The sixth Story Arc of the Tokyo Ghoul series consisting of chapters 80 - 94 from the original manga and episodes 2-3 and the beginning of 4 of the anime's second season. The arc centers around Kaneki's ghoul gang searching for Akihiro Kanou's whereabouts, and the CCG's efforts to unravel the mysteries surrounding Kaneki.
The second season of the anime adapts parts of this arc into episodes 2, 3 and 4, as well as including scenes which occur at a later time in the manga.
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Short Summary
Six months later, Amon and Suzuya have been promoted in CCG for their recent achievements. Amon's new partner turns out to be Akira Mado, the daughter of his former mentor, and attempts to bond with her during investigations on the ghouls of the 20th Ward. In the meantime, Suzuya is brought to the CCG's lab where he is finally given his very own quinque that had been made from Yamori's kagune.
Upon gathering information from his jailed foster father ghoul, Donato Porpora, Amon receives a vague hint to follow Alice over White Rabbit. Hide is also revealed to have joined CCG as a part-timer, and ends up getting promoted to being an assistant for Amon and Akira. At Anteiku, a ghoul named Roma Hoito has replaced Touka as the waitress due to the latter having to spend a lot of time away from the café for school studies.
Kaneki has also kept to his word, and now lives in the 6th Ward to make a name for himself in the ghoul underworld. Currently, Kaneki, and his followers such as Banjou and Tsukiyama, are searching for information on Shachi (Matasaka Kamishiro), an escaped SS-ranked prison ghoul who shares the last name of Rize's fake identity, in the hopes that it will lead them to Kanou. His search also brings his group to attack Madamn A. at the Ghoul Restaurant, but ends up having his plan blocked by two new One-Eyed sister ghouls (Nashiro and Kurona), who are Kanou's newest experiments; allowing for Madamn A. to escape.
After the restaurant attack, Kaneki returns to Itori's bar in the hopes that a list of names regarding CCG's escaped ghouls will provide him the whereabouts of Kanou or Madamn A, but is only able to learn that Kanou used to be a CCG coroner. Nico appears before him at the bar as well; revealed to be a friend of Itori. Nico explains that he was never a true member of Aogiri Tree, and reveals Aogiri's plan to Kaneki being that their true objective will only work once they get their hands on Kanou and Rize. He also informs Kaneki of the identity of their One-Eyed King.
Before leaving, Itori also informs Kaneki of rumors that a Rabbit ghoul wearing a black mask has been active as of late. Kaneki worries that it might be Touka, and, as well as needing to eventually search Kanou's hospital, decides that it's finally time to return to the 20th Ward.
At the 20th Ward, Kaneki leaves Touka a tiny rabbit toy while she was at the library, but doesn't actually greet her face-to-face. Kaneki's group also arrive at the hospital, but are told by Nurse Taguchi that Kanou left the country. Kaneki figures that Taguchi could be lying, which turns out to be true. Kanou is then seen within a hidden facility; still performing One-Eye experiments using a captured Rize.
At CCG, the 20th Ward ghoul investigations continue as Hide deduces that the Black Rabbit attacks are completely unrelated to the White Rabbit that killed Kureo. Shinohara also reveals information on the Binge Eater case that she disappeared during a steel bar accident, and that Kanou and Kaneki who were related to the incident, have recently gone missing. They decide that their next course of action should be to investigate Kaneki.
At another location, Kaneki's group attempt to ambush Taguchi in order to interrogate Kanou's location out of her. However, they are beaten to the punch by Naki's group from Aogiri Tree who are also looking for Kanou. Shachi, the ghoul Kaneki's group has been searching for, also enters the fray on the side of Aogiri, and battles Kaneki to the point of possibly killing him, but is ordered over the phone not to as he, and Naki's group, retreat with Taguchi at hand.
Later on, Madamn A. and her One-Eyed bodyguard, Kurona, head back into danger to retrieve her human pets as she doesn't want to leave them behind. However, she is ambushed by Kaneki's group who knew of this weakness, and are able to capture Madamn A. this time around due to Kurona bailing on protecting her once she considered the job impossible to complete.
Shinohara and Suzuya arrive at Anteiku to investigate Kaneki's disappearance knowing that he worked part-time there, but are only told a part of the story by Yoshimura; that the boy seemed off due to a recent heart transplant and left Anteiku soon after. Upon leaving, Shinohara suspects that they're hiding something.
Meanwhile, Aogiri Tree finishes up their interrogation of Taguchi, and were able to get a more percise location of where Kanou was currently hiding. At CCG, Amon, Akira and Hide, continue to investigate into Kanou's history and are able to discover a real estate that Kanou could be hiding at. Amon also confirms if what his foster father was referring to meant that either Kanou or Kaneki was the Alice he should be chasing after. In addition, Kaneki's group completed their interrogation of Madamn A, and were able to learn of the real estate as their next area to search. The stage is now set for Kaneki's group, Aogiri Tree, and the CCG, to meet each other at Kanou's summer mansion.
Long Summary
Six months have passed since the 11th Ward assault on Aogiri Tree's stronghold. CCG believe to have scored a major victory having killed over 200 ghouls in the attack. However, due to Aogiri's successful raid on the 23rd Ward's ghoul prison resulting in many SS-ranked ghouls breaking out, the CCG has been left on high alert, and Aogiri Tree has been in hiding ever since.
Currently, CCG Headquarters is holding a promotion ceremony. First-Class Investigator, Amon, is seen amongst his colleagues being congratulated, and promoted to Top-Class Investigator, for his efforts by Director Yoshitoki Washuu. The director also calls forth Third-Class Investigator, Suzuya, and promotes him up to Second-Class for his achievements as well; prompting Amon to think over just how much hidden-potential the boy has since only Arima got promoted passed Third-Class as quick as him. Suzuya asks if he is going to get a higher pay as the ceremoney ends naming off the investigators that died on duty.
