The Promised Neverland (Review)
The Promised Neverland is a Series that Demands to be Seen!
I’ve watched a lot of really good anime over the years, but it’s been a long time since I’ve come across a must-see series like The Promised Neverland. It features a storyline that is not only incredibly dark but thought-provoking as well. It’s almost like some sort of twisted game-theory thought exercise. However, what I appreciated most about The Promised Neverland is that it never wastes a single second of screen time. There’s never a moment when it isn’t plotting or building towards the jaw-dropping finale. While a second season is in the works, I believe the first is a perfectly crafted tale.
At first, The Promised Neverland seems quaint, maybe even cute, as it establishes that it is a story about a home filled with orphans waiting to be adopted. A kindly “mother” named Isabella (Laura Post) watches over them, showering them all equally with nurturing affection. Among the children, three in particular stand out, Emma (Erica Mendez), Norman (Jeannie Tirado), and Ray (Laura Stahl) take center stage as some of the oldest and smartest in the house. Their days spent filled with play and laugh are soon shattered as they discover the terrible truth behind their home and mother. Desperate to escape the fate that awaits them all, the three set about forming a secret plan for not only themselves but as many of the children as possible before it’s too late.
What ensues is essentially a prison break film with a bunch of children (prisons come in many forms after all), except The Promised Neverland is far from childish. Emma, Ray, and Norman are forced to keep their plans a secret from their “warden” as they attempt to determine what challenges must be overcome for them all to escape. Much of the series is spent with the trio simply discussing their options and the implications of every decision they could make. It might sound boring, but I was riveted watching them apply logic to possible outcomes, coming up with contingency plans for every scenario, and how to best preemptively counter and eliminate any advantage their captors could have. In other words, they plan for the known, unknown, and unknown-unknown. You see this a lot in anime, but what made The Promised Neverland different for me is that the characters take time to explain and justify their reasoning to each other. They convince each other instead of trying to convince the audience, and that makes it much more natural.
As often as The Promised Neverland made me think, it also sent chills down my spine. There are very few moments where something absolutely horrible happens on screen, but the lingering dread remains palpable. To ensure this, director Mamoru Kanbe sprinkles in some incredibly creepy imagery but never goes too far with it. One source, in particular, is “sister” Krone (Rebeka Thomas) who is as refreshing as she is unnerving. Anime has never been great about portraying people of color beyond a simple palette change, but sister Krone legitimately resembles a black woman with her strong stature, natural hair, and defined facial features. At the same time, she proves to be the most memorable due to how menacing and insane she is. Most of the actual threats remain off-screen where they can do the most damage.
As I said earlier, The Promised Neverland, is far from childish. Despite being 11-years-old, all three of the protagonists are incredibly mature and able to tackle complex moral and logical issues. One that I enjoyed specifically was the role of mother Isabella through all this. She states that she loves each of the children in spite of serving them up to a gruesome on a silver platter. Her logic being that death is inevitable, so she might as well provide a happy and loving life. I did say that this series gets pretty dark at times too. Despite how dark it gets though, the animation by Clover Works is jaw-dropping. It’s clean, simple yet precise, and even fairytale-esque at times. The fact that it is so bright and vibrant allows it to be all the darker by comparison.
The Promised Neverland is absolutely haunting and I loved every moment of it. The series manages to balance itself perfectly thanks to pacing that is quick without ever feeling rushed. I was so enthralled by the story that I binge-watched the entire first 12-episode season in one night. Once I started, I simply had to find out how it ended, and I’m not afraid to admit that my jaw was on the floor a couple of times that evening. Even looking back on The Promised Neverland now, the very thought of it is filling me with excitement. If nothing else, that reason alone is why I consider it a must-see series. Even if you’re not typically a fan of anime, The Promised Neverland is such an incredible story that it’s easily accessible for anyone.
