Anime Lectio: Tokyo Ghoul (first season only)

                                                            1. Why do Anime Lectio? 

Anime Lectio is a time for us to stop and take a breath. Between work, activities, family life, and social media, our minds are always moving. We rarely take time to contemplate and ask, why am I watching this anime? What’s the point of all this? And, how is this making me feel? 

2. Put away all distractions 

(phones, work, etc.)

We are so enslaved to things that stimulate our minds. Let this be a moment for us to free our minds, look inside of ourselves, and be at peace.

3. Deep Breathing

Take several deep breaths. Let your mind relax. If you’ve had any questions, desires, or struggles that you’ve been hiding or stuffing away, let them rise up to the surface. 

4. Open yourself to God’s Presence

Remember God places all our thoughts and desires inside of us, and He uses them to draw us closer to Himself. God gives us a community to help us understand who we are and what He is calling us to do. The faces of other people you know and don't know are like signs of God’s presence.  

5. Think About What’s on Your Mind in Relation to the Anime

Think about what’s been on your mind in relation to the anime.  The following is an example of such thoughts written by me.  

We don't always initially accept change in our lives, especially if the change isn't wanted, but over time, we can come to accept it and realize that it's what we need. Change involves a transformation of self, either physically, mentally, and/or spiritually, which is why it always isn't initially accepted. You may not want to change when changes start happening, think you need to when these changes start happening, or understand these changes when they start happening, but over time, which involves experiences of thinking about these changes and what you can do with them, these changes can be accepted and transformation can occur.

6. Brief and written explanation of the anime

Pay attention to how the brief and written explanation of the anime seen on this blog, or seeing the anime for yourself since that's better than any explanation, might “speak” to you or shed light on the things that have been on your minds.

In the first season of the anime Tokyo Ghoul, the main character talks with his friend about asking a certain girl out on a date. The main character does go out with this certain girl on a date, but unfortunately for him, this certain girl happens to be a creature known as a Ghoul, which are creatures that eat humans. Before getting the chance to eat him, the girl is killed in some sort of accident that injures the main character, which results in the main character getting parts from the girl that causes him to become a Ghoul (more like half Ghoul actually). He does try to resist this change at first in order to try continue living as a typical human, but after realizing that he can't keep doing that since it harms other people, including himself, he accepts his change as a Ghoul and transformation into one in order to help himself and others.

7.  Reflect on the anime

Has this brief and written explanation of the anime shed any light on what's been on your minds?  The following is an example of a reflection on the anime from me.

Only seeing the first season of Tokyo Ghoul is intentional. This isn't because I've heard that the other seasons aren't as good as the manga, but because I think the first season can be seen as its own story of personal transformation. It isn't the usual story of personal transformation due to part of how it happens, meaning the part about Ghouls and becoming one, but the parts about not accepting change, understanding it, and thinking you don't need it are relevant.

8. Final Prayer

Please voice any prayer intentions for friends, family, or people around the world that relate to this anime.  The following is an example written by me.

Let us pray that we can accept and understand the changes in our own lives and the transformations that these changes can create.