At the ceremonies after-party, Shinohara, revealed to be fully healed from his fight against Owl, approaches Amon and Suzuya to congratulate them for their promotions. Amon thanks him knowing that Shinohara was one of the many who gave a recommendation for Amon's promotion, and thinks back to a testament left by Kureo Mado that also recommended him. Amon decides that he will visit Mado's grave on the way home, which reminds Shinohara of a new partner that has been decided for him. Shinohara worries if the new team-up will work out as he switches over to Suzuya to inform him that his quinque will be completed soon. Suzuya states that he can't wait, and thinks over what he should eventually name it.
Shinohara then decides to leave, but informs the two that they should take a break once in awhile; asking Amon and Suzuya to take the day off. Arima and Hirako are the next two that approach them, which Amon quickly forces himself, and Suzuya, to bow before. Arima informs the two that it's not needed, and congratulates Amon for his work against the ghouls. He then teases Hirako for not coming away with a souvenir of Owl, which annoys him since Owl is an SSS-rated ghoul. Arima next turns to Suzuya, and states that he is rooting for him to become First-Class. The two leave moments after.
Amon asks how Suzuya is acquainted with Arima, which he answers that Shinohara worked with him during Operation Whack-A-Mole. Amon thinks back to the operation, and remembers it being a 24th Ward investigation on a ghoul-excavated maze in Tokyo's sewers. Thinking over how the CCG used the investigation to test their rookie investigators that showed great potential against the powerful ghouls hiding there, Amon deduces that Suzuya was one of the rookies who survived. At this point, the two decide that it was time to head home.
Arriving at Kureo Mado's grave, Amon states his current report on the 20th Ward regarding the whereabouts of Binge-Eater, Gourmet, Rabbit and Eye-patch. He also tells Mado's grave that he been promoted to Top-Class Investigator, and hopes to follow in his footsteps one day. Walking up behind him, Amon is greeted by the daughter of Mado. Introducing herself as Second-Class Investigator, Akira Mado, she informs Amon that she will be his new subordinate.
The next day at CCG, the investigators for the 20th Ward gather at a meeting room. Seidou congratulates Amon for reaching Top-Class Investigator at only the age of 27. Suzuya then asks for a congratulations as well, but is shown to be annoying for Seidou since they are now both at the level of Second-Class. Shinohara then enters the room, and introduces the group to the new member of their squad, Akira.
The squad begins to introduce themselves to Akira as she recgonizes the investigator pairing of Houji and Seidou. Amon asks how Seidou happens to know Akira as well, which Shinohara answers that they were trained in the same class; Akira coming in first, and Seidou being second. Suzuya also introduces himself, which Akira compliments his cross-stitch. Shinohara next mentions that she was previously working under Arima's team in the 1st Ward, and that she will make for a very capable ally to help get their job done.
With the six of them gathered, Shinohara states that they should now begin the debriefing. Starting with the Binge-Eater case, Shinohara explains that they have begun investigating all the cases that took place around the time of the ghoul's disappearance, but despite the amount of data the CCG has, they have come up empty so far.
Seidou is the next to speak to talk about Gourmet, which he informs the group that he, and Houji, are stumped as to why ghoul's recent activities have been occurring outside the 20th Ward. Akira comes to the conclusion that because Gourmet has been restraining his attacks the past few months, the ghoul has been stuck in a long, drawn-out, obsession for one specific meal hiding out in the 6th Ward, and uses the nearby wards as his hunting ground to not alert his true target. The group takes note of Akira's deduction as Amon thinks over how crazy it is that his superior's daughter turned out to be his first subordinate.
After the meeting, Amon and Akira are seen organizing their recent work. Amon asks Akira to address him using honorifics since he's her superior, but Akira explains that having to increase the length of her conversations would be a waste of precious seconds that could be used for something more helpful. She then informs Amon that they have already wasted time on this issue of his, and that they will pay a visit to the 7th Ward to investigate Gourmet's Ghoul Restaurant; leaving Amon to wonder why his subordinate is giving the orders.
At a bar, Amon is next seen having drinks with Shinohara to discuss his first work experience with Akira. Shinohara mentions that she takes after her father about omitting the stuff they consider to be nonsense, and is probably testing how Amon reacts to it. He reminds Amon that their relationship will be a little complicated at first since he worked under her father, but Amon admits that he wants to be a good superior for her similar to how Kureo Mado was to him. Shinohara instructs Amon that he won't be able to gain her trust keeping her in-check with his superiority and age difference, but that a simple meal and drink for a friendly bonding experience is the best option.
At the Ghoul Restaurant of the 7th Ward, Investigator Fura Taishi is left confused at the sight of a slaughtered group of ghouls after raiding the structure. Taishi is disappointed that their incredible lead became worthless, and decides to look around for possible evidence. Amon and Akira have also arrived at the restaurant. Akira comes to the conclusion that Gourmet did this with a few of his conspirators, but Amon doesn't fully agree; believing that Gourmet was indeed involved, but didn't do the killing due to the injuries on the ghouls not matching the kagune used by Gourmet. Amon guesses that it was probably done by certain ghoul he had met beforehand. Akira asks about the ghoul he's referring to, which he answers to being Eye-patch.
Returning to CCG, Amon and Akira are alone again organizing the data they had acquired throughout the day. Amon tries to do what Shinohara instructed him, and asks Akira out to dinner. However, she instantly rejects; stating that she doesn't eat after 9:00pm. She then leaves her report, and heads home, as Seidou appears afterwards asking Amon if he wants to eat.
Meanwhile, Shinohara brings Suzuya to the CCG Lab of the 1st Ward where they develop the quinques. The lab chief, Kouitsu Chigyou, is seen greeting them upon arrival as Shinohara explains to Suzuya that he is the developer of his quinque. Chigyou informs them that the quinque turned out well as it was specially designed by him to mesh with Suzuya's skills.
