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Mangaka Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul series and its sequel Tokyo Ghoul:re have a special place in my heart. While this horror manga is filled with violence and psychological and moral peril, it’s a comfort manga. This is due in large part to Ishida’s beautiful artwork and the story he crafts about resiliency and acceptance and difference. That’s what made the artbook, Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki, a must buy when I first saw the announcement from VIZ Media. Published under the company’s VIZ Signature imprint, this coffee table book is filled with gorgeous art and a deep dive into the world of Tokyo Ghoul:re as presented by Ishida himself.
If you’re unfamiliar with Tokyo Ghoul:re, it’s the sequel series to Tokyo Ghoul and is told across 16 volumes (179 chapters). In Tokyo, mysterious man-eating beings called ghouls run rampant. Despite their ferocity, the ghouls are forced to live hidden during everyday life. While the true identity of ghouls is shrouded in mystery, they terrorize the humans of the city, who are helpless to the ghouls’ hunger. In comes the CCG, the sole institution that investigates and resolves cases related to ghouls where Haise Sasaki has been assigned a certain mission. Set two years after the CCG’s raid on Anteiku, the creation of a special team, known as the Quinx Squad, led by Sasaki, may provide the CCG with the push they need to exterminate ghouls once and for all. As humans who have undergone surgery in order to make use of the special abilities of ghouls, the Qinx Squad participate in operations to eradicate ghouls.
While fans of the series know the story in and out, Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations – Zakki is a full-color art book showcasing the terrific and terrifying work from Ishida. With deep dives into the covers of the manga, Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki also features behind-the-scenes notes, commentary, and a Q&A with Ishida. This doesn’t only expand the world of Tokyo Ghoul:re but drops the reader into Ishida’s creative process.
We learn why certain details were chosen and how he sees characters in their ideal forms. Additionally, Ishida adds notes to each cover, the stories behind them, and how even the smaller elements connect them to Tokyo Ghoul’s longer history. With over 200 illustrations, Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki offers gorgeous unseen artwork. While some of my favorites are the massive two-page spreads, there are smaller elements like character ID cards or the playing card illustrations that offer small but gorgeous looks at characters. There is even a page dedicated to Ishida’s character LINE stamps. Additionally, the Q&A section of Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki includes responses from 2011 to 2018 and offers a nice window into Ishida.
Finally, the physical quality of this Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki has to be noted. While the book jacket is stunning, when you remove it from the hardcover artbook you see a gray monochromatic cover with illustrations from Ishida lightly appearing. It’s a gorgeous printing filled with gorgeous art. That said, for Ishida, as he notes in the closing of the book, this is his scrapbook. The personal touches, the small notes, and the stunning art make this an artbook to add to any Tokyo Ghoul fan’s collections.
Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki is available now wherever books are sold.
Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki
TL;DR
Finally, the physical quality of this Tokyo Ghoul:re Illustrations: zakki has to be noted. While the book jacket is stunning, when you remove it from the hardcover artbook you see a gray monochromatic cover with illustrations from Ishida lightly appearing. It’s a gorgeous printing filled with gorgeous art. That said, for Ishida, as he notes in the closing of the book, this is his scrapbook. The personal touches, the small notes, and the stunning art make this an artbook to add to any Tokyo Ghoul fan’s collections.
Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles.
