Ah actually, I was wondering about that recently because, to me as well, only one arc left would seem… not enough considering the amount of things left unexplained/unexpanded on. So I’d love it if :Re could have at least two arcs left, unless Sensei intends on making a part III after :Re and, in that case, one arc before closure could work.
Like you, there are many things I want answers on, many encounters that have yet to take place and making them fit in just one arc could maybe make things rushed, which not something anyone wants.
That being said, I feel that, with the newest chapter, TG and :Re have for the first time finally been reunited as one story (as in, the loop is closed) so maybe Ishida will stop with parallels?
I mean, in the newest chapter Kaneki’s group was warned safely and no one is left behind at :Re to fight, so it’s already one thing that’s different from the Anteiku raid arc. The fact that the CCG is not as united as it was when Yoshitoki attacked the 20th ward is also a difference, although I get that a parallel with the Anteiku raid arc could be more general.
So anyway, I made a list of what’s left to cover and it’s kinda long, so like you I’m hoping for more than just one arc left if :Re is supposed to be the end of the TG series:
What’s V about? What’s the Washuu family’s secret? Why is the world described as a “twisted bird cage”?
What made Kanou initially betray the CCG (because they were “evil”)?
What happened in the CCG’s initial ghoulification experiments?
Why did Arima lie to Kaneki about the Washuus wanting to be more “human” when clearly they want to be more powerful ghouls?
What’s with the OEK 100 years ago? Is it still relevant?
What about the equivalent of the CCG in Germany? Do they have a role a play?
What about the 24th ward?
Who was Noro really? What did Eto do to him?
Will we ever know more about Ukina? About why she knew about V and was investigating them?
Why is Rize so special (I’m not talking about the fact that she’s a breeder, there is something else)?
What is the Clowns’ gang really after?
Who is Uta?
What happened to Hide after the sewers? And what happened to Itori?
Why did Kimi join Kanou?
Who’s Scarecrow?
Will Arata and Yoshimura ever be freed from their horrible fate? (I’d like them to be buried properly)
Who killed the Yasuhisa parents? (because it feels that it might not have been a random and unknown ghoul, I vote for Uta)
what about the things relating to
the origin of the ghoul species?
the disease of Shirazu’s sister?
Tsukiyama’s genetic condition?
Is there something else to learn about some investigators having “special skills”?
like the particular strength of the Kuroiwa family
and the intuition of Kureo and Akira
what’s Marude up to?
why did Kaneki become such a successful experiment? Is there a reason he accommodated so well to Rize’s kagune?
And these are just plot points (I might be forgetting some). I’m not even listing all the encounters that still have to happen (Donato vs Amon for example), as well as all the characters that might come back (Eto, Takizawa, Hide, Itori, maybe Matsuri and Kanou’s dead army).
So one arc seems impossible, unless it’s not made to be as the others. Honestly I wouldn’t be against one more arc and then a part III, since there is still so much to cover, but I’m leaving that for Sensei to decide.
Let’s stay hopeful Anon, I want to believe that Ishida won’t end his series with a good part of the plot still unexplained. 🙂
Have a nice weekend!
Ah, good point Anon! 🙂 I really can’t say this is a valid idea as of today, but after everything he’s been through I always thought that it would make sense for Kaneki to spend some time:
in the 24th ward, since Eto comes from there and we barely know anything about it (as in, we hardly even went there in the story)
with the Clowns, because of the fact they’re a mysterious group that always was very interested in Kaneki. The fact we don’t really know about their motivations/purpose is also what makes me wonder if Kaneki might fit in with them, since he always had an issue until now about fitting into the world in general (and they always seemed to represent a third side).
