Released in 2011, Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul tells the story of Ken Kaneki, a man who becomes a half-ghoul and tries to manage his life, while working with the authorities to save the world from the horrors of ghouls.
Tokyo Ghoul is considered one of the best manga series of all time, especially in the dark genre. However, the series has had less luck when it comes to anime adaptation. While the first two seasons of the Tokyo Ghoul anime were instant hits upon their release, the third season completely ruined the dark storyline of Ishida's best work.
Last year, Ishida had the opportunity to talk about Tokyo Ghoul, and that's when the manga author made a startling revelation about the series. Ishida not only discussed the success of the series, but also explained his perception of Tokyo Ghoul fans.
Sui Ishida never considered Tokyo Ghoul a success.
During the German launch of another of Ishida's popular manga, Choujin X, the manga author was interviewed by Manga Passion. During the interview, Ishida was asked about the success of Tokyo Ghoul and the expectations of fans of the manga. Ishida revealed that he does not consider Tokyo Ghoul to be a success.
Ishida said:
“In terms of premise, I don't really consider Tokyo Ghoul a success. Success for me is the feeling of having drawn something good. Thinking about it properly, I don't really ask for it to be accepted by society or for many people to like it. So success for me is, if I myself can feel proud of it or not.”
Kaneki Ken from Tokyo Ghoul
The manga author pointed out that he only considers his work successful if he feels proud of making it. He doesn't care what society or critics in general think of his work, as long as he enjoys the feeling of drawing a good work. He even explained that if he starts thinking about such things, he won't be able to concentrate properly.
Sui Ishida Can't Connect With Tokyo Ghoul Fans
Explaining further about his approach to creating manga like Tokyo Ghoul and Choujin X, Ishida said that he found it difficult to connect with his manga readers. He couldn't figure out what kind of people liked his work, so he didn't have a target audience in mind when creating big stories.
Ishida explains:
“And if I think about it further, I believe that it's hard for me to connect with my readers. To be honest, I don't really have any clear image of what kind of people like to read my manga. I feel like if I think too much about it, I'll try harder and harder to please my readers, and that will affect my drawings and make them look weird. So right now, all I ask is to feel proud. Everything added to this is great, and I think 'Thank you'.”
If the author tries to please the audience, it will affect his work, which is why he tries to focus on creating something that makes him feel proud.
He even revealed that the greatest pressure he ever felt was facing his obstacles, and that he still hasn't been able to overcome this pressure until now.