Confused as to how the weapon creation works, Suzuya asks why they can't just reuse the kagune, which Chigyou answers that its impossible to get a similar result using human technology since kagunes are a living part of a ghoul's nature. Suzuya next asks what the difference is between a kagune and a quinque, which Chigyou also answers; that kagunes have the same regeneration capibilities of ghouls due to being supplied RC cells through a ghoul's Kakuhou while quinques don't have such a feature, and that quinques are not only stuck to just one specific weapon design, but become useless if something happens to break the quinque. Suzuya's mind explodes trying to understand Chigyou's explanation as the chief leads them to a table with Suzuya's finished quinque that is shaped like a giant scythe.
Chigyou explains that no other Second-Class investigator has ever before been given a quinque with as much RC value as this one, which Suzuya decides to test out. The chief and Shinohara watch in horror as Suzuya slices through a giant piece of metal used for making quinques. Satisfied with the weapon, Suzuya decides to name the quinque 13'S Jason.
At CCG Headquarters, Commander Marude is seen talking alone with the Chairman of CCG, Tsuneyoshi Washuu. Marude informs the chairman that they are still looking for the whereabouts of Aogiri Tree's new hideout, which Tsuneyoshi orders to work faster due to humanity's death toll increasing.
After leaving, Marude takes a break sitting on a park bench; thinking back to how strong Tsuneyoshi's insight was of Marude's recent struggles. At this point, he is greeted by CCG's Main Office chief, Yoshitoki Washuu. They discuss how before the CCG launched their attack on Aogiri Tree's Hideout, it was only made possible, because an anonymous information provider revealed to them the location in the 11th Ward. However, they have still not discovered the identity of this person. They also come to the conclusion that seeking cooperation from a ghoul that had been left behind at the prison would be the best place to start regarding the prison escape investigation. Marude also figures that a certain investigator will also come seeking information from this ghoul, which confuses Yoshitoki.
Driving down the highway is a car transporting Amon and Akira, who are currently discussing why Amon has a habbit of writing reports with just the bare-minimum of information. Akira states that his method goes against the CCG's long history to conduct investigations, which gets Amon annoyed wishing that as an inexperienced superior, she should try not to have everything going against him. However, Amon thinks over the fact that he is inexperienced, and apologizes for his outburst. Arriving at the ghoul prison of the 23rd Ward that had been raided by Aogiri Tree, Amon and Akira are led by one of the guards to one of the structure's lower levels.
Approaching one of the jail-cells, Amon is greeted by the SS-ranked ghoul that was once nicknamed Priest; his foster father, Donato Porpora. Separated by thick glass, Donato points out how Amon hasn't been keeping in contact; annoying Amon who wishes to want nothing to do with him. He then takes a closer look at Amon, and is able to read that he had gotten a promotion, and was still feeling uneasy over Kureo Mado's death. Donato than asks what they have come to see him for, which Amon answers that he has a few questions for him. However, Donato states that he won't answer unless the two of them are left alone; forcing Akira to leave the room. Seeing Amon not interacting well with his partner, Donato jokes if one of his questions is how to deal with subordinates.
Outside the jail-cell, Akira thinks over the SS-ranked ghoul known as Donato Porpora; a brutal killer who's killed many investigators, and likes to eat young children. Knowing that the ghoul was once a caretaker of an orphanage, she is left wondering if a certain story was true.
The questioning between Amon and Donato starts with Amon asking about how Aogiri Tree attacked the prison, which Donato states that he never saw. Amon orders him to take the questioning seriously, which Donato states that he will only properly answer if Amon does the questioning himself rather than off a script given by his superiors. Donato then reveals that he had heard the fighting between CCG and Aogiri going on in the background, and was itching to join in on the feast.
Amon gets up to leave out of disgust, but stops when Donato asks if he had kept the cross he had given him. Amon reveals the cross to Donato, but states that he only keeps it around to remind him of the ignorance he had as a child not realizing that his foster father was slaughtering those around him. Amon turns around to leave, but is left a vague hint by Donato that he should be pursuing Alice over the White Rabbit.
Amon rejoins Akira who was currently helping a guard decide on a ghoul that should be the next quinque. The two are then seen driving away from the prison as Akira asks if he gained anything from the interrogation. Amon informs her of the Alice / White Rabbit hint Donato gave him, but comes to the conclusion that it was probably just his father attempting to mess with him.
Back at CCG, Shinohara and Houji are seen discussing how rough it must be for Amon to confront his past with his foster father. A boy with a hat enters the room to deliver documents to the two of them, and receives praise for working hard despite being just a part-timer. Shinohara and Houji then discuss Seidou who they noticed has been out of it recently due to Amon and Suzuya's recent promotions.
At CCG's cafeteria Seidou is seen eating lunch by himself, but is greeted by the boy in the hat asking to eat with him. The boy then asks Seidou about his current investigation, but is informed that the information is classified. He then asks Seidou what he thinks of Investigator Akira Mado, which Seidou answers not to underestimate her as she acts like more of a ghoul rather than an actual human.
At another CCG location, Marude is greeted by his subordinate, Katsuya, to inform him about the identity of their anonymous informant. Marude gets excited about the revelation as Katsuya informs him that they were able to narrow down the search after looking into phone records and security footage; telling Marude that their anonymous informant is the part-timer that joined CCG recently. The boy with the hat is then seen parting ways with Seidou as his face is revealed to be Nagachika Hideyoshi.
At Marude's office, he and Katsuya are seen interrogating Hide about his bio prior to joining CCG. Hide admits it's all true, and asks if he had done anything wrong. Marude questions his motive for wanting to join CCG, which Hide answers that he had been keeping up with the 11th Ward cases through newspapers, and was able to put the pieces together; believing that this skill of his could be useful for CCG. Katsuya praises him for his actions as Marude next asks if Hide was the anonymous information provider who revealed Aogiri Tree's location to them. Hide answers that while he didn't know that the organization was called Aogiri Tree at the time, he was indeed the provider.
