Tokyo Ghoul:re Episode 18 Review: FACE: Effulgence

In case you got comfortable and thought that Tokyo Ghoul:re will be decent from now on, well you are mistaken, my friends. You can sense that the story is getting intense but with all the lack of information that you have as a viewer, it feels like you are just watching random scenes of various characters interacting with each other.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 赫々たる　FACE

Plot

Mutsuki has lost her mind after the fight with Torso, making her realize that she is in love with sensei, aka Kaneki. Furuta has become the head of the Washuu clan and is now leading the CCG. He instructed Suzuya to become the new Arima and announced their next plan of action in order to fight off the Clowns. After stopping the various assaults that happened simultaneously in the 9th, 2nd, 18th, and 19th Ward, the Clowns army came right outside the door of the CCG headquarters where Suzuya started fighting with No Face and where they realized that the majority of the Clowns are humans that are forced into fighting against their will. Meanwhile, Urie is fighting against Donato and after losing the battle he goes berserk and Saiko tries to get him back to his senses. Before the episode ends, Furuta visits Mutsuki in the hospital and then we see him in a huge meeting of the CCG, making a speech about how they will destroy all the ghouls and presenting a new Quinx Squad named Oggai.

Episode Highlights

Well, I’ll be damned, there is actually a love triangle: Mutsuki is a lady, we are all clear about that by now and apparently she is love with Kaneki. I don’t know if she was assaulted or raped by Torso and realized these feelings but the timing of the whole situation is just so wrong; it makes me shiver.

Donato is so creepy: The eyes of his mask and his overall character design when he fights is just so unsettling to me. He just oozes evilness and the fact that he was a priest before all this, just brings me the heebie-jeebies. Also, what does he mean with the: ‘Oh, it looks like I lost a finger.’ Is he some sort of a shadows puppet master? What the hell is going on??

It’s time to party: So no one in the CCG can tell that Furuta is absolutely insane? First of all, it is clear that he was the one that thought the whole ‘let’s use humans and disguise them as Clowns and make everyone feel like shit’ plan and while talking to Suzuya he started doing all those unnecessary cute speech tropes. I am sorry but the HEAD OF THE CCG shouldn’t be talking like that, plus in the last scene where he goes on stage with the party glasses on… Really? No one sees how mental he is? They just cheer him on? Okay, I am done.

Themes & Trivia

Who is that hot chick? This seems to be everyone’s question about this episode, so let me elaborate: She is Ching-Li Hsiao, is a Taiwanese Rank 1 Ghoul Investigator and one of the second batch of recruits to the Quinx Squad.

Okonomiyaki: In the scene where the Clowns come in, with the balloon bombs, there is a festival going on and one of the stands sells okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning “how you like” or “what you like”, and yaki meaning “cooked”. Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with the Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan (hence the Hiroshima style title that was on the stand), but is widely available throughout the country.

Comments

Okay ,despite the fact that I have to Google every name that pops in my screen in order to be able to follow what is going on, I just have one major question: What are the Clowns fighting for? I thought Uta was a good guy, but now it seems I am wrong. Do they just want to eradicate all humans from the face of the earth or are they just following Furuta’s orders? I honestly don’t understand the reasoning behind all this and at this point I don’t even know what Kaneki’s deal is. I am beyond confused and frustrated.

Also, the scene of Suzuya on the bridge after attacking the first Clown member, was just absolutely stunning. You could really see the artwork of Ishida coming to life.

Now it’s time for the Clowns.

In the preview for the next episode, it seems like Mutsuki is going to attack Touka and kill her, so she can have Kaneki for herself. Well, I am sold and SO up for some romantic drama.

NEXT TIME: Proof: Bonds

Episode 18 Preview