Why should you watch Tokyo Ghoul:re?
The story is Very Good (8). The question is… Did Tokyo Ghoul :re redeem the failure of its root a brother? I would say it did, but it could have been better. The reason for this statement is that, although :re did well with the story and presentation, it failed in its pacing. I have been reading the manga and it takes 3-4 chapters of the manga per episode. Please take note that each chapter of Sui Ishida’s Magnum Opus is filled to the brim with details and character build-up that would take time to fully adapt. So having 3-4 chapters congested in a single anime episode is too much. In the case or :re, it ended up taking the story and character build-up out of anime and focused more on the head-on battles among doves, quinx, and ghouls. Don’t get me wrong, I love some good anime fights and some of the best I’ve seen were in this anime, but have not enough build-up to back the battles up would end up in just a “generic” battle AMV style. This is what they should try to work on in the second season, even if it ends up as a patch to the mistakes of the previous Tokyo Ghoul anime.
Art is Very Good (8). The difference is clear when you watch the original Tokyo Ghoul anime and it’s :re counterpart. There was a huge bump in the budget this time and it shows in the details in the art per episode. It now has a refined feel to it which I like. I would like this to be kept in the second season and polish it even further.
The sound is Very Good (8). If there is one thing that Tokyo Ghoul Animation did right, it is on the sound department. Although not perfect, it captures how its universe should feel and is presented through the sound. “asphyxia” by Cö shu Nie continues the trend of an eerie vibe with the opening, and “HALF” by Ziyoou-vachi is just a perfect way to end each episode; a light, fun, yet pretentious wrapping up of the dread and darkness of the story.
Characters are Very Good (8). One of the strongest parts of the story is its characters. However, if they are not presented right they would fall into the land of forgotten characters. After watching all 12 episodes of :re, I could only count the number of characters that I remember. Most of them are remembered either because I watched the original Tokyo Ghoul, or have read the manga. This is bad, and this is the product of the fast pacing of the story. It’s hard to invest in characters if you do not let them build up and shine as the story progresses.
All in all, Tokyo Ghoul:re is an amazing story that everyone should try. But I would still recommend that you read the manga, and then watch the anime if you want to have a strong grasp of the characters and story. Or you watch the anime for the action-packed Kagune and Quinque battles then go to the manga for details. Either way, you need both to fully enjoy Tokyo Ghoul.
With that said, I would give Tokyo Ghoul:re 8 Shirazu Kagune missiles out of 10.
