Talk:Ken Kaneki/@comment-26396390-20150826025339/@comment-26653902-20150828143123

Also would like to add that I believe Shinohara explicitly described scales as making up a rinkaku kagune when he was explaining the different kagune types to Juuzou. And why even name a kagune "shining scales" if scales aren't a defining trait? All the other kagune types are named for their defining traits (wings, shell, and tail) after all. -_-;

Besides, scales are a pain to draw in detail so no surprise that Ishida doesn't draw them most of the time (and the less we talk about the screwy details in the anime, the better >_>).

The fact that rinkaku are made up of interlocking scales is also the main reason ghouls of this type are generally glass cannons. Using Shinohara's explanation, like velcro, the scales can link up more tightly and so allow incredibly powerful blows to be dealt. However, also like velcro, they're fairly easy to pull apart because they are just individual pieces held together instead of one solid whole.

As for Kaneki never being that scaly in the past, I would like to point out that his degree of scaliness has varied quite a bit from the shagreen-like texture to being pebbly like a lizards skin. His kagune has varied so much in shape and appearance that I don't see any real significance to its most recent appearance apart from the snake symbolism of that moment.

Kaneki is simply very good at altering his kagune's shape for different purposes, even mimicking the shape and functions of other kagune and possibly some quinque (e.g. the IXA underground multi-stab). The reason it looks particularly scaly this time could simply be him making them that way to increase the amount of damage they do. Like stabbing someone with a serrated knife instead of a smooth one.