Tokyo Ghoul cast reveal they barely got through making the first episode

Tokyo Ghoul has just turned ten years old, and the voice actors are reminiscing about how stressful the early episodes were to record.

Yes, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Tokyo Ghoul anime show is now a decade old. Premiering in July 2014, the grimdark adaptation of Sui Ishida’s manga has gone down as one of the best anime of the 2010s due to the gothic backdrop and macabre storytelling.

An exhibition in Japan has been going to celebrate the anniversary, with members of the cast showing up to share memories. Two performers in particular regaled attendees with stories of stress and emotional hardship during the first sessions.

“It’s a tough, emotional scene that still sticks with me because I had to cry out in pain constantly,” Natsuki Hanae, who voiced Ken Kaneki, says of a scene where the character is tortured.

“Whenever I faced difficult roles in the future, I remind myself that Tokyo Ghoul was harder, which helps ground me and strengthens my resolve.”

That’s a pretty stark way to remember a project. His co-star Sora Amamiya isn’t far off, since the experience made her question if she was even fit for the profession.

“They kept asking me to use a lower voice, but my vocal range was limited back then,” she states. “I had to perform in fight scenes and deliver crucial lines, which made me question whether I could really pull off this role.”

Natsuki adds that at one point, he took his anger out on the script. “I was also crying and shouting from the first episode, to the point where I threw the script in frustration! So, the script for the first episode is all messed up,” he said.

Their dedication was worthwhile, because Tokyo Ghoul has gone on to be a very successful franchise. Season 3 concluded in 2018, and we got a live-action film in 2017. It stands up as one of the best horror anime going, especially if you enjoy explorations of the undead.

If you want to keep things morbid, check out our guides to the Attack on Titan movie and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.