Tokyo Ghoul’s sequel manga is now on North American shelves everywhere. Taking place years after the events of the original series, the new sequel focuses on Haise Sasaki, a half-ghoul CCG investigator who is a teacher to a pupil of experimental half-human, half-ghoul young adults who are struggling to cope with their own life issues and new lives as ghouls.

Tokyo Ghoul:re is a 2014 seinen manga series created by Sui Ishida, it is published by Shueisha, and licensed by Viz Media. It is currently available in print and digital in English.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A review copy of the first three volumes of Tokyo Ghoul:re was provided by Viz Media in support of this review. This review will contain slight to full spoilers. 

Meet the Quinx Squad.

Continuing a few years after the events of Tokyo Ghoul, :re follows CCG investigator Haise Sasaki as he mentors a band of misfit half-breed ghouls on the inner workings of the CCG and fight against dangerous ghouls who terrorize all 24 wards in Tokyo. As he teaches his students on combat, ghoul defense measures, and life, Haise begins to deal with his own struggles as the mysteries of his past begin to crawl out of the dark corners of his mind.

Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul continues in a fantastically developed sequel.

THE GOOD: If you’ve read the original Tokyo Ghoul and know Sui Ishida’s style of direction then it should come as no surprise to hear that it’s sequel :re provides a perfectly balanced blend of light-hearted character direction and dark & twisted action panels. Compared to the original it’s a bit fast paced in regards to Haise as a character and the fact that he’s actually an amnesic Ken Kaneki, but Ishida is careful to not have Haise hog all the spotlight, which is something most sequels tend to screw up quite often. Everyone from the CCG & Quinx Squad receive ample development and panel time. One of the biggest issues in the original manga was a lack of equal focus between human & ghoul characters, here due to humans & ghouls interacting with one another within the CCG that’s no long a problem. Even the ghouls outside of the CCG receive great focus including some fan favorites.

Solid character progression and great action makes :re a worthy successor.

THE BAD: The first arc is pretty fast paced, it’s likely due to Ishida wanting to get the “is he or isn’t he Ken Kaneki?” storyline and some of the other unanswered questions from the original series out of the way.

Ishida provides long-awaited reunions in :re the only way he can; a dark and bloody mess.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Tokyo Ghoul:re succeeds where the original failed thanks to human & ghoul characters having a much more shared world than before. Action is as gory and well-drawn as ever and character development continues to be some of the best written in manga. Otaku Dome gives Tokyo Ghoul:re Volumes 1-3 a combined score of 90 out of 100.