...

Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: Inferiority Complex

Choujin X Chapter 4 explores Tokio's inferiority complex, his new power and even a date like Rize and Kaneki. Will he survive his first kiss?

Sui Ishida, you mad lad you. You’re trolling us with the schedule, aren’t you? Another chapter in a span of three days? Are you taking revenge on your editor or something for all those terrible Tokyo Ghoul days? It’s very clear you’re very excited with Choujin X but slow down Sensei! We bloggers need some room to breathe.

Analyzing your work with all of those hidden messages will take some time. But you obviously won’t give a damn about that (laughs then cries). At least show mercy to the translators man. And just like a mad lad, you’re slowly becoming a VTuber, playing Shin-Chan games while we break our heads trying to find and understand hidden metaphors in your work. If this keeps up, you’ll soon have to change your publication magazine to weekly Shounen Jump.

Jokes aside, I’m very happy that Ishida is having a good time. He deserves it. And judging from how often he streams video games, I think he’s already done with Chapters 5 and 6. Will we get another one real soon? (Proceeds to go on a reloading spree of Ishida’s Twitter account webpage).

Now let’s cut to the chase. Choujin X Chapter 4 is a short one – only 21 pages. But it’s packed with so many intriguing plot points. Without further ado, let’s begin the overthinking session – Analyzing Choujin X Chapter 4!

Think for yourself once!

This is exactly what a frustrated Azuma told Tokio in Chapter 3. But just like us, Tokio starts his own overthinking session. We can really feel the psychological implications of dealing with Choujins – Identity crisis, guilt and inferiority complex (Note that these are the titles of my Choujin X Chapter 2, 3, and 4 review articles).

Many of us irl have faced these experiences. Feeling so alone and confused that you don’t know who you are (identity crisis), receiving reprimands from your parents for failing an exam (guilt), and believing yourself to be useless (Inferiority complex). Most of us have been there. So it’s quite easy to sympathize with characters like Tokio, Kaneki and Shinji.

Tokio has been imitating the actions of Azuma. He feels he’s been a copycat all his life (my alternative title of this article), not taking important decisions on his own. He depends on others too much, especially Azuma. The Junpei look-alike thought that by befriending Haise Sasaki, he’d become well-known within his circle.

But it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care for Azuma. In Chapter 3, we saw him putting his own condition aside and showing concern for his friend. With the fear of getting found out, Tokio didn’t tell his family or the teacher in his school. With nowhere else to go, he immediately thought of seeking relief from Azuma. Unfortunately, disappointment crept in as he was turned away by his own best friend. Now he sits idly, brooding over his over-dependent nature. Will this change in the future? The U-turn sign on Chapter 4’s cover page indicates the possibility.

While comparing himself with Azuma, Tokio uses an interesting phrase here. “I’ve always been the vulture that gets the king’s scraps”. We see Azuma in a lion’s body (Does this foreshadow Azuma becoming a lion Choujin?). In chapter 1, he said, “A lion uses all of its abilities, even to hunt a mere rabbit”. A lion is known as the king of the jungle so the word “king” definitely refers to Azuma. I believe what he means here is that Azuma always gives his all to shine in his endeavors, while Tokio basks in his glory.

So it’s time for some character development… and Ishida attempts to give just that.

Revelation of a new Choujin ability

Much to Tokio’s astonishment, the pigeons that were near him began to talk. Well, they can always speak but Tokio, for the first time, can understand what they’re saying. Funnily enough, this power has been foreshadowed in Chapter 1 when Tokio opens his mind to a bunch of pigeons on the roof after being sent out by his math prof, Ms. Bazonkas (Heh. Hehehehe).

Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: Tokio talking with pigeons
The pigeons understood everything Tokio said

After this part, I immediately thought of a famous character. A Person who is made fun of by the world due to the rushed ending of the series he belongs to. I’m very tempted to put out this meme so AoT fans, please don’t come after me. It’s just a joke.

A meme on AoT by Choujin X fans
A meme in the Choujin X subreddit posted by u/JustKoiru

Anyway, the pigeons do make sense. Tokio’s own free will made him distribute rations out of his own kindness. He even thought Azuma went too far with breaking Johnny’s arms. He’s a kind and gentle lad. That’s why, rather than hating everyone and everything in this world (which typically a person with an identity crisis would do), he’s choosing to use his newfound power to help people. The thing is, he knows what to do, but struggles to execute it.

Being drowned in an inferiority complex, he undermined his own capability to make good decisions. He observed prodigies such as Azuma and wondered if he was the kind of leader everyone aspired to be. He saved Tokio’s ass so many times, getting all the fame while Tokio lives in his shadow. Now Tokio wants to become like Azuma, thinking that will make the latter see him differently. But I think Azuma feels guilty enough to not get involved in his life anymore. So we’ll see what Ishida has in store for our young protagonists.

