The Promised Neverland has finally come to an end.
Disclaimer: Major spoilers for the anime and some aspects of the manga ahead. You have been warned.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times—there’s not a more fitting description to what had transpired in The Promised Neverland Season 2. And this author bets that a lot of y’all would especially agree with the latter part because in more ways than one, this finale only underscored the unfortunate aspects of this adaptation.
In the season finale, Emma and everyone on her side (let’s face it: this has been Emma’s battle from the start) try to convince Peter Ratri, farm mastermind and mediator of the two warring worlds, to come to their side, which is to say, the side of family, love, and forgiveness. However, the guilt from past actions and the burden of the Ratri’s clan history was too much for Peter, and he decides to end it right then and there. It was a half-hearted exit for a half-hearted villain.
Here comes what this author likes to call as the “Powerpoint Montage.” After somehow defeating Peter Ratri and saving the demons from extinction, the Grace Field fam, together with the Lambda crew and even Mama Isabella and the Sisters, hop onto this magical sundial situation, which takes them to an ancient door—the bridge to humankind. Again, the show just decides to roll with it and doesn’t care to explain how these kids know.
And at last, we’re finally going home—to our real home. But of course, it won’t be a finale without some waterworks. Emma, Ray, and Norman decide to stay put and rescue the other kids trapped in the Neverland. It was always their mission or Emma’s mission and everyone else just tagged along. It would have been a truly heartwarming moment if the show hadn’t hit us with a montage of stills of the Grace Field kids out and about in the human world. It gives an impression that the showrunners got lazy and really wanted to get this season over with, sacrificing the heart of this anime—family.
Now, what happens next?
Well, since the manga has already concluded and the anime gave us its own version of the ending as well, don’t expect another season. In fact, it has already been hinted at when the show decided to veer away from the events of the manga episodes ago. For us manga readers, it is disappointing that we didn’t get to see some of the most amazing, action-packed story arcs and memorable characters come to life. There were high expectations for this season and sadly, there weren’t met. No Yuugo, no Goldy Pond, no Imperial Battle, and no real backstory on the Promise (it was montaged too 😭).
That is why for those of y’all who stuck with this show until the end, this author is highly encouraging you to go and read the manga. It expounds on the world, there’s more fun characters, and it’s dark as heck. And maybe this is also the best mindset moving forward—to see the manga and the anime as separate entities.
It has truly been one heck of a season, one that both camps could have expected. The Promised Neverland Season 2 will probably go down in history as one of the most polarizing second seasons in the history of anime. Unless they decide to do a remake à la Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (a guy can only dream). But for what it’s worth, at least Emma, Ray, Norman, Phil, the Grace Field fam, the Lambda crew, the demons, and whoever else they saved got the happy ending that they deserve. And that is a promise fulfilled.
What did you think of the season finale? Are you satisfied with that ending? Do you want another season/remake? Leave a comment down below.
Official Anime Website: The Promised Neverland
Official Anime Twitter: @yakuneba_staff
