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I've read many reviews below, and I feel like they compare a lot back to the manga. I have not read the manga but I plan to soon. I think this anime deserves a lot more credit than it is given.

I agree with many that season one was a bit slow. Each episode felt like an hour instead of 20 minutes. The character build up took much longer than it should have. I found it quite difficult to sympathize with Kaneki Ken. He was this weak kid thrown into a new world and I was bored of constantly seeing him being pushed about. In ... the end came a big twist - this strong guy with a different aura (almost sexy not going to lie) and just like everyone else, we wanted to know what happened next. Enter - season 2. This season is full of action. I feel like Kaneki Ken doesn't speak much, we only really see him in battle. I like this though, it adds a bit of mystery, it makes you fall in love with his character even more and understand his struggle/change.

It’s a great story. I’m assuming a lot of the low marked reviews are due to the adaption of the story from the manga, and I can’t comment on that as I have not read the manga yet. My personal opinion is that the manga will always outshine the anime. You're not always going to agree with the way an anime is made. And, if you love the manga, you're always going to think it deserves more justice.

Story and Character – 8.5

Not going to go into lots of detail on the story as majority of the reviews explain it well. The story, for me, is very captivating. I’m sitting on the edge of my seat trying to guess what the next twist could be. I’m a huge Claymore fan and the half-monster, half-human aspect really shone to me. I can’t help but love Kaneki, and I totally understand his struggle as a weak human to one of the strongest ghoul. I think that struggle has been portrayed well throughout the story. There are some episodes where I think they wasted time which could have been put to better use. In particular the last episode. I'll be completely honest, I was not satisfied with it. There was too much silences, too much switching to different scenes - just stick to one bit. It felt like everything was building up - and then the storm didn't come. It was way too calm.

There are a lot of distinct characters. I don’t think they are given enough air time for me to appreciate truly who they are. Devil Ape and Black dog are prime examples. I only became aware of their strength during battle in episode 9. Prior that, they were workers at the coffee shop who joked around and seemed ordinary. I personally don’t like Tsukiyama. I get that his character is eccentric and a bit crazy. I don’t like how he bursts out in random French and English – it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It really lets the anime down and gives it that amateur look. I don’t like how investigators are thrown in to the episodes; Arima recently, Hachikawa and Moragn in episode 9. However, I get they are tight on air time and so they’ve thrown these investigators in with enough information for you to process that they are the “top dogs”. They are the head of a division and wear a different outfit, and have a weapon that is crazy. They are trying to help me digest the characters and I appreciate that. I wish there was more character development on Hide - especially as he is predominately in the last episode.

Other characters are given more air time and I can really see their development. Kaneki – we see his transition from this hopeless, weak boy, torn between two worlds to this strong, yet psychologically depressed character, who finally accepts his fate. I love that his character is more quiet and gives off this cool, calm aura in this season. He doesn’t speak often, he's seen weak and trembling in some scenes. We can see he is adjusting and still not use to his full power. I love that we get glimpses of him emotional and broken because it helps the audience connect with him. I think the portrayal of his character is amazing given the short amount of time. I would not have truly appreciated him had they not dragged out his weakness in season one. It was the best way to show me his development.

Touka in season one was stronger than Kaneki. It was like she was saving him, keeping him alive and then the tables completely turn. He is now stronger, he leaves because he wants to save the people he loves, so now he's protecting her. I actually feel sorry for Touka a lot, i can see she's lonely, misses him and shes thrown herself into studying to distract herself. I'm sure there's lots of women out there who have behaved similarly during breakups, etc - so I like how it all felt personal. It touches you because you can relate (mainly because I am a woman). Touka was the emotionally, weak person this season in comparison to season one where she was strong and independent.

Juuzou, although brief, we understand his character, why he behaves like that and how he joined CCG. We even get a brief intro on the twins. So, even though they have less time to play with, I think they really do try to help you understand the characters. Eto is done perfectly. I love her laugh and the way she is sitting there swinging her legs like a child. I love that scene after Kaneki explains he is joining Aogiri, where she disappears with the wind around him. I love Yoshimura telling his story – that episode – I completely zoned out. It was so gripping and then the intro music starts, and you snap out of it. This anime has great characters and the dialogue is amazing.

Art – 7
I think it’s drawn well. In some fight scenes – I wish I could maybe see a little bit more detail. I want the attacks to be more sharp, the camera angles moved a bit more and just have it all build up nicely to give a proper action feel. To me, it seems there's a lot of long distant camera shots, lots of smoke or fog during fight scenes - it takes the excitement and craziness away from it all.

However, I don’t think it’s poor or average. The art is above average but with a little more work, it could be epic.

Sounds – 10

I think the music is beyond amazing! Season one intro “Unravel” – my all time favourite anime theme song. It’s soft, it’s emotional, it’s rock – I just love it. Ending song “Seijatachi” is equally awesome. Season one is darker, psychological, full of violence and this is reflected well through the music. Season 2 is softer and reminds me of someone who is lost, confused, trying to find their way – and again this is reflected throughout. The intro – “Minou” is a beautiful, soft melody. “Glassy Sky” – is someone trying to find their way. "White Silence" – sounds like accepting defeat. "On My Way" - just reminds me of when Kaneki left to go on his path and he leaves everyone behind.

I love every song, they all have a meaning that is specific to the progression of the characters.

Enjoyment – 10

I really enjoyed watching this anime. I haven't been obsessed and dedicated to an anime like this in a loooong time. It’s dark, mysterious and psychological. The story is gripping, the script and the characters voices are spot on (I watch in Japanese with English subs for reference). I feel like I can emotionally connect with the characters. It all just feels very personal and that's why I love it so much. I agree, I was let down by the last episode, I was expecting A LOT more. But still, I loved the way everything was done. How it begins and ends with the same conversation in the coffee shop.

Overall - 8

I think it's an awesome anime. It unquestionably has not deterred me from reading the manga - it has in fact encouraged me to do so - and to do so quickly indeed. I love the psychological element to the anime and I think that is what makes the audience connect with the characters. The music is phenomenal. I personally love Kaneki dress sense and aura - he is so hot (totally fan girling him). I appreciate that this is a 12 episode season and so I guess I give consideration to that and try not too mark low. I haven't seen many animes but this is undoubtedly in my top ten. It's something that kept me on the edge of my seat, the 'one more episode' turns into 4 more. It's addictive. Loved it.