Sheep Movie Review: Tokyo Ghoul S (2019)

The ghouls return to North America this September with “Tokyo Ghoul S” the next thrilling live-action adaptation – true to the original manga and the sequel to the original 2017 movie. “Tokyo Ghoul S” opens Monday, September 16 in 400 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. The film will have a three-day limited theatrical run (September 16, 18 & 20) and will screen in Japanese with English subtitles.

Tokyo Ghoul S (2019)

September 16, 2019 (USA)
Directors: Takuya Kawasaki, Kazuhiko Hiramaki
Adapted from: Tokyo Ghoul
Story by: Sui Ishida
Cast: Masataka Kubota, Maika Yamamoto, Kang Jiyoung, Shota Matsuda, Nobuyuki Suzuki
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Runtime: 1h 47m
Now a member of Anteiku, Ken Kaneki grows closer to the ghouls around him. Determined to protect his new home against anti-ghoul forces, he trains his powers in secret. But when the infamous gourmet, Shu Tsukiyama, wishes to savor some half-ghoul flavor, Kaneki's training is put to test of a lifetime.

WHEN: Limited theatrical release - September 16, 18 & 20, 2019

WHERE: 400 theater locations across the U.S. and Canada.Check local listing for specific showtimes which vary by location.

I reviewed the first film Tokyo Ghoul (2017) when it came out and loved it! So I was excited to find there was a sequel. Like I said in my review of TG1 (Review: Tokyo Ghoul (2017), I haven't read the manga or watched the anime. But it's one I need to read because I love the horror and fantasy aspect. Point is, I went in without expectations and had a blast watching. So Tokyo Ghoul (S) had a lot to live up to.

Tokyo Ghoul (S) (2019) is not as good as the first, but it is still a rocking movie! The story is about The Gourmet, a psycho of epic proportions, and from what I can tell, sticks close to canon. Ghouls eat humans to survive and the morality of this is explored. Kaneki struggles with his ghoul half. He is learning ghouls, like humans, can be good or evil. The movie focuses on the relationships between Kaneki and his ghoul family as well as a ghoul/human relationships.

The Gourmet character is over the top crazy. He is fixated on eating Kaneki. His actions compare to someone with a sexual obsession. It is part creepy and part silly, but I liked him as a protagonist. The film is heavy on the gore factor...duh, it's about monsters that eat humans!

The Tokyo Ghoul (S) doesn't have as much humor as the first and I missed that. But this one is much darker, which I liked. There aren't as many special effects in TG(S) and the CGI quality is not as good as the first movie. We only see Kaneki use his kagune (defensive weapon) once at the very end.

Tokyo Ghoul (S) is worth watching if you loved this first one. If you love horror/fantasy movies check out both TG movies! Oh, there are subtitles if that matters to you. They don't interfere with my enjoyment of a movie.

4 "smelling" Sheep

SharonS

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Selah's Manga Mania Reviews: Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 1 by Sui Ishida

Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 1

by Sui Ishida

March 17, 2015

224 pages

Demographic: Seinen

Original run September 8, 2011 – September 18, 2014

Volumes: 14

Genres: Manga, Horror fiction

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.

I’m way late to the party on this, but I have to give it a shout out because it’s one of those series that I’m reading right now, and it’s just so good. I fought reading it for a while because I’d given my time to a few long series, but man, Tokyo Ghoul is definitely one I’m glad I started reading.

In a world where ghouls masquerade as humans to eat them, Ken Kaneki goes out with Rize, and finds out too late that she’s only interested in him as actual dinner. When a car accident leaves her organs in his body, he becomes half human, half ghoul – something the world hasn’t seen so far. The story takes the reader on Kaneki’s journey as he fights his urges, struggles to learn the inner workings of ghoul life, and tries not to get caught by the agency stalking the ghouls.

 The good: It’s a really well-developed world and story. It’s easy to empathize with Kaneki, from his shyness to his wanting to do the moral thing, to just sympathizing with how hard the situation is for him. I also really like the stance this takes that he isn’t alone because he’s not one thing or the other – he’s got power because he is both. While there are the standard feelings of isolation subplot, it really works to show that there are people around him, ghoul and human (even if the humans don’t know what’s going on). Those that help him at the café he ends up working at (which is a front for the ghoul community in their area) are really nicely developed characters and so far don’t seem to be there just to fill the roles of “girl” and “mentor,” etc. The agents in the group that’s hunting them also have diverse personalities and obsessions, as well. Everything is more or less a shade of grey, which I love. The ghoul physiology is interesting, and the way it’s integrated into the “real” world works for me. I have to admit, I’m impressed.