I can’t see Kaneki having amnesia again though, so if :Re ends but a third TG part is announced, I’d say :Re’s last chapter would be about Furuta/V winning the current chess game with a loud bang and Kaneki (and his allies) having to disappear for some time. Not very imaginative for the moment, I know. xD
That being said, I think I’d love for :Re not to simply end in one arc because we might be done with TG/:Re parallels: TG was a tragedy, as such it could have stopped with ch143 even if we didn’t have all our answers
(I was there when it was released and we didn’t know :Re would happen, the perspective was highly frightening but it made sense). :Re never was depicted as such though and as of ch122, the loop is closed, so maybe what’s left of :Re’s story won’t be a parallel to the Anteiku raid arc and we still have a few arcs to go.
Oh, and if you’re one to like symbolism and all the metas about the Fool’s journey, then please read this post by @linkspooky as it seems I’m not the only one who thinks the story will be over in just one arc. 🙂
Thanks for passing by Anon and have a nice weekend!
Hey Anon 🙂 Ah yes, it’s an interpretation I like, just like I like the one about the loop between TG and :Re finally being closed (and thus the parallels more or less stopping).
I also agree that an entirely new manga series might be dragging the plot (or at least might scare the readers into thinking that), although if it can allow us to know more about the ghoul vs human conflict outside of Japan, or if Ishida can use this new story part to delve more into any aspects of TG really, then I don’t mind. 🙂
Overall, TG’s pace is good and for now I never once got the impression that the story was dragging, so either way (:Re going past 14 volumes or a third part) I don’t mind.
Okay lemme expand on this crack theory a bit. Not only do I think Noro was a one-eyed ghoul, but possibly a former one-eyed king. Check it:
His missing eyes and nose were never explained.
All images of the original One Eyed King looked like a skull with his mouth covered. Revealing it exposed would be a dead giveaway that it was Noro if the lower half is intact.
Predicting that Kaneki would become a new King, Uta makes a mask with teeth as the focal point like Noro’s. Unzipping the mask causes the whole face to gape like Noro in death.
Noro was hiding in the 24th ward, where the OEK was rumored to originate from. Yoshimura also needed to put Eto in the care of someone who might understand her aka another OEG.
We also don’t know how Arima inherited the title of King. If he really did kill someone to get it, it would have to be someone we already know about. Noro was in his reach, and if he also wanted peace between humans and ghouls (as a OEG himself and a friend of Yoshimura’s), I see him as being willing to pass the title on to someone else.
Note the long hair and scar next to his left eye (the one Tatara said was wrong on Kaneki):
it’s a little different, but suspicious enough, especially with Noro’s eyes missing above and the second man’s eyes covered. Granted, the original OEK would have been too old to be Noro when he took Eto in, but it may have been passed down to him at some point.
It all comes back to the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Eto is the serpent who offers knowledge that brings suffering. This is seen principally with Kanae and Haise, who are severely tormented by the epiphanies Eto leads them to, but it also includes the Japanese (and even world) populace after her press conference and ‘Bileygr the King’. Their suffering in the conflict that erupts from the truth has already begun in the Clown Siege. Adam and Eve are seduced by the serpent, take the fruit, and them and all their kind suffer eternally because of it.
Furuta (*cough* FRUIT *cough*) is like if Adam had not only eaten the apple, but then used his newfound knowledge to topple God and take Eden for himself. He comes from the Sunlit Garden (of Eden), he knows how the system truly works, and now he’s using it for his own advantage. But although he hides it behind the mask of a clown, he’s suffering too, and he has a lot more to suffer before the series is through.
In her birthday art back in 2015, Touka was guarding the apple of knowledge for Haise. She had the power to unlock his memories, but chose not to, because (just like Haise’s memories), the apple does not only enlighten but brings immense torment to follow. Yet despite being aware of its dangers, Touka is still fond of the apple as deep down she does want Haise’s memories to return.
But in the end, having no reservations when it comes to causing pain, Eto is the one to indirectly grant the apple to Haise.
Thanks for the question, anon! One of these days I’ll write up a Biblical Reading of TG, where I’ll expand on a lot of the ideas I’ve talked about here.
Hey Anon and thank you very much for your help 🙂 but someone else already sorted the matter (see this post), so basically my thoughts on Mutsuki’s line still hold for now :3
Thanks for your help though, I really appreciate it!
