I first get to know Tokyo Ghoul from a friend who recommends it to me. Although it is stated horror as the genre I decided to gamble and watch... and honestly I get more than what I expected. I am currently reading the manga to catch up (and because I just can't wait for the second season teehee). Here are what I think..
Story 7/10
Honestly having a character that is half human and half something else (that is not human) is not so original anymore. However, Tokyo Ghoul (I'm referring to both manga and anime) did good execution in the setting. Ghouls, who are somewhat like vampires who can't survive without human meat and blood, were first portrayed as the bad guys... but when our protagonist Kaneki got into an accident and transformed into a half-ghoul, it appears that ghouls are not what humans think they are. Ghouls have feelings too, they have family and friends, but they also have their own internal problems.. The exploration on both human and ghoul sides is done very well, making us the audience who knows what happened on both sides got agitated (at least I did) hoping they will somehow get to understand each other because they do have some similarities.
The story starts light in the cafe but starts gripping you, deeper and deeper. Both manga and anime manage to mess with your psychology and emotions, definitely not something you will forget. I do notice they decided to switch the arcs, but as someone who watches anime first and then reads, it doesn't matter so much to me.
Character 7/10
Honestly, I feel the character design for the main characters might be quite generic (at least for Kaneki and Touka), but not the characters themselves. Kaneki is introduced as shy, somewhat closed yet kind-hearted, somewhat naive and always blaming himself, but when we got to know him and his back story, it makes sense why he acts like that. At the end of the anime he got a major character - I won't say development, it's a - transformation, and the reasoning I can accept it.
I find Touka to be a somewhat typical bad-ass hot-tempered girl. I am okay with some characters and I do hate several.. the good thing is Tokyo Ghoul has a wide range of characters. All the characters here, no matter how annoying they might be, have roles to play in Kaneki's growth as well as in moving the story forward. I'm still reading so I'm waiting for some more surprises and revelations.
Art 8/10
It has very interesting art. While the drawings in the manga are good, making them into colored, moving images and animated makes them even better especially in action scenes. I like how the color contrasts greatly with each other and darker colors - there's a word for it, "chiaroscuro" if you know art and drawing. It suits the mood of the show, which is dark and somewhat grey.
I didn't expect Studio Pierrot to produce something like this so well (coughnarutobleachcough). The character design is the same as the manga which is very relieving for the manga readers. The animation is mostly good, battle scenes with kagune and quinques are smooth... effects like explosions, sparks, and rain are well-done too, although I am kinda annoyed with the sensors - black or white spots suddenly popping here and there (while in the same time, I'm quite saved by it since I got a weak heart)
Sound 8/10
Another good aspect of this anime is... the sound. The opening is very good! It's catchy (still playing in my mind now) also the meaning of the song lyrics fits perfectly with Kaneki and what this show is about. The OST is quite ok..
I give so high marks for sound in respect of the seiyuus - Kaneki's seiyuu's Natsuki Hanae-san in particular.. in the last 3 episodes his voice acting really got me to feel Kaneki's emotions (ok I'll stop here so I won't spoil..)
Enjoyment & Overall 8/10
It's been a while since I watched such intense and emotional anime.. I am amazed and horrified by it at the same time, but overall I enjoy it. It is not a horror where there are scary ghosts, it's more psychological with disturbing gruesome scenes that stir your emotion.
If you haven't read the manga at all, I suggest you watch first then read it. That way you will enjoy it better because Tokyo Ghoul is, in my opinion, a good anime and as you read you will find out more about the characters, details, and explanations which are all dropped in the anime.
If you have read the manga, lower your expectation and just enjoy the show~
