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.

Episode 6 started off with the rushed reveal of Norman being alive and reuniting with Emma and Ray. While I found this reunion ultimately inappropriate, I was crying like a joyous baby at 2am in the morning. I’m blaming This Is Us’ newest episode for my tears because I watched that before The Promised Neverland, and I was already tearing up. It’s not okay at all, but the emotional output of Emma and Ray seeing Norman again was a tearjerker. Ray saying he was glad to be alive did stir my emotions.

Norman’s explanation for being alive was rushed as well, since we weren’t given earlier context on his survival like the manga did. The exposition felt so annoying to hear, plus exposition dumping is just grrrr in general. There was no flashbacks either to Norman’s time at the other farm or his meeting with [SPOILER] from when he got shipped out? If that scene is even canon anymore? I don’t even know anymore.

Norman’s new friends are scary though. Barbara eating demon meat and wanting payback is honestly “reasonable”, but Ray had a point about not being able to stop Norman and his new cronies from hating demons. There is valid reason for it. It’s a horrific system that doesn’t want to break, but Emma won’t give up on her ways of achieving the impossible. Ray thinks she’s crazy, but he’s willing to support her.

This “Norman vs Emma” in terms of ethos is from the manga, so that was something I appreciated. The cliffhanger with Norman’s scary face wasn’t as great as in the manga, but at least the anime was nice enough to include. I’m seeing “why” the anime was put onto this route, but I still don’t like it. “Goldy Pond Battle Arc” shouldn’t have been omit, but that’s the way of anime life. Sometimes, the manga canon needs to be adjusted.

I just hope the anime makes a “what if” movie about “Goldy Pond Battle Arc”. That’d be so great. I wouldn’t mind that at all.

Thanks for reading this episode review, everyone! Let’s keep trying to claim our happy endings! Whatever it takes!

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