While popular manga such as Naruto and One Piece are our evergreens, a recent name that has become hugely popular is an anime as well as a manga series called Tokyo Ghoul.

Written and illustrated by Ishida Sui, Tokyo Ghoul is set in a turbulent Tokyo where strange murders are happening and after analysing the evidence found at the crime scenes, the police conclude that the attacks have been conducted by “eater” ghouls. 

This brings to light the existence of a parallel world, cemented by unfortunate protagonist Kaneki Ken, who is the key to the equation because of his rather peculiar circumstances. He belongs to both worlds, and neither, and is plagued by this moral dilemma most of the time. 

The storyline for both the anime and the manga are equally gripping and fast-paced, with strong characters and psychological warfare. Saying more about the plot would give away spoilers. 

One of the core themes in Tokyo Ghoul is the tragic nature of the relationship between humans and ghouls. From the human side of things, ghouls are just heartless eating machines wrecking the lives of humans by taking their loved ones away. As far as many humans are concerned, the only good ghoul is a dead ghoul. From the ghoul side of things, it is quite different, as not all ghouls are heartless death machines.

Tokyo Ghoul is definitely not kid-safe and is not for the weak of heart, as it portrays gruesome murders and atrocities committed in the shadows — horror and violence are entwined in the plot. 

The anime version has toned down some of the violence with colour play and special effects, and by blacking out certain parts. However, the animation and the art style and portrayal are so well-executed that it adds to the plot, rather than turning it into mindless violence. The anime has some pretty good voice acting and the two that really shine are Mamoru Miyano (voicing Tsukiyama Shuu) and Yuuki Kaji (voicing Ayato).

Tokyo Ghoul is an absolute must for anyone with the slightest inclination towards thriller anime/manga. As a whole, the manga trumps the anime and should be read before watching the anime, if not instead of. While the anime series has only 12 episodes and is rather incomplete as compared to the manga, the anime too has its own USP in the form of great animation, voice acting, original soundtrack and background scores. 

The recent popularity of this series in India (and globally) may be because it is not afraid to show the cold, hard truths of a dystopian future, along with moral ambiguity and grey areas, much like human society itself. This, coupled with a strong plot and a distinct, gripping method of narrative, makes it an immediate favourite with us, otakus. 

What anime and manga are you hooked to? Tell t2@abp.in