Tokyo Ghoul Author Would Have Ruined Anime

Director Shuhei Morita, responsible for the first two seasons of the "Tokyo Ghoul" anime, spoke in a 2018 interview about the creative decisions that led to significant changes to the manga's plot, changes that at the time drew strong criticism from fans. As he revealed, many of these adjustments were made with the approval and even the direct suggestion of the manga's author, Sui Ishida, who was looking for the anime to take an original direction.

Plot changes and connection between seasons

Morita explained that from the beginning of the production of the first season he already knew that there would be a second one. Ishida had suggested that the first season focus on black-haired Kaneki and that the second explore the character's transformation into white-haired Kaneki. To connect both seasons, it was decided to include Kaneki's iconic torture scene in Episode 12, a decision that marked a turning point in both the story and the protagonist's development.

As for the second season, "Tokyo Ghoul √A," Morita confirmed that it was completely original, based on ideas that Ishida provided specifically for the anime. The author asked for a different plot to be created than the manga, resulting in the story of Kaneki teaming up with Aogiri. However, Morita mentioned that many of the original ideas were limited by superior decisions, as they sought not to alter the manga canon.

Criticism and response from the director

In response to criticism about the manga's move away, Morita explained that the main objective of these changes was to respect the spirit of the work while exploring new narrative paths. "I did my best with the space for movement that they allowed me, and I have no regrets," he said. He also noted that Ishida, working on the manga on a weekly basis, did not have a fully defined direction for the story when the anime began to be developed, which further complicated the creative process.

Morita recalled that his favorite episode was the last of the first season, not only because of its narrative impact, but also because of the technical details. The composer created the music for the scene in real time while first watching it, an unusual approach that Morita said proved extremely effective in conveying the emotion of the moment.

Despite the criticism, the decisions made in the adaptation of "Tokyo Ghoul" were made in close collaboration with Sui Ishida, seeking to offer an experience that complemented the manga. Morita concluded that although the changes were not to everyone's liking, his intention was always to enrich the narrative of the Tokyo Ghoul universe rather than replicate it exactly.

Source: Reddit