#oggai

[williamverse]

Finally finished this monster of a piece, urgh

The quote that heavily inspired me (and is featured in) this piece is from ultrakill. It was just that layer 8 had just come out, and I had reread tokyo ghoul recently to that time, and I was like woah, I should totally draw this

The version without the quote is under the cut

[post-tg]

Characters from Tokyo Ghoul whose hair changed color through their transformation

Kishou Arima and Yusa Arima

Are half-humans capable of premature aging, which causes their hair to turn gray more due to their biology.

Juuzou Suzuya

Unlike other characters, he is one of the few humans who appears to have albinism due to the presence of red eyes, a color only albinos possess. It is unknown whether Juuzou's hair changed due to Big Madam's torture. Although there was an original concept that Juuzou's hair was orange.

Currently, his hair is dyed black as a form of mourning following Shinohara's vegetative state.

Ken Kaneki

It is a known case that Kaneki's hair color is due to Antoinette Syndrome caused by stress. However, this was changed because the suppression of RC cells leads to increased melanin production. This also occurs in humans because they have RC cells in their bodies.

Kaneki's hair changed every time he suffered multiple injuries or through symbolism and decline, reflecting the personality he would have now.

His transformation into a dragon is complex. It's unknown whether Kaneki became a dragon, remains an artificial one-eyed ghoul, or both due to contact and a relationship with the dragon, but his hair grew a little. Currently, his hair is still white, and he appears to be physically restored thanks to the dragon.

Seidou Takizawa

Like Kaneki, Takizawa's hair turned from brown to white when he was with Kanou and his RC cells were suppressed during experimentation. He also became an artificial one-eyed ghoul.

He currently lives as a ghoul with no return to his former normal life.

Supposedly, his lifespan is decreasing, possibly due to s tress.

Tooru Mutsuki

Tooru's case is complex because she was human before. At the beginning of :re, Tooru is a Quinx (still human) but the result of a failed sur gery led to ghoul-like consequences. However, this gradually changed as Tooru fell deeper into despair and the stress Torso caused her (which turned her hair white) led to a ghoul transformation shortly after (likely triggering her). Similar to Urie's transformation, but this time it's more artificial, like Kaneki's.

In the end, Tooru's hair appears to return to normal thanks to Sui's sketches. Her biological condition is unknown.

Rize Kamishiro

Rize had purple hair and was a ghoul wanted by the Washuu.

Her hair turned white due to the suppression of her RC during her dragon transformation. She was captu red by Arima and later by Furuta, who used her as a womb for the Oggai.

Currently, Rize has become part of the Dragon itself, so she doesn't seem to react.

Shikorae

Previously a ghoul with light green hair due to the Jail game.

Because he joined Aogiri, as an adult, his hair grew long and dark, most likely due to the filth of the place. He is slender with a muscular build.

He is currently in a kakuja state; his limbs have become thin, along with four other limbs, and his long hair still covers his face.

Oggai

They were human children aged 11-13 who became a new ghoul race thanks to Rize's kagune and Qs's research.

Their hair turned white after breaking their two halves and suppressing their RC cells.

Final

[chertpole]

Children from the sunlit garden are poorly socialized. And by that I mean this:

The CCG does not have a strict form. Quinxes, for example, wear different clothes. But children from the sunlit garden dress literally like their bosses. And I don't think it's a coincidence. It seems to me that these are children who literally know nothing about the world, but must function in it, so they decide to look exactly like the person they were entrusted to in order to pass for their own.

And look at oggai

[superryunosukeyuki]

Rize’s Rebirth

In the final arc of Tokyo Ghoul :re, a number of plot points were left unanswered. The most prominent and mysterious of these points was Rize Kamishiro, who was the driving plot point of the arc. After Kaneki (who became a one-eyed ghoul by having Rize’s Kakuhou implanted into him) ingested the Oggai (who each had a Kakuhou of Rize’s as well) and a “core” from Furuta’s body, he transformed into an enormous Kakuja called “Dragon.”

After Kaneki was extracted the Kakuja dissolved, but it left behind a number of oviducts that continued to function. The core of the 19th ward oviduct turned out to be Rize herself.

However, if you look closely at the egg membrane in the first panel, you’ll notice that there doesn’t appear to be a body inside. There are merely tentacles writhing around, but these tentacles consolidate and then Rize herself burst out of the egg. This suggests Rize was formed from the egg rather than already being present in it. But how could Rize have been “formed” if she already existed? Also, why did she later form strange, animalistic features when she was confronted by Kaneki?

