The second Story Arc of the Tokyo Ghoul series consisting of chapters 4 - 9 from the original manga, and episode 2 of the first anime season. The arc revolves around Kaneki adjusting to his new life as a ghoul as he attempts to protect his best friend, Hide, from the threat of a ghoul named Nishiki Nishio.
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Short Summary
Still trying to adjust to his new life as a ghoul, Kaneki encounters another ghoul named Nishiki Nishio, who has decided to claim the surrounding area as his feeding ground after Rize's demise put the territory up for grabs. Kaneki then learns that Hide also happens to know Nishiki through a connection at their school, and fears for the safety of his best friend's life.Unsurprisingly, Nishiki attacks the two upon their walk home, and ends up knocking out Hide in the process. As a result, Kaneki begins to control his ghoul kagune in order to fight against Nishiki as he threatens to kill the one person Kaneki cares about.
After defeating Nishiki, Kaneki approaches the unconscious Hide; struggling to control his hunger for the need to eat human flesh. However, he is stopped at the last second by Touka who has decided to help him adjust to the ghoul's lifestyle. Kaneki is then brought to Anteiku Café, who is offered a place to stay by its ghoul manager, Yoshimura, in order to establish a new life as both a human, and a ghoul.
Long Summary
After his big discovery, Kaneki goes to a downtown store looking for coffee, since this and water are the only two things that are edible to both ghouls and humans. Here he comes to the conclusion that none of the coffees he sampled have the ability to mask the disgusting taste in his mouth. He runs into Nishiki, who advises that the Blondie coffee is the best instant coffee to date, as it wields a strong flavor.
While walking home that night, Kaneki smells a delicacy from afar, comparing it with his mother's cooking. He rushes to the smell, thinking that it’ll be something he can finally eat with the exception of human meat. Upon his arrival he sees a ghoul, Kazuo Yoshida feeding on a human body, and recognizes that he was attracted by the stench of a human corpse.
Kazuo questions him as to why he is surprised, assuming that Kaneki must be a ghoul too. Suddenly Nishiki appears, earning Kazuo his death in one full blow. Nishiki remarks that he needn’t any intruders on his feeding grounds.
Kaneki recalls that he met Nishiki at the convenience store earlier that day. He then reminisces over the previous night, when Yoshimura explained Kaneki’s origin as a ghoul, with Rize being responsible for it. Kaneki also remembers resisting the package of human meat by drinking coffee to suppress his appetite. Kaneki discovers that not only could he drink the brewed coffee, but also eat the coffee grains. He then notices a food hamper left for him by Hide.
Nishiki starts to assess Kaneki, concluding that he is indeed a ghoul after he had purchased so much coffee from the store. Kaneki notices that Nishiki has grown somewhat hostile towards him, as he cracks a finger. Nishiki corners him and suddenly chokes Kaneki, who apologizes, saying that he didn’t know the territory was someone else’s property.
Touka intervenes, insisting that this is not Nishiki’s property, but rather, Rize’s feeding ground. Nishiki replies that Rize is in fact dead, and that the space was originally his until Rize came along. The two began to debate, arguing over whose strength really deserved the ownership of the small alley. Touka and Nisihiki finally charge, engaging in a brawl, with Touka winning.
Kaneki apprehensively questions about what ghouls are, to which Touka responds that ghouls kill people who have no connection to their fellow ghouls, and that they basically have no concepts, morals or order in society. She mentions that the ghoul world is the worst. Kaneki tries to stick to his human side, persisting that he will not eat the human meat under any circumstance.
Touka offers help, by attempting to shove the meat into Kaneki’s mouth. He reluctantly swallows it, beginning to express guilt, for he was so desperate to find another way to feed himself as nothing more than a human. Taking Touka by offense, he declares that he’s not like those ghoul monsters.
