Manga Maniac Cafe

3.5 - 3.75 stars

The story is finally starting to pick up some momentum for me. The world building is starting to get more complex, and Kaneki has more to worry about than how he's going to keep himself fed. The Ghoul Investigators are descending on the 20th Ward, searching for ghouls trying to blend into human society. When Kaneki witnesses the brutal murder of a customer by the ghoul police, he is distraught over his sense of helplessness. After Touka takes matters into her own hands, and fails, Kaneki asks her to show him how to use his kagune, or weapon. While he still refuses to kill humans, at least he'll be able to defend himself or his friends if they are attacked.

The investigators are a shady bunch, and Mado is one creepy dude. It will be interesting to see how Kaneki and Touka keep from meeting an unpleasant end from them, because they are as ruthless as the ghouls. The series is starting to click for me as Kaneki struggles to fit into both human and ghoul society. He is so passive that I didn't find him a compelling character at first, but now that he is determined to not be a doormat, I am hoping that he blossoms into a stronger individual. I don't have prior knowledge of this series, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

I am not overly wild about the art, maybe because so many of the characters are so unpleasant to look at. It does have a dark vibe that is perfect for the story, but it isn't a favorite of mine.