When exactly everything changed?
Tokyo Ghoul is probably one of the first series that come to anime fans' minds when someone mentions things going wrong. Season 2 is considered to be a disaster due to its deviation from the manga and overall low quality.
But it wasn't always like that.
Tokyo Ghoul used to be a popular phenomenon, loved by thousands of people, and even now a lot of newbies are recommended to try this series out if they're into something dark and gory. The amount of merch and the popularity of Kaneki and his mask also hint at the fact that this series is not just a big old disappointment.
No matter how hated the second season of Tokyo Ghoul is, fans strongly agree that the first one was really amazing. A secret world of ghouls, frightening creatures that look like humans, a regular teenager who's about to experience all sorts of anguish, charismatic characters and stunning action. What's not to like?
The story starts with Kaneki scoring a date with a girl. The boy just wants it to go well and take the girl to dinner, but fate is cruel for the main protagonist, and he becomes the said dinner instead. While trying to escape the alluring ghoul, Kaneki gets injured which makes him luckier than his date: the girl dies. In the hospital, a doctor transplants the ghoul's organs to the boy, and this becomes the turning point in his life: he's now half ghoul and half human. The story explores Kaneki's struggle to stay human despite the blood craving that his ghoul half forces him to have.
The first season, while deemed not entirely perfect by the manga fans, was still considered a success. The brutal gory vibe combined with beautiful art style and deep character drama worked pretty well for the audience. And the opening has become so iconic that anime fans around the world will probably recognize it from the first couple of seconds.
The main theme that permeates all Tokyo Ghoul conversations is the fact that the manga is much better.
Fans are extremely upset that the series never got the anime adaptation it deserved. The story got them really caring for all the characters and Kaneki's journey. They point out that Tokyo Ghoul has such a unique vibe that is different from so many repetitive shows.
It's been a long time since everyone stopped talking about Tokyo Ghoul but the feeling of disappointment is still present. Some fans have hope, though, that this phenomenal manga will get another chance of having an anime adaptation in the future, and we genuinely hope that if it ever happens, the result will be worthy of the manga.