Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Tokyo Ghoul: Re – Part 1 (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray Disc Review)

A wonderful continuation of the “Tokyo Ghoul” series, watch Kaneki (who has lost all his memories) now as Sasaki Haise as a member of CCG, going after ghoulsa wonderful continuation of the “Tokyo Ghoul” series, watch Kaneki (who has lost all his memories) now as Sasaki Haise, a member of the CCG, going after ghouls, a group that he was once fought for.  If you are a “Tokyo Ghoul” fan, “Tokyo Ghoul: re” is recommended!


TITLE: Tokyo Ghoul: Re Part 1

ANIME RELEASE DATE IN JAPAN: 2018

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 16×9, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English Dolby TrueHD 2.0

COMPANY: Funimation

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: May 28, 2019


Originally Created by Ishida Su

Directed by Watanabe Toshiori

Series Composition: Mikasano Chuji

Music by Yamada Yutaka

Character Design by Nakajima Atsuko

Art Director: Otsuzuki Manabu

Anime Production: Pierrot


Featuring the following voice talent:

Hanae Natsuki/Austin Tindle as Ken Kaneki (Haise Sasaki)

Ishikawa Kaito/Adam Gibbs as Kuki Urie

Amamiya Sora/Brina Palencia as Touka Kirishima

Hanamori Yumiri/Brittany Lauda as Miza Kusakari

Kawahara Yoshihisa/Bryan Massey as Matsuri Washu

Namikawa Daisuke/Christopher Wehkamp as Kisho Arima

Uchida Yuma/Daman Mills as Ginshi Shirazu

Asanuma Shintaro/Eric Vale as Nishiki Nishio (Orochi)

Miyamoto Mitsuru/Garrett Schenck as Mirumo Tsukiyama

Jeannie Tirado as Kanae von Rosewald

Kugimiya Rie/Maxey Whitehead as Juzo Suzuya

Tachibana Shinnosuke/Micah Solusod as Seido Takizawa

Fujiwara Natsumi/Mikaela Krantz as Toru Mutsuki

Seto Asami/Morgan Garrett as Akira Mado

Sakura Ayane/Sarah Wiedenheft as Saiko Yonebayashi

Todd Haberkorn as Ayato Kirishima


Two years after the raid on Anteiku, Ken Kaneki lives a steady life as an officer in the CCG. His memories wiped, he clings to a new identity and a taxing responsibility as the leader of the CCG’s experimental Quinx Squad. This unruly team of humans uses ghoul powers to fight, and while Ken struggles to improve their teamwork, familiar faces stir his memory, unearthing a truth that could shatter the peace he holds so dearly.


Back in 2011, Ishida Sui  created the manga series “Tokyo Ghoul”!

Set in Tokyo, Japan, the story of “Tokyo Ghoul” is set during a time when many mysterious and grizzly murders are happening throughout Japan due to monsters known as ghouls.

Monsters that like to eat human flesh and monsters who can change themselves to look human.

We are introduced to college students, Kaneki Ken and his friend Hide.

Ken is a big fan of horror novels and he often goes to a cafe to see another girl named Kamishiro Rize who likes horror novels.  And because of their similar taste in authors, the two go out on their first date.

And while the date is going very well, things suddenly take a turn when Rize reveals herself to be a ghoul.

Taking a bite out of Ken and impaling him and preparing for the final kill, out of nowhere, a metal beam falls from above and crushes Rize.

As the two are taken to the doctor, the doctor avoids waiting for family donors and takes Rize’s organs and transplants it into Ken.

As Ken heals and is lucky to be alive, he begins to notice that every food he eats and tastes is terrible.  He can’t understand why until he learns that ghouls have that similar problem and he knows that the only way to satisfy his hunger is to kill and eat human flesh, which he will never do, as he intends to maintain his humanity.

But as Kaneki tries to keep his humanity and thinking that Ghoul’s are just savage monsters, he befriends a few Ghouls who take him in, understands his hunger for human blood but also understanding his unwillingness to accept being a Ghoul and not wanting to be like them.

Helping him are Kirishima Touka, a ghoul working part-time as a waitress in Anteiku; Yoshimura, the manager of Anteiku; Hinami, a 13 to 14-year-old ghoul whose mother was killed by ghoul investigators, Renji (a ghoul who works as an expert coffee brewer), Koma Enji, a ghoul working as a waiter at Anteiku and Irimi Kaya, a ghoul who is a waitress at Anteiku.

