Released in 2016, The Promised Neverland tells the story of children escaping from Grace Field house, a top-rated so-called ‘orphanage’ which actually is a human farm for the demons to feast on, into the wilderness in search for a human world. Led by three intellectual 12 year-olds Norman, Emma and Ray, the story does bear some similar resemblances to Attack of Titan mainly about children growing up in a world that eats humans. Still I feel that The Promised Neverland does a better job in delivering its story, having a better pace and explanation for everything that happened.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the first season on Netflix, watching the second season as soon as it came out only seemed like a natural choice for me to do but I refused to when my friend shared about how badly adapted it was. Reading the full manga chapters was my only alternative and it was sure worth the countless nights I stayed up reading. The story was easy to follow. Every page was worth flipping and every chapter was intriguing, especially the Goudy Pond arc and the battle at Capital arc. I can’t believe the anime adaption left out several of these major arcs. What a shame.
At first glance, the thriller and dark fantasy does seem unbelievable to the point of irritating as a group of children are capable of such strategic thinking and even outwitting adults and the demons. Then again, it is a shounen manga so anything, even is possible. I enjoy Norman’s character a lot because of his intellect and selflessness but it was rather sad to see him choosing to prioritise others’ safety first than his own. Being too smart can be bad sometimes eh? I have to say that there were multiple plot twists throughout the story However, it just seemed kind of rushed at times. While it is good that every detail has been explained and illustrated quite carefully by the authors, sometimes I feel that there is an information overload and a break is often needed before I start a new chapter
I am a sucker for good endings and I am glad that these children had a happy ending, a complete opposite from Attack of Titan. Filled with multiple plot twists, I find myself, surprisingly, enjoyed every single bits of it and it remains one of the best few shows/manga I have read so far.
Cinematic Frame of Mind 