Have a nice day/evening Anon!
Hello! As @coromoor explained here, for now Amon has the highest Rc count, followed by Seidou and Kaneki, but yeah we’ll see 😉
Keep hoping Anon and have a nice day 🙂
Hey Anon :3 And I’m sorry but…
Look at the emphasis on Furuta’s smile, down on the left side, he’s clearly manipulating Ui…
So yep, for now, I’d say the one he’s probably “the most friendly with” are the Clowns since they’re all a bit strange and with peculiar tastes (although loyalty might not be a real thing going on between Furuta and them) but I doubt Furuta will ever be really friend with anyone. Not even with Rize, since his intentions towards her are a bit… grim if we imagine things from her point of view, no matter how happy Furuta thinks he will be.
Too far-fetched for me, right now at least, sorry Anon.
mmmm MMMMMMMM I think in some ways yes, because its LONG overdue Kaneki and Amon working together. Amon was first introduced to the shady shit in the CCG by Eto with the Sphinx liquid and was thrown right into the middle of it when Aogiri kidnapped him and turned him into a half ghoul. His ‘rebellion’ (is that the right word?) against the CCG has been set up for quite some time so I’m highly anticipating where Amon’s character goes from here.
Eto’s interest in Amon is immediately suspicious considering how well she’s planned for the future OEK and manipulated… basically the whole of Tokyo, if not Japan, to set it all up. I know we as a fandom talk about Amon being a secondary candidate for Eto’s OEK, but I think it’s also worth thinking about the possibility she wanted Amon and the OEK to work together. With all of Eto’s plans to influence the public through her King Bilegyr book and Takatsuki Sen’s fame, Amon could also turn out to be a HUGE tool for influence within the CCG- something that Eto wouldn’t be able to have too much sway over herself.
Amon- well respected, overall adored by his peers, a rising star in the CCG, sacrificed himself during the Anteiku Raid for his allies. The CCG finding out what happened to him is gonna rock the boat for sure. Amon working with the OEK even moreso. As much as I love Seidou, killing Investigators and acting like the murderous animal that most humans think ghouls are really didn’t do him any favours in gathering sympathy for his situation from the CCG. Amon on the other hand doesn’t have those same barriers as (from what we know so far at least) ate ghouls rather than humans.
I think though it really depends on how much Amon and Kaneki are wanting the same thing for the future. Last time we spoke to a coherent Amon, he hadn’t wholly accepted the fact he was part ghoul. And Kakuja Amon mentioning Mado, Donato and exterminating ghouls
shows that he’s still conflicted, especially considering he hasn’t had a chance to move on from Mado’s death and the guilt that he couldn’t save him.
Kaneki’s interference stopped Amon from reaching Mado in time back in the Rabbit Arc, just like Amon stood in the way of Kaneki reaching the Manager in the Anteiku Raid. I’m hoping in their conversation in the upcoming chapters that they will be able to come to an understanding but it really depends on how it goes and whether their goals align. No matter how desperate each of them were to speak to the other, the look they gave each other last chapter was pretty intense. Akira is in the same boat with Hinami and Rabbit with Goat too.
I went a bit off track (oops) but I think eventually Amon and Kaneki will work together although I’m looking forward to a bit of angst and tension before that
Remember when Eto held the press conference to announce that she, Takatsuki Sen, is a ghoul? & we see a number of characters watching the broadcast on TV, each from their own location?
Do you remember the panel with Tatara?
This one?
It haunts me.
I don’t think Ishida-sensei ever draws something randomly. There are smaller details that we’ve come across before that were put in the chapters to imply something. This is not one of them; this is not a small detail. It is a huge, double panel, drawn precisely in this manner. It wasn’t meant for us to discard it, or argue about it having significance or not. It was clearly drawn because it is significant and it is trying to tell us something important.
And it haunts me.