But the more he hangs out with the Ghoul’s, the more he stars to learn about the Doves, humans that are no different from savage ghouls that want to eliminate all ghouls.

As for the police force investigating ghouls is the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG) who are pursuing ghouls and in “Tokyo Ghoul √A”, the series focused on the battle between the CCG and the Aogiri which was led by the One-Eyed Owl.

The CCG received volunteers of humans willing to become half-human with a restrained kakuhou installed on their bodies and are known as Quinx.  They are not ghouls or one-eyed ghouls.

The series ended with the war leading losses on both sides and with Kaneki heading for the CCG.

This leads to “Tokyo Ghoul: re” which is set two years after the ending of the “Tokyo Ghoul” series and the first episode kicks off with a Quinx squad leader named Urie Kuki and his underling Shirazu Ginshi searching for the ghoul serial killer, Torso.

As they go to apprehend Torso, another strong ghoul shows up, his name is Orochi.  And taking on Orochi is Sasaki Haise, Kaneki Ken’s new identity after he lost all his memories and is now a member and ace of the Mado Squad, and a mentor for the Qinx Squad.

From time to time, Haise receives glimpses of Ken which starts to unlock his powers as a ghoul, which leads the CCG to use RC suppressors to calm him down.  While facing Orochi, Haise has a hallucination of Kaneki Ken telling him to “accept” him in order to kill Orochi.

Orochi calls Haise “Kaneki” and immediately, Haise’s memories star to flicker back but the CCG agents manage to tranquilize him.

Sasaki starts to worry that these memories of his past self were returning.

Will Kaneki’s memories return?  And which side will he support?


VIDEO:

“Tokyo Ghoul: Re” is presented in 1080p High Definition and 16×9 Widescreen. As expected from a TV series, there is slight softness, but the for the most part, the anime compliments the manga series quite well. Colorful, vibrant and a good job of depicting the action sequences and violence.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Tokyo Ghoul: Re” is presented in Japanese Dolby True HD5.1 and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0. The series is primarily dialogue-driven with music coming crystal clear through the front channels. But both soundtracks are well-acted.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tokyo Ghoul: Re Part 1” comes with the following special features:

  • Episode 1 Audio Commentary – Mike McFarland (ADR Director), Austin Tindle (voice of Saisake Haise/Kanaki), Adam Gibbs (voice of Urie Kuki) and Mikaela Krantz (voice of Mutsuki Toru).
  • Episode 12 Audio Commentary – Mike McFarland (ADR Director), J. Michael Tatum (voice of Tsukiyama Shu), Lindsay Siedel (voice of Eto) and Daman Mills (voice of Ginshi Shirazu).
  • Tokyo Ghoul: Re – A Conversation with Cast & Crew – Mike McFarland (ADR Director), Austin Tindle (voice of Kanaki), Daman Mills (voice of Ginshi Shirazu) and Sarah Wiedenheft (voice of Saiko).
  • Promo Videos
  • Textless Opening and Ending

EXTRAS:

The Blu-ray release comes with two DVD’s and a Funimation Digital Copy code.


For fans of “Tokyo Ghoul”, this third season to the anime series is quite entertaining as we get to see the people from the other side, within the CCG as Kaneki is now a different person due to his memories being erased and him accepting the new identity, Sasaki Haise.

And while Sasaki is one of the ace’s of the Qinx, he also struggles with his former persona, Kaneki Ken, wanting to come out.

And as Sasaki is not aware of his ghoul self, he worries that if this past persona returns, it may drive him away from his current family of friends within the CCG.

While there are Ghouls that they go after, for those wondering if Kaneki’s former friends will show up, the series primarily focuses on Kaneki as his new persona, Sasaki Haise and his adventure with his new friends and family and their missions of going after stronger ghouls.

Needless to say, the anime series does segue to a season four, courtesy of the revelation in the final episode of the “re” finale.  It leaves a lot of us who have enjoyed the anime series wondering about what is next for season four and when it will be released.

Overall, a wonderful continuation of the “Tokyo Ghoul” series, watch Kaneki (who has lost all his memories) now as Sasaki Haise as a member of CCG, going after ghouls, a group that he was once part of.

If you are a “Tokyo Ghoul” fan, “Tokyo Ghoul: Re” is recommended!