A Gourmet's Choice Meat
- Episodes : 101 minutes
- Genre : Action, Supernatural, Dark Fantasy, Horror
- Airing Date : Sept. 16, 18, 20, 2019 (US Theatrical Release)
- Producers : Shochiku, Geek Sight
Contains Spoilers
Tokyo Ghoul S Introduction and Story
Tokyo Ghoul S takes place shortly after the first movie. Ken Kaneki has begun to adjust to his life as half-ghoul and half-human but continues to want to become stronger. Touka continues to train Kaneki daily in the way of martial arts and using his ghoul powers correctly and Kaneki begins to show signs that his skills are indeed improving. Meanwhile, a growing concern is filling the public’s eye when a string of murders begins to hit all coming from a ghoul only known as The Gourmet. As Kaneki struggles to find his place in the world between human/ghoul he befriends a young man named Shuu Tsukiyama who understands Kaneki’s inability to find those with tastes like him and begins to show he could be his ally in more ways than one. Tsukiyama is far from normal though and after a dinner invitation, he cuts Kaneki and runs off to the bathroom to smell his blood. It becomes quite apparent that our “friend” wants Kaneki for reasons other than hanging out with a fellow intellectual.
Kaneki is later asked to join Tsukiyama in a place known only to fellow ghouls as a Ghoul Restaurant but is betrayed by his so-called friend and seen as a new piece of food for the patrons to enjoy! Luckily, CCG was tracking Kaneki and ends up raiding the restaurant allowing him to escape. Recuperating at the cafe, Kaneki learns the reality of ghouls becoming less caring as they begin to enjoy death, killing and living a life of a demon. Tokyo Ghoul S continues from there by having our half breed deal with former foe Nishiki Nishio who has become weaker due to his battle with Kaneki and his girlfriend who happens to be human but knows of his ghoul background! Kaneki has a long discussion with Kimi—the mentioned girlfriend—who explains that if the tables of life had been reversed she would live the same life as Nishiki and be forced to survive by any means necessary.
With much to chew on, Kaneki returns to the cafe to find a letter from Tsukiyama claiming Kimi has been abducted by him and wishes for Kaneki to meet him face to face. Despite this being an obvious trap, Kaneki wishes to show he’s not afraid and heads to the meeting place with Nishiki who wishes to get his girlfriend back from the Gourmet. After a bit of narrative—and some early beatdowns from Tsukiyama—Touka rushes in and helps the trio fight the gourmet. A long battle ensues and thanks to the training gained from Touka and his experiences so far; alongside his allies, Kaneki takes down Tsukiyama and rescues Kimi. Kimi is almost taken down by Touka for knowing their identities but after some choice words from our human, Touka backs down and allows Nishiki to save his girlfriend. Our movie wraps up with Nishiki joining the cafe with Kaneki and even compliments our main man by saying his kindness might lead to him saving another person's life later on. Touka goes to school to meet her friend and despite her hatred of food, eats her friends meal and smiles wrapping our film with smiles from our main girl herself. Overall, Tokyo Ghoul S was an incredible film that nailed the source material in multiple ways! Below we have some reasons why you absolutely need to see Tokyo Ghoul S and a few reasons you might want to pass on it entirely. Though let us be honest, if you loved the first film...you’re going to love this one too!
Exclusive Clip from Tokyo Ghoul S | Honey's Anime
1. Great Fight Scenes
One thing we loved about the first Tokyo Ghoul live action movie was the impressive fight scenes. Tokyo Ghoul S follows in tow with some impressive choreographed fights with Kaneki stealing the show. Even when the ghoul fights come into play. If you loved the first films epic fights as much as we did, Tokyo Ghoul S will please you.
2. Very Human Storyline
One element that has been a staple of the Tokyo Ghoul series is the way it makes humanity bleed with supernatural. Are ghouls bad for needing to kill humans as food, is it wrong for a human to love a ghoul and can the two co-exist? Tokyo Ghoul S gives viewers a nice look at a multitude of angles as you watch Kaneki meet with various characters—both ghoul and human—as they explain what their beliefs are and why.
3. Impressive Acting Once Again
What made Tokyo Ghoul’s live action adaptation so powerful wasn’t just the special effects or attempt to create a semi-close adaptation but the acting. Tokyo Ghoul S has our original cast return to reprise their roles and they knock it out of the park with their care to make these characters their own. Kaneki and Touka do the best in their roles but equally even the side humans/ghouls do a great job as well.
1. Feels like the Anime a Bit Too Much
Usually we as anime fans love when live actions stick to the source material as much as humanly possible. In the case of Tokyo Ghoul S, while we are happy they attempt to do this, the end result feels like re-watching episodes 4-6 of the first season with just a few elements changed. The first film kept it close to the source material but equally crafted its own version of Tokyo Ghoul’s story. Tokyo Ghoul S stays a bit too close to safety by trying to cater to the original anime/manga earlier chapters.
2. Not Enough Action!
Alright, we’re being picky here, but we really wish Tokyo Ghoul S had a bit more action. While the final fight was decently long and there were some nice moments in between, where was the fight between Kaneki and that giant ghoul in the restaurant?! There was a great amount of fighting in Tokyo Ghoul S overall but maybe because it’s done so well that we kind of wished there was more to witness that hurts our hearts a bit.
Final Thoughts
Tokyo Ghoul S is how a sequel movie should be. Not only are the acting, special effects and adherence to the source material done quite well, but the movie is enjoyable and exciting from beginning to end. Even our minor issues aren’t really a reason you’d want to skip on Tokyo Ghoul S—in our opinions—meaning if you loved/liked the first film, then the you should watch the sequel as soon as it releases! Are you excited to see Tokyo Ghoul S in theaters or on Blu-Ray?! Comment below to let us know why or why not! Even more anime reviews, movies and anime articles are waiting for those who continue to stick to our hive here at Honey’s Anime!
Author: Aaron