Remember how I said "Tokyo Ghoul" is basically a vampire show, but the vampires are called ghouls and instead of drinking blood, they eat flesh?
The creators of the manga are obviously keen students of vampire literature, as this fourth episode clearly bears out.
For one thing, vampirism has often been an obviously metaphor for homosexuality, going back to the first ever English-language vampire story, Polidori's "The Vampire". Vampires are typically young, fashionable and rich men whose stalking of flesh blood typically feels like a courtship dance.
Episode four of "Tokyo Ghoul" picks up where this leaves off with the introduction of a ghoul named Tsukiyama. A young, dapper, handsome and charming man who takes an immediate carnal (or visceral?) interest in Kaneki, and starts manipulating and planning ways to make Kaneki his.
But does he want to eat him/drink his blood, or have sex with him?
As with most vampire literature, it is deliberately ambiguous. It could really be either. Or, you know, both, because the vampire's embrace could also be said to be sexual.
Not sure if the same can be said for the ghoul's, though, so maybe that's where the vampire comparison ends.
Get this, though: episode four ends with scenes I thought were quite reminiscent of "Interview With a Vampire" and the ghastly, distressing scene where the young woman is stripped and murdered.
It's not quite that distressing, but it's a similar thing: an innocent young person tricked into having their expected demise used as entertainment for a bunch of society types.
I thought this episode was kind of slow until that last scene. I guess they lulled you into a false sense of security? And, as has been the case so far, the episode I just watched made me want to watch the next one ASAP.