“The core”

As shown in the first image above, Kanou stated the final step towards creating Dragon was a “core” placed in Furuta’s body. @littlemissymonster​ once speculated that this core could have been Rize’s main Kakuhou. In the series, it’s confirmed that severely damaging or destroying the kakuhou is a death sentence for a ghoul. 

During Nishiki and Kurona’s fight with Roma on Rushima Island, Kurona tries to pierce the latter’s Kakuko because it would presumably be fatal. In the original series, Nashiro is unable to recover after having most of her Kakuko destroyed. Also, in one of the Tokyo Ghoul novels (Void), a ghoul named Noyama dies after Kaneki eats his Kakuho. However, there are also references in the series to ghouls that have multiple Kakuho sacs.

Eto (and later Yoshimura who posed as her) was determined to have 6-8 kakuho during her initial battles with the CCG. Later, during Kaneki’s battle with Shinohara in Kanou’s lab, Shinohara suspects Kaneki has multiple kakuho after he unveiled a new kagune form. 

For six months prior to the battle in Kanou’s lab, Kaneki engaged in several acts of cannibalism to increase his ghoul abilities. This consumption of excess rc cells is likely what caused the formation of new kakuhou beyond the original one he received from Rize. The same is likely for Eto as she grew up in the 24th ward where it’s said cannibalism is common place.

However, this creates some confusion. In several places it’s mentioned that damaging the kakuho can be fatal. In addition to the above examples, it’s mentioned that in Yoshimura’s first fight with Arima his kakuhou received “lethal” damage. However, Shinohara managed to destroy a few of Kaneki’s kakuhou during their fight, but he continued fighting just fine. It seems that only if a ghoul’s original kakuhou (not those formed by excess consumption) is damaged then it is lethal.

This would explain why Rize was able to survive multiple Kakuhou extractions. After Furuta dropped steel beams on Rize in the first chapter, she was handed over to Kanou to extract her kakuho to create one-eyed ghouls. While Rize was never stated to be a cannibal, she did eat several times the number of humans a normal ghoul typically eats (hence her title “Binge Eater”). This could lead to the formation of extra kakuho, and so for Kanou’s experiments he would extract these extra kakuho to implant into humans. By leaving Rize’s original, or main, kakuho alone he could keep her alive and wait for these extra kakuho to grow back for further extraction.

So, the “core” that Kanou implanted into Furuta was likely Rize’s main kakuho. Extracting this would lead to her death, and this was necessary for Furuta’s plan to resurrect her (will explain below).

RC Cells as Memory Cells

In a ghoul biology post by @coromoor​, it’s hypothesized that rc cells are a type of blood stem cell. This is evidenced by their presence in the bloodstream, their appearance being similar to blood cells affected by sickle-cell anemia, and their ability to regenerate multiple types of tissue.

Stem cells are able to differentiate into any type of cell. This includes memory cells, and if rc cells are a type of stem cells than this explains why Kaneki (who has Yamori’s rc cells as he ate his kakuhou) is able to replicate Yamori’s kagune. 

This would also explain Kaneki’s visions of Rize. In part 1, whenever Kaneki was in a mentally low state, a vision of Rize would appear and speak with him. If rc cells also double as memory cells, then this could explain these visions. As Kaneki had Rize’s kakuhou (and therefore her rc cells) he also had her memories inside of him.

Later, when Kaneki is inside the Dragon in part 2, he has another vision of Rize. She refers to the Oggai as “small coffins.” A coffin is a container for dead remains, and this further supports the idea that she died after her her “core” (main kakuhou) was extracted from her body to be implanted into Furuta. However, her core and dozens of her other kakuhou have now been reunited inside of Dragon. 

One of the panels shown at the beginning of this post showed Rize’s body forming inside of an egg. If rc cells are stem cells, then they can differentiate into any cell or tissue type (skeletal, muscle, blood, brain, etc.). By bringing together so many of Rize’s rc cells, it’s essentially created her a new body. It created a new Rize.

When this new body is formed, it’s still lacking its lower half. However, when Kaneki encounters it in :re 178 it appears more developed. It seems the purpose of Dragon was to gain energy (by eating humans) so Rize could be fully reformed.

Purpose of the Resurrection 

All of this begs the question: why would Furuta go to all this trouble of resurrecting her when he could have avoided killing her in the first place?

It’s implied that continually extracting kakuho on a ghoul has negative impacts on their mental health. In a flashback in :re 65, Shachi mentions that Yoshimura’s kakuho is constantly being extracted by the Aogiri Tree (for One-Eyed Ghoul experiments). He says this has left him incognizant (lacking knowledge or awareness). This suggests the extractions have left him in a vegetative state.

This seems to be the same case for Rize (who also suffered from multiple extractions). While Furuta is talking to her in :re 119, she doesn’t acknowledge him or any of her surroundings. 

