The Promised Neverland S2 Is Bizarre
If you’re a fan of the promised neverland, or just an active member of the anime community, then you should be familiar with controversial direction of the anime going anime original. There is already an abundance of outrage and discussion of the strange deviations from the manga; hell, even I covered the meat of the controversary already in previous videos (essay for reddit), but I’m here to address the big question in the room. Is the Promised Neverland S2 truly terrible, or is it not as bad as source readers claim? So, let’s dive in and analyze this unorthodox “adaption” to see if there’s a gem hidden in the pile of crud.
Coming off from the disappointing return of Norman. In episode 6, Norman is seen disclosing the intense trauma he has endured in a testing facility. Then he reveals his genocidal plan to degenerate all demons, so they will be less of a threat to humanity when they wipe them out. And this is such a gigantic leap in the story. Even as an anime only it feels like a substantial number of events leading to this reveal where omitted; hence resulting in this grand set of up events to feel contrived. And the scene of the children smiling at the thought of genocide really caught me off guard lol.
I understand this is their first sign of hope, and they’re average children who can’t grasp the complexities of the situation. Contrasting with Emmas heart of gold, who can't bear the thought of massacring “innocent” civilians; even if these demons feast on your people like livestock. I actually find this dilemma intriguing, because it raises the thought of “fighting for survival vs sticking to your morales”; I know a lot of people slander Enma for wanting to spare her hunters, but realize her this is consistent with her character in season 1.
Not once has Enmas personality deviated throughout the span of the series. She always wanted to save everyone, even if that puts herself in great risk. Now is she Naïve? Yes, she’s a literal child regardless of her super intelligence. That doesn’t detect from the consistency of her character; maybe Enma is vastly different in the manga? That could be the case, but this is an anime only analysis! Once I read the manga, I will be sure to make a follow up comparison.
Nevertheless, my criticisms return with Ray being the focus this time! The writers managed to make a main character feel like a background character somehow... So far Rays character has served no purpose rather than being a bastion for Enma. This is a major shift in character from season 1; where Ray was debatably an antagonist for considerable amount of the plot. It was very intriguing trying to undercover Rays schemes, and discover what his true goals are. Not once did he feel like an afterthought like in season 2.
Now you could argue that his character arc is over, but that doesn’t excuse bad writing. Great writers don’t just throw characters in the trash after their “arc” is finished. I figure that he plays a more pivotal role in the manga, but they aren’t able to establish much ground for Ray in the anime, because of the rushed pacing.
Unfortunately, this also relates to Normans goons of rejects. It seems like the writers are setting them up to be antagonist, because Emma rejects their plan to massacre the demons. However, we’ve been given no reason to care about these characters. Yeah, they were tortured in the same facility as Norman, and have a limited lifespan; hence explained why they’re so desperate. But comparing these dweebs to Isabella, the gap in quality is immeasurable. Obviously, Isabella had far more screentime to establish her as a great villain, but that’s coincidently these characters main problem. The insane swift pacing is setting up the entirety of the story to conclude in 11 episodes.
Were on episode 8 and none of these characters are interesting. If they die, then I won't feel even a smidge of sorrow because they’re basically just there. I would love to see their characters explored in depth, but unfortunately there is little time to balance any character development with the disjointed finale. And this is very unfortunate because I know these characters must be fascinating in the manga, considering how beloved the goldy pond arc is.
And speaking of Isabella; what happened to her return? In episode 4 it was disclosed that she will be returning as a major antagonist. However, she has yet to make an appearance! I fear that she won't appear until the final episode, and the grand battle will be a mess of multiple plotlines clashing with each other. Remember Mujika and Sonjo? They returned as key characters in the current episode, adding to an already cluttered mess of events.
Now you would think I despise S2 with that rant. Then you’re mistaken, because there is actually a lot of intriguing content mixed in the trash... Mainly revolving around Norman and Emma battle of ideas. Watching Normans confidence deteriorate as his beloved friends contest his plans, with the added chaos of them befriending the “demon child”; throws a major wrench in Normans plan, because Mujikas blood is an eternal cure to demon degeneration, but obviously Emma and crew will never let a dear friend be sacrificed.
Norman is a very the means justify the ends guy. He’s willing to betray his friends trust to move forward in his genocidal plans, even though he promised to not take action if they found mujika in 5 days; which coincidentally happens in the lamest contrived way possible...
Nevertheless, the final scene of episode 8 is the saving grace of the show. As Norman is reveling in the genocide of the demon village; he meets an innocent little girl running in terror, as she witnesses the destruction of her home. At first, he attempts to kill her, but her grandpa appears; the same creepy demon from episode 5; screaming her name; “Emma”. This causes Norman to hesitate because killing her in cold blood would symbolize him killing Emma, the girl he loves the most out of anyone. Then shockingly the grandpa is revealed to be blessed with the miracle blood, thus causing Norman to remember his objectives and strike them down. Only to be stopped by emma and crew as she vows to save him this time, finishing off the episode with a beautiful scene showcasing Norman as a terrified child...
Now this conflict is what makes Season 2 worthwhile. Is it anywhere close in quality to season 1? Hell no! However, the lore of demon society and humanities conflict is quite engaging. Combined with the parallels of Norman continuing the cycle of hatred and murder, contributing to the endless conflict. With Emma leading the sign of hope of establishing peace between species, conflicting with her loved one's path of “justice” for humanity. So overall season 2 is not tokyo ghoul root A levels of horrid, but it’s not season 1 levels of quality either.
