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[Old McDonald]

Ishida tends to choose punny chapter titles for Tokyo Ghoul. These hidden puns are sometimes more important to understand the title than what the chapter title literally means, but they are usually lost in translation. So I thought I should compile a list of these puns here.
 
I do not claim that this list is complete or without mistakes. I didn't look for puns in chapter titles before chapter 100, and I only superficially searched for puns in the chapter titles before chapter 125. Furthermore, please keep in mind that the search for puns is inherently subjective: For each title, I had to decide what I consider a pun and what not. If someone else would compile such a list, the resulting list would probably look different.

In the list below, I also included translations for each of the chapter titles. You should keep in mind that translating Ishida's chapter titles (even while ignoring the puns) is an art and highly subjective. Basically, Ishida often creates new words that you can't find in any dictionary, and so the translator has no choice but to translate the title according to his intuition. For example, chapter 103's title "刺剃" is basically "stabbing and shaving", however, "stabbing and shaving" doesn't really work well as a chapter title. But since the chapter title is clearly about Sasori, I decided to translate it below as "Piercing Razor". In the list, I sometimes adopted the chapter title translations from the scans, sometimes I deviated a little from the translations in the scans to show a different perspective of how the title could be understood.
 
As for :re's punny chapter titles, see here: http://vatoto.com/forums/topic/22738-punny-chapter-titles/ .
 
If you have some corrections, additions or suggestions, please post them here!

Now let's get to the list of puns.

Chapters until 99:

Spoiler

• Chapter 46:
  Japanese Title: 灯火
  Meaning: Light
  Interpretation: can be read "Tōka".
• Chapter 58:
  Japanese Title: 歪笑
  Meaning: Crooked Smile
  Pun: can be read as "waishō". 矮小 (waishō) means "tiny", "dwarfish", "stunted".
• Chapter 67:
  Japanese Title: 呵責
  Meaning: Blame
  Pun: the reading is "kashaku". A homophone, "仮借", means "pardon".
• Chapter 79:
  Japanese Title: 新光
  Meaning: New Light
  Pun: The kanji can also be read "Arata Hikari".
• Chapter 82:
  Japanese Title: 識者
  Meaning: Well-Informed People
  Pun: The reading is "shikisha", and thus it is a homophone of "commanders" (指揮者).
• Chapter 89:
  Japanese Title: 奸計
  Meaning: Trick
  Pun: The reading is "kankei", and thus it is a homophone of "relationship/connection" (関係).
• Chapter 98:
  Japanese Title: 深層
  Meaning: Depths
  Pun: The reading is "shinsō", and thus it is a homophone of "truth" (真相).

Chapters 100-119:

Spoiler

• Chapter 101:
  Japanese Title: 混成
  Meaning: Piercing Razor
  Pun: The reading is "konsei", and thus it is a homophone of "mixed voices" (混声).
• Chapter 103:
  Japanese Title: 刺剃
  Meaning: Piercing Razor
  Pun: can be read as "Sasori", one of Juuzou's quinques.
• Chapter 108:
  Japanese Title: 人工
  Meaning: Artifical
  Pun: When read backwards, the title becomes エト - Eto.
• Chapter 110:
  Japanese title: 帰来
  Meaning: Returning
  Pun: is read as "kirai", which also means "hate" (嫌い).
• Chapter 113:
  Japanese title: 氾羽
  Meaning: Spread Wings
  Pun: is read as "hanpa". "Hanpa" also means "half-way/half-assed" (半端), and written like that it is the title of the chapter 72.
• Chapter 116:
  Japanese Title: 再逢
  Meaning: Second Rendezvous
  Pun: can be read as "saiai", which is a homophone of "beloved" (最愛).
• Chapter 117:
  Japanese Title: 乾田
  Meaning: Dry Paddy Field
  Pun: An alternate reading is "Furuta".
• Chapter 119:
  Japanese Title: 旧九
  Meaning: Old Nine
  Pun: The title is a number play: 旧九 read as "kyuukyuu", "kyuukyuu" means emergency, and 119 is Japan's emergency phone number.
  Interpretation: The title is probably a play on the ninth tarot card, too. This would mean that Yoshimura is The Hermit, and the title would mean "Old Hermit".