Surprised by his willingness to confess, Marude asks how he had obtained the 11th Ward location of Aogiri's Hideout. Hide answers that he enjoys to play detective, and actually likes to place tracking devices on people who seem dangerous. However, he ended up placing one on someone that turned out to be a ghoul (Yamori), and upon following him, came across Aogiri's 11th Ward Hideout. Hide apologizes for remaining anonymous, and while Marude questions how much of a coincidence it was that his tailing hobby got hold of a member of Aogiri, he accepts the explanation. Marude next invites Amon and Akira into his office.
Marude laughs at the sight of Amon and Akira being partnered, which Akira counters with by making fun of Marude being forced to ride a used motorcycle these days. Akira then notices Hide as Marude informs the two that from now on, he will be working under the two as an Investigator's Assistant. The three then exit the office; leaving Marude to explain his reasoning to Katsuya that it will be easier to see Hide's true goal if they keep a close watch on him.
Walking out of CCG, Hide is seen introducing himself to Amon and Akira as the latter figures that Marude caught on to something special regarding him. She asks Hide if he's hungry at the moment, which he suggests a nearby Chinese restaurant. Akira then reminds Amon that he will be paying.
The scene switches over to Anteiku where Nishiki is seen talking down to a new ghoul waitress of the café, Roma Hoito. Koma tells him to go easy on Hoito for her recent mistake as Nishiki states that he misses having Touka around due to her ongoing studies for the entrance exams. Irimi chimes in mentioning that she always sees Touka at the library. Hoito then asks Nishiki to help her with her upcoming exams, which Nishiki quickly rejects. Hoito next mentions to the Anteiku ghouls of the ongoing rumor that a ghoul named One-Eyed Kaneki had apparently walked into a Ghoul Restaurant, and slaughtered everyone in sight. Hoito praises Kaneki, and reveals that she joined Anteiku in the hopes of meeting him one day. Koma mentions how Kaneki once idolized him as a teacher to make coffee while Nishiki watches on.
Somewhere in the ghoul underworld, a group of ghouls led by a ghoul named Gil can be seen at a bar getting annoyed over the late arrival of a ghoul that hasn't appeared before them; their goal being to find out what happened to an SS-ranked ghoul named Shachi during Aogiri's prison raid. Tsukiyama and Banjou are seen arguing as Kaneki enters the room; apologizing for keeping the ghouls waiting.
Days earlier, Tsukiyama is seen at the 7th Ward Ghoul Restaurant announcing to the ghoul spectators their upcoming meal. However, they are shocked upon seeing a white-haired person with a mask appear before them as Tsukiyama announces that the meal is actually everyone in the room.
Returning to the 6th Ward, Kaneki is seen starting a meeting with Gil's ghouls. Tsukiyama explains that an informant of his has been looking into the ghouls that escaped CCG's prison, and that Shachi may have been one of the SS ghouls that escaped. However, Gil doesn't believe the information due to the vagueness of Tsukiyama's informant. Gil then asks why Shachi hasn't returned to them since they are his underlings. Kaneki explains that Shachi is a ghoul with a heart that may have not agreed with Aogiri's way, and explains that there is a possibility that he may have been eaten by Aogiri through cannibalism to make ghouls in Aogiri stronger.
Kaneki then thinks back to what caused his current situation. He remembers that he traveled through the wards that Rize Kamishiro, who he now knows was using a fake name, took before arriving at the 20th Ward. Here, he eventually made the discovery in the 6th Ward that a ghoul named Shachi was also a user of the Kamishiro name, and believed there to be a connection between the two ghouls. Kaneki hopes that if he finds Shachi, he could finally have a lead as to what Kanou's overall goal is.
A female ghoul is the next to speak of the group asking if Kaneki had anything to do with the massacre at the Ghoul Restaurant. Kaneki denies it half-heartedly as he, Tsukiyama and Banjou exit the bar.
Walking home, Tsukiyama mentions how their search may be tougher than they thought since Shachi's underlings came off well-trained in their leader's teachings. Kaneki mentions that they should hurry home since he promised to cut Hinami's hair as Banjou is seen worrying about the encounter they had at the Ghoul Restaurant. Thinking back to the attack on the Ghoul Restaurant, Kaneki remembers that their overall goal was to find Madame A.
Before the attack on the restaurant, Tsukiyama informed Kaneki that Madamn A. was someone that had a high possibility of being in contact with Kanou as there had been anonymous surgical tests performed on her human pets. Kaneki asks if he's ok with the killings of his restaurant friends, which Tsukiyama informs him that if he doesn't go this far for Kaneki, he would never have his trust. At that point, Kaneki readies himself for battle; knowing that he had to find Kanou as soon as possible.
At the feasting room, Kaneki reveals himself before the ghoul spectators as the dreaded One-Eyed Ghoul. Kaneki jumps up to the viewing platform and claims that he will kill the ghouls for being no better than the ones seen in Aogiri. Banjou, disguised as a janitor, shows up to block the exit with his masked sibling followers, and Kaneki notices Madamn A. trying to make a run for it.
Chasing after Madamn A, two unknown masked ghouls, dressed in white and black respectively, get in the way to protect her as Kaneki launches a kagune attack towards them. However, Banjou and Tsukiyama stand shocked as they see the two ghouls are able to hold back Kaneki's kagune. The two ghouls then state that their father was correct about One-Eye showing up for Madamn A. as they launch their own kagunes towards Kaneki to knock him back, and order Madamn A. to run. The two ghouls then charge toward Kaneki as they engage in a close-combat two-on-one battle with their kagunes.
Kaneki comes to the realization that the two he is currently fighting with use the same kagune as him; making it clear to Kaneki that Kanou has indeed been performing experiments behind the scenes with Rize's body, and was connected to Madamn A. The two ghouls then take off their masks to reveal their true faces to Kaneki. Their faces show that they are the next generation One-Eyed Ghouls after him, and then leave the battle stating to Kaneki that they will meet again in the future. Elsewhere, Madamn A. is still seen running away.