Touka slams Kaneki’s head against a nearby wall, and discerns that he is surely a ghoul, as Kaneki’s body isn’t injured via her attack. Touka mortifies Kaneki; since he does not belong to the group of humans nor ghouls, there’s nowhere he truly belongs. The girl implied that Kaneki bring himself to the edge of starvation if he really wants to stick to the human side. Touka also told him that starvation for a ghoul was literally hell, and that he would end up acting upon instinct if he really goes hungry.
Kaneki allows her words to sink in, anxious and scared at the fact that he was going to be alone and on his own. He then receives a message from Hide, offering him the Asian History notes once again. Kaneki decides that there still is one place where he belongs; his place with Hide at school.
Kaneki goes back to school with an eye patch, for he could not control his eye. He admits that the piece of human meat Touka gave him made him feel a lot better, though he is still hungry. Hide approaches him, giving Kaneki details of the upcoming School Festival, also introducing him to some seniors who were part of the planning committee. Kaneki is offered a position in the committee to which Hide objects that his friend is not used to being around crowds.
Hide points out that Kaneki hasn’t been eating much, as he looks pale. Kaneki is struck with remorse, for Hide is highly perceptive and notices things out of the ordinary. Kaneki blames himself, thinking that if someday he truly becomes a ghoul, then he and Hide won’t be able to walk alongside each other anymore.
The two are requested to go see Nishiki for a DVD of the previous year's school festival, and unknowingly barge into the room where Nishiki and his girlfriend, Kimi were making out. Hide apologizes but Nishiki insists that he respect his elders. Kaneki notices the strong aroma of coffee in the room, and comes to the realization that he encountered Nishiki that night on the feeding ground. He grows frightened by the fact that Nishiki might kill him. Hide begins introducing Kaneki to Nishiki, but unbeknownst to him, Nishiki secretly shows his hostility. Even though he was told that there isn’t a place for him, Kaneki is surprised at how well Nishiki fits in with humans.
The three try looking for the material, but to no avail. Nishiki abruptly concludes that he left the disk at home and suggests they go there for it. Kaneki realizes that Nishiki uses his docile manner in order to deceive humans, and then decides to accompany Hide just for the sake of his safety. They head to Nishiki’s home while he makes a phone call, and Kaneki and Hide start chatting about Nishiki, saying that he’s actually someone Hide might hate.
Nishiki treats the boys to Taiyaki, which Kaneki puts away, saying that he’d eat it later. Kaneki seems to be amazed by the fact that Nishiki was able to eat the piece of fish without purging, but doubts his actions afterwards. The fact that Nishiki’s pretense as a normal human college student was flawless impressed Kaneki, but he also notes that the injury Nishio sustained, via Touka’s blow, to his neck wasn’t fully healed.
The walk home turns out to be a clever ambush set by Nishiki himself, as he cornered the two boys. He unexpectedly kicks Hide, knocking him unconscious, and begins to ridicule Kaneki. He mentions that when ghouls see the look on a human’s face after recognizing betrayal, it makes the moment even more appetizing. Nishiki then accuses Kaneki of wanting the eat Hide, to which Kaneki responds that he is different from the ghouls. Nishiki gets angry on Touka’s terms after hearing something like this. Nishiki notes Kaneki’s body to be fragile, and starts to vomit out the contents of the fish he ate earlier. He presumptuously puts a right foot on Hide’s face, much to Kaneki’s dismay.
Nishiki continues to provoke Kaneki, claiming that he was planning to eat Hide on purpose. Kaneki gets annoyed and lashes out at Nishiki for associating his friend with food. Nishiki kicks Kaneki in the abdomen, calling him a woman for attacking with his bag. Nishiki then states that if he went all out with his full power, not even Touka or Yomo would’ve managed to defeat him. Nishiki then reveals how his true impression of Hideyoshi, of how much he gets irritated by his idiotic appearance, speech and behavior. However, Nishiki somehow acknowledges the fact that Hide is very observant about his surroundings, unlike the other college students- making him a difficult person to be around.
