Talk:Ken Kaneki/@comment-81.229.118.172-20151101184706/@comment-10733658-20151101225629

@Anon

Actually, we are shown him taking pleasure in hurting others. These are the moments when he begins to mimic Rize or Yamori, and illustrate how fractured his mind really was becoming. The best example is during the Lab arc, where we see him smiling behind his mask while threatening Madam A or when he tries to eat Shachi. In the later, in particular, he's grinning from ear to ear and behaving exactly like Yamori even asking to "take" from Shachi.

It's not that Kaneki himself is a sadist, but rather a negative aspect of how he's kind of a chameleon. He was adopting the mannerisms of the people that hurt him, thinking of those are "strong" behaviors and losing a sense of self.

We also see this again when Sasaki fought Nishiki, smirking while impaling him with his kagune. It is, again, a sign of his mind breaking and the behaviors he learned from others leaking through.

In terms of the Ayato thing, I think it was poorly phrased.....but notice what else I said about that. The issue comes from not only the brutal behavior that Kaneki exhibited against a kid, but that before torturing Ayato....he explained that he understood exactly WHY Ayato was doing those things.

He goes from explaining that he realizes Ayato has only ever hurt Touka in a desperate, misguided attempt to keep her safe.....to torturing him. Remember that Kaneki outlines everything -- that Ayato hurt Touka at Anteiku so Yamori wouldn't kill her, and he cannibalized her kagune in a desperate attempt to keep her out of the fight. Still messed up, but ultimately things Kaneki admits to understanding.

But then remember what else he said: He explains that he's physically hurting Ayato because he emotionally hurt Touka. It isn't about the injuries, it's about supposedly hurting Touka and making her feel lonely.

Which is....again....back to how messed up Kaneki was in those moments. He's doing horrible things, and coming up with some twisted logic to justify it.