Tokyo Ghoul

I’m talking about the 2017 live-action adaptation of the cool Tokyo Ghoul manga that is. Now, I feel that I should mention upfront that I’m not the biggest fan of manga/anime adaptations. No, not of manga/anime. But of their live-action adaptations. Regardless if Hollywood makes them or any other film industry.

Why? Because of the simple reason that they’re usually not that good. Admit it. And don’t even get me started about the Netflix abomination that is Death Note. It’s horrible with a capital H, but I digress. I’m here to write about Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul alone. And not to brag, but this is not my fist post regarding an anime project. Captain Tsubasa was a great gig I did just a few months ago. And I enjoyed it. Hey, maybe you’d like to check it out again, so here it is. You’re welcome. But is Tokyo Ghoul the movie any good? Find out below in this particular post. I believe a word or two about the game itself is in order beforehand.

Tokyo Ghoul

The Tokyo Ghoul Game Is Also Good?

Frankly, it’s s the main reason for this particular post. TOKYO GHOUL:re CALL to EXIST is part of IndieGala’s offering to you. The fans. And according to the many positive comments on Steam, it’s doing a decent justice to the popular manga.

On the streets of Tokyo, the war against Ghouls and Investigators rages on with one goal — to survive. But in Call to Exist, players can choose between Ghouls or Investigators. And each side comes with its own unique weapons and abilities. You get to battle alongside or against friends in online matches, including heated four-on-four showdowns.

Furthermore, players get to battle ghouls and boss characters in frenetic combat. Characters use tentacles and various weapons to kill enemies in melee and ranged attacks. Also, battles are highlighted by frequent blood-splatter effects, cries of pain, realistic gunfire, and explosions. And it’s interesting as it is scary. But you know what else is scary? The movie adaptation.

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What’s Tokyo Ghoul About Anyway?

Yup, I liked it. It’s a flawed movie, but enjoyable overall. Despite being scary and gory for the most part, it’s actually a decent movie top watch on a lazy weekend, which is what I did. Worth investing 120 minutes of your time indeed. I can’t really tell if it’s a fateful adaptation, since I’ve never read the manga so I i’m sorry to say that I can’t compare the two products. I just did extensive research on the manga, characters and so on, but I know it’s not nearly enough.

But for a blank slate viewer like myself, it was fairly good. I’m hoping you can fill me in on the comparisons. So, here’s a great opportunity for you my manga loving fans. Tell me in the comment section below what you thought of the movie. Was it fateful to the source material, or was it anything but? I would really love to know.

Tokyo Ghoul GIF by memecandy

Good Performances Bad CGI

But I really loved the performances (especially from the two leads Masataka Kubota and Fumika Shimizu), and the fact that the crew didn’t skimp on the gore. No, there’s plenty of blood, gore and human flesh-eating galore. Although at times the CGI doesn’t do the visual aspect enough justice it was perfectly fine. However in certain scenes, the lack of good CGI is painfully obvious.

And although, the special effects need some extra work, in essence they didn’t hurt the story, nor the movie overall. Tokyo Ghoul centers around Ken Kaneki (played by Masataka Kubota). A shy student who’s biggest mistake is going on a bad date early on in the movie. His ghoul date will attack him, but although she’ll die in a freak accident later, he will get her organs to save his life.

Tokyo Ghoul

So, that transplant made him a half-ghoul, and inevitably put him a weird limbo. But with the new lease of life, Ken Kaneki will face fresh new problems. Such as adapting to the new way of life. And the struggle of being in hiding in Tokyo’s society. However, Mr. Yoshimura (Kunio Marai) the owner of a Tokyo cafe is there to make his transition a little bit easier. And so is Touka (Fumika Shimizu), a tough schoolgirl who begrudgingly accepts him into the new ranks.

But whenever there are bad predators like the ghouls, there are always people that are after them. And that will add a new layer to the story of course, but let’s not just ahead.

Finding A Balance Is Not Easy For A Newbie Ghoul

But frankly the thing, I loved the fact that the most in the movie there’s the significant emphasis on Ken Kaneki’s adaptation to his new life. I loved the stretching of that segment of the plot, even in the seemingly small details. Hey, there’s even a Rocky-like training montage somewhere in the third act. But first, there’s the reaction to the food he now cannot eat. The adaptation to the new environment and the new way of life. And of course, the adaptation to the new people around him. Some of them are ruthless psychopaths. While some like Hinami for instance (Hiyori Sakurada) are the exact opposite.

Sure there is some kick as fights and all, but I appreciated the emotional scenes much more. The scenes in which the main character struggled to accept the new way of life and the society struggled to accept him. I liked the dual role of the character, perpetuated by his newly found inner demons.

Tokyo Ghoul

Supporting Characters Need More Work

However, in terms of the writing, the pacing of Tokyo Ghoul needs more work, and the same goes for some of the supporting characters. Such as Kureo Mado for instance. His visual presentation (his hairdo, his eye) was on point. And the actor was doing good work in his minimalist facial expressions, and even barely noticeable half-smiles. But I wanted more from Kureo Mado (played by Yo Oizumi ), in a visual sense. I wanted him to be more scary and off-putting, in every sense of the word. His obsession with finding the ghouls was not enough I say.

But I also loved the cinematography of Tokyo Ghoul. The dark muted colors of the lenses really blended nicely with the atmosphere of the movie. The bleak nature of the outside environment against the vibrant colors of the ghouls. And to be honest, to the overall tone of the movie as well. This is a really good movie. Might need some work in some areas, but overall it’s a fairly decent movie to enjoy. If you’re not put off by all the blood, the gore and the violence of course.

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Your Thoughts On Tokyo Ghoul

What do you think of Tokyo Ghoul? Did you like it? If so tell us why? What made you love the movie? We’d love to know why you didn’t like it too. Tell us in the comment section below. We’d love to know all about it.

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