Anyone who’s been keeping up with the Tokyo Ghoul anime knows that Part 1 of :re ended in quite possibly the most dramatic manner possible. A fan favorite, and major character, was almost killed off, another fan favorite, and major character, was killed off, Kaneki was back with his most brutal personality yet, and the entire situation between the ghouls and the CCG was a breath away from absolute mayhem.
As a head’s up, this review will include NO spoilers for the current season.
For those of you who don’t know, Tokyo Ghoul follows the story of Ken Kaneki, a college kid who, in an “accidental” medical procedure, is turned into a half-ghoul. Now, in order to survive and protect the people he loves, he must eat human flesh. If you’re a fan of action and psychological horror, I highly recommend picking up the show.
Episode 1: “Place: And So, Once Again”
The Pros
The episode starts off with a bang, throwing us right in the middle of a fight between the CCG and Aogiri Tree. Just like the first episode of Part 1 of :re, there’s little to no explanation of how we got from the end of last season to the current state of affairs. Given that there’s a lot we still don’t understand about the forces running the CCG, as well as Dr. Kanou, this season needed to start with some world-building. Fortunately, the episode delivered. We finally start to get into the backstory and the politics of the CCG, as well as the connections between the most powerful factions of the series.
The fight scenes, though few, look pretty good. We also get a sense for Kaneki’s new personality, the Black Reaper. Both Hanae Natsuki and Austin Tindle (Kaneki’s Japanese and English VAs, respectively) do a fantastic job, somehow managing a perfect balance between emotionless and coldly furious. The episode is also exceptional at subtly building tension. Now that Kaneki has his memories back, he’s walking a very unstable tightrope; we are told very little about how the CCG is adapting to the change. What little we do see, however, suggests that the organization is none too pleased. By failing to address this issue, the show puts us in Kaneki’s shoes, unsure of where he stands and how safe he actually is.
The New Opening
It’s nice to have TK from Ling Tosite Sigure back for the opening, “Katharsis,” which both feels and sounds a lot like the first season’s “Unravel.” It’s incredibly nostalgic, from both an auditory and a visual perspective. There are some beautiful metaphors established via body language and on-screen motion, most notably the sequence detailing Kaneki’s mental and physical journey since the beginning of the series. The Tokyo skyline from the first opening makes a reappearance, this time drenched in blood. The bright blue background of the sky that both opened and closed the first OP also closes out “Katharsis.”
These are not the only images from “Unravel” that are echoed in “Katharsis.” Rize, of course, makes a reappearance. My favorite shot is almost a mirror image of the moment she releases her kagune in “Unravel,” cracking the glass behind her as blood spreads across her white dress. This time, however, it’s Kaneki releasing his kagune, moments after Rize, again in white, reaches out to offer her hand. The visual parallel of these two moments is a powerful one.
The Cons
If you’re a fan of the manga, Part 2 of :re so far feels a lot like Part 1. That is to say, the major story beats are there, but they’re compressed and a lot of the supporting information is cut out or only mentioned briefly. That’s not unusual for Tokyo Ghoul; all but the first season lost material on the cutting room floor to accommodate the anime’s short seasonal length. While the faster pace does work quite well for the show, there are still elements that feel rushed or lacking development.
How Does it Measure Up?
The first episode brings in some familiar faces and some major plot twists, along with a few good character moments and some pretty slick fight sequences. There are some huge events to come in the manga, and I’m very eager to see how the anime plans to handle them. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.