Furuta’s goal from the beginning was to overthrow the Washu clan and to destroy the system they created, and to do this he needed Rize’s kakuho. However, he was also in love with Rize (having helped her escape the Sunlit Garden) and wanted to marry her. So, he used her to destroy the “cage” created by the Washu and V by unleashing the Dragon. Then, he planned to use the same Dragon to resurrect her so he could be with her.

In the end, all Furuta really wanted was a normal life.

[brave-symphonia]

Child soldiers. It only took this manga 118 chapters to get some. Or I guess if you count tokyo ghoul it took them like 260 chapters to get here.

[k-kuja]

What did you think of Mayuzumi of the Oggai? Despite not really being developed at all, he appeared several times. In 119 he helped murder a ghoul mother and child. In 122 he is shown on the news at Goat's 3rd ward base holding two heads. In 124 he is shown on the rooftop with the other Oggai and their bikes. In 129, he killed a ghoul café owner. Despite Ishida making him prominent early on and giving him a mask design different from the others he didn't seem to appear in the 24th ward battle.

I really liked Mayuzumi! I liked all the Oggai. I don’t think it meant anything but I always thought his mask looked like an owl mask, it reminded me a little of Yoshimura’s...

I think there were a few different Oggai masks anyway so I’m not sure if the design of Mayuzumi’s was particularly important...

BUT he was also the only named Oggai other than Hajime so it was sad not to see him a little more.

Mayuzumi was talkative, sarcastic and he clearly enjoyed what he was doing, so I think he was supposed to represent the Oggai as being childish and having fun, not being able to fully grasp the situations they were involved in.

When they were first introduced, Hajime was a direct contrast to Mayu - he was professional, quiet and precise... he didn’t seem to revel in hurting anyone, he just did what he was supposed to do. His squad even described him as “gloomy” and said they could finally relax when he was gone.

It’s not until after Hajime goes underground and is discovered that his behaviour suddenly switches and he starts talking and acting like a kid, so I wonder if Ishida just kinda cut Mayu to save time and space near the end of the manga, and poured his characteristics into Hajime instead?

[amemura8]

:re face

[lurkerwithcomputer]

Children of Madness, Part 1:2

Like the one before it, it’s an Oggai survivor fanfic. If you don’t like the Oggai, you probably don’t want this egg salad. Once again, thank you @hamliet for inspiring this. The usual warnings: gore/violence, foul language (Hajime is involved, of course there’s swearing), and anything else about the Oggai that might be triggering. Oh, mentions of bullying and Clockwork Orange references. Long(er) chapter.

Chapter 2: A Tiny Hyena Still Has Teeth

“Hajime-kun, Hajime-kun!”

“What’s up, Natsume?”

“Mayuzumi was bullying us again.”

“I’ll go keep him in line. Wish he’d keep his fuckin’ fun to ghouls, though. Vonny, grahzny bastard.”

She liked when Hajime swore, liked the punch and swagger of it.

“You don’t need to punish him, I threw him out a window and he landed on his ass.”

Hajime’s eyes bugged for a moment, then his face split in a grin. He burst out laughing.

“I -pfff -haha -always liked that about you, Natsume.”

The world cracked and blistered as he said that, and suddenly the Oggai dorm was an endless concrete tunnel, and Hajime’s laughing face was a bleeding void. Fanged, many-eyed tentacles reached out.

She snapped awake, nightmare sweat already drying. Memories seeped in, blood, screaming, the pain of lost limbs and then the falling. She had plunged into stale water, and her limbs had been reborn. She lay on a rough bed of her own clothing, now dry, while a massive vent breathed hot air on her bare back. She stood and wriggled into her clothes, which although dry, still smelled stale and damp. She pocketed her meager equipment: transmitter, spare battery, bandages, and a length of thin rope. As she stood and walked away from her rest, a resolve sparked inside her. I’m coming for you, Hajime-kun.

A cracked concrete stairway stretched upward. Eventually, it ended and a gaping hole began. She stood at the edge, toes gripping the rough surface. The far side of the hole seemed to taunt her, a flat platform of textured steel. I am... was an Oggai. My body can do this. She flexed her legs and jumped. Rubble-strewn abyss rushed under her, until the metal floor slid up to catch her. She landed lightly, crouched. A door marked “MAINTENANCE” in faded yellow stood at the end of a dim hallway. Beyond it, a passage sloped upward. She put one foot in front of the other.

Water rushed beneath the the metal grating she walked on, and carried with it a swampy smell that filled her lungs. Somewhere, machinery rumbled, pumping water and forcing air. Metal rungs embedded in the concrete ascended into shadows, and she was tired, but she smelled outside air, and it pulled her onward.