If you’re a fan of the promised neverland, or just an active member of the anime community, then you should be familiar with controversial direction of the anime going anime original. There is already an abundance of outrage and discussion of the strange deviations from the manga; hell, even I covered the meat of the controversary already in previous videos (essay for reddit), but I’m here to address the big question in the room. Is the Promised Neverland S2 truly terrible, or is it not as bad as source readers claim? So, let’s dive in and analyze this unorthodox “adaption” to see if there’s a gem hidden in the pile of crud.
Coming off from the disappointing return of Norman. In episode 6, Norman is seen disclosing the intense trauma he has endured in a testing facility. Then he reveals his genocidal plan to degenerate all demons, so they will be less of a threat to humanity when they wipe them out. And this is such a gigantic leap in the story. Even as an anime only it feels like a substantial number of events leading to this reveal where omitted; hence resulting in this grand set of up events to feel contrived. And the scene of the children smiling at the thought of genocide really caught me off guard lol.
I understand this is their first sign of hope, and they’re average children who can’t grasp the complexities of the situation. Contrasting with Emmas heart of gold, who can't bear the thought of massacring “innocent” civilians; even if these demons feast on your people like livestock. I actually find this dilemma intriguing, because it raises the thought of “fighting for survival vs sticking to your morales”; I know a lot of people slander Enma for wanting to spare her hunters, but realize her this is consistent with her character in season 1.
Not once has Enmas personality deviated throughout the span of the series. She always wanted to save everyone, even if that puts herself in great risk. Now is she Naïve? Yes, she’s a literal child regardless of her super intelligence. That doesn’t detect from the consistency of her character; maybe Enma is vastly different in the manga? That could be the case, but this is an anime only analysis! Once I read the manga, I will be sure to make a follow up comparison.
Nevertheless, my criticisms return with Ray being the focus this time! The writers managed to make a main character feel like a background character somehow... So far Rays character has served no purpose rather than being a bastion for Enma. This is a major shift in character from season 1; where Ray was debatably an antagonist for considerable amount of the plot. It was very intriguing trying to undercover Rays schemes, and discover what his true goals are. Not once did he feel like an afterthought like in season 2.
Now you could argue that his character arc is over, but that doesn’t excuse bad writing. Great writers don’t just throw characters in the trash after their “arc” is finished. I figure that he plays a more pivotal role in the manga, but they aren’t able to establish much ground for Ray in the anime, because of the rushed pacing.
Unfortunately, this also relates to Normans goons of rejects. It seems like the writers are setting them up to be antagonist, because Emma rejects their plan to massacre the demons. However, we’ve been given no reason to care about these characters. Yeah, they were tortured in the same facility as Norman, and have a limited lifespan; hence explained why they’re so desperate. But comparing these dweebs to Isabella, the gap in quality is immeasurable. Obviously, Isabella had far more screentime to establish her as a great villain, but that’s coincidently these characters main problem. The insane swift pacing is setting up the entirety of the story to conclude in 11 episodes.
Were on episode 8 and none of these characters are interesting. If they die, then I won't feel even a smidge of sorrow because they’re basically just there. I would love to see their characters explored in depth, but unfortunately there is little time to balance any character development with the disjointed finale. And this is very unfortunate because I know these characters must be fascinating in the manga, considering how beloved the goldy pond arc is.
And speaking of Isabella; what happened to her return? In episode 4 it was disclosed that she will be returning as a major antagonist. However, she has yet to make an appearance! I fear that she won't appear until the final episode, and the grand battle will be a mess of multiple plotlines clashing with each other. Remember Mujika and Sonjo? They returned as key characters in the current episode, adding to an already cluttered mess of events.
Now you would think I despise S2 with that rant. Then you’re mistaken, because there is actually a lot of intriguing content mixed in the trash... Mainly revolving around Norman and Emma battle of ideas. Watching Normans confidence deteriorate as his beloved friends contest his plans, with the added chaos of them befriending the “demon child”; throws a major wrench in Normans plan, because Mujikas blood is an eternal cure to demon degeneration, but obviously Emma and crew will never let a dear friend be sacrificed.
Norman is a very the means justify the ends guy. He’s willing to betray his friends trust to move forward in his genocidal plans, even though he promised to not take action if they found mujika in 5 days; which coincidentally happens in the lamest contrived way possible...
Nevertheless, the final scene of episode 8 is the saving grace of the show. As Norman is reveling in the genocide of the demon village; he meets an innocent little girl running in terror, as she witnesses the destruction of her home. At first, he attempts to kill her, but her grandpa appears; the same creepy demon from episode 5; screaming her name; “Emma”. This causes Norman to hesitate because killing her in cold blood would symbolize him killing Emma, the girl he loves the most out of anyone. Then shockingly the grandpa is revealed to be blessed with the miracle blood, thus causing Norman to remember his objectives and strike them down. Only to be stopped by emma and crew as she vows to save him this time, finishing off the episode with a beautiful scene showcasing Norman as a terrified child...
Now this conflict is what makes Season 2 worthwhile. Is it anywhere close in quality to season 1? Hell no! However, the lore of demon society and humanities conflict is quite engaging. Combined with the parallels of Norman continuing the cycle of hatred and murder, contributing to the endless conflict. With Emma leading the sign of hope of establishing peace between species, conflicting with her loved one's path of “justice” for humanity. So overall season 2 is not tokyo ghoul root A levels of horrid, but it’s not season 1 levels of quality either.