S Toka is played by Maika Yamamoto (Shimizu infamously retired from acting to join the Happy Science religion). The biggest new addition is Shota Matsuda, who plays Shuu Tsukiyama, a character who plays a central role in the new film.
Which @TokyoGhoul character do you deem most deserving of a spin-off movie/series?
Pitch your idea and tag #TokyoGhoulDarkWar & #TokyoGhoulS for a chance to win a Tokyo Ghoul S prize pack including poster, in-game credits for Dark War & more!
More info: https://t.co/OOWFN7FOVx pic.twitter.com/pygPQx4lZa
— Funimation (@Funimation) September 13, 2019
Otherwise, here’s a list of the rest of the Tokyo Ghoul S cast.
- Shunya Shiraishi as Nishiki Nishio
- Kai Ogasawara as Hideyoshi “Hide” Nagachika
- Hiyori Sakurada as Hinami Fueguchi
- Nobuyuki Suzuki as Kōtarō Amon
- Minosuke Bandō as Uta
- Kunio Murai as Yoshimura
- Shuntarō Yanagi as Renji Yomo
- Nana Mori as Yoriko Kosaka (replacing Seika Furuhata in the first film)
- Mai Kiryū as Kimi Nishino
- Jiyoung as Itori
Tokyo Ghoul S tickets can be purchased through the Funimation website.