Tokyo Ghoul is a franchise within the anime realm that fans have been dying to see make a comeback. The brutal Seinen series introduced a world of ghouls that struck a chord amongst anime fans, and while the anime adaptations have been a mixed bag, that hasn’t stopped Tokyo Ghoul fanatics from wanting to see Ken Kaneki make a comeback. In celebrating the tenth anniversary of the anime series from Studio Pierrot, fans of Sui Ishida’s now classic franchise have been wondering if a new anime is in the works. Signs are looking good that there might be enough support to warrant a return to Ken’s world thanks to a new anime image.
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For those who might have yet to dive into Tokyo Ghoul, the anime adaptation follows young protagonist Ken Kaneki as he struggles with a demonic issue. Finding himself encountering a monstrous ghoul, creatures of the night that feed on the flesh of human beings, Ken barely survives but finds himself becoming a ghoul as a result. Using his powers for good rather than evil, Ken starts working in a cafe that is run by ghouls while attempting to learn more about his new supernatural status and the world that he finds himself in.
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Tokyo Ghoul: Play Back
Tokyo Ghoul FES. -PLAY BACK- is an event that is scheduled to arrive in Japan next summer, helping to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ken Kaneki’s time on the small screen. Along with this upcoming event sharing a new image of Ken in his more ghoulish form, the June 8th celebration has confirmed that voice actors Natsuki Hanae, Sora Amamiya, Kana Hanazawa, Rie Kugimiya and Daisuke Kishio will be in attendance. Not only will the cast reunite but they will also perform live dubbing from the original anime. While it hasn’t been confirmed if this means that a new anime project is in production, it would be a safe bet that -PLAY BACK- would be the perfect venue to announce the franchise’s comeback.
Tokyo Ghoul’s Future is on Shaky Ground
Tokyo Ghoul’s recent manga ended in 2018 via Tokyo Ghoul:re. While the franchise from Sui Ishida did receive two live-action films to help introduce Ken Kaneki to new audiences, along with a handful of video games, the mangaka has since moved on from the series to work on something new. Currently, Ishida is working on new series dubbed Choujin X, which first began in 2021 but has yet to receive an anime adaptation of its own. Based on the love that Ishida receives from the anime community, it seems like a safe bet that the recent manga will get its time in the sun.
Throughout Tokyo Ghoul’s anime career, Studio Pierrot has been the premiere production house to tackle Ken Kaneki. With the studio aiming to end Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War with its fourth and final cours, the stage might be open for a new project in Ken’s world, though the Hidden Leaf Village might take priority. The world of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations has been on hiatus for quite some time as Pierrot decided to take on a more seasonal approach to its projects. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll never see Tokyo Ghoul return, it might be some time before we see it hit the screen if Pierrot is once again handling animation duties.
Want to see if Tokyo Ghoul rises from the grave to fight a new generation of ghouls? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Ken Kaneki and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.