Anime Review: Tokyo Ghoul Jack & Pinto (Lights, Camera, Action!)

Tokyo Ghoul Jack & Pinto (UK Rating: 15)

The first of the pair, entitled "Jack," is named after a pumpkin-headed Ghoul with the moniker Lantern that it is hunting through the 13 wards. The story follows a delinquent student named Taishi Fura. Heading out after dark to meet up with some fellow punk friends, he finds that Jack has already paid them a visit. His friends are butchered but he's saved by the studious and reserved member of his class, a boy named Armia. It turns out Arima just happens to be an undercover member of the CCG and spends his nights hunting the Ghouls of the city. After losing his friends, Fura teams up with Armia to avenge them, tracking down Ghouls, taking them out, and hoping each time to find the Lantern. They gain a third to their little team when they rescue a girl at their school and the trio develops into a team of friends. Serious fans will recognise the names and appreciate this historic glimpse at some minor characters.

Both OVAs were produced by Studio Pierrot and originally broadcast in Japan at the tail end of 2015, they both retain the art style and overall aesthetic of the original, with the character designs and colour choices being very recognisable. Neither episode looks particularly good, though, even less so than the original series, in fact. There is no English dub for this release, either, only the original Japanese with an English subtitles option (although the default subtitle option is French).

6/10

Good

While each OVA is enjoyable enough, short, self-contained stories with no prior knowledge needed of the series, Tokyo Ghoul Jack & Pinto doesn't feel enough to justify this type of release. Two 30-minute OVAs without any sort of bonus other than a trailer for each, this should serve as a bonus disc in a collection instead. One for just the hardcore Tokyo Ghoul fans.