Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Synopsis: By the end of season one, Emma, Ray, and their 13 siblings escape Grace Field House, a false paradise, hoping for a chance at freedom. Instead, they encounter plants and animals they have never seen before, and are chased by demons. The outside world is so beautiful, but also cruel. However, Emma and the others refuse to give up. They are guided in their search for better lives by a message from Minerva and a pen Norman left behind in order to fulfill their promise to return to the Grace Field House to save those of their family—like Phil—who are still trapped within. Do they have what it takes to claim their happy endings?

Hey Promised Neverlanders,

I changed the synopsis to match what season two is all about. New Year, new challenges to overcome. Am I right?

Also, my Season 1 Episode 1 Anime Review is here for those interested in giving that a read as well.

Watching season 2 episode 2 had everything I liked from reading “The Promised Forest Arc” like how “[Mujika and Sonju] ended up training the children in survival skills—like fighting, hunting, and cooking—in addition to explaining the unknown world to them” (Ngo, “The Promised Forest Arc”). The episode also symbolized what unity is, a concept the United States is having a hard time understanding at the moment in the aftermath of last week’s attack on the US Capitol.

The demons, Mujika and Sonju, aren’t able to eat humans due to their religious beliefs, and instead, they decide to care, cook, and train the children. Emma and Ray’s terrified expressions were also on point, bringing to life what I most enjoyed about the manga’s artwork.

The exposition and world-building were also great in this episode. When Ray and Emma asked Sonju why the world was the way it was, the answer was pretty dark. Thousands of years ago, the humans and demons made an agreement—a promise,—to separate their worlds from each other. Thus, Emma and the other children were trapped in the Demon World, as there was no known way to cross over. However, Emma is a “I never give up no matter what” type of protagonist, and was elated to hear there was a chance at freedom. Ray felt the same way, and joined in the excitement. I was so touched by that moment.

Hope is one of The Promised Neverland’s centric themes, and it truly does shine in the unity shown between the demons and humans. When Mujika helped a kid up a ledge, and then Emma gave her a hand afterward… my heart sunk. I was being floored with a reminder of how much I invested in Emma and Mujika when I first read the manga.

Then we’re given Emma and Sonju going on a hunt outside. Emma learned a hard lesson about survival of the fittest, and how they will need to kill animals if they were to survive. This caused Emma some internal turmoil because she’s still a child who can’t bear to hurt others. Learning about the flower, Vida, was also a traumatic moment for Emma because she started to wonder if Connie and Norman suffered. When Emma used the Vida on the bird she shot with an arrow, she irrevocably changed.

Overall, season 2 episode 2 had decent plot development, but the heart of what makes this episode great rests with the characters. Watching Emma and the other children go from being scared to becoming friends with Mujika and Sonju was heartwarming. The plot has a long way to go regarding William Minerva and Norman’s pen, but it’s a story worth knowing.

Thanks for reading this episode review, Promised Neverlanders! I’ll see you all next week for episode 3! Let’s keep fighting to claim our happy endings!

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