ANIME REVIEW: TOKYO GHOUL:RE

4/5

Ghoul In The Shell.

Snap your fingers like Thanos and put them together like BTS. Because that's it for the idolised 'Tokyo Ghoul' series...dust! Hold on to your Kagune's too, because it's been one hell of a fight for the city when it comes to these ghouls in translation. Fanboys and girls alike reacted like Ken Kaneki tasting a juicy burger for the first time post-op when they found that the anime didn't stick to the script of the sacred manga source material text. I've seen less strays in a rescue dog pound. But still this strain is in the same vein as the comics DNA. Blood for infected blood. And after the original and the square root of the 'Tokyo Ghoul√' Season 2 sequel, everyone with black irises will be holding red eyes like New York to Tokyo. As this show went third and fourth this year with a double barreled 'Tokyo Ghoul:re' reply. And with even more characters than there are wards in this iconic Japanese city of days of future past tradition and innovation, fans were left more confused than which Kaneki get-up to dress-up in for this year's Halloween just seems like yesterday gone. Do they go with the Joker smile zipped up underneath the surgical gas mask? Or the greyscale white suit and haired look of right now that's straight-out of a grown up district of Harajuku? Either way this Christmas Day ghoulish die-hard were treated like ghouls to the series finale of this 24 episode, epic event in the 11th hour of the 12th month this calendar.

Answer that. And with 're' reaching new heights it's a shame if this really is the last sayanora. Sure it went backwards like how you read Japanese books to the original story. Staying as faithful to where it came from as the HBO series 'Game Of Thrones' no longer waiting for the coming winter of George R.R. Martin's next book. 'Tokyo Ghoul' crossing over like Shibuya has made its own path, albeit whilst blazing it's own bookshelf like trail of chapters like it's madcap manga predecessor. Even giving us some spin-off one shots for the anticipation canon, featuring your favourite French fondant fancy Jack and a Bonnie and Clyde tail. But after some fits and starts 'Tokyo:re' looks to have finally hit it's stride. Even without the solitude welcoming place of social solace in the Antique coffee house, everyone wishes was a real shop like those anime purists visiting the real 'Garden Of Words' or all the 'Your Name' locations in the capital city from the train tracks to the rising red stairs. It's just a shame that now it's found its footing out of the dirt this may be the end. Four fingers down, albeit still feeling like a new, inventive anime like the elementary, Sherlock inspired (probably for legal reasons) 'Holmes In Kyoto' investigations. All whilst trying to get on the same shelf of all the 'One Piece's, 'Death Notes' of modern day classics like 'Attack On Titans' and 'My Hero Academia'. But in mixing elements of all the greats and its own strand, 'Tokyo Ghoul':re' is the perfect dark corner and neon jungle mix of death and heroism in a cynical age in need of a saviour for it's time.

That's why there's t-shirts rocked and posters on walls of this kid Ken everywhere from Asia to a Western wide world. It doesn't matter if all this is in Japanese, kids all over the earth will find a way to translate as this reply carries on tradition. The testament of haunting Haruki Murakami loneliness meets an artillery arms race of 'Ghost In The Shell' style action from the government to the ghouls. So stunning in its assimilation in aftermaths these vivid visuals of cartoon chereography stun the senses even more than the perfect, almost camera like capturing of the shimmering and simmering city of Tokyo itself. Drifting between ravishing realism and a 'Tron' turn like futuristic scope that is formidable as this classic is utterly compelling in its devotion depth of emotion. Inspiring more than a generation of geeked out fangirls and boys to rock an eye patch like they were still barnacled to Johnny Depp's Caribbean Jack Sparrow. They say anime is art and this high-note in all its punctuated perfection form is no exception. Deconstruct these demonic cells and you'll see more than the devil inside the details of the black and white paged grain. And it's all bookended beautifully by the terrific themes and sublime songs that have got as better as they have changed over the four seasons. From springing, bountiful cherry blossom to the autumn of a snow scaled crunching neon nights for your Crunchyroll. But as this all comes to a fleshed out head with us cannabalistic for more from this monster, how will it all end? In 'Tokyo Ghoul:re' Ken Kaneki reborn has been suffering an identity crisis more than his layered aesthetic. Some agreeing to be akin to this shows own success and struggles. But as it all concludes with a little teasing hint of more to regenerate and come he and us will know exactly who we all are, for better or worse. Some ghosts from our past never leave us. Some floating ghouls we wish never would as the light goes click. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'My Hero Academia', 'Death Note', 'Holmes In Kyoto'.