Tokio chose the most cringe-worthy method in a desperate attempt to change back. In all seriousness, what could screaming on a rooftop change? Yelling out “Release. Release” reminds me of Beyblade. Not gonna lie, I did laugh while reading this part. But the conversations he has with himself are interesting. He’s intelligent enough to know that “If you stop depending on one, you’ll depend on another”. Unless he decides to put a full stop to this urge of his, he won’t become independent.

He then thinks vultures will give him a hint on how to change back. He hopes to strike up a conversation with one in the zoo, but he has no idea what will happen there. And it’s not just because of the snake girl. Speaking of whom, let’s talk about this new character now.

Enter the mysterious snake Choujin

I swear, she looks very similar to Ms. Bazonkas, Tokio’s math teacher. Maybe it’s her daughter or some kind of relative?

Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: Comparing Ms. Bazonkas and Snake Choujin lady
Ms. Bazonkas and Snake Choujin lady do look similar

Their hair color, faces and cough cough protruding chests do match. Again, this could be a wild notion but it’s kinda intriguing. If it turns out to be true, Ms. Bazonkas might disown her daughter.

Tokio’s Choujin powers don’t seem to interfere with his cough cough sexual urges. A man of culture. Way to go my boy!

Anyway, the girl tells him a way to get inside the closed zoo. Sounds fishy, you think she’s luring him with some ulterior motive? But our boy doesn’t sense anything suspicious and proceeds to follow her (He thinks he’s not going just because of a girl, but I know man. You don’t have to be shy). As they pass by different animal cages, the hyena cage is empty. This one is particularly interesting because, in a flashback scene in Chapter 1, we see a hyena on the wall above Tokio.

Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: a hyena above Tokio
Do these scenarios seem coincidental?

The snake Choujin girl said the hyenas must be in their pen or another zoo took them in. This could mean something.

  • Hyenas, like vultures, survive on food tossed away by larger animals. A comparison can be made here. The hyenas are caged up (Tokio locks up his decision making capabilities) and depend on others for their food (Tokio is depedent on Azuma for decisions).
  • Or the hyena in the flashback is one of the hyenas in the cage. It might be a Choujin who escaped from the zoo.

Then, the two humanoid Choujins arrive at the snake cage. She suddenly pushes Tokio towards the snake and almost got smooched (little did I know that Tokio will receive a full-on intense smooch very soon). Tokio screams and backs off, thinking why she did that. He also thought that he liked it for some reason (Yeah man. That reason being you’re horny as heck. Control yourself bro).

She whispers something to the snake (Parseltongue I see). It seems she asked where the birds are but I sus that. She whispered something more than just that. Or it could be my overthinking.

Tokio proceeds to think about how to woo this girl. Bruh, haven’t you watched Tokyo Ghoul yet? Oh wait…

Also, the Azuma-complexity is getting into him fast. You better change fast dude.

They finally reached the birdcage. The vulture from the flashback is still alive and kicking. Tokio tries talking to it, but it doesn’t seem to respond. He thinks it has forgotten who he is. Or maybe it could be something else…

The chapter closes with serpent girl stealing Tokio’s first kiss. The latter instead tries to gobble away his head. This scene is very very similar to Kaneki’s date with Rize. She too approached to kiss him but instead bit his shoulder. Ishida is too nostalgic about Tokyo Ghoul. He’s basically reminded us not to be swayed by an attractive girl and asking/accepting to go on a date.

Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: Tokio's and Kaneki's first kiss
Comparing Tokio’s and Kaneki’s first kiss
Choujin X Chapter 4 Analysis: how Tokio's and Kaneki's "dates" turned out
The result of their mistake of getting lured by mysterious girls

Final Thoughts

All in all, Choujin X Chapter 4 was a good one. A short one, but quite informative. We learned that Choujins can talk to animals. Tokio could talk to pigeons but couldn’t hear the vulture speak up is a mystery. Whereas the snake girl could talk with a snake. I think it’s related to Tokio’s development in his Choujin powers. In the sense that he cannot talk to animals with which he has not yet established a connection. The snake girl, on the other hand, could talk to any animal. I could be wrong though.

Also, we saw how Tokio’s taking the whole Azuma complexion thingie. “If I was Azuma, I could do this. If I were Azuma, I can do that” – HE HAS TO BECOME INDEPENDENT. That’s how he can grow and become a man which is something I’ll look forward to!

And finally, Ishida introduced another Choujin in this Chapter. What will her role be in the future? Will she drastically change Tokio’s life like how Kaneki’s life changed for good after meeting Rize? Also, I wanna see the adorable Ely back! I hope she’s okay, both physically and mentally. Wonder if she planned to marry Hoshi Sandek already…

So what do you think of Choujin X Chapter 4? Let me know in the comments below!

Related posts

Leave a Comment