In this panel, and the way it was positioned in the chapter, shows that Tatara is aware of the live broadcast of the press conference that Eto was holding. We know for a fact that the Aogiri members that Tatara was leading on Rushima were listening to that broadcast in their shared hideout. We saw it.
This panel seems to imply, to me at least, that Tatara purposely left the hideout upon hearing the broadcast, and did not want to listen to it.
One way or another, he knew what Eto was about to say. It is now clear [after the Cochlea arc] that everything Eto did was well studied and planned. It is even clear that Tatara (& Arima) were aware of it, and helped planning it.
It seems, again to me, that Tatara left the hideout, not because he knows what Eto is about to say, or because he did not want to listen to Eto. He left the hideout because what Eto was about to say was something he has trouble accepting.
Although he agreed on the plan Eto has devised – ending Aogiri to pave the way for the new OEK to rule, Eto letting herself be taken in by the CCG, etc.. – Tatara clearly was mourning.
He is seen gazing into the skies, probably in agony. He knew that this conference is but the beginning of the end, and that he cannot do anything to stop the events that will lead him to lose his subordinates, his life, the group he lived with through out those years… and the person he loved the most, Eto.
In a sense, this panel is but a rare event to show the feelings that Tatara held. He has always been a stoic, rather cruel character, devoid of emotions. We barely got any insight about his character, unless through the omakes. This shows that he has been struggling despite of his loyalty and acceptance of the plan that is to be unveiled… that he was cruelly killing his own feelings, for the sake of Eto’s schemes.
I am not sure if the issue of those stitches will ever be resolved. However, they look somehow symbolic of Tatara’s feelings being sealed. We assumed those are Eto’s doing because she was in control, because she did the same to Kanae. It only fits the metaphor more. The words that Tatara was denied expressing because of the threads sealing his mouth are a simile to the emotions and feelings that he had to brutally step on, in order to follow Eto’s plans. I am not hinting at Eto being evil and cruel to Tatara. I am saying that Tatara did this willingly, out of his own volition.
Perhaps, the cruelest part of this analysis is the ultimate revelation that Tatara may have had feelings for Eto. Him abandoning the hideout to gaze at the skies is also a way for him to stay on his feet, and not crumble down. The conference was but a consistent reminder that Eto is in captivity, and that the end is near…
The conference was but a grim reminder that..
He lost the person he loved, probably the only person he ever loved…
Forever.
Without having the chance to confess, or even … bid any farewell.
Forever.
I think it is rather cruel and unfortunate, yet masterful from Ishida-sensei that one panel .. one single panel… can have that much depth. It will haunt me, forever.
Oh Anon, lmao, but I don’t deny that, not at all! 🙂 After all, as an author, it’s natural for Ishida to use a lot of different tools, be it for the characters, the world building and settings, in order to write a good story. So him using Eto for different aspects, like he used a lot of other characters, is kinda mandatory otherwise there wouldn’t be any story.
I get that you’re bitter about Eto, but isn’t it normal to use a character in order to develop other characters? Isn’t that what dynamics between characters are all about? Giving you another example, isn’t Ishida currently using a lot of different characters (Ayato, Irimi, Hirako, Touka) to emphasize on the fact that Kaneki has to change, if he wants to really act properly as the OEK and deal with his issues
(so they’re here to help him develop)?
You choose to focus on Eto and give a negative interpretation to the huge significance she has in the whole series because you didn’t really like what Ishida did with her character, but that makes you biased Anon, sorry, since it was natural and expected of Ishida to use her character in order to develop other characters (Kaneki mainly) who also have a big role to play towards the ghoul vs human conflict.
Eto is one of the major reasons :Re took the turn it did and she has a very important role overall in the series, no one can deny that, but she’s not the only significant character nor is she the one the story revolves around, so I’m sorry if you don’t like that fact or how Ishida wrote and dealt with her, but there is nothing I can do.
Personally I like TG and I like :Re, even if I wouldn’t call the series perfect, but if you don’t happen to enjoy the series anymore it’s okay, you’re definitely not the only one, and so maybe you should take a break from it?
