Tokyo Ghoul: Days (Novel)
Written by Shin Towada
Original story by Sui Ishida
Published by VIZ Media
Tokyo Ghoul is a familiar title to our site. We reviewed the anime a while back, and are now reviewing the manga. The series is practically a household name in the horror anime and manga universes. This time we’ve got something a little different for you since we’re taking a closer look at Tokyo Ghoul: Days, a novel based in the Tokyo Ghoul universe.
There are many moving parts to the original series, and an equally sizable amount of characters. As we said in our review of the Tokyo Ghoul anime, it can be difficult to give all of the series’ players ample amounts of time. There were many in the anime that we felt could have had a better shot at the limelight. It was obvious that there was more to their stories lurking just beneath the surface. Thanks to Tokyo Ghoul: Days, we have a chance to see just a few of those extra tales. Granted, most are focused around fairly main characters from the regular series, like Ken Kaneki, Hideyoshi Nagachika, Touka Kirishima, Hinami Fueguchi, and Shu Tsukiyama (the gourmet). Even still, the content of the novel fleshes out the personalities of these humanoid flesh eaters. While none of the stories contained within this volume are going to turn the Tokyo Ghoul universe on its head, they are still fun to read.
Needless to say, if you haven’t read the original Tokyo Ghoul manga, or watched the anime, you will have a hard time following the stories in Tokyo Ghoul: Days. This is meant to be a companion novel to the others. It’s for those who read the manga and/or watched the anime and just couldn’t get enough. It’s for those that are still reading the manga and waiting for the next volume to publish. It’s for those who just wanted a change from the mostly visual nature of the manga, and wanted a novel to add to their reading list. Whatever the reason for picking up Tokyo Ghoul: Days, it stands to reason that you have an adequate understanding of the series already. If not, you’ll want to wait before giving this one a read.
There’s a slight twist to the format of Tokyo Ghoul: Days that gives it some literal life beyond the text. Every chapter has around four or five illustrations, ranging from full page to smaller frames within the text. They directly correlate to what’s happening in that chapter, and add just another small layer to the tales. The front of the novel also includes a fold-out color illustration that’s double sided. One depicts Touka and Hiname at a library, the opposite side shows some of the other characters in Tokyo Ghoul: Days. This fold-out could probably be separated from the book and either framed or simply hung up on a wall. The artwork is done in a sort of watercolor style that would look great as a conversation piece.
The text of the novel itself is 225 pages long, so not a record breaker by any means. It’s the right size for a short companion piece to a larger series. There are six stories in Tokyo Ghoul: Days, ranging from a variety of subjects and moods. Some of the tales are heartfelt, while others harrowing.
Since Tokyo Ghoul: Days is so short, we don’t want to ruin the content for you dear readers. Here are just a couple samples of what’s included in the tome. There’s the relatively sweet variety, like when Kaneki and Touka take Hiname to the library to pick up some books for her to continue to learn to read. Unfortunately, Hiname also learns some harsh truths about life as a ghoul in a human world. Then there’s a gory tale from Tsukiyama’s past. He’s better known as the gourmet of course. He meets a young girl that intrigues him to no end, which leads to her witnessing a gruesome moment in a hospital.
While the Tokyo Ghoul: Days novel is short, it definitely is appealing to fans of the original series. The stories contained within it are short and sweet, but generally feel longer than they actually are. The subjects range from simple and heartfelt, to macabre and horrifying. There’s bound to be something for every type of Tokyo Ghoul fan in Days. For some light reading related to a series you already enjoy, Tokyo Ghoul: Days is definitely worth picking up.
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Novel
Categorized:Reviews
