Warning: spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul Chapter 136 and Tokyo Ghoul: re Chapter 164!
While Tokyo Ghoul‘s anime started strong with its first season, the second season was received far less enthusiastically, with some major deviations from the manga weakening the story. One of the most significant contrasts between the manga and the second season is how both treat Hid and Kaneki’s character development throughout the series.
The dark fantasy series takes place in Tokyo where mysterious, man-eating “ghouls” blend into society as humans. In this alternate reality, there is a constant battle between ghouls – who need to eat human flesh to survive – and the authorities sworn to protect humans from being slaughtered. However, everything changes when college student Ken Kaneki is attacked by a ghoul and survives as a half-human/half-ghoul who mentally and physically suffers from this split identity.
Tokyo Ghoul’s anime preemptively kills Hide – a huge mistake given he represents Kaneki’s hope that humans and ghouls can peacefully coexist. Disappointed anime fans will find that the manga’s storytelling retains a better flow of events by leaving Hide’s status ambiguous and Kaneki’s motivations alive. In Chapter 136 of the manga, Kaneki embraces his ghoul powers as he tries to heal, save everyone at Anteiku, and fight against Kishou Arima. Hide suddenly appears and confesses he already knew Kaneki was a ghoul, wanting to help him. When Hide asks, “Can you fight with all you’ve got just one more time? Since there is only one way into the abyss—” a splashing sound can be heard in the darkness. However, the anime instead shows Kaneki carrying a dead Hide (who suffered a fatal stomach wound.) As years pass and battles are fought, the two are reunited in Chapter 164 of Tokyo Ghoul: re. When Kaneki asks to see what he did to Hide, it is revealed that Kaneki ate the lower half of Hide’s face and neck. While the anime haphazardly includes this scene in the second half of its third season, it leaves viewers confused because it previously showed Hide’s lifeless body.
The anime appears to answer the open-ended question left by mangaka Sui Ushida. Hide was a part of Kaneki’s strength and hope, but that dies with his friend and changes his motivations altogether. When Hide is revealed alive and disfigured, the inconsistency becomes clear because viewers were led to believe Haise Sasaki replaced him in Kaneki’s life. On the other hand, the manga leaves Hide’s status unclear and up to the reader’s interpretation, offering some space to hypothesize that Hide might be alive. When Hide says, “here’s only one way into the abyss,” he suggests that he will always be a part of Kaneki’s strength when he uses his kagune. Hide’s understanding and protectiveness as a human inspires him to fight for a better world for humans and ghouls throughout the rest of the story. When Kaneki finally sees what he did to Hide, it rekindles and confirms Kaneki’s desire not to be helpless and use his ghoul powers for the greater good one last time.
Anime fans need to read Tokyo Ghoul’s manga as its differences from the second season significantly impact Kaneki’s and Hide’s character development throughout the rest of the story. The anime misses out on fleshing out their friendship by changing small but crucial details. With a manga that takes its time in world-building and character development, it is a shame the Tokyo Ghoul anime chose the deviations it did.
