Tokyo Ghoul #1 & 2
by Sui Ishida
translated by Joe Yamazaki
2011
Viz Media

This Japanese Manga has such beautifully done illustrations, it really brings this story to life.
The problems for Ken Kaneki begin when his body is found at an accident site, and he is in need of an operation. A girl was also in the accident but did not make it but her body organs were used to save Ken. It saved his life but the girl was a ghoul and he began taking on characteristics of a ghoel...craving human meat and is unable to resist it. He becomes half ghoul and half human and is invited to stay at the Anteiku where he will learn to live as a ghoul......

Book 2 is the time Ken spent at Anteiku, and getting a mask to cover his ghoulish face.....
Interesting, fantastic graphics. ( )

Keneki's mask! I'm so excited to see Kaneki wanting to come into his own because of his compassion. He wants to be able to defend other, not hurt them. I really like his resolve and hopefully, he forms new friendships soon. He still hasn't gotten used to what he is which is understandable. The Doves appearance is really interesting especially since the way they talk sound exactly like the evil ghouls they hunt. I really want to see Kaneki train and fight soon. Touka's actions are sure to reap some consequences. ( )

Kaneki starts working at Anteiku, learning to make coffee and wait tables. He meets Ryoko Fueguchi and her daughter Hinami, two ghouls who don't (can't?) hunt. Kaneki starts practicing eating human food like normal, so that he can more easily blend in and hide his ghoul nature, orders his first mask from Uta, and controls his hunger with brown "sugar" cubes in his coffee. I have a feeling he's going to rely too much on those "sugar" cubes and forget that he actually needs to eat human flesh every once in a while. This quiet period ends when two ghouls investigators track down the Fueguchis and try to exterminate them. Ryoko sacrifices herself so that her daughter can escape, and Kaneki, who witnesses Ryoko's death, decides that he no longer wants to be helpless. He asks Touka to teach him how to use his kagune (ghoul weaponry?).
The volume ends with Uta's delivery of Kaneki's first mask, which is way more badass (if impractical) than he, at this point, deserves.

I'm intrigued by the world and the story, but many of the characters are just not very likeable. For example, I understand what drives Touka but I can't entirely root for her. Unlike Yoshimura, she seems to have a much more black and white view of the world. Then there's Kaneki, who's still a spineless wimp (granted, I doubt I'd manage much better than him if I were suddenly told that the only thing I could comfortably eat was human flesh). The Fueguchis were nice, but clearly low level ghouls and not the sort of folks that this series is going to focus on. And again, Yoshimura seems nice enough, but readers haven't exactly gotten to know him much yet. Uta intrigues me, at least. I have to wonder how he stays hidden from ghoul inspectors, considering that his appearance screams "ghoul." Is it even possible for his eyes to look normal?

This volume's main goal seemed to be to make the ghouls more sympathetic, at least low level ones like the Fueguchis, and it succeeded in that. As far as I could see, they weren't hurting anyone, and even their Anteiku-provided meals were acquired in as harmless a way as possible.

The ghoul investigators, on the other hand, were a bit disturbing. At least one of them didn't seem to be quite human himself. I wonder, is he a ghoul hunting other ghouls?

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

This is the second volume in the Tokyo Ghoul series. I thought it was a good read, but wasn’t completely blown away by it.

Ken Kanaki is trying to adjust to his new life as a ghoul/human hybrid. He is getting trained in at his new job and meeting new Ghouls. There are some Ghoul turf wars going on and we meet a special police that exterminates Ghouls with great zeal. In addition to all that, Ken is finally determined to learn to use his newfound Ghoulish powers.

The illustration throughout is good but not exceptional. The story is also good, but it seems very typical to a lot of manga out there. I am curious to see where the story goes or if it is just going to be more ghoul turf wars and evading special police.

I know a lot of people really love this series and right now I don’t really understand why, but I plan on reading it up to volume 5 to see where it goes.

Overall this was a good read. I like the characters and think the story and illustration are all well done. It’s not a manga I am super excited about, but fans of horror shounen will probably enjoy it. ( )