The Promised Neverland “Goldy Pond Battle Arc” (Chapters 75 through 95) Manga Review
Major Spoilers are included in this manga review. Please read with caution.
Synopsis: The story began in an orphanage called Grace Field. We meet a twelve-year-old girl named Emma, who guides the reader—using exposition—through the orphanage and her typical day there doing chores, taking tests, and playing games—like tag. There are also over forty kids at this orphanage, all taken care of by a woman known as “Mama”. However, once Emma and another kid named Norman learn the twisted dark truth about the orphanage, they make a hasty plan to escape with their friend Ray.
I started and finished this arc on June 18, 2020. The “Goldy Pond Battle Arc”—the fifth story arc of the manga series—showed Emma vowing to end the demons hunting children—called Poachers—for inhumane sport. She teamed up with the Goldy Pond Resistance—lead by an adult named Lucas—in order to secure everyone’s future. Emma will never give up on anyone. The plot twists, strategies, and the fight scenes were the highlights of this arc—of the entire series, but that was obvious at this point.
To start off, this arc had a lot more gore than previous arcs. The Poachers—led by a demon named Leuvis—proved smarter than the other demons Emma and the others have encountered so far. This arc also gave a deeper focus on Emma, Lucas, and the other children of the Resistance. Mister and Ray have a lessened—but still significant—role.
The Poachers in this arc—Leuvis, Luce, Nous, Nouma, and Bayon—were given one shared motive for hunting the children aside from simply eating them. The Poachers wanted the thrill of the hunt and welcomed the challenge of defiance. Well, they did until they started losing. Leuvis—the leader of the Poachers—was the only demon who honored the challenge of hunting Emma and the other children from beginning to end. I enjoyed Emma and Leuvis’ interactions the most.
The Promised Neverland’s plot momentum wasn’t slowing down at all. Emma and the others’ need for survival kept everything moving, even when it seemed like all hope was lost. Seriously, there were moments throughout this arc—hell, throughout this whole series—that made me wonder how they’ll get out of dire situations. Overall, I hope I did a good enough job of concealing major spoilers in my manga reviews so far. It’s for those who hadn’t read the series and found themselves reading my reviews instead. Since I have your attention now, what are you waiting for? Go read—or watch—The Promised Neverland!