Let me just remind you that negativity isn’t welcome in my askbox and you can find all my thoughts about Eto in her tag, so just so you know I don’t intend on starting any other arguments about Eto’s character.
If you don’t like TG or think Ishida is a crappy author, well then take a break, it’s as simple as that. 🙂
Have a nice day Anon!
Hey Anon and thanks for your thoughts 🙂 Well, I couldn’t agree more with what you heard recently, haha!
Personally, I really like and believe in this concept, since characters exist within the plot directly as themselves but also through their dynamics to other characters indeed. I mean, just taking what a character development is, it generally happens because of other characters or because of events triggered by other characters, so dynamics between characters are always significant.
I also don’t think Eto’s dead, for the reasons you pointed out… Unless she is but we’re going to have more flashbacks of a big discussion she had with Kaneki about what’s left that we don’t know (Noro, Tatara, her mom, her dad, etc.). For now, I’m considering that she’s very probably not dead though, but that’s just me. ^^
Also I know that a lot of people were disappointed about that “plot twist” (not knowing whether she’s alive or dead I mean), so you’re definitely not the only one to dislike this situation and, while I’m not the biggest fan of it either, I tell myself that at least her situation is better than Hide, Itori or Rize. xD
Thanks for your thoughts Anon! I 100% am here for the plot and the interactions between the characters myself. 😀
Have a nice/evening Anon!
Hey Anon and I’m sorry! *bows*
This is the real issue with the anon mode for me, please allow me to explain: as you might have seen, I did get into a debate about Eto’s character with an Anon who sounded really displeased about how Ishida wrote her character a few weeks ago, and it ended up with Anon saying “anyway :Re is shitty” or something that basically meant the same thing, but I didn’t publish that ask.
Ever since that debate ended, I kept on receiving a few negative asks from time to time about Eto or Kaneki up until last weekend (things like ”I don’t like Kaneki, in fact I hope he dies” which I didn’t publish either), which is why I’m being careful with asks about Eto’s character these days, just in case all the Anons asking about Eto were the same person.
I mean, not that I mind getting into a debate in the first place, but I didn’t really appreciate that the conclusion of a three or four day long debate was “anyway this manga is shit” when it was simply a difference in opinions.
So, to be honest, I really thought you were that Anon (and maybe you are?) and I’m not fed up at all with people talking about Eto, but the tone of your first ask seemed a bit accusatory, which is why I thought you were bitter about her character.
Anyway, sorry again and as you could see I don’t think that Eto was used and discarded as a simple tool just in order to develop other characters, mainly because I think she’s not dead (so she might come back) and still remains very significant to the story, but if you disagree I don’t have any problem with it 🙂
I hope you’ll forgive me for the slight misunderstanding Anon and I certainly wasn’t bothered by your ask, otherwise I wouldn’t have answered at all! 😉
Oh Anon, lmao, but I don’t deny that, not at all! 🙂 After all, as an author, it’s natural for Ishida to use a lot of different tools, be it for the characters, the world building and settings, in order to write a good story. So him using Eto for different aspects, like he used a lot of other characters, is kinda mandatory otherwise there wouldn’t be any story.
I get that you’re bitter about Eto, but isn’t it normal to use a character in order to develop other characters? Isn’t that what dynamics between characters are all about? Giving you another example, isn’t Ishida currently using a lot of different characters (Ayato, Irimi, Hirako, Touka) to emphasize on the fact that Kaneki has to change, if he wants to really act properly as the OEK and deal with his issues
(so they’re here to help him develop)?
You choose to focus on Eto and give a negative interpretation to the huge significance she has in the whole series because you didn’t really like what Ishida did with her character, but that makes you biased Anon, sorry, since it was natural and expected of Ishida to use her character in order to develop other characters (Kaneki mainly) who also have a big role to play towards the ghoul vs human conflict.