On the way home, Kaneki, Banjou and Tsukiyama discuss what their next plan of action should be now that they know Kanou and Madamn A. were connected. However, they are then met by Gil from Shachi group. Gil confronts Kaneki about being involved with the restaurant slaughter, and attempts to attack him, but misses the first punch. Kaneki tells the other two now to get involved, and, after blocking a kick, asks if Gil truly needs to fight him. Gil then decides to play dirty, and kicks soil into Kaneki's eye; allowing for an opening to get a punch in. This action pisses off Banjou, but is still held back by Tsukiyama due to believing that Kaneki can still easily handle it.
The close-combat fight continues due to Kaneki not wishing to resort to his ghoul strength against Gil. He eventually gets an uppercut in on Kaneki, and believes to have won, but Kaneki grabs his arm that just performed the uppercut, and then throws Gil down; locking him to the ground. Letting go of Gil, Kaneki asks to not fight anymore. Gil states that Kaneki reminds him of the ghoul that took Shachi away from them, which Kaneki assumes that he's referring to Rize. Gil then states that it's not something he wants to talk about as Kaneki's group watches Gil walk away.
At Kaneki's place, he keeps his promise to Hinami, and is seen finishing up her haircut. She asks Banjou how she looks, which he compliments that the cut suits her perfectly. Hinami then asks Kaneki to help her study, but Banjou informs him that Tsukiyama has finished compiling the data they recently acquired, which has Kaneki tell Hinami that it will have to wait for another time. Kaneki informs Banjou that he will be heading over to Itori's place to see if the data they gathered will provide him with any useful information.
At the Helter Skelter bar, Itori is left impressed that Kaneki somehow gained all the information regarding the ghouls that escaped CCG's prison. Kaneki tells Itori that he's not revealing how he accomplished it as Itori is also seen praising him for being the ghoul that caused the restaurant incident. Itori then asks what Kaneki wants in return, which he states that he wants either Kanou or Madamn A's location, but is told that Itori doesn't know either. He then asks for any information that she may know of regarding Kanou.
Itori reveals to Kaneki that Kanou's previous job was a long-time coroner for CCG. Kaneki asks if he happened to perform autopsies on ghouls, which Itori answers that it was possible. Kaneki thinks over this revelation, and wonders if Kanou had also taken part in the development of quinques. Kaneki comes to the conclusion that his coroner job had given him all the necessary skills to turn humans into ghouls, and asks himself what Kanou's overall objective is that requires him to continue turning humans into ghouls.
Itori informs Kaneki that that's all the information on Kanou she knows of as she looks at the escaped ghoul photos that Kaneki provided; noticing Shachi's as well. At this point, Kaneki hears a familiar voice asking if he needs help from a clown. Stunned at who it was, Kaneki sees Nico standing before him as Itori criticizes the clown ghoul for taking too long.
Kaneki stands before Nico ready to attack him, but is told by Itori that there is no need to fight. Nico reveals to Kaneki that he was never actually a member of Aogiri Tree, and was only there for Yamori's sake. He tells Kaneki of how he and Yamori had met on friendly terms, and that he followed Yamori back to their base only see the beauty given off by Yamori rather than actually go forward with Aogiri Tree's overall objective. Now that Yamori is gone, he is free again, and decided to come see an old friend of his, Itori, simply because he had gotten bored.
Still not buying the story, Kaneki thinks over how he should go about interrogating Nico, who still notices Kaneki's bloodthirst. Itori reminds him once more that there is nothing to fear about Nico, but the clown offers Kaneki information that the boy can't refuse; everything he knows regarding Aogiri Tree.
As Nico explains, Aogiri Tree is an organization of militant ghouls run by a being known as the One-Eyed King that have originated from the 24th Ward. He also reminds Kaneki that there were two teams of Aogiri ghouls at the time of the CCG's 11th Ward assault. The decoy team at the hideout, and the raiding team that attacked CCG's prison. Nico then states that in order for Aogiri Tree to accomplish their true goal, Kanou and Rize joining their organization was a must. Kaneki asks what their true goal is, which Nico answers that it's to smoke out a liar, but doesn't quite know what Aogiri meant by that. Kaneki is seen still not fully believing Nico's information, but then tells Kaneki to bring his ear close to him, and reveals the identity of the One-Eyed King.
Moments later after thinking over the information, Itori warns Kaneki not to fully trust what Nico says as there's nothing more scary than being given free information. Kaneki states that all he would need to do is eventually crush the person Nico mentioned, but his prime objective will still be to pursue Madamn A. for Kanou's location. Kaneki also thinks back to the two One-Eyed bodyguards he fought; realizing that they will be nuisance to reach Madamn A.
After thinking his situation over, Itori informs Kaneki that a Ghoul with a rabbit mask had been seen recently killing doves. Like with Nico, Itori warns him not to take the free information seriously.
Somewhere in the 7th Ward, two investigators, Arene and Niharu, are seen currently engaged in battle against a ghoul wearing a black rabbit mask. They decide that their best course of action would be to draw out the battle against the ghoul. However, both get instantly killed by the Black Rabbit the moment they're about to put the plan in action.
On the roof of a city structure, Kaneki is seen training with Banjou. Wearing Yamori's mask, Kaneki instructs Banjou to get serious, or else he will kill everyone; forcing Banjou to remember his painful memory of the failed Aogiri escape. Kaneki continues to beat up Banjou reminding him of his weaknesses and eventually drops him off the structure. Kaneki drops after him, and catches Banjou during the fall; teasing Banjou that this is now the 88th time their duel has resulted like this. The two then return home soon after.
At their 6th Ward home, Kaneki and Banjou begin cleaning themselves up after the training. With Kaneki in the shower, Banjou notices Hinami nearby feeling lonely, and asks why she decides to also hang out over at Touka's place. Hinami answers that being with Touka helps her not to feel lonely, and wants to do the same for Kaneki, because he always looks sad nowadays. Banjou pats Hinami on the head seeing her as a good kid, but worries that because of Kanekis unstability, she shouldn't be around to see the side of Kaneki that changes to his darker demeanor. At that point, Tsukiyama arrives to greet them.
