Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul
Company type	Manga series
Industry	Manga, anime, entertainment
Founded	September 8, 2011; 15 years ago
Founder	Sui Ishida
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Products	Manga, anime, light novels, video games, live-action films

Tokyo Ghoul is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series created by Sui Ishida, who both wrote and illustrated the work. It was featured in Shueisha's seinen manga publication Weekly Young Jump from September 2011 until September 2014, compiled into 14 volumes. The English-language rights for North America are held by Viz Media.

The narrative takes place in an alternate Tokyo where humans and flesh-eating ghouls coexist. It centers on Ken Kaneki, a university student who transforms into a half-ghoul and must carefully balance the intricate social and political conflicts of this world while striving to retain his humanity.

A prequel titled Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] was published digitally on Jump Live in 2013 and later collected into a single volume. Its follow-up series, Tokyo Ghoul:re, ran in Weekly Young Jump from October 2014 to July 2018, spanning 16 volumes.

The franchise expanded with a 12-episode anime adaptation by Pierrot, which aired on Tokyo MX from July through September 2014. This was succeeded by a second 12-episode season called Tokyo Ghoul √A, featuring an original storyline, broadcast from January to March 2015. Additionally, a live-action film debuted in Japan in July 2017, followed by a sequel released in July 2019. The anime adaptation of the sequel manga, Tokyo Ghoul:re, aired across two seasons during 2018.

By January 2021, the Tokyo Ghoul series had surpassed 47 million copies distributed worldwide, placing it among the most successful manga series globally.

Setting

Tokyo Ghoul unfolds in an alternate world where ghouls—beings resembling humans but subsisting solely on human flesh—live covertly among the human population to evade detection by authorities. These creatures possess superior physical abilities such as increased strength, speed, stamina, and regeneration, generating four to seven times more kinetic energy than humans. Their bodies contain abundant RC cells that can instantly harden, making their skin resistant to conventional weapons. Each ghoul develops a unique predatory organ known as a , used for combat purposes. When agitated or hungry, ghouls exhibit a distinctive mutation called , characterized by black sclera and red irises.

Half-ghouls emerge either naturally as offspring of ghoul-human unions or artificially through organ transplants. They generally exhibit greater power than pure ghouls and display the red-eye transformation in only one eye. Naturally occurring half-ghouls are uncommon; artificial creation attempts have low success rates. There are also half-humans—hybrids without Kagune but possessing enhanced capabilities and shorter lifespans—who can consume regular food like humans. Certain natural half-ghouls have the ability to eat both human and ghoul food.

Plot

The plot follows Ken Kaneki, an eighteen-year-old college student who survives an attack by Rize Kamishiro—a ghoul—after she is fatally injured by falling girders. Following emergency surgery involving transplantation of Rize's organs into his body, Kaneki becomes a half-ghoul compelled to consume human flesh. He is taken under the wing of ghouls operating the coffee shop "Anteiku" (あんていく), who assist him in adapting to his new existence while concealing his identity from human acquaintances such as Hideyoshi Nagachika.

The prequel Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] delves into the early investigations of Kishō Arima and Taishi Fura as they tackle ghoul-related crimes, with Taishi eventually joining the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul), the government agency dedicated to combating ghoul threats.

The sequel series Tokyo Ghoul:re follows Kaneki after suffering amnesia due to brain trauma caused by Arima. Under the alias Haise Sasaki, he leads the "Quinx Squad," a group of CCG operatives who have undergone procedures similar to Kaneki’s that grant them ghoul-like powers while allowing them to maintain their human lives as they battle ghouls.

Manga

Created and illustrated by Sui Ishida, Tokyo Ghoul was serialized in Shueisha's seinen publication Weekly Young Jump from September 8, 2011, through September 18, 2014. Shueisha gathered the chapters into fourteen volumes under the Young Jump Comics label, with releases spanning from February 17, 2012, to October 17, 2014. In North America, Viz Media secured the licensing rights and published the volumes between June 16, 2015, and August 15, 2017.

In 2013, a prequel spin-off manga named Tokyo Ghoul [Jack] was digitally launched on Jump Live. This seven-chapter narrative centers on Kishō Arima and Taishi Fura, set twelve years prior to the main storyline. Shueisha issued it digitally as a standalone volume on October 18, 2013. Viz Media later licensed and distributed it digitally on September 26, 2017.

The final volume was accompanied by a full-color illustration book titled Tokyo Ghoul Zakki, released on October 17, 2014. This artbook includes promotional visuals, volume covers, and previously unseen concept illustrations along with commentary from Ishida.

Following the original series, a sequel manga called Tokyo Ghoul:re was serialized in Weekly Young Jump from October 16, 2014, until July 5, 2018. Set two years after the conclusion of the initial series, it introduces fresh characters. Shueisha compiled this sequel into sixteen volumes published between December 19, 2014, and July 19, 2018. Viz Media licensed Tokyo Ghoul:re, releasing its volumes from October 17, 2017, through April 21, 2020.

Light novels

There are four light novels associated with the franchise, all penned by Shin Towada with illustrations by Sui Ishida. The first novel, Tokyo Ghoul: Days, debuted on June 19, 2013, offering side stories that explore characters’ everyday experiences. Released on June 19, 2014, Tokyo Ghoul: Void bridges the six-month interval between volumes eight and nine of the original manga. The third installment, Tokyo Ghoul: Past, which came out on December 19, 2014, delves into the histories of significant figures such as Touka Kirishima and Ken Kaneki. Lastly, Tokyo Ghoul:re: quest, published December 19, 2016, is set during the timeline of Tokyo Ghoul :re and focuses on the Quinx squad and the CCG.

