Tokyo Ghoul Volume 14

The final volume of the main series is pretty predictable thanks to the lead-up in the previous book. Kaneki faces off with the fiercest fighter of the CCG, Arima, while several investigators launch an attach on Yoshimura. As the CCG finally begins to feel confident in their domination, the One-Eyed Owl appears, leaving the fate of everyone hanging in the balance.

The final volume of the main series was bittersweet. There is a lot of action in this volume so it is very important to have all the characters memorized, or you might be confused. For that reason alone I am grateful that Ishida includes a summary of characters in each volume (except this one, of course!)  I had an easier time in this volume, possibly because it is the final volume and Ishida made sure to introduce the different characters and their positions. Overall, I wish I had more to write about but I don’t since this volume is just a spill-over of the mess from volume 13. Given that, I’ll just gloss off a few points, briefly.

Ken Kaneki fulfills his martyrdom fate in this volume; some readers may find that disappointing while others will feel closure with the decision to kill off his character. There is a lot of action in this volume but if you’ve been following the series closely, you’ll know it is formulaic and the only show-stopper here are the showdowns with the One-Eyed Owl and Kaneki(in two separate fights, in case that isn’t clear). When Kaneki meets his end, it’s a little bit difficult to stomach because I was hoping he’d get to fulfill his intention to protect everyone. Since he dies, it’s unclear if he accomplishes anything at all.

Kaneki knew his interference was unwanted because Yoshimura and the others wanted the other younger Ghouls to live. Of course, Kaneki is stubborn and insists on heading to the action even though death is inevitable. This can make him look pretty hardheaded, but it is understandable. His life as a Ghoul was a sadistic twist of fate where he lost everything he had as a human. He had to live with the sense that he did not belong because he was unlike the other Ghouls. He didn’t want to eat humans, but I’d say it is because he was human and had a deeper understanding of them having lived most of his life in that state. After great punishments and misfortunes, Kaneki eventually became more embracing of his Ghoul fate but he still remained a sympathizer to humans. Ideally, he would probably have preferred a life where humans and Ghouls lived together peacefully, but due to his brash actions he won’t get to see that world take shape.

Final Word:

I was relieved that this was the final volume. Although Tokyo Ghoul is an enjoyable series, Ishida needs to work a little bit on the pacing. Some sections of the series are slow while others are too fast to follow. A happy medium would be much appreciated as a reader. I enjoy that the series has a huge cast of characters; however, it just adds to confusion if you forget a detail from a few volumes back. I was also a little pissed that Kaneki ran in to fight when he knew those dying for him wanted him to find somewhere safe to stay. This would have enabled the author to keep going with the main series to close up any remaining questions readers may have had after reading volume 14. Of course, I can’t imagine Kaneki dying any other way. Although he managed to make friends and adjust to life as a Ghoul, it is obvious that he was a tortured soul. It is only suiting that he would die trying to help those who helped him embrace his new life. At least now, nobody is trying to eat him. 

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