 
Chapters 120-129:

Spoiler

• Chapter 120:
  Japanese Title: 透過
  Meaning: Penetration
  Pun: is read as "Touka".
• Chapter 122:
  Japanese Title: 黄鈴
  Meaning: Yellow Bell
  Pun: can be read as "kirin", which means giraffe (キリン).
  Additional notes: 鈴 also appears in Suzuya's family name and can be read as "Rei".
• Chapter 123:
  Japanese Title: 銃後
  Meaning: Homefront
  Pun: is read as "juugo", which also means "fifteen" (十五, -> tarot card "The Devil").
• Chapter 124:
  Japanese Title: 口前
  Meaning: Ways of Speaking
  Pun: An alternative reading is "Kuzen".
• Chapter 125:
  Japanese Title: 壊天
  Meaning: Shattered Heaven
  Pun: can be read as "kaiten", which also means "changing the world/turning the tide" (回天).
• Chapter 127:
  Japanese Title: 堅縁
  Meaning: Strong Destinies
  Pun: can be read as "ken'en", which also means "dogs and monkeys" (犬猿).
• Chapter 128:
  Japanese Title. 街望
  Meaning: Town Desire
  Pun: can be read as "machi nozomu", which translates to "to wait eagerly" (待ち望む).
• Chapter 129:
  Japanese Title: 芸劇
  Meaning: Artistic Play
  Pun: can be read as "geigeki", which also means "interception" (in the military sense). Following the title "ken'en", you might interpret it as "intercepting the dogs and monkeys". It can also be read as "kigeki", a comedy (喜劇), quoting Tanakamaru.

 
Chapters 130-139:

Spoiler

• Chapter 130:
  Japanese Title: 勝執
  Meaning: Victory Obsession
  Pun: can be read as "shoushitsu". "Shoushitsu" means "disappearance/vanishing" (消失).
• Chapter 131:
  Japanese Title: 改問
  Meaning: Changed Question/Reforming Question
  Pun: can be read as "kaimon", which is an "opening gate" (開門).
  Can also be read as "kaitou". "Kaitou" can mean "answer" (回答/解答). Another interesting meaning is "phantom thief" (怪盗, Kaneki just stole Hachikawa's kill and their victory).
• Chapter 132:
  Japanese Title: 祭開
  Meaning: Festival Opening
  Pun: can be read as "saikai". "Saikai" means "reunion" (再会).
• Chapter 133:
  Japanese Title: 塊砕
  Meaning: Crushing Mass
  Pun: can be read as "kaisai". "Kaisai" means "holding (e.g. a meeting, an event, etc.)" (開催).
  Note: "kaisai" (chapter 133) <-> "saikai" (chapter 132).
• Chapter 134:
  Japanese Title: 倒惨
  Meaning: Falling Disaster
  Pun: can be read as "tousan" = "father" (父さん, plays on Shinohara's relationship to Juuzou).
• Chapter 135:
  Japanese Title: 終雨
  Meaning: Final Rain
  Pun: can be read as "shuuu". "Shuuu" is a "sudden shower" (驟雨) (-> chapter 14).
• Chapter 136:
  Japanese Title: 伏牢
  Meaning: Hidden Prison
  Pun: can be read as "fukurou" = "Owl" (梟).
• Chapter 137:
  Japanese Title: 溢花
  Meaning: Overflowing Flowers
  Pun: can be read as "itsuka", which translates to "someday". This is quoting Shinohara.
• Chapter 138:
  Japanese Title: 屍爛
  Meaning: Corpse Bloom
  Pun: can be read as "shiran". "Shiran" means "Bletilla striata" (紫蘭), the kind of flowers appearing in the chapter.
• Chapter 139:
  Japanese Title: 畏錯
  Meaning: Dreadful Disorder
  Pun: The reading seems to be "isaku". Potential puns:
  - It's a scrambled IXA (iguza).
  - It references the Binding of Isaac. It's hard to tell if Ishida intended this pun (I can't remember him ever making a religious reference before), but if he did, then Kaneki is Isaac, Arima is Abraham and CCG is most likely God. We'll need to find out more about Arima and his relationship to Kaneki so that we can judge if Ishida is playing on this. Akira's "parental love" comment is definitely suspicious, though.
  - It can also mean "posthumous work" (遺作); however, this looks accidental to me, as I see nothing in the chapter could be considered a posthumous work. Not even the poem, as it was published before Hakushu's death.
  - i (1) sa (3) ku (9)

 
Chapters 140-143:

Spoiler

• Chapter 140:
  Japanese Title: 切声
  Meaning: Severed Voice
  Pun: This is probably the punniest title Ishida ever created. How did he even come up with this one? Since there seem to be so many puns at once, keep in mind that some of these puns might be coincidental/accidental and Ishida might not have intended them. Nevertheless, I believe the "sessei" pun is certainly intended.
  Can be read as "sessei" = "temperance" (節制).
  Can be read as "kisei" = "homecoming" (帰省) or "death" (棄世, literary word).
  Can be read as "gisei" = "sacrifice". (This would fit well if chapter 139's title really plays on the Binding of Isaac.)
  Can be read as "sesshou" = "destruction of life" (殺生).
  Can be read as "Kishou".
  Can be read as "saisei" = "rebirth", "reincarnation", "regeneration" (再生).
• Chapter 141:
  Japanese Title: 痕児
  Meaning: Scarred Child
  Pun: It's hard to tell which pun Ishida intended here (or if he intended one at all). 痕児 can be read as "kongo", which means "from now on" (今後) or "one's current self" (今吾). 痕児 could also be read as "konji", which means "this time" (今次) or a "regrettable matter" (恨事).
• Chapter 142:
  Japanese Title: 宴戯
  Meaning: Feast Play
  Pun: can be read as "engi" = "play", "drama" (演戯). Can also be read as "enge" = "swallowing" (咽下).
• Chapter 143:
  Japanese Title: 研_
  Meaning: Ken
  Note: The chapter title is incomplete.