Anime

The anime adaptation produced by Pierrot consisted of twelve episodes and aired on Tokyo MX from July to September 2014; it also broadcasted across TV Aichi, TVQ, TVO, AT-X, and Dlife. The opening theme was "Unravel" performed by TK of Ling tosite Sigure; the ending theme was "The Saints" by People in the Box. Funimation acquired North American licensing rights for this series. The second season titled Tokyo Ghoul √A aired from January to March 2015 featuring "Munou" by Österreich as its opening theme and "Kisetsu wa Tsugitsugi Shinde Iku" by Amazarashi as its ending theme. The insert track "Glassy Sky," composed by Yutaka Yamada, marked the franchise’s first English-language song.

In March 2017, Adult Swim's Toonami programming block announced plans to begin airing the series starting March 25. For Australia and New Zealand markets, Madman Entertainment obtained licensing rights with simulcasts available via AnimeLab. Anime Limited secured distribution for the UK and Ireland and later confirmed broadcasts on Viceland UK.

The anime adaptation for Tokyo Ghoul:re was officially announced in October 2017 and premiered on April 3, 2018. Toshinori Watabe took over directing duties from Shuhei Morita; Pierrot handled production with support from Pierrot+. Character designs were managed by Atsuko Nakajima. The first season featured an opening theme "Asphyxia" by Cö shu Nie and an ending theme "Half" performed by Queen Bee. It ran for twelve episodes until June of that year. The second season aired between October and December 2018 with opening song "Katharsis" by TK from Ling tosite Sigure and closing theme "Rakuen no Kimi" by Österreich.

Video Games

Bandai Namco Games introduced Tokyo Ghoul: Carnaval Color for Android on February 6, 2015, followed by an iOS release on February 9. This title enables users to assemble teams composed of ghouls and investigators while navigating a three-dimensional map. Another installment, Tokyo Ghoul: Jail, debuted on October 1, 2015, for the PlayStation Vita. It is an adventure RPG that centers on a new lead character named Rio as he investigates Tokyo’s 23 wards.

In 2018, the mobile game Tokyo Ghoul: Dark War highlighted the ongoing battle between ghouls and the CCG within Tokyo. The franchise further expanded with the launch of Tokyo Ghoul: re Call to Exist in November 2019, available on PlayStation 4 and Windows via Steam.

In March 2025, Behaviour Interactive revealed a partnership with the Dead by Daylight video game, introducing Ken Kaneki as a playable Killer character beginning April 2.

Live-Action Films

A live-action adaptation of Tokyo Ghoul premiered in Japan on July 29, 2017, under the direction of Kentarō Hagiwara. The film starred Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki and Fumika Shimizu as Touka Kirishima. Supporting roles included Yū Aoi portraying Rize Kamishiro, Nobuyuki Suzuki as Kotaro Amon, and Yo Oizumi in the role of Kureo Mado. Its sequel, Tokyo Ghoul S, was released on July 19, 2019. Maika Yamamoto took over the role of Touka Kirishima from Shimizu, while Shota Matsuda joined the cast as Shuu Tsukiyama.

Art Exhibition

To commemorate the anime’s tenth anniversary, an art exhibition named Tokyo Ghoul EX. is planned at Tokyo’s Warehouse Terrada G1 Building from October 21 to December 1, 2024, and subsequently at VS. Grand Green in Osaka from December 14 to December 29, 2024.

Reception

Tokyo Ghoul has garnered both critical praise and commercial triumph. It was shortlisted for the 38th Kodansha Manga Award in 2014 and featured in Comic-Con International's Best & Worst Manga of 2016. The Young Adult Library Services Association included it in their lists of "Great Graphic Novels for Teens" and "Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults" in 2017. Additionally, it received a nomination for Best Manga at the 30th Harvey Awards in 2018 and placed 41st in TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo poll in 2021.

From a sales perspective, Tokyo Ghoul ranked as Japan’s 27th top-selling manga series in 2013 with sales exceeding 1.6 million copies. By January 2014, cumulative sales reached around 2.6 million copies and surged to approximately 6.9 million by the end of that year when it stood as the fourth best-selling manga series domestically. The original series ultimately sold over 12 million copies. Its sequel, Tokyo Ghoul:re, moved more than 3.7 million copies during its initial year (2015) and climbed to about 5.3 million by 2017. Together, both series had a combined circulation surpassing 24 million by June 2017, which expanded to roughly 34 million globally by January 2018 and reached around 37 million by July of the same year. Between December 2017 and December 2018, franchise revenue totaled close to ¥2.3 billion, ranking it sixteenth among Japan’s highest-grossing media franchises. By March 2019, total circulation hit approximately 44 million copies and exceeded 47 million by January 2021.

The series faced regulatory obstacles affecting its distribution; notably, in June 2015, China’s Ministry of Culture banned Tokyo Ghoul √A along with several other titles. In February 2021, reports indicated that some Russian websites prohibited access to the series due to insufficient age restrictions. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, Sony suspended operations of Crunchyroll and Wakanim within Russia, effectively ceasing official distribution of Tokyo Ghoul there amid international sanctions and boycott measures.

External links

official manga page hosted by Weekly Young Jump