ANIME RECOMMENDATION - The Promised Neverland & Glimpse into Season One (no big spoilers)

If you're into suspense/mystery/horror anime, The Promised Neverland is one I just got into that I really liked. Or, if you found this and you've already seen it, check out my next blog, where I go over Season One in depth and share my thoughts. Anyway, I liked this anime because it's a really good deep dive into how people react in stressful situations. There are strong themes of imprisonment; it reminds me of cattle on a farm. It shows the desperation humans will go to to survive.

The show opens in the dining hall of Grayfield Manor, a home for orphans, with all 38 kids present. The first orphans you meet are the 3 main characters: Norman, Ray, and Emma, super-intelligent 12-year-olds. In the show, you'll meet the main antagonist, Isabella, the leader of the camp who portrays a veneer of kindness but has a steely determination to do whatever it takes to stay alive, even at the expense of others. The show focuses heavily on intelligence tests, and Isabella is BIG on announcing scores after each one. One might hope this encourages higher scores to increase adoption, but the show takes some grueling turns for the worse.

The manor is surrounded by walls with only one gate, which is restricted to the orphans. After the first orphan, Connie, gets "adopted," the 3 main characters start to wonder more about how exactly you leave the gate. Their curiosity eventually leads them to the restricted gate. This is where the show introduces the underlying horror that is lying within the manor.

I hope I gave you some nice glimpses into this suspenseful anime. Here is the link to watch it on Netflix and also Crunchyroll! Stay tuned for my next blog; I'll share my thoughts on the show, so be sure to check that out. Leave a comment if you thought this was helpful!

-John