Megan Thee Stallion released her newest single, “Hiss,” on Friday. Since then, the song’s lyrics have been dissected extensively, and the track has also led Hotties to trek deep into the world of anime as they analyze what the Houston rapper might be communicating through her references to Tokyo Ghoul.
Megan is a self-described “lil weeb,” and has expressed her love of anime through her fashion, nails, magazine photo shoots, and her recent “Cobra” music video. With Megan’s latest release, “Hiss,” she’s been showcasing her Tokyo Ghoul fandom, and particularly her connection to the main character Kaneki.
“Remember when Kaneki really turned into KANEKI … yeah thats how i feel lol #HISS OUT AT MIDNIGHT,” Megan captioned an Instagram post featuring a Tokyo Ghoul image in the final slide. Many fans interpreted the carousel, posted hours before “Hiss” was released, as a hint that Megan was going to hold nothing back on the new track – an assumption which proved to be correct.
The 2014 series is set in a world where flesh-eating ghouls live alongside humans in secret. They look identical to the people they prey upon, which makes hunting them down difficult. The show follows Kaneki, who is transformed into a half-ghoul after being attacked. When Tokyo Ghoul begins, Kaneki is a kind-hearted person who wants to maintain the connection to his humanity. But after being captured and tortured, Kaneki sheds his old personality of being a protector and fully embraces his ghoul side, demonstrating a ruthless brutality against anyone he feels is threatening his loved ones and anything he holds dear.
On Sunday, Megan posted another shot from the same Tokyo Ghoul scene where Kaneki has transformed into his new self. The image was of red and white spider lilies, which are also known as the “flower of death,” and are often used in anime to symbolize an impending tragedy.
Image: Pierrot
During the Tokyo Ghoul scene in question, a meadow of white lilies transforms into the ominous red ones, symbolizing the death of Kaneki’s old self. This red and white palette can also be seen throughout Megan’s “Hiss” video, which is possibly another reference to this pivotal moment of metamorphosis in Tokyo Ghoul.
Many anime fans have been loving the Tokyo Ghoul references and have been explaining the significance to fellow Hotties. Megan’s posts have further inspired some fans to watch the anime so they can better understand Megan.
If you want to do the same, Tokyo Ghoul is streaming on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.