Tokyo Ghoul - S1E8 - Circular

Previously on Tokyo Ghoul, ‘Captivity’

After a slight misstep last episode, Tokyo Ghoul roars forward with an episode encompassing battle. Toka’s plan goes haywire when she is forced into fighting Mado before she was ready. Kaneki makes a point to Amon, which is wasted by Mado.

Not The Mama

Both sides are gearing up for the fight Toka has set up. Mado decides it’s better to split up. Amon, now sporting an eye patch similar to Kaneki, will be more useful watching his back rather than being in Mado’s fight. Back at Anteiku, Toka doesn’t want Kaneki along until she finds that Hinami is gone. Hinami apparently didn’t learn her lesson the last time she followed a scent, so she blindly follows the scent of her mother through the streets in the middle of the night. Kaneki and Toka are close enough to hear Hinami’s scream when she finds the bag Mado left at the site Toka gave him. Toka reaches her in the waterways first, to find out the bag is filled with pieces of Hinami’s mom, Ryoko. Before they can leave, Mado appears to ask what Hinami thought of his “present.”

Meanwhile, a masked Kaneki has cut off Amon who was following Toka outside. Kaneki goes on the offensive, but Amon effortlessly dodges and blocks Kaneki with only his one empty hand. After Kaneki recovers from a takedown, Amon pops open his quinque. Amon missing his big swing, but the wind blows Kaneki to over the edge of their level and he is down. Back inside, Hinami is gets her first look at her dad’s kagune as a quinque and can’t handle it. Incensed, Toka charges Mado, but manages to dodge all of his attacks. They’re fighting in a small area, between columns, and Mado’s quinque comes up short. Mado is able to block her attacks but ends up thrown into a wall and spitting up blood. Both Amon and Toka give speeches about their point of view, but where Mado laughs at Toka, Kaneki takes what Amon says to heart. Kaneki decides he’s the only one who can get both sides to understand each other because he is a part of both. Kaneki tries to explain that ghouls and humans are equal, but Amon doesn’t understand. Kaneki tells him he will make him understand.

Insult To Injury

Inside, Toka goes for a killing blow, but Mado pops open his second case. Ryoko’s kagune is now a quinque also and Hinami cries out in grief. Mado only has a moment to enjoy it before Toka blitzes him. In this confined space, Toka is smothered by this new quinque. As she’s being crushed, she’s tries to counter but Mado has both quinques now. Mado throws her against a column and impales her on it. At this point, Mado takes some time out to note how well Hinami’s parents’ kagunes work with each other and how fun it was killing them. Hinami is can’t take anymore as Mado snatches her with her father’s kagune.

In the rain, Kaneki channels his inner MLK and decides nonviolent protest is the answer. Over and over Kaneki takes solid blows from Amon’s quinque arms out, but he won’t let Amon pass. Exhausted, Kaneki finally gives in to his ghoul side, unzipping his mask, and calling on Rize. Amon is caught off guard when a suddenly active Kaneki breaks his defenses and chomps on his shoulder. One bite is all Kaneki needs to pull out his kagune and get to work. The only drawback is, even with just one bite, Kaneki can’t already feel his humanity slipping away. Amon can’t believe Kaneki’s power as Kaneki destroys his quinque. Amon is ready to fight weaponless to the death, but he’s shocked when Kaneki pleads for him to leave. Kaneki is fighting his urges so hard that he must hold himself and his kagune is twisted in the air. Even though he tells Amon there isn’t much time before he kills him, Amon refuses. Kaneki swipes him with his kagune and begs Amon not to make him a killer.

Karma

In the waterways, Mado has heard enough of Toka’s talk of equality and is ready to end it. Mado goes for the killing blow but his right hand is suddenly gone.   By the time he realizes what has happened, he and Toka find a 4-pronged kagune coming out of Hinami, a 50/50 mixture of her parents. Mado is ecstatic over the chance to have it as a quinque and attacks, but he is no match for Hinami.

Despite being dropped from the ceiling after losing a leg, Mado is alive. Toka urges Hinami to finish him, but Hinami can’t. Mado stumbles up for one more stab at Hinami but has his throat cut by Toka. As Mado dies, he mentions a one-eyed ghoul that he must kill first.

Outside, Kaneki can’t get his thirst under control. He calls out for help but quickly becomes a predator when a masked man appears. Without thinking, Kaneki’s kagune stabs through the man who calmly says he now understands why Yoshimura is so interested in Kaneki. Yomo unmasks and Kaneki is beside himself. Inside, Toka is talking trash to Mado’s corpse before she takes off his glove. She’s horrified to find a wedding ring. Moved, she pays a little last respect on the way out with Hinami, Yomo, and Kaneki. As Kaneki assures Hinami it’s okay to live as a ghoul, Amon finds Mado’s dead body face down in sewer water. All good will Kaneki had bought is out of the window now, as the scene fades on a good ole crying yell from Amon.