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While Christianity might be considered one of the major religions in the world, in Japan, it’s quite the opposite. According to Reuters, of Japan’s population, roughly 1 % identify as Christian. This means Japanese Christians are in the minority compared to the rest of the country. And as a child, Sui Ishida’s family was a part of this small group. Per a fan-translated Yomiuri Shimbun interview on Tumblr, Sui Ishida revealed that his parents were Christian. And along with having to move around a lot, the “Tokyo Ghoul” creator felt alienated from others.
It sounds like Ishida had a difficult time while growing up. But he continued to note that there were also times when he felt more like the rest of society. As a result, this all served as inspiration for the creation of the ghouls and the character Ken Kaneki. “I made Kaneki into a half-ghoul because I thought he’d be able to empathize with both humans and ghouls,” Ishida said in the interview. “From that point on, I vaguely thought about how both races could coexist. It was really difficult finding a solution, though…”
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Kaneki being a hybrid is perfect in this sense, as he not only serves as a potential bridge between humans and ghouls but is also our link into their particular world. As he learns more about ghoul society, It doesn’t take long to see that the concepts of heroes and villains aren’t as clear-cut as in other series. And through him, it’s easy to understand humanity’s basic fear of being on a ghoul’s menu and a ghoul’s cannibalistic plight at simply trying to live.
