Tokyo Ghoul may have ended back in 2018, but it still continues to be an incredibly popular manga. So, it was surprising to find out that creator Sui Ishida doesn’t believe that Tokyo Ghoul was a success.
Recently, Ishida was interviewed by the German website Manga Passion. In the interview, he mentioned some interesting insights into his latest work, Choujin X.
Though Ishida also mentioned his thoughts on Tokyo Ghoul, which were quite interesting given the undeniable success of the series.
Tokyo Ghoul: An Undisputed Critical and Commercial Success
If you ask any anime fan what Tokyo Ghoul is, chances are that they’re familiar with, or at the very least, they know of the anime’s iconic opening song Unravel by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure.
While the anime is an icon of the 2010s, the manga is also incredibly popular, enough that the series in total has over 47 million copies in circulation worldwide.
Though take note that this figure includes the circulation numbers for both the first Tokyo Ghoul manga and the Tokyo Ghoul:re sequel.
Sales aside, the manga is also ranked highly on various sites. In terms of popularity, it’s also the fifth most popular manga of all time on MyAnimeList.
Given these, it’s clear that Tokyo Ghoul is a huge success. Of course, the anime’s record isn’t quite as impressive because, while the first season was popular, the next season was criticized by fans for its departure from the original story.
Interestingly, Ishida believes his work isn’t a success, and he’s not talking about the anime adaptation.
READ MORE: The Best Tokyo Ghoul Watch Order: How to Watch Tokyo Ghoul, OVA, & Re Anime
Why Ishida Doesn’t Believe Tokyo Ghoul Is a Success
In the interview, Ishida was asked about the pressure he feels while working on his new seinen manga, especially given how successful Tokyo Ghoul is.
Instead of feeling the pressure, Ishida shared that he doesn’t really feel the pressure to succeed, especially as he doesn’t consider Tokyo Ghoul a success.
That’s not to minimize the series’ commercial achievement though. It’s just that Ishida feels that success for him is when he draws something well.
It’s an interesting answer for sure, as it shows Ishida’s dedication to his craft.
Though Ishida also said that it’s difficult for him to engage with his readers and that he doesn’t have a strong idea of the kind of person that reads his manga. But he says that this is an advantage.
Ishida said that if he became too mindful of what readers wanted, it may negatively affect his work.
Still, despite his inward approach to his work, Ishida says that he is thankful to readers of his manga.
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Source: Manga Passion
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