Manga Review – Tokyo Ghoul Vol 1 by Sui Ishida (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Older Teen
Genre: Manga/Horror
Length: 224 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Release Date: June 16, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1421580364
Stand Alone or Series: Vol 1 in the Tokyo Ghoul series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in the Tokyo Ghoul series. This series is released in the US up to volume 4 right now. This was a good start to what looks like is going to be an intriguing manga horror series.

Ken Kaneki is a shy boy who likes to read. Then a girl named Rize whom he’s been crushing on asks him out on a date. Unfortunately for Ken, Rize is very literally only interested in his body…that is in eating his body. After the fight between Ken and Rize ends in disaster Ken finds himself waking in the hospital with Rize’s organs transplanted in his body to save his life. As Ken starts to take on ghoulish characteristic he finds himself in the unique position of being half ghoul and half human. Ken is quickly drawn into the ghoul world only to find he is hated by both ghouls and humans alike.

This was a good start to a new horror manga series. I liked the complexity added to Ken’s character and enjoyed him as a character overall. Some of the side characters are interesting as well. This story does have some very typical (eye roll inducing) shounen elements; like boys ogling girls breasts, scantily clad females, etc. but it those parts weren’t all that frequent.

The story is somewhat violent and gory, but not awful. I enjoyed the world of ghouls and humans living side by side and am interested to see what this story develops into.

The illustration is decent. It’s not as beautifully detailed as Black Butler or Vinland Saga, but the drawing is well done and easy to follow.

Overall this is an intriguing start to this horror manga series. I enjoyed the premise and the characters. The story is just getting started. The illustration style is well done but not exceptional. I will definitely continue reading this series. I would recommend to those who are interesting in horror shounen. I would also recommend Deadman Wonderland for those who are enjoying Tokyo Ghoul.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge