Urie 400%

Souced to the TG Calender translation project here: (x)

Urie Kuki has been foreshadowed several times in omake, and in the manga itself that he’s going to acquire a kakuja, or otherwise swelling of his muscles (to a hulk like state). This state form dubbed Urie 400% was first drawn by Saiko in volume four, and has since shown up as a running gag in Omake. Generally though, if something is mentioned more than once, no matter how silly it may seem it can count as foreshadowing.

TG: RE volume 4 Omakes by Makyun

While the theory that Urie is going to develop a kakuja, or at least turn full ghoul has been around for awhile, I want to elaborate on how effectively the manga has foreshadowed it, and also how this is going to tie into Urie’s character arc. Starting with the first appearance, Urie 400% showed up immediately after two important events in the manga.

Part 1 Character

Tokyo Ghoul Re: 29 to seek a nest, page 8

The first being Urie’s breakdown in the auction after his frame 4 surgery. This scene not only parallels Kaneki’s breakdown as he awakens his Kakuja down to positioning, it also clues us in to both characters. Kakuja are purely freudian in nature, they’re characters being overwhelmed by their repressed urges, when they break out it’s pure Id. Which is why they are associated with mental stability or instability, the only characters shown controlling Kakuja for periods of time are the stable and surrounded by friends Yoshimura Kuzen, and the very self controlled and directed Eto Yoshimura.

Tokyo Ghoul 101, page 6

If this is a breakdown if Id (I desire) then what do each of them desire in this case. From the ramblings it’s rather obvious to decode. “Me, me, me, me, me, me” and “Me? Myself? I….I, I, I.” This has been interpreted in the past of a confusion of idenitty, especially since Kaneki is elaborated on in the next few chapters of unstably flipping between his gentleness and his viciousness with little cohesion between both. I’m going to put forward a new interpretation though, it’s actually referring to their selfishness. After all usually when a preson thinks “Me, me, me” it’s in the context of being selfish.

Both boys are rambling about their selfish desires. For Urie, it’s for strength, and to “Feel Good”, and Kaneki as well wants strength to “Protect everyone.” Both of these are selfish desires meant to alleviate the boys insecurities. Both of them further break down later, Urie says that he “Hates everything,” to Mutsuki out of frustration and Kaneki realizes he’s not protecting anybody but rather being violent.

Both of these boys have very selfish and nasty desires that are highly repressed, that come out when they feel a rush of their ghoul powers. This is because Urie was deliberately made to parallel Kaneki. If all of the original Q’s are a cross section of Kaneki, Shirazu his want to improve, Urie his struggle, Mutsuki his hypocrisy, and Saiko his innocence (I’ll elaborate more on Mutsuki and Saiko in a different Meta but to prove my point for now, Mutsuki is someone who has a gentle nature and then flips to enjoy killing, while Saiko tries to stay out of conflicts entirely, or acts like her usual self in the middle of them to a fault.)

The tragic element of Kaneki’s struggle is that it’s futile. At the end of the Kanou arc, he asks himself over and over again, “Why?” what is he accomplishing through all this struggle. The correct answer is nothing, as Touka points out to him and Kaneki accepts at the end of his journey at Tokyo Ghoul. None of his actions were protecting Anteiku, he suffered so much and gained so much strength to basically exhaust himself running in circles. He didn’t accomplish his goal of protecting Anteiku, because it was never about Anteiku in the first place, it was about fulfilling his own selfish need for security.

Tokyo Ghoul 107, Page 6

Tokyo Ghoul Re: Chapter 140, page 6

It’s why Kaneki is the central character in a tragedy. He does not change enough, and in time, and in the end succumbs to his flaw. Urie is the embodiment of that part of him, but somehow turned up even more. Urie’s entire being is running himself in circles, and repressing what he really wants to achieve and conflating it with strength. Even his manner of speaking, and being drawn reflects this. Urie often speaks with parenthesis that leave out his true thoughts or finish the rest of his sentences in his head (because he’s kind of a tool). He’s also drawn mouthless even in critical moments, because Urie often does not say what he truly means.

Chapter 95, AM (MS) Page 18

Even in this panel in particular, Urie is masking the word (slaughter) with the much more business like exterminate employed by the CCG. Because the word slaughter, implies he wants to beat Amon up in a bloody rampage for hurting Mutsuki rather than carrying out his duties as an investigator.

The second manifestation of Urie’s struggles comes in his foiling to the character Takeomi. As pointed out Here (x) by Coromoor, this foiling is continued up until this day with Urie being unnerved by Takeomi getting married, and also trying to imitate his stellar feats but failing against Donato. We’ll get to Donato later, but to focus on what Urie wants out of this rivalry. His reasons for hating Takeomi are for the actions of his father, he feels a deep resentment that Urie told his squad to leave without him, and the squad members left. He sees Bujin as somebody who got to grow up in a presumably happy childhood with a father, at the cost of him losing his own father. It might have a deeper root even than that though.

