Tokyo Ghoul ep6: is there no bond in this show not formed through trauma?

I have to say that a show has accomplished something when it makes me care about monsters that generally massacre and devour humans. I’ve said before that I love the world of this show and its possibilities. This episode just goes one step further in showing why I’m loving this world so far, though I can’t say I’d ever want to live in it. Well played.

What a fluid ecosystem this show has so far. I’ve read many a manga and watched many a show that makes the mistake of telling and not showing. It takes more involvement from the creators of the media the less production is put into a piece of entertainment. It takes more effort to paint a picture with words, than to actually paint a picture. So in no way am I “poo-pooing” books. Nor am I saying those who put in the effort but made the mistake are incompetent. I just feel that in a way it’s not the best method. So much of the world and backstory of this show is painted with the words and actions of the characters. A character dies in this episode, and he is a father in a bad circumstance. It’s classic story of a man pinned down by his very own talent, and the intimidation of an overwhelming force. We don’t get much of anything in the way of his backstory, or even the poor bum’s face. What we get are the people he was forced to leave behind (or send away), as representatives of how good a person (or ghoul) he was. We got to know these people, and experience his loss through them. And experience the loss of one the two through the other. It’s a very rough thing to see someone become orphaned in a day. Even more so when you kinda get to like them. Even if at this point, you can break down their character into a vehicle to push the show’s emotions onto the audience. Still, I really felt this episode and how it ended, even with the short story arc we’ve seen for this family. I do wonder how things will turn out for the now orphaned Hinami.

Moving on, the mysteries in this show are slowly starting to melt away, but as usual, there are plenty of questions to replace the old dead ones. We now see “Jason’s” true identity. Though you may have been able to guess three or four episodes agao, there is no doubting it now. The guy is a real beast, and it’s interesting to see “doves” get bested for the first time. It seems someone like Jason is just out of their reach when it comes to a head on confrontation. With the guy so intensely interested in hunting ghouls himself, while being a ghoul, I do wonder what his motivation is. I could be over thinking this, and the guy may just want a good workout, but the guy also seems to have a fetish for cracking bones, too.

We also learn watching the “doves” on the attack, what is in their suitcases. I suspected it would be some holy implement, something blessed by monks at a shrine or something. But it is quite the opposite. Somehow, someway, they are fighting ghouls with what appears to be the special ghoul flesh itself. They all take on their distinctive fleshy, veined characteristics of a ghoul’s flesh when it uses its special abilities.  It strikes me as a pretty savage technique, but then again, when you don’t respect the existence of creatures that by their nature use you and only you as their food source, I’m not too surprised.  I’m sure if wearing the skin of slain ghouls gave the government agents special powers or protection, they’d find a way to do that, too.  Doing something savage doesn’t mean you’re doing something bad, especially when you take into account how it affects your survival ability.

It felt like there was a very low amount of Ken and Touka exposure in this episode, which I believe is fair.  The beginning of this episode was a climax to a huge fight between them and the Gourmet.  And I’m glad to see something came out of it aside from just survival.  For one, it looks like Nishio is officially part of the group.  He’s working at the cafe, and appears to be grateful for having his human girlfriend saved.  This situation really is so strange.  And I wouldn’t blame people for thinking so.  It’s pretty much like seeing a cat date a mouse.  Still, if he has gone through all this to keep her safe his precious Kimi safe, then I suppose it helps negate some of his predatory tendancies in the past.  Keeping things in perspective, there’s probably no one in the ghoul society who hasn’t killed a human and eaten them, aside from Ken.  Then there’s also the words Ken said to Touka during her bloodlust filled standoff with him, Nishio and Kimi.  What Ken did was right and admirable in my opinion, by bringing up the bond the three ghouls in the room had with a separate human.  It brought some fairness and clarity to the situation.  Kimi is in the same position as the other two humans who are friends with her and Ken.  In fact, she knows more than the other two by far, yet maintains a far more intimate relationship.  At the moment, she’s far from the actual problem.  Still, those word stung Touka, and Kimi’s choice of words upon seeing her also shook her.  I suppose Touka’s not too great at taking compliments.  Perhaps she’s never been called beautiful before?  Either way, she has a lot to contemplate.  And her and Ken are due for a little space after her taking a bite out of him.  That also has to weigh on her mind as well.  She seems to be handling that well, but that’s a lot of power that she was wielding the night before.  Perhaps we’ll see that power wielded against Jason?  Hmmm, it’s too soon for me to likely be guessing.

I will get back to one last thing though; that final scene between Hinamori and her mother was really such a good, sad, cruel scene.  One of my favorite of the year.  Maybe I’m a softy because I’m a dad, but it’s what I’ll most remember about the episode.

Further Reading:

• Tokyo Ghoul ep5: this is getting on the kinky side