Talk:Touka Kirishima/@comment-210.186.54.24-20160705161951

This is initially a response to some comments here but since it got WAYY too long I decided to just start a new thread. I am sorry for any inconvience I created but I think this is the best chance for me to discuss about Touka in a civil manner.

So seeig how fans devalues Touka to just being a mere love interest for Kaneki, I gotta say ppl wont see her past that role because they simply dont want. Just how can you say her main concern is to become Kaneki's girlfriend when her development around Kaneki for the 3/4 of her appearances in the manga, she was kept away from Kaneki. Why wont you focus on her sibling relationship with Ayato or her sisterly bond with Hinami or her friendship with Yoriko? Or how she built herself from the brash, hot blooded teen into a calm and peaceful manager of :re cafe and her character as a successor to Yoshimura's legacy? Dont want right? That's because your( and most of fans including her own fans unfortunately) main concern about Touka's character is whether she will be Kaneki's wife or not in the end, not with her character herself.

Let's see from the first manga where in the Dove arc, Touka was developed due to her relationship with Hinami. And even Kaneki himself came to understand the ghoul world from different perspective due Touka's determination in protecting Hinami(and also Hinami/her mother bond) and also seeing her effort in juggling her life living a ghoul and a normal girl. Not to mention, this arc is where Touka began to question her violence and how Mado's murder deeply affected her when she realized she just killed a man with a family, this shows how despite her hatred and anger towards Doves, she still values ones lives eventho she was almost killed by Mado. She knows well how it felt losing their family members and the scene deeply regretted her. Also from what I see from the arc this is where Kaneki and Touka relationship was rekindled after their first meeting.

Gourmet arc - This was where Touka shines the most where she was the one helping Kaneki from Tsukiyama. And this was also where Ishida addressed Touka's insecurities as a ghoul and how she couldnt see her worth being called beautiful because in the end she is a monster. And how Ishida shows us that Touka was trying so hard to live as a ghoul and a normal school girl, and even she had a human best friend whom she really fond of? So was it still about her relationship with Kaneki that Ishida wanted to show us here?

In Aogiri arc, well sure she involved in Kaneki rescue, but everyone was involved, the core of this arc was Kaneki's major change. Despite the main concern with Kaneki, Ishida chose to highlight the siblings bond between Ayato and Touka, as well as a bit touch on the Kirishima's family background. The Kaneki/Touka 'big' moments from the arc were only during Ayato/Kaneki confrontation and also when Kaneki said goodbye to Touka and the rest. Sure there were mix between the Kirishima family moments and Kaneki's involvement but I chose to jugde her character from her background not from her interaction with Kaneki, but most fans saw her meaningful moment from the arc was when Kaneki rescued her in the bridal style. But other than that, the arc highlighted her bitter, broken relationship with her only living family member due to their different way of thinking. So once again, does Kaneki is really everything that she only can think about?

She was practically shoved to the sideline in between Aogiri arc and Anteiku arc but there were still instances we saw her studying hard to become a Biology teacher. Idk why she chose Kamii University as her choice, it could be because of Kaneki(but well I dont see how this works tbh since Kaneki stopped going to classes after the Aogiri arc); but iirc, she did say something wanting to know how Kaneki's life as student and inspired by Kaneki whom loves books and knowledge; or because it's near to her home and Anteiku in 20th ward or because she got Nishiki, whom can help her in studying into Kamii University. But Touka outrightly said that she loves studying (or school life, i dont really remember) and she wanted to know more about ghoul's origin and wanted to become a teacher. We dont know how does this have any significance in the current plot but knowing Ishida, he might planned this early on for the future roles of Touka, and seeing how Touka is associated with High Priestess, symbol of inuition and knowledge, this might play a key in her overall roles to the plot and her character (just read meaning of the this card, it does fit Touka character in the story and even her current light blue hair is a nod to the card)

And also the Kaneki/Touka last confrontation in the prequel, I dont want to talk about this since we are talking about Touka as individual character, I avoid from discussing Kaneki/Touka interaction here and if I do so, this post might be longer than it already is.

