English Dub Review: Tokyo Ghoul “Pinto” ; “Jack”

Overview:

Two side stories take place before Ken Kaneki became a ghoul. We get a glimpse into the past of two pretty important characters in Shuu Tsukiyama and Kishou Arima. Are they worth your time?

Our Take:

Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most divisive anime’s out there. I would be hard-pressed to find something that splits fans more. Everyone agrees the first season was great but the second season subsequent third season has differing opinions. Tokyo Ghoul is one of my favorite animes but I can recognize the flaws. The OVA’s Pinto and Jack were made during the much-maligned second season so my expectations were low but I was excited to step back into the world of ghouls.

I’ll hit on each of them separately a bit. First up is Pinto, the story of a younger Shuu Tsukiyama the Gourmet of the 20th Ward. This shows us how Shuu and Chie Hori met, the photographer from the third season Tokyo Ghoul: re. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Shuu or Chie at first but throughout the show, they did grow on me. Seeing how they met and became friends was definitely interesting but it felt like it was a bit off from the flashback shown in re.

Chie takes a photo of Shuu right as he’s about to chow down on a runner he just killed. Isn’t that how all great friendships start? There was one particular exchange between them I really liked. Shuu says “I have nothing but love for humanity.” to which Chie says “Yeah, you love em so much you eat them.” I had to rewind and watch that scene a few times I loved it so much. Chie’s aloof personality was really endearing especially when it comes to something so terrifying as the world of ghouls.

Pinto was more fun than I thought it was going to be. Of the two OVA’s I was definitely looking forward to Jack more but this one was very enjoyable. Nothing of note really happens though, getting to see Shuu when was in high school is fun but there are other characters and side stories I would definitely like to see from this universe more.

Up next is Jack, here we get to see a young Kishou Arima. This before his hair turns white and he becomes known as the CCG’s Reaper. We get to see how he meets and befriends Taishi Fura, who I honestly forgot about till the end. I had to look him up to refresh who he was. We also see his future wife Aki but she isn’t in it too much, just figured I would mention it for the romance junkies out there.

Kishou surprisingly hasn’t changed all that much. He’s still cold, calculating, and is a man of few words. He is a tiny bit more friendly with Taishi than just about anyone not named Ken Kaneki but not much else is different. This story was like a revenge mystery, except you can probably figure out the mystery rather quickly.

After a ghoul called Lantern attacks Taishi’s friends Aki and Ryou. Aki loses an eye and Ryou is killed, but Arima comes to the rescue so Taishi learns about him working for the CCG. Taishi goes full vigilante with Arima and they save a schoolmate, Uraka Minami. She also joins them so know it’s a trio of ghoul hunters! We also get to see a younger Jason, the ghoul that tortured Kaneki in season one.

These OVA’s are fun and enjoyable but I would say only if you’re already a Tokyo Ghoul fan. You get some extended lore and some interesting easter eggs but all that would be lost on you if this is your first foray into the world of Tokyo Ghoul. I definitely recommend it for anyone who has seen all of the series and wants to see more but don’t expect first season levels of quality.