The Promised Neverland “Return to Grace Field Arc” (Chapters 160 through 178) 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.
On June 20, 2020, I finished reading this beautiful arc. The “Return to Grace Field Arc”—the tenth story arc of the manga series—was incredibly emotional. Peter Ratri kidnapped all the kids at the Paradise Hideout and took them to Grace Field Orphanage, which resulted in Emma, Ray, Norman, and their group making plans to rescue them. The “Return to Grace Field Arc” gave this series a full-circle vibe going into the final arc. The Promised Neverland was an incredible journey from beginning to end.
This arc also gave more context to Peter Ratri’s background and his family loyalty to the Ratri Clan’s stance on letting demons eat humans. Peter even compared himself to Julius—his ancestor—when he took out his own brother—William Minerva—for the sake of humankind. Emma’s inability to give up on people astounded me throughout this entire series. She truly cared about everyone—human and demon alike—and that didn’t exclude Peter Ratri.
Isabella—Mama—also made her grand return in this arc, having been promoted to “Grandmother”. The twist involving her return showed how much she valued being a mother to Emma, Ray, Norman, and the rest of the children. In her own way, she really did love them. I was sobbing toward the end of this arc. The arc was an emotional rollercoaster. Emma and Phil’s reunion broke my heart into a million pieces.
The subplot—aftermath of the demon hierarchy being killed—was also a great payoff. Mujika and Sonju were trying to rebuild the hierarchy with a new successor, but they were met with opposition and threats of execution. However, an unexpected demon enemy returned to give the demon world a new social hierarchy to follow. I did enjoy seeing innocent demons in the form of children.
Overall, I’m going to share the rest of my thoughts in my final manga review of The Promised Neverland. I highly recommend this manga series. Thanks for reading!