And lastly the Anteiku Raid, the arc had little Touka in it but the last page of her declaring her belief in Kaneki's survival was the most impactful scene for me after Kaneki's defeat in Arima's hand( I remember how desperately was the fandom hanging to her words for both Kaneki's fate and the continution of the manga lol) anyways but to the topic, the emphasis of Touka's involvement in the raid was about her abandoment issues and how she was so angry and frustrated with herself to lose her beloved people and her home once again witout being able to do anything. I love how Yomo comforts and even lectures Touka to move on with her loss right at the moment. To live while losing. The whole chapter 130 is dedicated to her feeling about Anteiku, how she reminisced her whole life, her life that she put such effort before had come to end in front of her eyes, clinging to every each of people coming and going from her life, family and friends got snatched from her once again and yet people see her struggle as only to become Kaneki's future girlfriend :/ (blame my attachment to Touka but that chapter got me teary even until now)

Idk if I should continue to :re but let's keep this short. Despite everything happens in TG, especially after Anteiku raid, do you see Touka went into depression like Tsukiyama? Or joining Aogiri like Hinami for Kaneki's sake? No right? She actually gets up and builds herself her own life once again, being a manager of a coffee shop and even if she builds a the shop for Kaneki, did she forcefully drag him into it? Or even trying to restore his memories? Stalking him? She gives Kaneki choices, and she lets Kaneki decides what he gonna do with his life without her influences. Touka already accepted if he didnt want to get involved in ghoul world as long as he is SAFE and happy but she always welcome him to their side.

And how is that pointing her role in stealing Kaneki's heart when she purposely distanced herself from Kaneki the whole time? Same things happened post Aogiri arc when he left her(and Anteiku) and she didnt actively pursuing him and moved on with her life instead(well altho she did not completely forget about him) Even in this arc, she chose not to interfere his battle with Arima and all she wanted is to see him again, coming back in piece SAFELY.

About :re being there for just Kaneki's sake, even if I agree to some degree it is really meant for Kaneki but I doubt it is built solely to welcome Kaneki home. Just like Anteiku that initially built for Eto's sake, it was more than that, Yoshimura actually built it so that ghouls and humans(eventho without their knowing) can gather together peacefully. So I hope Touka somehow will play her role as successor to Yoshimura legacy with :re cafe to continue Anteiku's job in bringing peace between ghouls and humans.

Also a bit about Touka/Ayato relationship, it was stated that Ayato got very violent and vicious. Ayato hates human, and hates how Touka tried to live normally, and he was firm in his decision to take different path from Touka. Touka was always waiting for him, she even had her diffucult times when Ayato left her as mentioned by Yoriko. I mean even Yomo(their own uncle) and Yoshimura could not control Ayato at that time, and the first time they met after a long time, he beat her into a pulp. But in :re we see how Touka had his back in Cochlea and even stayed close to him, protected him throughout the arc.

While with Kaneki this is what she said, "He was perplexed over whether he should return to Anteiku. So... he needs to have a place to belong (return to). She believes that Kaneki needs a home to go back to and she's ready(maybe out of her feeling for Kaneki or wtv) to create him one.

And regarding her development, idk how Touka's progress as a character is sudden and out of character for some ppl. Touka despite being aggresive and harsh in her early appearance, she is always gentle with people she cares about like Yoriko, Hinami and the Anteiku folks. She had mellowed down with her harsh attitude and her violence tendency ever since the Mado's murder, she follows Yoshimura and Yomo advices, to grow up. Touka even kept occupied with her school instead of getting more wild or getting rid of the doves. Remember what Yomo said to Touka? Wanting her grow up, she did not need punishment(altho Anteiku raid was already some sort of punishment to her), and Anteiku last job was to bring out her immature self. I dont know what fans expect from Ishida to build Touka character; did they want Touka to stay aggresive? Or to be all gentle and calm? Or does she need to undergo tortures before fans can accept her changes?

I guess this is quite overboard for a wiki comment but for a change, I want to have a decent discussion about Touka character in her own section without being downplayed by her uhm.. dislikers.

Annnnnd my main point for this long ass essay about Touka is that we can discuss Touka character without Kaneki's influence(tho Kaneki is essential for her character, I mean he is the MC after all, mostly things happen revolves around MC, major plots and characters are developed from their eyes and actions; in addition to how the MC is written) and without it leading to her being Kaneki's girlfriend in the end. But the thing is that people refuse and turn a blind eyes to her action and progression unless she stands in the same panels with Kaneki. Fans wont be interested discussing her roles on her own and insists to see her simply as cheerleaders or a love interest to Kaneki.