Driven out of their shelter by enemy forces, the Grace Field kids are on the run once more. Can they survive another journey into the wilderness, or is it time’s up for their promised mission?
Disclaimer: There will be spoilers for this episode ahead.
Last week left us in a state of shock and uncertainty, with the Grace Field kids running yet again for their lives as a demon beast pursues them—and quite soon too after their shelter gets infiltrated by human enemy forces. But we don't go straight away to that in this episode.
Instead, we are offered a glimpse of the "promised" enemies of humanity—the demons. They are portrayed just like any other human society: you have old and young demons, they engage in community. And they even have a marketplace, although the goods are ethically questionable. Then, we cut back to the present.
Emma, Ray, and the rest of the Grace Field kids have managed to escape their predator and found refuge in a ruined temple. And their means of survival? Disguising themselves as demons and sneaking into their society to get food and other resources. But they know if they stay there for too long, they risk getting their cover blown. Their next destination is a long trek to the west, which is just as risky. What will be the Grace Field kids' next step in their dangerous mission?
Well, to start, the introduction of the demon society was quite sympathetic of the series. It makes you question whether everything in this world is only in black and white, evil and good, demons and humans. And remember, there are demons like Mujika and Sonju who don't eat humans. But inherently, demons eat humans to survive and prevent degeneration, as revealed here. Not to say the farms are right or anything, but this episode presented a side of the enemy that we haven't really seen yet, which means there must be more to this world and the “promise” than we know of so far.
We also see a different side of Emma—she is anxious and unsure because of the past few days. And who can blame her? They have been wandering in an unknown territory following the instructions of a man they haven’t met. All the more do you want to root for Emma, Ray, and the kids because they are so close to finding answers…which leads us to the ending.
To describe it in one word: NANI??? For a more accurate description, here are two more words: Norman’s alive. (Aside:This reviewer is at a loss for words.) It was a shocking turn of events, and the episode ends sooooo abruptly, it’s borderline maddening. Why is Norman alive? What is he doing in this demon-populated town? Find out next week! *cries*
Ideally, manga readers will tell you that they already know that Norman is alive and well and why. But that’s the ideal scenario. Now that the anime is forging its own path, the reason for Norman’s miraculous (re)existence may have very well changed. Same goes for the plot, as we have been discussing these past episodes. Either way, it’s fair game now for both manga readers and anime watchers.
Overall, this was another shocker of an episode. This reviewer would ideally give out his expectations for the next episode, but honestly, he doesn’t know what to expect anymore. And you should too. If there’s anything we already know about The Promised Neverland, it’s that they are darn good at surprising us at every turn.
Have you watched this episode? What did you think about Norman's shocking reveal? Leave a comment down below and let's discuss!
Official Anime Website: The Promised Neverland
Official Anime Twitter: @yakuneba_staff
