Getting to the Root of it…Wait, haven’t I done this one already?: Tokyo Ghoul √A

-
Greetings, everyone!  After some major complications last Sunday, I’m back this week with a…well, it’s complicated.  Although I’ve gone through two rounds of reviews on this anime, its second season has yet to be reviewed.  Now at this point, you may be wondering what show I’m talking about.  Last year’s anime horror sensation Tokyo Ghoul got this blogger’s attention from its summer premier, and now I’m bringing its second season to be reviewed.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy my third crack at Tokyo Ghoul, or should I say it’s second season Tokyo Ghoul √A.
√A picks up where season one left off.  Kaneki goes through a complete personality change after accepting his ghoulish side and fighting and devouring Yamori.  Meanwhile, the Anteiku gang is still on the hunt for Kaneki while the CCG continues its fight with Aogiri Tree.  But when the fight suddenly ends, Kaneki decides to join Aogiri.  From episode one and onward, √A covers Kaneki’s time with Aogiri, the CCG’s moves after the battle, and Anteiku’s actions following Kaneki’s departure.  That’s all I’ll say, but I will say, this season ends with a sudden and heart-wrenching end that will leave you in shock.
In every respects, this could be considered a re-review.  And I’m rating it as such.  However, there are some highlights that are of interest that season one didn’t have.  But more on that later.  After watching √A season two, I’m keeping the show’s 4.5 star rating-my January re-review boosted the show’s rating up half a star.  Season two’s story is just as intriguing and thrilling as season one’s, and that much certainly hasn’t changed.  Plus all the characters you know and love from the previous season are back too!  One aspect of the story that many fans of the first season will find especially interesting is Kaneki’s personality change.  Let’s face it, Kaneki grows some serious cal hones.  The change from weepy wimp to no-feelings tough guy is so drastic it’s scary.  As for animation…do I really need to say anything about animation?  It’s still just as fantastic as it was before!
Now, despite all the praising I’ve done thus far, there was one detail about the plot that really bugged me.  While I love a story that leaves just enough details out to make it interesting, √A does it so much, it’s overkill.  Much of it seems to be new characters being introduced-mostly ghouls and that seem to have some significance to the plot- and then after one episode are never seen from again.  At times, I felt like I was just left hanging.  So don’t expect to see some questions about some characters being answered.  Still, fans of season one of Tokyo Ghoul  are sure to fall for Tokyo Ghoul √A!
By the way, I bought the first season of Tokyo Ghoul in English a few weeks back.  It’s actually pretty awesome!  I know I’ve mentioned I had doubts about the English debut, but I was blown away by the dub.  So check it out! ;)
So to conclude this sorta-kinda re-review, Tokyo Ghoul Root √A is a dramatic, thrilling, and dare I say tasty continuation of the first season.  Obviously, the second season is not available in English, but the Japanese dub is available to watch online at Hulu and Crunchyroll.  However, at one point, Funimation had broadcasted the English dub of most of the second season for a limited time.  And with that, that’s all that I have for this week.  Stay tuned for next week because I’ll reveal October’s character of the month!

-Hanime on Anime

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devilman (1972) vs. Devilman Crybaby: Which Is Better?

-
Image
Greetings, fabulous peoples!   Welcome to part three of my Devilman- themed Flashback February!   For this week’s post, I’m doing something that I hadn’t done in a pretty long time: a Vs. post!   As many of you may know, with these posts, I take two series, characters, and even manga series and see which one was better.   In this latest Vs. post, I’m taking the two Devilman shows I reviewed for Flashback February and seeing which one was a devil of a show.   And for those who’ve seen Crybaby , I know what you’re thinking, but keep quiet for now.   With that said, let’s duel it out with the original Devilman series and Devilman Crybaby ! First Up: Devilman (1972)   First up on the chopping block is the original 1972 series.   If you read my review on it earlier in the month, the premises of the show is pretty much a kaiju series.   The series ran from 1972 to 1973 for about forty episodes.   And I will admit, I did not watch the entire series due to time restraints,
Read more

Character of the Month of April: Shoya Ishida and Shoko Nishimiya

-
Image
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think you saw this one coming.   I’m back this beautiful Sunday with this month’s Character- or Characters of the Month!   And yeah, if you read the title, I think it’s pretty obvious who was going to take it.   Cause let’s face it The End of Evangelion’s Shinji wasn’t going to take it anytime soon, especially not after the hospital scene.   But still, all kidding aside, I think this month’s picks really are worthy of the title, not just in their actions, but what they represent.   That being said, let’s talk about this month’s Characters of the Month of April, Shoya Ishida and Shoko Nishimiya from A Silent Voice . To keep things brief and less long-winded, A Silent Voice follows Shoya Ishida and Shoko Nishimiya as the two form a close friendship with each other despite the fact that the two shared a rough past.   With Nishimiya being deaf, this made her a target for bullying by Ishida as a child.   But when his bullying goes too far and Nishimiya
Read more

Akira the Movie vs. Akira the Manga: Which is Better?

-
Image
Greetings, everyone!  Welcome to Part 1 of Akira Month!  To kick this two part, all about Akira, discussion post event off, I’ll be taking the manga that inspired the groundbreaking film, and the groundbreaking film that later inspired the world and seeing which one really makes fans explode-OK, that came out a little weird.  So now, without further delay, let’s get started on my discussion post battle of Akira  the Manga versus Akira the Movie! First Up: Akira the Movie So let’s begin with the Akira that most people are familiar with, the 1988 film. In a nutshell, Akira the film is about a teenage biker gang member named Tetsuo who suddenly develops psychic powers that eventually cause him to lose his mind.  This decent into  madness also sparks a rivalry between him and his best friend Kaneda, who has unwillingly become involved with a terrorist group trying to expose a secret government organization that studies individuals with psychic abilities much similar to
Read more