So what did you think of my interpretation of The Promised Neverland? Did you see it from a totally different angle? Even with how very long this video ended up being there's still a ton of stuff from the story that didn't make it into script, and likely a lot of it could change my analysis significantly, so I'm super interested in hearing what other fans of the series have to say. If you enjoyed this essay and want to help make more creations like this one possible, please consider donating to my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/skyehoppers) My long-term goal for the patreon is to build a community around discussing and analyzing media in a more freeform and accessible way than you would find in an English classroom. Anyway! Here are some discussion suggestions for stuff that didn't quite make it into my script!

1. What does the character of Ayshe represent to the story? She is a super cool character, but only features in a few chapters. What do you think they were going for there? Do you think she could have benefitted from a more slowly-paced second half?

2. Why does Emma go out of her way to tell Sonju she wouldn't mind being eaten by him? Does that not go against a lot of the other themes of the work? Doesn't Emma's idealism revolve around the idea that no one should die unless absolutely necessary?

3. As I describe, religiosity is clearly viewed as a pretty important aspect of society within the series. However, it's only the demons that are religious and not the humans at all. Was this only to avoid having to pick a real-life religion for the kids? Or is there a deeper message in that discrepancy?

4. What do you think about the depiction of The One (the unpronounceable demon entity)? Does it represent anything in particular? Is it anything more than just a plot device? Why exactly was Emma the only one able to access it in the end?

5. One thing that kind of gets dropped as the series progresses are the varied names different groups of humans give the demons. Yugo and Lucas call them man-eaters and the Goldy Pond kids just call them monsters. However, by the end of the series they are just exclusively called demons, even among themselves. Does this naming convention mean anything to you? Does it perhaps reflect or foreshadow Norman's ideology and character arc that he was the one to name them that in the first place?

6. This is kind of a big one, and I initially wanted to definitely include it in the video but it felt like it would take too much time to explore. Do you think there is an implicit endorsement of eugenics within the series? There is so much value placed on intelligence throughout the story, and it can be inferred that the only reason our main characters are such supergeniuses is because the demons have been breeding people specifically for intelligence for centuries. Do you think that implies that eugenics might be a good idea for society? Or is there a counterargument to that built into the story as well (I can think of some stuff that may point that way)? In the end, does the story do enough to avoid that kind of pro-eugenics reading?

And that's all I can think of for now!

man knowing nothing about tpn this video was a trip. The story is like "the meat industry is unethical, capitalism will kill us all, and we need to forge a new future driven my recognition of the value of human life," and I was like "yes please go on" and then it was like "and thats why we need a theocratic monarchy" and I was like "wait what"

Ray being sidelined was one of my biggest gripes with the series as I first read it. It felt like there were stretches of chapters were he just didn't say anything. Not in a metaphorical sense - he just didn't have any fucking dialogue for like 15 chapters at a time.

I do feel like he was supposed to die, probably when he tried to self immolate. It's hard to say what happened, but he was never truly a force in the story beyond that point, and it only got worse for him. A completely undeniable Ray death in or around Goldy Pond could have done a lot for the series:
- It would've challenged Emma in a way that Yugo's death didn't, especially if it was just flat out her fault.
- Having him out of the way would've cleared space for a focused conflict between Norman and Emma, if the series didn't want to have the web of conflict from the first arc.
- When Norman came back, it'd have been even more bittersweet knowing that Ray never found out that he lived, and they could never reunite. Plus, seeing Ray's very dead corpse would've softened the blow to stakes that Norman's return had.

Norman being the final villian was so obviously there, but I felt like they rushed to the current ending. Norman was displayed as the stubborn humanist who wished to kill all the demons even seeing Mujica and Sonju as villainous. Of course both Sonju and Mujica are not completely good or bad, but the complex grey nature of the series was made black and white in order to swiftly end the story.

i'm seriously impressed by all the hard work that went into making this. thank you for having me!

The Promised Neverland is a series that means so much to me, but while I didn’t necessarily mind that the ending was so optimistic, it felt very unearned. Having someone put words to why that was is significant. Thank you for this video.

