Tokyo Ghoul:re Episode 17 Review: MovE: Confluence, Confusion

After weeks of episodes that were a horrible mess, we finally got a good one that actually made sense and was full of emotional and heartwarming moments between humans and ghouls.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 出会い、とまどい　MovE

Plot

Kaneki wakes up at the coffee shop where Touka greets him. Later on, they gather up the ghouls from all the districts and Aogiri Tree along with a team of inspectors that were instructed by Arima to protect Kaneki. Kaneki announces that he wants to create an anti-human organization named Goat, in order to give ghouls hope and try to communicate with humans instead of slaughtering each other. Kurona as well as the White Suits decline his offer and leave while the rest decide to stay. Renji talks with Take about Arima’s death while someone from his squad comes in to tell them that there has been an attack in the headquarters of CCG. Meanwhile, Banjou, Nishiki, and Takizawa try to treat Madou’s wounds when suddenly Nico, who has been summoned by Roma’s scrap of kagune, comes in and tells them that she can only be saved if she gets treatment by a real doctor. Kaneki on the other hand, confronts Naki who resents him for killing Yamori and challenges him to a fight. Naki loses and decides to follow Kaneki and help out Goat. Kaneki, Nishiki, and Tsukiyama meet with Ogura from the Great Wheel Act, a human organization that supports ghouls that decides to join them as well. Madou wakes up, and after Amon has a deep conversation with Kaneki in the rooftop, he goes to her to give her back her cat. Touka comes in and takes Madou for a walk where she tells her that she was the one that killed her father and then tries to make her understand that ghouls and humans are very alike, after all.

Episode Highlights

How is he so badass? Okay, exactly how long has it been since the previous season, because Kaneki looks like he has grown even more and is just JACKED with six-packs. Jeez, that scene where he fights Naki and takes off his coat revealing the glorious abs and his amazing build. I have to say I was a bit shocked, but in a good way. Hehe.

Great Wheel Act: So this organization began as a small group of students from Kamii University, where Kaneki and Nishiki were studying, believing that humans and ghouls are merely divided by the accident of their birth. It was led by a medical student, Nishiki’s lover, who was providing medical treatment to ghouls and humans alike. After seeing this and the scene of Amon telling Kaneki ‘What would you do if someone you thought was dead came back?’, I think Hide is not dead and he has probably played a huge role into trying to make this organization survive. I am just guessing at this point, but I think it’s highly probable.

Touka and Akira: The scene of these two was so brilliant, it left me speechless. It’s amazing how these two characters end up having so much in common, coming from two complete opposite sides. You would think that they were bound to hate each other but because of their fathers and the overall situation they end up being very relatable. I won’t like that the whole hugging scenes of the kids and Hinami made me a bit emotional, and I realized the beautiful messages that Ishida is trying to give across. Well done, mate.

Themes & Trivia

Do you remember this? In this episode when Kaneki is fighting Naki, he used the same leg breaking twist kick that he used when he was fighting Jason in the first season. I am talking about this, in case it doesn’t ring any bells.

Maris Stella the cat: Maris Stella is actually Latin for ‘The star of the sea’ and might refer to the Ave maris stella, a plainsong Vespers hymn to Mary from about the eighth century.

Comments

Watching this series makes me sad, but not in the emotional way. It seems like a story with so much depth and potential and I am so unpleased seeing executed in this way. Despite the low quality of the production, there is only one thing killing me: why is everything so rushed? They could have made this work so much better if they decided to adapt fewer chapters of the original manga. I honestly don’t know what to say anymore.

For example the scene of Kaneki, Tsukiyama, and Nishiki meeting with the Great Wheel Act, where Nishiki learns that his girlfriend was the one that created the whole idea, he gets emotional and sad and says I am going to buy some canned coffee or something. And then in less than two seconds we see a beautiful scene of the sun rising but even though it’s so well made and detailed it runs for just the blink of an eye and loses its impact, ending up ruining the pace of the overall scene. Why, just why don’t you give this series a bit more time to work on it??

They’re just like me.

I think this has been the best episode of Tokyo Ghoul:re so far. It was beautiful, very emotional, and full of meaningful moments that brought the characters together. From the next one, it seems like we will have more insights on the Clowns, the Washuu, and Furuta.

NEXT TIME: Face: Effulgence

Episode 17 Preview