Review by Ian Keogh

There are obvious exceptions, but at least with so many Japanese serials translated into English the feeling is of the creator milking their cash cow too long, a likelihood positively encouraged by the system of serialising chapters within anthologies. Sui Ishida seemed to have kept expanding the cast to ensure longevity for Tokyo Ghoul, yet this is the final volume.

On balance it’s the right decision. From the beginning Ken Kaneki has been central and if Tokyo Ghoul is considered to be his story, then it makes sense to draw a line here.

In Tokyo Ghoul 13 the CCG began their mission in Ward 11, following up on reports of a cafe being the headquarters of the local ghouls. Tokyo Ghoul 13 ended with Kaneki not wanting to fight, but finding the streets blocked by CCG troops, and Ishida picks up immediately with the conflict that’s been building almost from the start of the series between Kaneki and Amon, CCG official. On the face of it, it’s hardly going to be a fair fight, even with Amon armoured, but Ishida foreshadowed the way of evening the odds in the previous volume.

So much of this volume is the battle that’s been building for so long, and as noted in the reviews of every previous volume, Ishida may be a technically excellent artist, but when it comes to choreographing battles he’s poor. It’s often difficult to figure out what’s happening, which means all too often it’s just a succession of striking images on the page.

As a finale what’s supplied works extremely well as far as a couple of characters are concerned, while leaving too many others built up over the series, but left dangling, their presence unfulfilled. One of them is Suzuya, who at least gets another flashback, as does Kaneki, which leads to a surprising and not necessarily consistent moment of self-awareness. However, anyone expecting answers to what Dr. Kano is really up to, and the fate of several of the cast is going to be disappointed.

Where Ishida’s instincts are spot on is this being the correct place to end the series. Were it to continue, repetition would be inevitable. However, it seems the choice Ishida has made is to close off here and investigate the bigger picture with a new cast in Tokyo Ghoul: re. It doesn’t entirely diminish what’s been done over thirteen previous volumes, but it hardly underscores it in glory either.