Tokyo Ghoul is a franchise marred by success. Its blinding transition from a spunky seinen hit to the #1 bestselling manga of the 2010s was an unexpected delight for Sui Ishida, the series' young mangaka. When it came to a sequel, though, he struggled to keep going. As Ishida details in the afterword of Tokyo Ghoul: re Vol.16 -- the series' final one -- the pressure and strict deadlines of serializing such a popular manga overexerted him, and he fell out of love with the story. This led to some serious health problems, including (in a way morbidly reminiscent of Ken Kaneki) Ishida losing his sense of taste.
So, with Ishida withering away in hallucinogenic woe, it's quite astounding that he was able to salvage the manga and produce a decent ending to the series. The final volume of Tokyo Ghoul: re contains the best and worst of Ishida's work, dazzling us with amazing art while teasing us with lost potential. Fans won't be disappointed by the finished product, but there'll always be the feeling that the series could have been so much more if it weren't rushed to a desperate conclusion.
The volume wastes not a single panel establishing a conclusive battle. Fighting to save Tokyo from Dragon, the apocalyptic kakuja monster, the Ghoul-CCG alliance clash with both the Clowns and the mysterious "V" organization. We're treated to a bunch of highly anticipated fights, such as Kaneki taking on Furuta, Renji confronting Uta, Amon battling Donato, and the former Arima Squad clashing blades with V. This is great stuff, but it's all thrown together very quickly. Ishida rushes to give each character a suitable ending, inevitably leading to some slipping through the cracks. V and the Clowns, enigmatic groups that Ishida had teased since the original manga, fly by in a speedy gust of chapters. Likewise, a few key plot points don't reach the heights they could have. The whole "ghoulification" saga is probably the most unfortunate of these.
If there's one character that is done justice, it's Tokyo Ghoul's tragic hero, Ken Kaneki. And, if you're forced to pick and choose, he's obviously the guy to focus on. While the larger battle rages in the Tokyo streets, Kaneki ventures into the heart of Dragon to stop the monster, treating us to some pleasant philosophy throughout. Tokyo Ghoul has long been underpinned by Kaneki's existential conflict: he questions why the world is the way it is and how he should deal with his tragic circumstances. This philosophy climaxes in his duel with Furuta, the primary antagonist of the series. With more breathing room, perhaps this would have gelled better with everything happening outside. In any case (and without giving too much away), we should be grateful that such an iconic character receives the ending he deserves, even if the rest of the cast are not fully realized.
While Ishida's narrative has degraded, his artwork has not. It looks the best it ever has in both Tokyo Ghoul and Tokyo Ghoul :re, a testament to his improvement as an artist. Each panel is dark, detailed and gritty, perfectly framing the apocalyptic feel of the story. Sharp, jagged lines make great use of the manga's monochrome aesthetic. In particular, the last few chapters paint a morose, fascinating portrait of Kaneki's inner conflict as he is swallowed up by the collapsing Dragon.
Tokyo Ghoul's ending is bittersweet. On one hand, it caps off a fantastic series with a well-done ending. On the other hand, we sample each beautifully drawn panel knowing that its mangaka didn't have their heart in the game, and when considering how rushed the final arc was, it's hard to argue that the ending couldn't be improved. Still, readers should be content. Disregarding a lackluster anime adaptation, the 16th volume of Tokyo Ghoul: re looks to be the proper last hurrah for the franchise, and it certainly isn't a bad one.
We must reiterate that Ishida's work is very impressive. Completing the series despite his health issues shows immense dedication, and he deserves thanks from Tokyo Ghoul fans. If he does return to manga, his next work will be eagerly awaited. For now, he deserves his rest.