Chapter 9, Inherited Feelings, Page 10

Urie wants acknowledgement for his pain as a really basic desire. Let’s talk about narratives for a moment, from a narrative perspective, Kuroiwa saw the loss of his comrade, but a noble one. As Mikoto Urie himself chose to sacrifice himself for the rest of his squad. Kuroiwa saw the right thing to do in this situation was to take down owl, as that was what Mikoto Urie had sacrificed himself trying to accomplish. In Kuroiwa’s perspective, the matter begins and ends with owl.

Chapter 61, the ENT page 3

Owl dying however, would not make Urie feel better. What he felt was not the noble sacrifice of a comrade but the loss of his father. The narrative that Kuroiwa sees, is shallow and does not account for Urie’s emotions. Which seems to be the main flaw of the Kuroiwas in general, so masculine they are actually completely comfortable in their masculinity and seem generally oblivious to circumstances especially emotional ones. Urie suffered a great emotional loss that was never acknowledged, and because of that he continually feels unsatisfied and directs those emotions at Iwao and Bujin. If he can’t have their ackonwledgement, he wants them to suffer the same negative emotions that he did then, he wants to surpass them, he wants to bury them.

Tokyo Ghoul RE: Inherited Feelings Chapter 9, page 9

Chapter 32, Eat and Run, page 9

What Iwao sees in this scene, is the son of a former comrade now accomplishing what Mikoto would have wanted him. He is becoming a full fledged investigator in his own right, even without his father around. Therefore he gives him the same acknowledgement of congratulations he gave his own son. This is not what Urie sees, or what Urie wants, ashe sees the man who left his father to die continuing to act like it was nothing, and therefore his pain is nothing.

Chapter 104, Sudden Death, Page 6

As I’ve said before, Kuroiwa tends not to understand others or be blinded by his own traditionalism. This is even shown in the cap above where both Aura and Kuroiwa seem to care more about how Akira’s parents would feel about her current situation then Akira herself. Even though Akira’s own narrative has always been about failing to live up to the expectations of her parents, a mother of which she never met, and a father who unconsciously nurtured and expectation of her to be like that mother, and trying to eventually break free from that.

This is not a favorable position, especially since the two adults here are oblivious. They mourn the deaths of a Washuu, who has sent them to meaningless deaths for the sake of securing their own bloodline within the next panel. However, this is the position that Urie aspires to. His ultimate goal, is to reach where the Kuroiwas are, to be so secure in their position, power, and masculinity they don’t have to question anything.

Now while his means of accomplishing that has become different over the course of his development, I will argue that that basic desire (I want to feel secure) has not changed at all. Now, the majority of Urie’s character development is quite obvious, and has been summarized elsewhere so rather than talking about how he has changed, I will elaborate on how despite all of that change he’s remained the same in character . The key word of the day is Sisyphean, a lot of effort but with no development. A pointless struggle. You push the boulder all the way up to the top of the hill and it rolls to the bottom.

The events that are happening in the manga, deliberately call back to what was set up all within the first ten chapters for Urie. Chapter 3 was when Donato was first introduced. This conversation shows the way that Urie sees the world, in terms of credit and achievement. His means of getting what he wants (To feel secure, acknowledgement) are through climbing the rigid system of merit set up by the CCG. He also remarks on his preference to work alone.

Tokyo Ghoul Re: Chapter 8 Bell, Pages 6, 8

While Urie has grown significantly to be more aware of others, and even value them he as not once broken free from the framework surrounding him. Even when he is trying to encourage others, or when trying to speak sincerely he always sees it through the lens of rank and accomplishment.

We see this again,

Chapter 26, Ah. Page 4

Again.

Chapter 32, Eat and Run, page 8

Again.

Chapter 55, Alice & Amp, page 8

Again.

Chapter 59, Kneel Page 13

Again.

Chapter 64: A Devouring Gut, page 6

And Again.

Chapter 106: A Hopeless Course, Page 17

Urie refuses to let go of this framework of advancing through the system of the CCG and earning what he wants in that way. The second thing established in this chapter, Urie prefers to work alone. Which we also see him reminded of.

Chapter 57, Regretting Smile, Page 10

Chapter 98, Old School, Page 10

Chapter 108, Eternity, Page 15

He charges in alone against Amon in the end whent he battle turns unfavorable extremely recklessly, and he tells Higemaru to fall back against Donato while he serves as a distraction. It’s especially poignant from a sins of the fathers perspective, as Urie is exactly mad at Kuroiwa for that same reason, yet here he is repeating the habit of telling others to stand down while he handles everything alone. The only thing that has changed is his motivation. Which ties into Donato, and is the real reason he’s fighting him.