Tsukiyama recognizes that Banjou had finished his secret training with Kaneki for the day as Banjou reminds himself that despite being on the same side, Tsukiyama was still the Gourmet ghoul that couldn't be fully trusted. Hinami takes note of the flowers Tsukiyama is holding, which he explains to be a species known as rudbeckia. He places a flower in Hinami's hair to bring out her beauty, but also places a flower in Banjou's hair to make fun of him. Finishing his shower, Kaneki notices the Tsukiyama had stopped by, and decides to hold a meeting.
Tsukiyama starts that he stopped by to learn the information Kaneki gained from Itori, which Kaneki answers that all he truly learned was that Kanou used to be a coroner. Kaneki then asks if Tsukiyama found anything about Madamn A's location, but is told that nothing about the Ghoul Restaurant connected due to the ghouls all coming from different wards. Kaneki then also asks Banjou for confirmation that Tatara, Noro, and Eto, are always seen together, and while its true, Kaneki states that it was just an observation.
Tsukiyama then suggests that perhaps it was time to return to the 20th Ward in order to check out the hospital Kanou used to work at. Kaneki agrees since he figures that he could also use the trip to check in on Touka regarding the rumor of Black Rabbit. Realizing that it's already July, Kaneki asks Hinami if she wants to come along, which she quickly accepts. At that point, it's decided that they will return to the 20th Ward.
Kaneki's group is next seen at the front desk of Kanou's hospital with Tsukiyama distracting the front desk pretending to have a stomach ache. Banjou notes how nostalgic it is to see Kaneki with black hair, which the latter answers that it's just a wig. However, before they could get moving, Kaneki is met by Taguchi, the doctor that took care of him when he was first turned into a ghoul.
Taguchi asks if Kaneki is doing well considering that he hasn't been keeping up with his medical check-ups, to which Kaneki replies that he's been fine thanks to her previous care. Taguchi also apologizes due to Kanou being on a business trip, and asks if Kaneki wants someone else to check him, but Kaneki states that he's only here for his friend. Kaneki then asks where Kanou went, which Taguchi answers that he's no longer in Japan, and was said to have gone to Germany for research purposes. Leaving the hospital, Banjou figures that they can no longer search for Kanou due to having left the country while Kaneki thinks it over.
At the library of the 20th Ward. Touka is seen with several other students, such as Yuriko, studying for college entrance exams. One of the students asks what university Touka is going for, to which she answers Kamii for a degree in science. Her fellow students question if she truly has the skills to aim for such a high standard education, which Touka counters that she happens to know someone from Kamii that could pull a few strings to get her in. At Anteiku, Nishiki gives off a sneeze, which Hoito asks if he's getting sick.
Leaving the study room, Touka heads off to get a snack from the vending machines. Here, she is spotted by Hinami who greets Touka with a bear hug. Touka compliments Hinami's recent haircut, and asks what she is doing here, to which Hinami answers that Kaneki brought her to the 20th Ward. Touka then asks if Kaneki was around as well, but is told that he had something else to do in the ward. Touka then asks how Hinami's doing, which she answers once more that everyone's been treating her like family. Hinami then asks if Touka wanted to see Kaneki, but before she could properly answer, Yuriko appears before them to show a tiny rabbit that was left by someone wearing an eye-patch. Touka instantly realizes its from Kaneki, and leaves the two behind.
Running across the library yard, Touka stops after running out of breath. She looks at the ground upset, and states to herself that Kaneki's way of communicating was being unfair to her. Watching from a distance, Banjou asks Kaneki if he's truly not going to go see her in person, which Kaneki answers that he doesn't wish for Touka to be a part of the ghoul world they are currently in. Banjou states that their journey to 20th Ward was a bust, but Kaneki explains to him that he's come up with two possibilities; that Kanou lied to Taguchi, or that Taguchi lied to them.
At the hospital, Taguchi is seen on the phone informing Kanou that she encountered Kaneki. Kanou is then shown at a hidden facility praising the progress that Kaneki has gone through, but is disappointed that he won't be able to get along with him since Kaneki hates his guts. Nashiro Yasuhisa, one of the One-Eyed Ghoul sisters, watches on as Kanou performs one of his tests on a captured Taro, but deems it a failure. He then looks over at another captured ghoul, revealed to be Rize; awaiting for her next regenerated ghoul Kakuhou to perform the next test.
At CCG, Amon and Akira are at their office when they get a call from Investigator Fura that Rabbit has been active in the 7th Ward. Fura then shows captured video footage as Amon sees a ghoul in a Black Rabbit mask. Akira states that Black Rabbit taking out Investigator Arine proves that the ghoul will be a tough opponent, but Amon wonders if it's truly the same Rabbit ghoul that killed Kureo Mado. Hide then enters the room having brought the two investigators a bite to eat, and notices that the they are looking into Rabbit.
Akira asks for Hide's opinion, which he answers that while it would be easy just to check if the ghoul's kagune is the same one, he doesn't believe that they are the same Rabbits. Hide continues his explanation that the Rabbit from the case that killed Kureo seemed like more of a lone personal battle rather than the indiscriminate killings that Black Rabbit's been committing recently. Amon asks what he's referring to, which Hide answers that the Rabbit who killed Kureo was most likely connected to the Fueguchi ghoul case, and acted as an avenger for the powerless daughter that had to watch Investigators kill her mother.
Listening to Hide's deduction, Akira questions why Hide seems quite interested in ghouls, which Hide answers that watching ghoul attacks over the news had piqued his interest. Akira remained suspicious, but at that point, Shinohara and Suzuya enter the office. Shinohara reveals that they finally stumbled onto something regarding Binge Eater, and informs them of a steel beam accident that happened around the time of the ghoul's disappearance.