Edited by Old McDonald, 14 August 2017 - 09:47 PM.

[x-cube323]

Damn...

This series is literally the Mariana Trench of manga

[Takeshi]

This was really interesting. Thanks for your work.

[favole]

Thank you very much for the hard work! It seems like Ishida is a true genius...

[Boolossus]

Great job! Man, Ishida does think these titles through doesn't he? Pretty impressed with the puniness of chapter 140, I gotta say.

[Old McDonald]

Thank you very much for the hard work! It seems like Ishida is a true genius...

I've no idea how he pulls that off every week.
But I think there aren't that many puns in the earlier arcs' chapter titles. I didn't find that many puns in the chapter 100-120 range. When you go further back, more and more chapter titles become regular Japanese words.
Most likely, Ishida just had the Anteiku arc completely planned out for a long time, and so he had enough time to come up with these puns.

Ishida hasn't stopped punning in the sequel. For example, chapter 2's title is about housework.
 

Great job! Man, Ishida does think these titles through doesn't he? Pretty impressed with the puniness of chapter 140, I gotta say.

Yeah, chapter 140's punniness amazes me to no end.

Edited by Old McDonald, 29 October 2014 - 09:33 PM.

[Ade_S]

I've no idea how he pulls that off every week.
But I think there aren't that many puns in the earlier arcs' chapter titles. I didn't find that many puns in the chapter 100-120 range. When you go further back, more and more chapter titles become regular Japanese words.
Most likely, Ishida just had the Anteiku arc completely planned out for a long time, and so he had enough time to come up with these puns.

Ishida hasn't stopped punning in the sequel. For example, chapter 2's title is about housework.
 
Yeah, chapter 140's punniness amazes me to no end.

 

OM, I started a page in LJ to collect all the symbolism in TG, can I put this in it?

[rutilation]

Ishida is a capricious and punny trickster god

 

thanks for compiling this!

[Coralira]

Thanks! This is amazing. Ishida blows me away yet again.

[Old McDonald]

OM, I started a page in LJ to collect all the symbolism in TG, can I put this in it?

Feel free to do with this whatever you want. Just keep in mind that it's a matter of interpretation what is a pun and what not. Neither you nor I can read Ishida's mind.

Edited by Old McDonald, 30 October 2014 - 12:22 PM.

[koutaken]

Really really thank you Old McDonald !! if I meet you maybe I'll really give you a kagune hug  

 

these kind of hidden hints are my favorite, I feel proud to become one of Tokyo Ghoul fans because this series really deserve such a recognition. this made me really want to learn Japanese even more

and yes !! chapter 140's puns are amazing, especially when it reached the "kishou" one, I was like ..... damn this guy indeed a pun god.

 

by the way what do you mean by potential pun for chapter 143 is in chapter 1 of TG:re??

[Old McDonald]

Really really thank you Old McDonald !! if I meet you maybe I'll really give you a kagune hug

 

these kind of hidden hints are my favorite, I feel proud to become one of Tokyo Ghoul fans because this series really deserve such a recognition. this made me really want to learn Japanese even more

and yes !! chapter 140's puns are amazing, especially when it reached the "kishou" one, I was like ..... damn this guy indeed a pun god.

 

by the way what do you mean by potential pun for chapter 143 is in chapter 1 of TG:re??

There is a pun there when you combine chapter 143's title and the title of :re's first chapter. 研骨 = kenkotsu = cheekbone. And now take a look at Torso on the last page of the first :re chapter.

 

As for :re's puns, I still can't tell what's really going on. It seems that Ishida is now making Engrish puns, but the sample size is still too small to say anything definitive. I hope it'll clear up with the next two or three chapters. Chapter 4's title didn't really help, because the maybe-pun would be some really extreme Engrish.

Edited by Old McDonald, 03 November 2014 - 05:04 PM.

[Old McDonald]

I made a thread about :re's punny chapter titles.

 

http://vatoto.com/forums/topic/22738-punny-chapter-titles/

Edited by Old McDonald, 05 June 2015 - 07:59 PM.