The Grace Field kids finally exit the forest—and all in one piece, thanks to some unlikely allies. But what obstacles await them now that they are alone once more in foreign land?
Through the help of Mujika and Sonju, the Grace Field kids exit the dark and overgrown forest relatively unscathed. It was a bittersweet moment as the kids bid farewell to their unexpected allies and newfound friends. Mujika hands over to Emma a mysterious blue amulet while Sonju even goes so far as to reveal the demons’ weakness as a show of trust (or is there an ulterior motive?). Equipped with new skills and knowledge and renewed hope, the gang sets off once more in their mission to find William Minerva and human society…if they know what and where exactly they are looking.
In this episode, Emma, Ray, and the kids arrive at B06-32, their target destination, as told by Minerva’s promised pen. But what greets them instead is a wasteland, with no telltale signs nor landmarks that can point to the enigmatic author’s whereabouts. That is until they refer once more to the pen (and its clever puzzles, which reveals a map leading to an underground shelter, the actual B06-32.
These developments are certainly thrilling and keep the hype going for the storyline as well as the characters. The series also knows how to balance serious and lighthearted moments as we get a sense of normalcy and familial bond in this episode, as the kids roam around and make themselves at home in this shelter—kind of like when they were still at Grace Field, minus the demons and cannibalism, of course.
It is also perhaps in this episode where it is evident that the series is already taking significant liberties in terms of adapting its source material. In the manga, Mujika and Sonju have relatively more screen time and interactions with Emma, Ray, and the kids. They also shared more information about the other human plantations.
For the sake of discussion, there will be some spoilers from the manga after this point. But feel free to scroll past this until you see Emma’s cute face, which is your cue for the non-spoiler conclusion of this review. But if you’re really curious, then read on!
The biggest elephant in the room and every manga reader will probably agree, is where the heck is Yuugo?! He is the keeper of the B06-32 shelter. He was the one who revealed the killing point of the demons, not Sonju. And he is an integral, human ally of the Grace Field kids (in case you’re not a manga reader). So, when he didn’t appear all smug and hostile in his chair, the course already shifted.
A lot of the inner mechanisms of the shelter, such as the secret passageway, are revealed as well when, in fact, they come much later on if we are to base off of the manga. Same with the phone call at the end of the episode. The wall in the room that Yvette finds says “HELP” instead of “POACHERS,” probably because Mujika and Sonju didn’t tell the kids earlier in the episode.
And lastly, the coordinates for Goldy Pond (a secret human hunting reserve) are omitted in the Minerva letter.
In the eyes of a non-manga-reader, these changes are probably nothing. But for those of us who have read the chapters, these are major changes. Still, it’s best to give the anime the benefit of the doubt. Who knows what it’s setting up for the coming episodes?
There have been concerns (at least from the manga readers) since the past episodes that the anime is moving too fast plot-wise. Given this season has only 11 episodes, the series may very well be trying to wrap everything up neatly and concisely. Or it’s making room for surprises. Either way, Season 2 shows no sign of the sophomore slump just yet. And let us hope that the thrills continue until the finale.
Have you watched this episode? What did you think? If you're a manga reader, what's your reaction to these changes in the anime?
Leave a comment down below and let's discuss! Don't forget to tag any spoilers.
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