The bad: Nothing that leaps out at me, but I’m only three volumes in. The set-up happens fast so you pretty much know going in what’s going to kick start things, but that’s not really a negative for me. I expect a story like this to meander as it introduces new characters and challenges, but so far it’s not wandered too far from the core story, but used everything to enhance it. So really, I can’t think of anything overtly bad that I’ve seen.

 

The Ick: I’ve not seen anything hugely graphic so far, but if cannibalism gets to you, there are a few panels. It’s not anything beyond typical zombie fare, and there are some gory fights and deaths along the way. Presuming you’re picking this up because you’re into horror, though, it’s likely not going to be a deal-breaker.

5 half-ghoul sheep

About the Author:

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Selah Janel is a writer who is trying to start doing that again instead of reading manga all the time.

Sheep Movie Review: Tokyo Ghoul (2017)

Tokyo Ghoul (2017)
Tôkyô gûru (original title)
29 July 2017 (Japan)

Director: Kentarô Hagiwara
Writers: Sui Ishida (manga), Ichirô Kusuno (screenplay)

Cast: Fumika Shimizu as Tōka Kirishima

Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki
Nobuyuki Suzuki as Kōtarō Amon
Yo Oizumi as Kureo Mado
Yuu Aoi as Rize Kamishiro

1h 59min

Action, Drama, Horror
Ken Kaneki is a bookworm college student who meets a girl named Rize at a cafe he frequents. They're the same age and have the same interests, so they quickly become close. Little does Kaneki know that Rize is a ghoul - a kind of monster that lives by hunting and devouring human flesh. When part of her special organ - "the red child" - is transplanted into Kaneki, he becomes a ghoul himself, trapped in a warped world where humans are not the top of the food chain. (from manga)

Holy sheep this movie is a lot of flocking fun! Let me start out by saying I haven't read the Tokyo Ghoul manga or watched the anime. I'd seen some images online but didn't know anything about the plot. And from what I've heard, prior knowledge of Tokyo Ghoul could affect how much you like the movie.

anime Kaneki

live action Kaneki

Apparently, the movie doesn't explore the deep moral issues Kaneki has to deal with since he is part human and part ghoul. And the manga is a lot more violent and gorier than the movie. But by focusing on the action element they have made a movie that will appeal to a wider audience...like me! This is a case where the intensity of the trailer is a reflection of the movie.

Ghouls are human flesh-eating "monsters" that look human. There are some bad ghouls that see people as livestock but there is a group of ghouls trying to coexist with humans and have found an alternative method for getting flesh. An organization called the CCG (Commission of Counter Ghoul) hunts down and kills ghouls. Ghouls and their culture are a bit like vampires, but they need flesh instead of blood.

(left) Touka is one bad ass ghoul!

Ghouls have a special organ called a kagune that emerges from their back and can be used as a weapon (you can see them in the trailer). Ghouls can have different looking kagune. High-quality CGI effects were used to create the ghoul's kagune looks great.

There is some humor throughout, but Tokyo Ghoul is a drama/horror/action film. You are laughing one minute and then things take a drastic turn. There are some excellent choreographed fighting scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat. The writers went with lots of blood instead of gore. I don't remember seeing a rating, but it probably falls in the low R rating...some scenes are pretty intense.

The movie was action packed and exciting. Sui Ishida (creator of Tokyo Ghoul manga) has created a dark and exciting supernatural world.

And just in case you didn't realize. The movie is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Here are some YouTube links to scenes from the movie:
Exclusive Tokyo Ghoul The Movie Theatrical Clip - "Training with Touka"
Tokyo Ghoul: The Movie - Official Clip - Ghouls Among Us
Tokyo Ghoul: The Movie - Official Clip - Dinner Date
Tokyo Ghoul: The Movie - Official Clip - The Mask We All Wear
Tokyo Ghoul: The Movie - Official Clip - Flavor of Fear


4 1/2 "ghoulish" Sheep

SharonS