Jada's appetite returned to normal.
However, the ghouls' appetites remained unchanged.
The work "Tokyo Ghoul," though it initially captivated many readers with its intriguing premise, experienced a decline in ratings as more people read it. Although it sold well and initially received high ratings, these scores dropped over time.
In the "Tokyo Ghoul" forums, some people criticized the work.
"This series relies entirely on gimmicks to attract readers!" one user commented. "It started by luring readers in with the premise of a gourmet manga, and once they bought it, it used bloody and dark elements to keep them hooked."
"The story has no real meaning. What's the point of a protagonist this weak? Where's the passion? The ruthlessness? The plot is mediocre. I don't understand why people like this series!"
"In short, I think the Porter's attempt with "Tokyo Ghoul" is just sensationalism. Viewers are only interested because they haven't seen anything like it before. It's destined to be a flash in the pan. Only works that stand the test of time with realistic and intricate portrayals are truly valuable!"
To some, Ren's "Tokyo Ghoul" achieved its success by taking an unconventional approach.
But soon, a segment of readers began to argue back.
Not only did they counter the criticisms, but they also provided insights that even Ren found astonishing.
"Haha, I laughed at your comment. You can't see the deeper meaning of this work and you're ranting?"
"Oh? What deeper meaning could it have? I remember your account. You're the comic reviewer Daniel, right? Are you just saying this for money? Can I get a cut?"
In a residential area, Daniel read this comment and felt furious.
To be honest, at first, he too was tricked by Ren's supposed gourmet manga. He even felt displeased and wanted to criticize the Porter for damaging his innocent mind.
Now, every time he saw his mom's cooking, he recalled the ghoul eating scenes from the comic.
But after a few chapters, Daniel suddenly realized that the Porter might not be so superficial.
As someone who once scored full marks in the Chinese reading comprehension section of his college entrance exam, he analyzed the comic for the role of certain panels in the story.
He dissected the comic to understand the Porter's thoughts and emotions, summarized the main themes, and eventually grasped the profound meanings the Porter wanted to convey. He was amazed.
The Porter lived up to his name. Even a gruesome and bloody comic could express deep philosophies, so Daniel eagerly wanted others to recognize the Porter's brilliance.
"Haha, fine. Let me show you the Porter's genius! After the protagonist Kaneki is forced to become half-human, half-ghoul, he falls into a state of confusion!"
"Now, combine that with the modern social background."
"When Kaneki is pushed by Rize to become less human, what path will he take?"
"We can see Kaneki as ourselves, Rize as reality, and our past human selves as the innocent children we once were. What should we do then?"
"After graduation, we all face the harsh realities of life. Unable to change society, we can only change ourselves, becoming ghouls or battered by reality. When we stand on the streets, do we not feel lost?"
"Kaneki's confusion represents the modern youth's confusion. It's the confusion of young people just entering society. They stand at a crossroads in life, deciding whether to accept reality and become ghouls who prey on others, or maintain their true selves. Finding a way to be a ghoul without losing humanity is akin to finding a way to enter society without forgetting one's youthful spirit."
This lengthy post quickly became the most popular comment.
"Wow, after reading Daniel's comment, I realize it indeed has this meaning!"
"No wonder he's the best comic reviewer for the Porter!"
"Agreed, I think the Porter meant it this way too!"
Seeing these supportive comments, Daniel felt a sense of accomplishment and opened the comic to the next chapter.
In the previous chapter, Kaneki saved Kimi from a ghoul attack and took her home, where he met Kimi's boyfriend, Nishio.
But later, Kimi was kidnapped by Tsukiyama, who had been secretly following Kaneki, to threaten him.
Although Touka appeared, Tsukiyama easily defeated both Nishio and Touka.
As Tsukiyama was about to harm Kimi, something astonishing happened!
Touka consumed Kaneki's flesh, which Tsukiyama coveted most!
Angered, Tsukiyama attacked Touka.
If this were the earlier storyline, Touka would have been easily defeated by Tsukiyama.
However, at this moment, Touka, as if injected with adrenaline, effortlessly blocked Tsukiyama's attack and even forced him back.
"Wow, has Kaneki become a Tang Monk?" Daniel marveled at the scene of Touka defeating Tsukiyama.
But what impressed him the most wasn't the victory over Tsukiyama, but Touka's ghoul transformation.
The combination of her kagune and Ren's artwork made her look stunning.
The comic continued.
The scene shifted.
Kaneki was seen calming Shio's anxiety by teaching her to read.
Shio, wanting to surprise her father with her newfound literacy, went out with Ryoko to buy books.
However, CCG investigators Kusakari and Nakajima were searching for the ghoul mother and daughter. Shio's mother, noticing something was off, tried to escape with her.
But Shio detected something—"It's Daddy's scent!"
With a look of joy, Shio ran toward the source of the scent.
"Don't go!"
Watching the cheerful little girl, Daniel muttered to himself.
From the previous storyline, he knew that the girl's father was already... dead!
Even though this little girl was a ghoul, Daniel knew from the previous chapters that, setting aside her species, she was just an ordinary, well-behaved little girl! Even considering her species, she only ate the bodies of those who had committed suicide!
He couldn't bear to see such a cute girl killed by those doves!
Unfortunately, his words couldn't reach the comic characters.
Not only was the little girl surrounded by doves, but her mother also got trapped while chasing her.
Recalling what the little girl said about her dad's scent and the "mom's cooking" mentioned in the first chapter, Daniel felt that the Porter was quite ruthless.
This would ruin many readers' memories of their parents' cooking!
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