Tokyo Ghoul:re 107 Review by WithYouInSpiritAnother week, another break, but the 2017 year has begun in earnest and Tokyo Ghoul:re is kicking it off with a bang! The public appearance of a shadowy urban legend, action, Kaneki looking fabulous as usual these days, it all rolls itself into one awesome chapter. Some of this week’s highlights include:
- Donato’s Kagune and the torture of Urie
- The public appearance of V’s “Special Investigators”
- Kaneki’s newfound faith in others
Chapter Title: “V”Donato’s Kagune and the torture of Urie:The chapter starts off with a continuation of 106. Higemaru screams in pain and confusion as his right arm is dismembered, and Urie tries but fails to combat Donato’s curious Kagune. He is trapped in somewhat crucified as he is forced to watch the SS Rated Ghoul “Priest” tear his injured pupil to pieces…
Donato’s Kagune, like Kaneki’s, is a Rinakku type and we see this confirmed as his Kagune has a distinct tentacle-like appearance. It’s texture is also worth noting because the Kagune itself seems to be wrapped in a mass of some sort of white crosses. Catholic crosses perhaps? Furthering this train of thought, the way in which Urie was trapped on the ceiling could be seen as some form of crucifixion.
As far as his motives for targeting Urie, I can narrow it down to 2 possible scenarios. Either he wants to hold Urie as a hostage as leverage against Kaneki/lure him in, or he wants revenge against the Qs for “killing” his foster son Amon. I’m more willing to bet on the former, because Donato doesn’t come across as the kind of person who would act so irrationally as to go for mere revenge, but he is one of the Clowns, and their leader at that, so he’s pretty unpredictable.
The public appearance of V’s “Special Investigators”:As we move away from the 2nd Ward and Donato, the scene switches to the ongoing battle between Kaneki’s White Suits and the Clowns in the 23rd Ward. The King is ready to depart early, having cleaned up the remaining Clowns faster than he thought, but suddenly they are set upon by black clothed figures wearing pastel masks and wielding Katana’s. “V” had finally showed themselves above ground. We find out that the majority of the CCG actually know of V, but only as an Urban Legend. The Mysterious servants of the Washuu that only appear when the CCG is in dire circumstances before an unbeatable enemy. Furuta hasn’t brought them into play just to continue playing to his charade though. He’s using these “Special Investigators” to get rid of the Black Goat organization as soon as possible. The Agents of V announce their arrival and being slaughtering the White Suits, injuring both Tsukiyama and Nishiki in short time. Kaneki manages to fight back effectively.
I really appreciate the way in which Ishida has finally inserted V into this arc. The fact that they have always been a part of the CCG’s structure ticks all the right boxes as far as introduction goes, and damn they look menacing. Those plain white masks and black attire truly make you see them as terrible monsters. I believe that they are most likely Ghouls, or Demi Humans due to the way Hirako described them. “A grown up 0 Squad”.
If these Agents continue to appear in the future, it may prove to be major problem for Kaneki. If Furuta truly knows of their intention to hit the Lab under cover of the confusion, then I can count on there being more of V's Agents being stationed beneath the 1st Ward. If the fact that Eto could effortlessly defeat scores of these people, and Kaneki has trouble with a dozen, it stands testament to how powerful the One Eyed Owl really was. And if Furuta could effortlessly defeat her, then just how powerful is he?
Kaneki’s newfound trust in others:After choosing to leave the others behind, Kaneki hesitates to abandon them while enemies as dangerous as V are present. Kaya approaches him and tells him to leave it to them, and to try and put some faith in others. After giving this some thought, Kaneki caves in and tells Shuu to “Keep letting the world know that we exist, and that we’re here to stay” before ducking past the V Agents and heading off into the night. The chapter closing panel reads “To the Lab?...” and it makes me feel like Kaneki might not be going there at all. Could he be headed to the 2nd Ward to save Urie? If so, how does he even know what’s happening there?
A common theme in Tokyo Ghoul so far has been Kaneki’s reluctance or outright refusal to place faith in or trust others. This may be a result of his torture, or his selfish wishes to protect everyone. But in the past if asked to leave something so important to someone else he would have smiles and politely refused. The fact that he’s not only thanked and accepted Kaya’s offer to help and convincing him to trust them, but to trust Tsukiyama, someone who has hurt him in the past with the most important role truly shows just how far he has come in his development.
Predictions for 108:While I think there’s a possibility that Kaneki is headed to the 2nd Ward, I see no way in which he could know what’s happening there, so I believe that he’s going to the Lab as planned. We will also have the confirmation of Higemaru’s death (If he is indeed dead). I can’t imagine that the Lab team will get inside so easily however. They will encounter a dangerous foe during the infiltration.
A great chapter that
I’m giving a 9/10 for this week. The action phase of this arc will be beginning very shortly if things keep going at this pace.
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