He continues by stating that said incident led to a transplant surgery by their former coroner, Kanou, between a boy and a now dead girl, and that the doctor disappeared from the hospital shortly after. Shinohara also reveals that the boy who received the girl's transplant, Ken Kaneki, has gone missing; having not attended Kamii University the past six months. He then comes to the conclusion that not only does Kanou and Kaneki's disappearance seem odd, but that the girl who died was most likely the Binge Eater ghoul. Amon figures that their next action should be to investigate into Kaneki, but remembers the mention of Kamii, which Hide speaks out that Kaneki happens to be his best friend.
Atop a structure in the 20th Ward, Kaneki, Banjou, Tsukiyama, and the three gas mask siblings (Ichimi, Jiro and Sante) are seen staking out a walkway that they believe Nurse Taguchi passes by. Kaneki orders the gang to get into their positions as they finally notice Taguchi making an appearance. However, before they could move in, a new trio of ghouls appear before her, Naki and his bodyguards, Gagi and Guge.
Naki begins to interrogate her about Kanou's location, which Kaneki approaches ordering to have Taguchi given over to him. Naki reveals that they are a part of Aogiri Tree, and that he holds a grudge against Kaneki for killing Yamori, who he looked up to like a brother. At that point, Kaneki senses an attack coming from above and dodges out of the way. Naki complains that Kaneki should be left to him as Shachi stands before them; claiming that Naki was taking too long.
Looking at Shachi, Kaneki wonders why the ghoul was fighting for Aogiri as Shachi quickly moves in to attack him. Dodging his first strikes, Kaneki realizes how quick and strong the SS ghoul truly is, which Shachi finally lands a hit that knocks Kaneki back; breaking his arms in the process. Tsukiyama attempts to join the fight, but is blocked off by Naki. His bodyguards, Gagi and Guge, go for Banjou's group, who knock Banjou down easily. The three gas mask siblings join in to take on Gagi and Guge while Tsukiyama fights with Naki.
Kaneki uses his kagune to repair his broken arms, and decides not to care about why Shachi joined Aogiri; that his only goal is to make sure he comes away from the fight with Taguchi in his possession. Kaneki activates his kagune at full-power and launches an attack that stabs into Shachi. However, Shachi activates his kagune as well, and breaks free of Kaneki's grasp. Dodging more of Shachi's attacks, Kaneki watches stunned at the sight of how powerful an SS-ranked ghoul is, as Shachi is able to deliver a major blow to Kaneki's chest. Backing away, Kaneki coughs up blood, and is now completely exhausted to fight further; taunted by Shachi about not being strong enough to stand up to Aogiri at his current level.
Shachi is next seen pulling out a phone to confirm that they've come across the group Aogiri warned them about, and if they should finish them off. However, he is ordered not to, which Shachi finds to be strange. Picking up Taguchi, Shachi orders Naki's group to retreat; leaving Kaneki to suffer defeat.
At a safe-house, Madamn A. is seen putting back on her rich-lady disguise as she wishes to head back in order to retrieve her pets. One-Eyed sister, Kurona Yasuhisa, who's acting as her bodyguard, warns her that she will be caught, but is told by Madamn A. that they are her children, and won't leave them behind; claiming that her recent struggle has been Kanou's fault.
Madamn A. has a flashback to a time when she was a street ghoul dreaming of a more high-quality life. She one day spots Kanou walking down the street, and, knowing that he is a rich persona, attacks him under the belief that she can eat him, and steal his money and credit cards. However, she is easily stopped in her tracks by an unseen bodyguard as Kanou steps forward to ask the ghoul if she has any interest in being a pet owner; a job that will guarantee her a better life-style. The job would eventually land her in a well-established relationship with the Ghoul Restaurant, but realizes now that everything has gone to hell.
Back to the present, Madamn A. and Kurona arrive at storage area for truck containers to retrieve her pets from one of the boxes, but is greeted by Tsukiyama having already killed her children, and shuts the box door behind them. Kurona activates her kagune to break them both out, but are greeted by Banjou's group who attempt to block their exit. Grabbing Madamn A, Kurona attempts to escape in a different direction.
Overlooking the chase, Hinami is seen directing the battle; moving the ghouls of Kaneki's gang into positions that will block Madamn A's and Kurona's escape. It eventually reaches a point for Kaneki to enter who blocks off the last possible path for the two of them to escape. Revealing that she had been ordered to ditch Madamn A. if Kurona deemed it impossible to protect her, Kurona lets go of Madamn A. and escapes by herself. Kaneki steps toward Madamn A, and asks if she knows the sound of having a centipede put in one's ear. He also promises that they won't have to resort to anything dirty if she answers honestly.
At Anteiku, Yoshimura is currently instructing Hoito to give the proper sugar cubes between humans and ghouls, which she apologizes for knowing that her error led to people throwing up. The two joke with one another as they hear the doorbell ring, and watch as two investigators enter the café, Shinohara and Suzuya. Finding a place to sit, Shinohara explains to Suzuya how a ghoul researcher named Ogura had delved into the eating habits of a ghoul they decided to nickname Binge Eater; that the ghoul kept to eating one person a month before disappearing, and was very likely to be a young teenage girl still in her growth phase.
Suzuya asks why Shinohara believes the ghoul to be a girl, which he explains that many of Binge Eater's victims have been slim, good-looking, men. Suzuya adds that it could also be a drag queen, which Shinohara takes into account. Shinohara then states that he's come here hoping to somehow connect Binge Eater to the girl that died in the 20th Ward's steel beam accident.
Looking at the two, Yoshimura confirms to Hoito that their two guests are indeed CCG investigators. At this point, a pale-looking Touka arrives at Anteiku, but quickly notices the two investigators sitting nearby. Touka takes over for Hoito, and walks over to Shinohara and Suzuya as their waitress. The two place their orders, but Shinohara also asks for information on a boy named Kaneki that used to work here part-time. Touka remains suspicious, but answers truthfully that he did, but hasn't been around for awhile. Shinohara continues his questioning, and is able to confirm that Kaneki disappeared from Anteiku around the exact time he stopped going to college.