Nishiki also confesses that Hide initially didn’t want Kaneki to accompany them, because he sensed Nishiki’s intentions. Kaneki always thought that Hide’s perceptiveness was a result of the two being best friends for so long; not knowing that Hide really had good intuition around everyone else just as he did with Kaneki. Ripping off Kaneki’s eye patch, Nishiki assumes that the reason why Kaneki has the patch is because he isn’t able to monitor his eye accordingly; alleging that he’d rather kill Hide than have his true identity revealed.
Perplexed and annoyed, Kaneki ravenously swings at Nishiki, who successfully dodges the counterattack. Kaneki reflects on his sloppy moves; thinking that his reflexes are bad, that he had never hit anyone up until now, and starts to doubt his ability to defeat his opponent. He then realizes that he’s hungry. Nishiki unleashes his Kagune and proceeds to assault Hide’s unconscious frame, while Kaneki remembers how concerned Hide was for him throughout their lives as friends. Kaneki is greatly angered, and charges up to make his first attack on an unforgiven Nishiki.
Meanwhile, Touka is seen talking on her cell phone. She informs Yomo that she has business to take care of and she would be there shortly, which suggests that she was going to check on Kaneki.
Returning to the duel, Nishiki and Kaneki clash. Kaneki, overwhelmed by Rize’s ghoul powers, sets free his kagune. He charges at Nishio, whom is clearly confused by Ken’s immediate transformation. Kaneki impales him through the gut with his kagune, and then proceeds to shove his entire head into his opponent’s torso to slurp his blood. Nishiki is taken aback by Kaneki’s vicious encounter, admitting that he would die if Kaneki were to continue stabbing him multiple times. By the observation of a claw, Nishiki notices Kaneki’s strength to be a product of Rize’s kagune, doubting the notion that someone like Kaneki would wield this power.
Kaneki get’s a scent of human flesh, then looks behind him at Hide’s limp body. He then enters the state of hunger in which his instincts control him so much, that he is unaware of what he is doing. Ken grins giddily, for the fragrance stimulated his appetite, making it irresistible. He lunges over to Hide in an attempt to feast on him, but is brought to a halt by Touka’s sudden appearance.
He orders Touka to move, but is shamed instead as she tells him that he’d become reprehensible, since the pain of a ghoul’s hunger drowns out all reason, until he’d just rather use Hide’s life. Touka reminds him that he’d regret it deeply if he were to gobble down his one and only friend. Touka reveals that this hunger was the origin of a ghoul’s destiny, and that she truly hated it, promising to help Ken out this time.
Kaneki wakes up and finds himself back at Anteiku. He is approached by Yoshimura, who tells him he was brought to the second floor by Touka and the others. He grows apprehensive; asking about Hide’s well being first.
Relieved to see his friend alive and recovering, he tells Yoshimura that his hunger lasted so long; it felt like as though he was almost starving to death. Though Hide was the only choice, he didn’t understand why. Kaneki inquires the reason as to why there was blood in his mouth, and what he did while he was asleep.
Yoshimura reveals that Kaneki had been fed human meat while asleep, for he would have ripped Hide up with his own hands. Kaneki says he didn’t wish to hurt his friend, and is advised to embrace this person he had become; for he thought he was neither human nor ghoul. He was unsure of his place in the world with Hide, and his place with the ghouls. Kaneki begins to weep bitterly, fearing loneliness. Yoshimura consoles him, telling him that he is both human and ghoul, and that there are two worlds he can be in interchangeably because he belonged to both. Kaneki is offered a job at Anteiku, as Yoshimura promises to teach him how to live like a ghoul while being human, and soon enough he’d come to understand whether or not ghouls are just beasts driven by hunger.
Hide and Nishiki Arc Tropes
- A Day in the Limelight: For Hide and Nishiki Nishio, both of who the arc center around.
- Arc Villain: Nishiki
- Best Friend: Kaneki and Hide's friendship is tested here.
- Cool Old Guy: Yoshimura as the series old-school ghoul that wants to help those around him.
- Smug Snake: Nishikis role in the arc.
