A recent X post has brought renewed attention to Tokyo Ghoul mangaka Sui Ishida's gracious take on the anime adaptation of his acclaimed series. Shared by @AniTVOfficial on February 8th, 2026, the post quotes a 2021 livestream exchange where Ishida addressed a fan's disappointment with the show's divergences from the manga. Accompanied by striking visuals of protagonist Ken Kaneki amid a vibrant floral backdrop, the thread has garnered over 232,000 views, nearly 3,000 likes, and a flurry of replies echoing long-standing calls for a remake.
In the quoted segment, a fan expressed frustration: "As a manga reader, I hate the fact that a lot of things in TG anime are different from the manga." Ishida responded with characteristic humility: "Well, I’m happy just by the fact that people know the name. I’m lucky that it turned to be a wonderful thing. I’m grateful already with people knowing it’s title." This understated reply highlights Ishida's focus on the positive impact of the adaptation, even as it deviated significantly from his original work.
The full context of the discussion is from the November 2021 livestream, as detailed in reports, reveals an even more candid side. Ishida elaborated that he's "already grateful that people even know its title," and added a tongue-in-cheek remark: "It’s better to have a terrible anime than a good one, so some people will want to read the original story." This blend of appreciation and subtle acknowledgment of the adaptation's flaws has resonated with fans, many of whom feel the anime failed to capture the manga's depth.
Tokyo Ghoul, serialized by Ishida in Weekly Young Jump from 2011 to 2014 (with the sequel Tokyo Ghoul:re running from 2014 to 2018), follows college student Ken Kaneki, who becomes a half-ghoul after a brutal attack and organ transplant from a ghoul assailant. Thrust into a hidden world of flesh-eating beings who blend into human society, Kaneki grapples with his identity, morality, and survival in a Tokyo divided between humans and ghouls. The manga's intricate plot, psychological horror, and themes of alienation and prejudice earned it critical acclaim, with over 47 million copies in circulation worldwide.
The anime, produced by Studio Pierrot, debuted in 2014 with a 12-episode first season that stayed relatively faithful to the source material, introducing audiences to Kaneki's transformation and the ghoul underworld. It was a hit, praised for its animation, soundtrack, and voice acting, particularly Natsuki Hanae's portrayal of Kaneki. However, the second season, Tokyo Ghoul √A in 2015, marked a turning point. Opting for an original storyline that diverged heavily from the manga, it condensed arcs, altered character motivations, and rushed key developments, leaving many manga readers dissatisfied.
The fan hate intensified with Tokyo Ghoul:re in 2018, which adapted the sequel manga but suffered from pacing issues, subpar animation in later episodes, and omitted details that diluted the story's emotional weight. Fans often cite mishandled characters like Touka Kirishima and Eto Yoshimura, whose arcs felt truncated or misrepresented. Despite these criticisms, the anime introduced the series to a broader audience, boosting manga sales and spawning merchandise, games, and live-action films.
Ishida's comments aren't isolated. In a 2022 livestream, he jokingly expressed interest in a remake, reiterating his preference for a "terrible" adaptation that drives curiosity toward the original. his self-deprecating humor underscores his philosophy on success, as seen in other interviews where he defines it personally: "For me, success is when I get the feeling that I drew something good. When I think about it, I don't actually demand for it to be well received in society or that many people like it.".
Despite the criticism, Ishida remains focused on his craft. After Tokyo Ghoul, he launched Choujin X in 2021, a supernatural action series serialized on Shueisha's Manga Plus, which has garnered praise for its art and storytelling. He rarely engages publicly with adaptation debates, possibly due to industry norms or NDAs, as speculated by fans.
The resurfacing of this quote comes at a time when anime remakes are trending, with series like Rurouni Kenshin and Urusei Yatsura receiving modern updates. For Tokyo Ghoul, no official remake has been announced, but the persistent fan demand that is evident through petitions and social media campaigns keeps the possibility alive. Studio Pierrot has moved on to other projects, but a new studio could potentially deliver the faithful adaptation many crave.
In the end, Ishida's response encapsulates the complex relationship between creators and adaptations. While fans are sad about what could have been, his gratitude reminds us of the anime's role in elevating Tokyo Ghoul from a niche manga to a global phenomenon. As one reply put it, "Bless his humility, but such a masterpiece of writing deserves a faithful adaptation." Whether a remake materializes or not, Ishida's words encourage revisiting the original manga, where the true heart of the story lies. Have you read it yet?