I think a key element of Goldy Pond that irked me when i read it was that unlike with Grace Field there was no build up just jumping immediately into the action. Imagine if Emma and Ray had to survive several hunts slowly building up resources, knowledge, and support all while dodging death. Ray could be opposed to letting people in but willing to accept his newfound trust in Emma's ideals. Imagine if a key player died forcing them to reconsider. Every hunt they wait more kids die but the more time they have to set up. But instead the plan was there when they arrived, the special guns were already made, and the allies already formed into a tight nit group.

I'm sure the explanation in-universe but the Goldy Pond being illegal is probably to reflect the fact that Canned Hunting is illegal in many places today. Essentially trapping an animal where it can run but never truly escape

the colors you added to the panels are so nice, great touch

"An Incomplete Masterpiece" is the perfect description for TPN, if certain issues were addressed it would have been so much better. The main issue being plot conveniences.

I can't believe how throughly engaging this hour and a half long video essay on a manga I've never read nor ever plan to is PHENOMINAL work, can't wait to see what you get into next!

One thing this series really struggled with was the cast. There was too many characters for the author to honestly keep up with. He also seemed to be afraid to kill off children despite the first arc making it clear children would be killed off and no-one was safe. Ray was heavily sidelined, Norman had all the stepping stones to be a villain but they never commited to it, Emma basically could do no wrong and honestly, the story should have ended with them escaping Grace Field.

Goldy Pond could have been a 'detention' arena the trio could have been thrown into after Krone dies. The story falls into another trap of too much realism in a fantasy. We don't need answers for everything. There's a charm to mystery and the audience not being told everything.

Just started the video but am continually impressed by how captivating your intros are. I have never started one of your videos and not watched it the whole way through.

Chicken Run's anime adaptation got weird

I havent heard the Bastion game soundtrack music in ages

At first I was relieved this was split up into parts so I could take breaks and watch it throughout the day, but it ended up being so interesting and compelling that I watched the whole thing for 2 hours straight (including pausing to read) instead.

In an interview with the authors in 2018 (At that time the manga had only 10 volumes published in Japan), Kaiu Shirai mentioned that his editor recommended him not to make a very long story. Because of this, Shirai had planned for the series to last between 20 or 30 volumes. He also mentions that, when he wanted to submit his series to the Shonen Jump, he sent a "basic script" of about 300 pages that covered until the escape from Grace Field House. What is interesting to me, however, is the phrase "basic script", implying that he also had a much more elaborate script with most of the story (if not all of it). Taking into account the words expressed in the interview, and the possible existence of a complete script of the series, I think it is quite obvious that the story of "The Promised Neverland", was going to be much longer than it ended up being.

Another thing I wanted to mention, was how much the story had changed from the original idea. In another interview with the authors on the occasion of the anime's release (which was later published in an illustration booklet called simply "Escape"), Shirai revealed that the story changed radically during the creation of the manga. Originally, there was no secret room from Isabella, Ray was going to die and sister Krone survived. And later, when Emma returned to Grace Field some time later, she discovered that Krone had become the new Mother and Gilda was the new Sister. And most surprising of all. William Minerva did not exist.

By the way, here is the 2018 interview:
https://blog.francetvinfo.fr/popup/2018/08/21/on-a-tout-fait-pour-que-la-serie-soit-un-succes-et-on-a-reussi-entretien-avec-les-auteurs-du-manga-the-promised-neverland.html

And here is the interview from the illustration book:
https://yakusokunoneverland.fandom.com/wiki/Interviews#Volume_13_Special_Edition_Q&A

As someone who’s always been an anime only guy, PNL was the first manga I ever read. THATS how good season 1 was

Great video! Though I feel like I've got to mention what I feel like the series has also lost: its edge, partially. Especially when it comes to both the characters of Emma and Ray. It's no question that Emma genuinely loved her family, though the face she makes right after Ray asks her "You haven't really given up, have you?" was almost, well... "serial killer like", for a lack of a better word. Led me to believe that she'd be willing to do pretty much anything to keep her family safe, even if it meant killing... but nope, aside from some wild demons she never really goes for it, as far as I recall. And Ray in general seems to have become pretty much a background character.

even though, this video is four years old, I am watching it at a time when the "Save Our bacon" bill is trying to bass, to allow for inhuman ways to raise live stock or to remove their restrictions.