A review by mimosaeyes
Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 8 by Sui Ishida
4.0
Hoo boy, the delicious drama in this volume! I am emotional over Touka's backstory (read: ), Ayato's secret, and Kaneki's... everything, to be honest. It's really a masterful bit of characterisation that Kaneki can be, at the same time, so protective and kind yet cruel and brutal. His interactions with Touka, especially, are full of beautifully wrought emotional tension here.
Side note: I like how it's repeatedly Yomo who holds Kaneki back. It's been hinted that Yomo had a violent past, and I like how he seems to feel a certain obligation to stop Kaneki from turning out as dangerous as he could be if he comes unmoored. I also like how two seeming antagonists when they first met Kaneki - Nishio and Tsukiyama - have ended up on his side in their own ways. That's the Kaneki effect at work.
These chapters also set up several more arcs - really skilful weaving in of storylines at different levels.
Spoiler
abandonment issues out the wazooSide note: I like how it's repeatedly Yomo who holds Kaneki back. It's been hinted that Yomo had a violent past, and I like how he seems to feel a certain obligation to stop Kaneki from turning out as dangerous as he could be if he comes unmoored. I also like how two seeming antagonists when they first met Kaneki - Nishio and Tsukiyama - have ended up on his side in their own ways. That's the Kaneki effect at work.
These chapters also set up several more arcs - really skilful weaving in of storylines at different levels.