Tokyo Ghoul’s Sui Ishida Returns With the Bloody Debut of Choujin X

Sui Ishida of Tokyo Ghoul is back in Shonen Jump with a new series, Choujin X, after a few years away.

The afterword written by Sui Ishida at the end of Tokyo Ghoul:re shed some light on the circumstances surrounding the series’ conclusion. Ishida suffered from burnout and stress as a result of the tight deadlines and constant strain of writing Tokyo Ghoul, and as a result, he started to lose interest in manga. Ishida was eaten by Tokyo Ghoul to the point that he lost himself.

Ishida’s newest manga, Choujin X, will be exclusive. The Shonen Jump series will be updated on a periodic basis, according to Ishida’s schedule, allowing him to devote his full attention to the story he wants to tell. Here’s what you can expect from the first chapter.

A young girl from the countryside is on her way to a vegetable competition on a seemingly ordinary day, and she strikes up a conversation with an elderly lady. When a man across the aisle begins behaving strangely, things take a turn for the worse. Smoke begins to pour from his hands, and he flings his hand back, igniting everyone in the row behind him. Choujin’s work can be seen here.

Despite the fact that the plane is engulfed in flames, no one is killed. In reality, 200 people are alive after the plane crash.

After that, the chapter introduces the two main characters, Tokio Kurohara and Azuma Higashi, two high school students who often team up to fight crime. Although the term “partnering” is a bit of a stretch. When Azuma sees injustice, he is normally the first to jump into a contest, while Tokio stays on the sidelines. Despite his friend’s relentless overshadowing, Tokio seems to be cool with it.

When Azuma snaps a thug’s arm, their idyllic lives are turned upside down. The thug, seeking vengeance, accepts a serum from a mysterious figure and turns into a Flexi Choujin, gaining Mr. Fantastic-like abilities. The thug, Johnny Kiyoshi Takeyama, sends Azuma soaring and then kills his two companions by crushing them until their heads blow, overwhelmed by an immense bloodlust.

Tokio and Azuma manage to flee, and despite Tokio’s wishes to flee while they still have the chance, Azuma notices two needles on the ground that contain the same serum that Johnny used to become Choujin. Azuma is dead set on surviving, and he’ll do whatever it takes to do so, even if it means being a Choujin. Tokio agrees, fearful of being left behind. Tokio transforms into a powerful Bestial Choujin, complete with an elaborate mask, and easily defeats Johnny at the end of the chapter. Azuma, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found.

With his trademark shading and attention to detail, Ishida’s artwork is as stunning as ever. Despite the fact that the universe hasn’t quite been set up yet, it has a lot of potential for suspense. The term “choujin” refers to a superhuman, and is most often associated with superheroes. When word of Ishida’s new series broke, he said it would be inspired by Nietzsche’s Ubermensch, in which Nietzsche proposes a state in which a human being can go beyond the human condition and establish their own destiny, free of social constraints.

Choujin X and Tokyo Ghoul share some striking similarities, such as Tokio wearing a Choujin mask in the final panel, which is eerily similar to Kaneki’s kakuja style. Ishida’s symbolism was one of the most praised elements of Tokyo Ghoul, and he continues to use his trademark flower and animal symbolism in this film as well. When the two friends decide to become Choujin, dandelions fade away. Dandelions are often despised as weeds, but people, especially children, blow on them to make wishes. Perhaps this is why Tokio chose to become Choujin alongside Azuma; after all, he always wants to be friends with him.

The vulture’s picture can also be compared to dandelions. Tokio is compared to a vulture earlier in the chapter, a bird that circles where predators feed, waiting to swoop in on their leftovers. They’re not the best animals to compare them to, and he despises the analogy, preferring to be compared to Azuma, a lion. Azuma is the one who convinces Tokio that buzzards can fly higher than any other bird, implying that he, too, can fly beyond his limits. This panel also includes the last moments of the two characters’ human existence: As the two pledge to have no more battles, Azuma’s face is calmly determined, while Tokio’s eyes are slightly unhinged and terrified.

For the time being, it’s unclear when Chapter #2 will be written, and whether Azuma will live until then, but considering how captivating the first chapter of Choujin X is, fans are unlikely to mind waiting until Ishida is ready to release it.