‘Tokyo Ghoul’ Director On Why Season 2 Went So Wrong

Tokyo Ghoul fans have a love-hate relationship with its anime adaptation, and that is no secret. Since the franchise was licensed for a series, fans have vocally scrutinized every element of its production, and that fact was made clear when season two debuted. To date, Tokyo Ghoul √A remains a controversial blip in the anime fandom, but there is a story behind the season fans should hear.

After all, the director of Tokyo Ghoul is speaking up about his tenure on the anime, and he has something to say about the season many pretend never happened.

Recently, Shuhei Morita did an AMA Chat with fans on Reddit, and it was there the director opened up about Tokyo Ghoul. One fan asked what exactly went down with Tokyo Ghoul √A, and Morita said its canon-divergent plot was okayed by creator Sui Ishida; However, the branching story got muddled when executives began poking around its plot.

“In order to complete Tokyo Ghoul √A‘s aim of Kaneki joining Aogiri, we needed to make some changes. Ishida-sensei also urged me to change stuff and go a different route, which is where a lot of the anime came from,” Morita said.

“We had a massive bubble of ideas, but as to not affect the lore of the original manga, it constantly felt like those ideas were being chipped away at by those above me. I tried my best, and I honestly don’t have any regrets given the movement space I was allowed.”

Morita isn’t alone in his interest as Tokyo Ghoul √A does have its followers. The season basically acts as an alternate telling of Ishida’s manga, and its dark premise is intriguing. Still, diehard fans wrote off the adaptation because of its non-canon status, and Studio Pierrot was bashed for its rushed animation on its episodes. The director may not have any regrets about Tokyo Ghoul √A, but a very real (and very negative) shadow does loom over the controversial season. So, maybe Morita’s honest answer about its creation will ease those fans who steadfastly bash the season even today.

Did you see the second season of Tokyo Ghoul? Does it deserve all the hate it gets? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!