Despite the source material being so critically acclaimed, the Tokyo Ghoul anime turned into one of the most notorious examples of a bad adaptation. Not only did manga readers complain about the anime, but even anime-only fans started noticing major inconsistencies in the narrative in the later seasons.
But why did it happen in the first place? And which changes from the manga ended up hurting the anime the most? We’ve broken down every major reason and ranked them based on just how much damage they did to the adaptation.
6. The Later Seasons Have Noticeably Inconsistent Animation
Season 1 had decent animation for its time. But when the later seasons came out, the quality either remained the same or dropped the ball during multiple fight scenes. This only added to the frustration among fans, on top of all the other issues the series was already facing. Still, inconsistent animation alone could only hurt an anime so much, which is why it ranks at the bottom of the list. After all, there were far more serious issues the anime had.
5. Beyond Season 1, The Pacing Was Way Too Fast
The pacing turned into another major issue in the series. Again, only Season 1 followed the manga’s pacing quite faithfully. After that, the anime kept rushing events to trim the storyline down to fit a seasonal format. The final straw was when Tokyo Ghoul:re began, with Kaneki losing his memories. Things got completely out of hand after that. However, pacing was not the worst of what this show had, so it comes at 5th.
4. The Censorship Really Undermined the Manga’s Horrors
The censorship issue comes next at 4th, as it affects the overall narrative of the series at its core. Even though Season 1 was faithful to the source material in terms of storytelling, when it came to the gore and violence, the anime really toned down much of the manga’s extremity. Maybe it was necessary for a TV broadcast, but it totally undermined the series’ actual appeal for fans of the original manga.
3. Kaneki’s Character Arc Gradually Lost Its Emotional Depth
One of the worst feelings while watching Tokyo Ghoul is not being able to make sense of what Kaneki is even doing. His entire character arc in the manga is so much more nuanced and well-developed that it pains fans to see the anime’s version of Kaneki. Many of his internal monologues and character-defining moments were completely omitted, which is why we break into the top 3 with this.
2. Tokyo Ghoul √A Had a Completely Anime-Original Story
From Season 2 onward, known as Tokyo Ghoul √A, the anime took a complete detour from the source material. It mixed the manga with a completely original storyline. That’s why it felt so awkward, making it the second-biggest reason behind the anime’s failure.
1. The Anime Skipped Too Much Content Beyond Redemption
Finally, as you might already know, the anime skipped a lot of major scenes from the manga. This became the biggest reason why the anime failed so badly. That’s not to say anime-original series do not work, but the lack of a clear vision of where the story would go is what pushed the anime toward its downfall. But if it had adapted the manga well, the anime would’ve still been regarded as a masterpiece.
| TITLE | Tokyo Ghoul |
| RELEASE DATE | July 4, 2014 |
| IMDb RATING (as of July 22, 2026) | Tokyo Ghoul – 7.7/10 Tokyo Ghoul: Root A – 7.5/10 Tokyo Ghoul: re – 6.5/10 |
| WHERE TO WATCH | Crunchyroll |
Even in 2026, the hope is still alive for a potential Tokyo Ghoul remake. Out of every anime getting a remake, this might be one of the few that needs one the most. Wouldn’t you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The Tokyo Ghoul anime is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