Eto is one of the major reasons :Re took the turn it did and she has a very important role overall in the series, no one can deny that, but she’s not the only significant character nor is she the one the story revolves around, so I’m sorry if you don’t like that fact or how Ishida wrote and dealt with her, but there is nothing I can do.
Personally I like TG and I like :Re, even if I wouldn’t call the series perfect, but if you don’t happen to enjoy the series anymore it’s okay, you’re definitely not the only one, and so maybe you should take a break from it?
Let me just remind you that negativity isn’t welcome in my askbox and you can find all my thoughts about Eto in her tag, so just so you know I don’t intend on starting any other arguments about Eto’s character.
If you don’t like TG or think Ishida is a crappy author, well then take a break, it’s as simple as that. 🙂
….I
actually meant to write that post long ago ‘cause it makes perfect sense
so thanks for reminding me because it is 100% an accurate thought of mine.
I
mean look at what happened during Kuro ch116/117 Anon…
Lizzie revealed she actually was a ghoul thanks to Bravat being Kanou’s equivalent in England and doing the ghoulification operation on her so she could become even stronger in order to protect Ciel (and that’s why Bravat needs all this blood, to feed his new OEGs).
And in fact, it is also one of my beliefs
that Kaneki’s dad (you know, the one who died long ago) is Tanaka, because the physical resemblance is on
point…
…Tanaka, who seemingly was chased away
by the CCG and somehow arrived in England some time between 1850 and 1875,
leaving Kaneki with his abusive mom back in 2000-ish. And since Tanaka is basically Lizzie’s grandpa ‘cause he half raised Vincent
and Frances after Claudia’s death, that definitely explains why Lizzie might become the next One
Eyed King once Kaneki will realize that he should scram away from this business.
Thus
have the Queen leading the rebellion…
while Eto wonders what exactly happened
to Kaneki.
Yep. Makes perfect sense. 100% the most accurate post I’ve ever written. 👍
………..By the way, did I also ever mention that I have the strongest feeling about Undertaker, Uta and Mephisto Pheles being actually the same character all along? Yep. They’re all Johan Liebert from Urasawa Naoki’s Monster who, during psychotic breakdowns, becomes Griffith/Femto from Berserk. 👍
Hey Anon! 🙂 Hm, to be honest, I think the most accurate depiction of the relationships between Kaneki and Eto and Kaneki and Touka would be some sort of love triangle (but subverted because Kaneki is not in the most stable state of mind right now and Eto’s status is MIA although I don’t think she’s dead).
If anything, Kaneki and Eto are linked deeply through Takatsuki Sen and Yoshimura, but I feel Eto is more like his mentor rather than a love interest (especially because of the whole OEK business). Sp yes, all in all, I’d have to agree with you on Touka being the most likely choice as Kaneki’s romantic partner between Eto and Touka.
That’s a really rough summary though, but because I have talked about this before, I’ll leave you two posts to read instead, I think it will make more sense 🙂
Feel free to come back again and send your thoughts if you need to, of course!
Have a nice weekend Anon :))
Hey Anon! And I disagree, sorry.
I disagree mainly because there are a few aspects of Eto’s character that Ishida hasn’t touched yet (Noro, her life in the 24th ward, how she really feels about her parents), which could build up again her potential as an antagonist in my opinion (especially since her goal and Kaneki’s are currently not the same as that post explained).
Besides, it’s not just about strength: for example, Kaneki fought Eto and won and yet Eto still somehow manipulated him so he would become the OEK (he more or less looks up to her because she’s Takatsuki Sen and because of she was a big hope for the ghoul side of the world until fairly recently).
It goes with the small possibility of Hide somehow becoming a villain one day as well and yet Hide is probably not a strong fighter -> Kaneki has so many personal and deeply-rooted issues that fights relaying on strength are not the only way Kaneki could have to face a personal antagonist.
So nope. For me Ishida didn’t ruin her credibility.
That being said, you’re free to have your own opinion on this subject but, just so you know, I don’t really want to start a debate like last time about Eto so I hope my thoughts were clear enough 😉
midnight-in-town 