Why Tokyo Ghoul Wasn’t Successful In Its Creator’s Eyes

It has been a hot minute since the world was first shown Tokyo Ghoul. If you did not know, creator Sui Ishida thought up the horrifying supernatural series some years ago, and Tokyo Ghoul had a vice grip on readers as its anime went live. A few mishandled seasons prompted Tokyo Ghoul to end with little fanfare, but the manga by itself still stands at a top-tier read. But if you were to ask Ishida, he does not consider Tokyo Ghoul a success.

The revelation came this week courtesy of Ishida himself as he spoke withAnimania and Manga Passion. It was there the artist talked about his ongoing series Choujin X. However, fans were quick to double-take when Ishida got on the topic of Tokyo Ghoul.

“As far as the premise is concerned, I don’t really consider Tokyo Ghoul a success. For me, success is when I get the feeling that I drew something good. When I think about it, I don’t actually demand for it to be well received in society or that many people like it. So success for me is whether I can praise myself for it or not.” Ishida explained.

Clearly, the creator of Tokyo Ghoul is not talking about success in terms of profits and sales. There is no denying the manga and anime made bank during its time given its popularity both in Japan and internationally. For Ishida, he feels like Tokyo Ghoul wasn’t very successful as its story and art were lacking in his opinion. We know many fans would argue against that belief but it is how Ishida feels. So even with all the money it made, Tokyo Ghoul isn’t seen as a success to Ishida because the creator cannot praise himself for making it.

If you have never given Tokyo Ghoul a try, you can always brush up on the finished series. The anime is available to binge on Hulu as well as Crunchyroll. The Tokyo Ghoul manga can be found in stores or online through the Shonen Jump app. So for more info on the series, you can read the official synopsis of Tokyo Ghoul below:

“Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way – except their craving for human flesh. Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.”

What do you think about Ishida’s take on Tokyo Ghoul after all these years? Do you still stand by the manga? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.