The beginning
Ishida had a quiet childhood. When he was young, he moved very often and was practically alone most of the time. In his twenties, after an extensive period of study, he decided to travel to Tokyo to prove himself in the manga industry. His epilogue describes his decision as a whim (sparked by a fight with his parents), but he certainly considered it the right one. Obviously, parts of Ishida's life and personality directly influenced that of the protagonist of his work, Kaneki, since the life that had been quite calm at that time would give a drastic change.
While Ishida was delighted living his dream of being a mangaka, that did not last long. Due to the deadlines and the pressure of a serialization of a manga as popular as Tokyo Ghoul, Ishida stopped enjoying the writing process and lost his joy in the process. Sadly, this is a fairly common story in the manga industry. However, the interesting thing about Ishida as an author is that his motivation came not only from the strict deadlines, but also from his desire to empathize with the protagonist.
Kaneki's transformation from his innocent personality to his post-torture state is one of the most exciting arcs in the series. It is no exaggeration to say that the new Kaneki's empty personality was, in part, a reflection of Ishida's current state at the time. In fact, it's interesting to think that Kaneki's meek and passive attitude was the same as Ishida might have had before his over-exertion issues and the development of the character would have reflected the author's own changes as a person.
A ghoul in the real world
The excessive effort caused Ishida some serious health problems. The most surprising thing about this, the author himself explains, was losing his sense of taste, something the traumatized Kaneki experienced after becoming a ghoul. Ishida wrote in his epilogue:
“I have developed complications in my body. I was scared at first. But after more symptoms were present in my body every few months, I resigned myself to accepting that this was the type of body I had. The most surprising thing for me was having lost the sense of taste. No matter what I ate, everything tasted the same to me. Even though the symptoms were different, I really felt like I had become a ghoul. ”
Because she feared she might not be able to draw again, Ishida avoided taking breaks or periods of pause between posts, which is a sad reminder of just how tough the manga industry can be. Ishida finished Tokyo Ghoul: re, and while his ending was understandably rushed, it's still a satisfying conclusion. From his epilogue, written just after the end of the manga, Ishida described himself as "liberated," again, similar to Kaneki at the end of the story.
The legacy of Tokyo Ghoul
Ishida's dedication to delving into her character's personality and the similarities she shares are some of the main reasons why Tokyo Ghoul is one of the most recommended manga. Still, the process of creating it was quite dangerous to Ishida's health and working to such an extent is not recommended. It is unclear whether he will resume the Tokyo Ghoul series in the future, as he walked away from the industry after the series ended. He is currently working on a Nintendo Switch game titled Jack-Jeanne. However, it is clear that at least part of Ishida's experiences working with Tokyo Ghoul was embedded in Ken Kaneki's personality, overcoming the boundaries between art and reality, or perhaps demonstrating that art imitates life.
Source: CBR
© 石田 ス イ ／ 集 英 社 ・ 東京 喰 種 製作 委員会