Urie is this sequel :RE manga’s equivalent of Amon Koutarou. The two of them both ascribe to rank and advancement, and hunt ghouls to sovle their own issues and insecurities that have a basis in their father. The most important similiarity between the two of them though, is that what Urie wants right now but what he’s failing to realize is the same realization Amon failed to make.

The two of them only want to fight to protect their friends. However, they are too tied into the logic and system of the CCG that neither of them can realize it, and therefore neither of them can achieve what it is they want. They are, as characters, stalled.

Tokyo Ghoul Re: 97 Body Alone, 21

Tokyo Ghoul 134, Page 14

Amazing how Urie thinks the exact same words that Amon did, a moment before slaughtering him. Despite being so similiar though, Urie was never going to come to an understanding to Amon. Because Amon was a ghoul.

Part 2 Body Development

Finally we’re getting back to the second thing that happened before the first Urie 400% comic arrived. Urie got crunk.

Chapter 37 Dead Secret, Page 6

Urie has specifically, been concentrating all of his RC cells into his muscles since receiving the frame 4 operation. After repeatedly releasing his frames again and again, the results of this are obvious Urie is about to cross a point of no return. Rather than recap his slow development into a ghoul over the course of the manga though, as that’s been covered elsewhere let’s touch on the foreshadowing of why exactly it is important.

Chapter 6: A Bad Gamble for the Possessed, Page 1

First off, there is an unwritten horror about the Quinx surgery. Unlike Kanou’s half ghoul surgery which forces its patients to effectively become ghouls, thus having to struggle with the same problems that ghouls do, an unquenchable hunger, a horrifying body. The Quinx are allowed to use the abilities of ghouls without having to suffer the same way ghouls do. Therefore no Quinx has any significant sympathy for ghouls, and is effectively an emotionless weapon against them. Even Shirazu and Saiko, who questioned there role in fighting ghouls never actually did anything about it. Saiko was even handed an oppurtunity on a golden platter, and basically made no decision on how to react to Amon until she was forced to fight.

The horrifying thing of Urie’s slow transformation is not that he is becoming a ghoul (half the characters in the manga are ghouls anyway, everybody’s a ghoul now), but rather his attitude towards ghouls. He has no sympathy for them at all, and the image he has in his head of ghouls, as killers without remorse that need to be exterminated - is Urie all that different?

There has been foreshadowing about Urie turning into a ghoul from the start of the manga, and most of it has to do with ironies present in his attitude.

Chapter 2, The Neglected Helm and the Fearful Serpent, Page 22

Chapter 8, Agent 8 Page 5

Early on it’s set up that not only should investigators who lose control of their kagune be exterminated, but that Urie might just be a shitty bastard worse than a ghoul.

He repeatedly denies ghouls their humanity. Here is Urie giving a speech about how important it is to have the bodies of the dead. In the next few chapters he’s shown using a quinque made of a dead guardian who was so important to Eto, his deaths is one of the many reasons for her revolution.

Chapter 58 Playfully Faint, Page 12

Chapter 16, Heavy Steps, Page 16

Here is Urie comparing ghouls to whales. “Take a good long look, at their own cruelty.” Interesting Urie.

Until we reach the current showdown. Urie is against Donato, and look at his revulsion for Donato’s actions.

Chapter 108 Eternity, Page 16

Yes, to Urie killing children is disgusting. Unless they are ghoul children who were imprisoned for saving your mentor, and then are going to be executed by being put into a blender.

Chapter 59 Kneel, Page 17

Perhaps Donato is worse than Urie and deserves to be imprisoned because he enjoys bloodshed. He kills and devours others who are weaker than him for the sake of his own personal enjoyment.

Chapter 27, Calling out to Within, Page 8

Chatper 46, C page 16

Then perhaps it’s because ghouls kagunes are too powerful, and they themselves mess with a power they cannot control. Urie even remarks something along those lines when he sees Amon’s Kakuja go out of control.

Chapter 98, Old School, Page 5

Except whose been shown steadily trying to master his own power with reckless ambition.

Chapter 27, Calling out to Within, Page 8

Who has been foreshadowed to develop into a Kakuja?

Who has been compared with centipede Kaneki at his literal worst point?

Chapter 107, Page 6

Urie has been able to get away all this time not sympathizing with ghouls at all because he is a human. No matter how much progress he’s made, he’s stayed stagnant on this point. That is why, he is most likely going to turn into a horrifying kakuja like monster comparable to Amon, especially since all of his kagune currently are in his muscles.

The important part will not be the transformation though, but after. When Urie becomes irreversibly a ghoul, he’ll finally be treated the way they are. There’s a reason that in the one calendar page he shares with Matsuri, Matsuri is drawn as Van Hellsing, while he is drawn as Dracula, the antagonist and monster of the novel.

Tokyo Ghoul Calendar, translation done here by Michi. (x)

Urie has been able to be the protagonist in his own story of development for quite some time. However, perhaps that was not the true role he was meant to play. Soon, he might even feel what it is like to be an antagonist.