Tokyo Ghoul - S1E7 - Captivity
Previously on Tokyo Ghoul, ‘Cloudburst’
Just when you think you’re taking steps forward, this show backs up to hit a few that the creators think we missed. Ryoko’s fate causes a split at Anteiku and the CCG to readjust their game plans.
In Loving Memory
Ryoko is stuck in the alley with Amon and Mado while Kaneki and Hinami race to get to her. Mado pulls out his new quinque, and, to Ryoko’s horror, it is made out of her husband’s kagune. Mado gets off on her horror and sadness, especially since she doesn’t fight back. When Mado ask her for last words, she just smiles through her tears before being beheaded. On the other end of the alley, Kaneki sees everything, but keeps his hands over Hinami’s eyes and mouth.
Back at Anteiku, Toka is shocked to find it closed. The staff are all in the living room and break it to her that Ryoko is gone. They also know that since the CCG has seen Hinami’s face, they won’t stop looking for her. Yoshimura’s plan is to send her to the 24th ward, which is the last straw for Toka. The 24th ward is a hellhole and she wants the doves’ blood. Yomo tries to talk some sense into her, but she isn’t hearing any of it. Toka is the classic hothead and nothing is going to talk her down. She snaps at Yoshimura before storming out. Kaneki blames himself for everything.
First Impressions
At the CCG, Amon and Mado’s strike force get word that Jason is now out of their jurisdiction. Apparently, he is part of a movement in the 11th ward. Out of leads, they decide to get back in the streets the next day. Before leaving, Mado warns the crew to watch their backs over killing Ryoko, but only Amon takes the advice to heart. Toka is already tracking Amon, Kusaba, and Nakajima when they leave the office. The three of them have dinner before Amon goes his separate way. Afterwards, Nakajima and Kusaba are philosophizing when a bunny-masked Toka slashes through Kusaba’s face.
He’s dead on his feet and Toka is already charging after Nakajima when Amon makes the save. He’s able to dodge a few attacks, but it’s not long before his feet are swept and he is kicked into a wall. When Toka pops her kagune and rushes, Amon realizes her kagune is an uraku. She’s a high speed ghoul, but the information does him no good. Amon takes a knee to the face and is again back up against a wall. We get a moment where he has to decide to not give up before Mado’s new quinque makes the save. Mado checks in on Amon, imparting advice, and then starts back in on Toka. Mado baits her with everything nasty he can think to say about Ryoko’s death and Toka bites. She throws everything she has at Mado, but he is unphased. Mado easily evades her while teaching a lesson to Amon. Uraku can fight hard for a short time, but they are low on stamina. Sure enough, Toka is tired out and weak. Mado starts to get his licks in, eventually cutting her. Now that he has the upper hand, he begins questioning about Hinami. Toka manages to get some distance between them and jumps out of Mado’s reach to get away. The fight is over and Mado’s new quinque drinks Toka’s blood.
Repercussions
Toka slips back into Anteiku but is discovered bleeding by Kaneki. He wants to help her but Yoshimura says it’s her responsibility. Toka rushes out and Kaneki can’t understand Yoshimura’s stance. He has to see things for himself, and, quietly, Yoshimura is proud of him. Kaneki rushes out to Toka in the alleyway and pledges to help her. He won’t kill doves, but he can’t sit on the sidelines anymore. Kaneki admits to still thinking like a human, and he doesn’t see the CCG as evil. It took watching Ryoko die before he realized he cared about the ghouls he knows dying. You would think Toka would be insulted, but Kaneki hits her soft spot when he tells her he would be heartbroken if she was killed. They’re a team now.
At Kusaba’s funeral, everyone is there except for Mado. Afterwards, the supervisor can’t wait to catch up to Amon and badmouth Mado. Mado should be an assistant special investigator, but something happened in his past. Amon is ordered to wrap up the 20th ward quickly because when they make their move in the 11th ward, he will be called up. At a dinner with Nakajima, Amon decides to focus and work even harder. Kusaba died looking up to him, and he owes it to all of the investigators who have died.
Later, Mado receives a message about Hinami to meet at an elementary school waterway. He can’t use his quinque there easily, and he knows it’s Toka’s trap, but he decides to go anyway. Meanwhile, Kaneki finally gets his mask from Uta.
Tokyo Ghoul S1E7
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8.5/10
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9/10
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8/10
Summary
This was a mixed bag of this show’s highs and lows. I wasn’t excited for Toka being a hot head, but it gave us the action of the episode. I’ll also give it a pass since it finally got Kaneki to get off his butt and get in the game. It’s finally time for Kaneki to stop letting things happen around him and actually start making some moves. At least, I hope. Amon making a decision to do his best felt useless. He has been making rookie mistakes, but there was nothing that felt like he wasn’t giving 100%. These two plot points were the hardest to swallow. Both choices were supposed to be big moments for these guys, but it would have been better just to skip the speeches and get to them actually making changes. In both instances, I thought we were past this. Kaneki went after the Gourmet and Amon stepped up and saved Nakajima from Toka. We didn’t need these moments, but we had to sit through them. Of course, Mado adds a flair to any scene he’s in. He hasn’t knocked Tsukiyama from my number one spot, but he’s a secure second. Ryoko’s beheading and Mado’s new quinque reveal were both highlights. One of Tokyo Ghoul’s strengths is just how dark it will go, not just to creep out the audience, but to actually further the plot. It’s a dangerous “kill, or be killed” world, and no one is safe.