A massive ...thing... towered above the streets, while she crouched in the shadows of a half-collapsed building. She looked up at the evening skyline, twisted by the creature. Hajime-kun is up there somewhere? ...How will I find him? Her stomach growled and tightened, distracting her. How long since I’ve had even a snack? Or water? She turned to look at the building she hid behind. A shopping mall. Food. Water. Maybe clothing. It would be looting, but then, she was no stranger to stealing. I grew up on stealing.

The inside of the mall was dim and stuffy, and fallen pieces of the ceiling littered the floor. She stepped lightly around broken glass and twisted metal, and crawled under a row of dangling wires, even though she was sure they weren’t still live. The mall was T-shaped, with the food court one way and the hopefully intact shops the other. She looked longingly at the food court, but chose the shops instead. I can take whatever I want from here, but it’s not like it will all fit in my pockets. I need a... loot bag. Her own little joke made her smile. A run-down department store took up half of this end of the mall.

She found the luggage section, slowly searching for a suitable bag. It would have to be small enough for a twelve-year-old, and bright colors would make her stand out. She looked up at the racks of backpacks. Too big. Too colorful... and who put neon pink, sunflower yellow and electric blue together anyway? She found one that fit. It’s light, it’s snug on my shoulders, and it won’t block my kagune... or I won’t poke a hole in the bottom. It was light gray, black and rust brown. It reminded her of one she’d had when she was a child. She walked toward the clothing racks, slowly, and saw a dull navy-blue hoodie. She tried it on. It’s my size, and this cloth... She rubbed the sleeve against her cheek. Feels nice. Water-resistant... maybe. She pulled her Oggai jacket, more of a vest now, really, over it. A floppy cloth hat caught her eye, and her heart twisted a little. Hajime-kun. I’ll take it, just because. Maybe it’ll make me lucky. She padded past the shoe section, and looked down at her bare feet. Should I? The smell of rubber and glue and shoes filled her nose, but she could at least sit down on one of the benches, and rest for a little while.

Memories floated to the surface, of a little girl who lived on the streets. Her shoes quickly outgrown, and at first the pavement had made her skin prickle and ache. After a couple of weeks, her skin had grown thicker, and she had found that agility and light, padded steps might be better after all. Steps that had let her creep down dark alleys unnoticed, had let her climb, catlike, to steal and slip away. Sometimes, when there was no way out, those agile steps had let her dance a violent circle around someone stronger than her. She remembered how the shoes at the orphanage had pinched and hurt. Blisters, always blisters. The Oggai uniform boots were better, but still, her legs had felt heavy, and her steps always a split-second too slow. Would I have been quick enough to reach you, Hajime-kun?

Her stomach cramped, hard this time. Ouch. Food and water. She moved back to the food court. A counter serving deli foods was the closest. The fridges still felt cool to the touch. Maybe the food inside will be okay? She opened it to see racks of sandwiches. Egg salad? I love egg salad. She grabbed a couple and climbed onto the counter to enjoy them, unwrapped them - a mistake. The stench of rancid egg and mayonnaise clogged her nose and invaded her mind. She gagged, crouched on the counter, and leaned over the metal sink. Slowly the urge to vomit faded, and she tossed the sandwiches into the closest trash can. Not that egg salad.

She discovered that preserved foods and anything out of a can was still edible, if cold and not quite appetizing. I think cans might be my new favorite invention in the history of ever. Bottled water wasn’t exactly hard to find, and sports drinks and canned coffee weren’t hard either. She left the food court, with its faint smell of rot, behind her. She turned her steps back towards the shops. If... when I find Hajime-kun, I’m going to need to carry him, and I should wrap him in something. A set of bedsheets provided the answer. As she struggled with fitting them into her backpack, her transmitter dropped from her pocket. The screen was dark, the beeper silent. Still nothing? I know these are waterproof. Are we Oggai just forgotten all over again? Mutsuki-sensei... Still, she didn’t want to just leave it.

She left the ruined mall and wandered towards the monster. Finally,  at a place where a piece of fallen scaffolding extended outward, was a way onto the body of this tower of flesh. The night breeze ruffled her hair, and carried a familiar scent. Hajime-kun. She remembered the bandages in her pocket. Anything for extra grip, I guess. She sat and wrapped her feet and hands. She stood and stepped onto the creature’s back. Despite its stone-like appearance, it was warm and spongy underfoot, and seemed to have a pulse. When she reached a place where it ascended into a vast pillar of lumpy kagune-flesh. As the sky clouded and chilly rain began to drip, she began to climb.           

Next time: Natsume would be a good friend to have in an apocalypse, and Mutsuki might not have forgotten after all.