touka defense squad

Mod K:

Please feel to correct me if there are any mistakes. Ishida’s handwriting is hard to read at times so I may have gotten some words wrong. (source of the afterword)

Lastly

I’m truly happy that I was able to finish Tokyo Ghoul.

Once it was set free, I was able to think a lot about myself that I had done by drawing this work. About myself, creativity, drawing, the creative industry. I was also able to meet lots of great people.

For the last half year, I really enjoyed drawing Tokyo Ghoul. I discovered and learned to appreciate all sorts of things.

“Why am I drawing manga?”

If I ask myself that now, my answer would be: “Because it was necessary.”

Tokyo Ghoul is a crude, unpolished work, but I love it nonetheless.

Those who have been involved with the series, those who have been reading the series. I have nothing but gratitude to whoever is reading this sentence right now.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

While I’m At It

This is a diary entry I wrote 9 years ago. I discovered it recently.

I want to bring this immature young man out here and bring shame upon him.

Amen to myself of 9 years past.

July 7, 2009

I’ve arrived in Tokyo. I am living alone.

Looking back at my diary, I can see just how rough around the edges I was. Foolish, short-sighted, and fresh-faced.

For about 2 years (in technical college) I was a giant brat who couldn’t stop laughing.

Compare that to now and I sure have grown a lot! Looking back at the recent diary entries, it occurred to me, why didn’t I write a lot…

I want to grow, even a tiny bit…

Why do the diary entries from my technical college days have nothing but dreams written in them?

I must have been dozing for quite some time…

Right now I’m creating storyboards that I can bring to Shueisha. I’m bringing them in tomorrow at 17:30.

It’s a story about war. Though I’m not sure whether I can draw a sci-fi with my skills as they are now.

Sometimes I’m at a loss, and there have been times I’ve had regrets.

Like, what was the point of me going to technical school for the last 5 years?

Or if you tried harder, would you be living a better life? Stuff like that.

But everything in the past is connected to the present.

Every mistake, every bit of suffering, every little success is creating the person that I am today.

If I can acknowledge myself now, that will acknowledge everything in the past.

All my failures are all a part of who I am today.

If I’m happy now, I owe it to my past (and of course to my present) self.

I can’t acknowledge myself 100%. But I kinda like who I am.

Then I can’t be that bad, right?

No, people are just stupid and have an incredibly small frame of reference.

The world does not revolve around Bleach, Naruto, and Fairy Tale. 

Ichika is an extremely popular name in Japan (#4 in one ranking I found), and ties neatly back into imagery/themes we’ve seen throughout Tokyo Ghoul. In particular, the theme of flowers and seeds as a representation of hope.

Her name means “First Bloom”. 

Yomo’s speech associates hope with flower seeds you get to help grow.

Touka’s name similarly has kanji related to flowers (a common thing for women’s names in Japan). Early in her pregnancy, she has a cover that hints at the child’s name. 

Giving your firstborn child a name including the kanji for “one/first” is a very common practice in Japan.

It is literally like pointing to one than one series with a girl named “Jessica” or  “Jennifer”, and claiming they are clearly connected. 

(It’s also kind of racist/ethnocentric? Because it’s a COMMON NAME in Japan, and therefore not particularly exceptional to them? Just because Western weebs think it’s ~unique~ and clearly connected~ doesn’t mean it’s a fact. It just means people are unwilling to step outside their own experiences.)

Bleach Ichika = 苺花

Tokyo Ghoul Ichika = 一花

So they aren’t even written the same. 

There’s been quite a few Touka related events in fandom recently so instead of a formal event for her birthday, we’ll be spending a day of appreciation! 

If you plan on posting any birthday works, feel free to tag #toukaweek in the first 5 tags and we’ll reblog it!

resonated extra strongly with me when recalling Touka’s own past.

Of how tiny Touka-chan as a young child must have been scared and worried when Arata was late coming home

yet still supported Ayato and patiently waited for her father to return

trying to give her younger brother reassurance as they waited and waited

and even after the CCG came and they were forced to flee, she probably still retained the hope that he would return

even as she sobbed in anguish at having to bear the realization that yet another family member had been ripped away from her

Mod K:

Her loyalty truly knows no bounds. If she loves you, that girl will put herself through hell for you. It’s a very touching characteristic that is often ignored by the fandom.