Tokyo Ghoul: re - Volume 8 (Review)

By: EyeSpyeAlex

Tokyo Ghoul Volume 8 is out and things are more heated than ever! Need to catch up? Check out my previous review here!

The Story

Volume 8 resumes with Kaneki’s fight against Arima. The master and mentor are evenly matched. It’s anyone’s guess who will win this fight!

Back on Rushima, we get some backstory on how Naki and Miza teamed up. We are also treated to some of Torso’s backstory. We learn that he and Mutsuki share a common bond. They both killed their respective families.

On the other side of the island, Abara prepares to fight Miza and is soon ambushed by Kurona. The two ghouls taunt Abara for being abandoned by his squad. Luckily Suzuya shows up and proves Abara’s point: Suzuya does not abandon his men.

Back at CCG headquarters, Arima and Kaneki continue their fight to the death. With Arima’s quinque destroyed, it seems like Kaneki has the upper hand. That is, until Arima drives the broken quinque right through him. In the tense moments that follow, Arima asks Kaneki if he will try to kill him. When Kaneki admits he has no intention of killing his mentor, Arima slits his own throat.

With his dying breath, Arima spills his guts (figuratively) to Kaneki. He explains how he, Furata, and Hairu are botched experiments. Everyone from Hakubi Garden is has one ghoul parent. The result is that all the offspring have heightened human abilities, but also age and die quickly. Before he takes his final breath, Arima asks Kaneki to tell everyone that Kaneki killed him. Kaneki agrees to fulfill the dying man’s wish.

Maru shoots Washu, suspecting the man of being not only a ghoul, but the head of V. Much to his dismay, his hunch is correct.

As Touka and the others rush to escape the CCG headquarters they are halted by investigators Kiyoko Aura and Mougan Tanakamaru. It seems like the special investigators will win, until Squad Zero shows up to lend the ghouls a hand. The squad members tender their resignation as they obliterate their former coworkers.

Squad Zero shows up to pay their respects to Arima, and to help Kaneki escape. As the group makes their way through CCG headquarters they stumble across Takatsuki, who is mortally wounded. She tells Kaneki that by killing Arima, Kaneki has taken on the role of One-Eyed King.

The Review

Wow. There’s a lot to unpack in this latest volume of Tokyo Ghoul: re. This isn’t necessarily a good thing either. All of the plot points are difficult to follow. It feels like Sui Ishida wrote themself into a corner and felt the need to progress everything at once. This would be fine if the other side stories made any progress. However, it feels like the Rushima subplot was entirely unnecessary for this volume.

On top of that, the issue between Washu and Maru feels like it was slapped on as an afterthought. The CCG being run by ghouls is a HUGE thing that has major implications for the world at large. Something like this deserves care in ensuring the issue is tackled in a way that doesn’t totally ruin the Tokyo Ghoul universe. I’m hoping Sui Ishida gives it the attention it deserves.

There’s also the issue of Mutsuki and Torso. While I enjoy exploring both characters’ backstories, it didn’t make me feel any sympathy towards either of them. There is definitely an attempt made to blur the line that separates Mutsuki and Torso, but it fell flat for me. Sorry, but collecting tongues and cutting off limbs just aren’t my cup of tea.

Still, there is a lot that this volume of Tokyo Ghoul: re does right. I feel like Arima’s character arc was given the ending it deserved. It feels right having his story end with Kaneki’s new beginning. I am excited to see how this passing of the royal title affects ghoul alliances.

Tokyo Ghoul: re Volume 8 treats us with some killer illustrations as well. Sui Ishida does a wonderful job of capturing the fine details in each character’s face. I especially enjoy the deranged looks he gives Furata earlier on in the volume.

All in all, this is a pretty solid volume. I am excited to see how the story will continue in Tokyo Ghoul: re Volume 9!

Fans looking to add Tokyo Ghoul: re Volume 8 to their manga collection can find more information here.