Suzuya is the next to speak as he notices that Touka wasn't looking well, and may have thrown-up recently. Touka remains silent, and is then asked by Shinohara if they had met somewhere before. However, Touka answers no. Touka and the investigators continue to stare at one another as Yoshimura interrupts; having brought them their order. Yoshimura states how much of a good-kid Kaneki was, and decides to reveal to Shinohara that Kaneki was someone who received a heart transplant due to an accident. Shinohara asks what else Yoshimura noticed, which he answers that before his departure, Kaneki had told him that he will be going far away.
Moments after, Shinohara thanks him for the meal; stating that he will be back as he and Suzuya leave Anteiku. The two investigators walk down the street as Shinohara is bugged at the thought that he probably gave something away about Kaneki to the people of Anteiku, and that Yoshimura didn't tell him the whole story.
Elsewhere, Naki is seen talking with Eto; complaining that Tatara should have killed Kaneki at that time before it led to Yamori's death. Ayato then walks up to them asking where Tatara went, which Eto answers that he's nearby torturing Nurse Taguchi for Kanou's location. Naki and Ayato argue how they would have done the interrogation as Naki points out how he is a big boy that should be treated with respect. Ayato then walks off as Naki is heard complaining about the boy's attitude. Finishing up the interrogation, Tatara joins the two, and offers Naki Taguchi's remains to be eaten. He informs Eto that he was able to narrow down the location to one specific area that shouldn't take long to search. At another location, Shachi is seen on a rooftop thinking over Rize, and his recent encounter with Kaneki; calling out Rize for what has transpired.
At CCG, Akira and Hide are seen looking over the information they've gathered on Doctor Akihiro Kanou; discovering that he has many unknown residences, graduated Teihou University's School of Medicine, and worked as a research assistant in Germany before deciding to join CCG, and then leaving to work at his father's hospital from then on before disappearing. Hide questions why Kanou left CCG, which he and Akira come to the conclusion that he came across something that he didn't wish to see. Akira states that she can't imagine what Kanou might have seen due to only being a grade-schooler when the doctor left CCG.
Amon then enters the room reminding the two that they should stay focused on the case at hand, and shows Akira and Hide a blueprint of a summer real estate the CCG recently discovered. Amon deduces that this specific home has a very high probability that Kanou is hiding there due to being too large for a single person, and was situated on land that wasn't suited for a summer retreat. Amon then informs Hide that he could probably learn something about Kaneki if he's truly connected to Kanou.
Remembering that Hide joined the CCG for his friend's sake, Amon thinks over the 20th Ward cases; knowing that Binge Eater, Kaneki and Kanou were all connected through the steel beam incident. Amon thinks over the possibility as to what would happen if a ghoul's organs were transplanted into a human. He figures that such a case may have happened to Kaneki, and questions if the boy should be treated similar to how the CCG views all ghouls. Amon decides that if he's completely turned, he will be judged that way. Amon looks over to Hide; questioning how the boy will react if he comes across his best friend turning into a ghoul. Amon then thinks back to what his foster father told him, and wonders if Alice is either Kaneki or Kanou.
At Shachi's bar, Banjou and Tsukiyama are seen with Shachi's underlings; informing Gil and company that their leader has joined with Aogiri Tree. Gil is left confused learning about the actions of their leader, and questions why Kaneki isn't with them today. The two of them answer that Kaneki has a lot of things on his mind at the moment.
Kaneki is next seen in a training room of their 6th Ward home working out his body; copying the moves of many training books as he thinks back to his fight against Shachi. Kaneki takes Shachi's word to heart believing that he truly isn't strong enough to take on Aogiri Tree in his current state. At that point, Banjou, and Tsukiyama, return with Hinami to inform him that Gil's group was distraught of their leader's betrayal. Hinami offers Kaneki a towel to clean off his sweat, which he accepts.
Banjou asks what they are going to do from now on, which Kaneki answers that they will look into the research facility that is masking as a summer real estate. Banjou figures that there was a possibility of Madamn A. lying, which Kaneki replies that they pushed her just enough to truthfully reveal the information. Kaneki looks over to Tsukiyama, and asks the Gourmet ghoul to train with him. Tsukiyama, remembering that he claimed to be Kaneki's sword, accepts; activating his kagune. Tsukiyama apologizes that he won't be gentle, which Kaneki answers that there would be no point if they don't take this fight seriously.
Back at CCG, the investigators of the 20th Ward are all seen thinking about Kaneki while Suzuya sings. Shinohara however, realizes that he is feeling uneasy about what is about to go down.
Post-Aogiri Arc Tropes
- A Day in the Limelight:
- Similar to the previous arc, the CCG are becoming much more integral to the overall story. You don't actually see Kaneki until the last pages of the arc's fifth chapter.
- Hide is also around alot as he's seen starting up as a CCG Investigator.
- Arc Villain: Kanou is hardly seen, but Kaneki's search for him leads the plot for this arc. His One-Eye experiments, and ghouls from Aogiri who are also searching for Kanou, are there to stall Kaneki's efforts.
- Killed Off for Real: A lot of Restaurant ghouls (Tsukiyama's friends) do not live beyond this arc. Several Mook investigators including Arene and Niharu, as well as Nurse Taguchi, also die.
- Not Quite Dead: Rize is revealed to have survived the steel beam incident, but has been captured by Kanou in order to use her for his experiments.
- Put on a Bus: Due to the setting moving away from Anteiku, its ghouls up until now, such as Touka, Yoshimura and Nishiki, are barely seen from this point on.
- Time Skip: 6 month jump after the CCG's assault on Aogiri Tree's Hideout.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Investigators Arene and Niharu who died almost instantly just to hype up the Black Rabbit ghoul. It's amazing that they were even given names.
