- Mangaka : Kumo Kagyu, lack
- Publisher : Yen Press
- Genre : Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Published : March 2021
After getting into controversies, Goblin Slayer has established its fandom, and we belong to that fandom. There’s just this certain charm in seeing the titular character dedicate his life to eradicating these foul creatures from the face of the Earth. It’s also interesting to see him vomit information on how he plans on approaching, killing, and even quality information about goblins. He’s a living, walking goblin encyclopedia. He doesn’t even care about any creature other than goblins, and that includes humans. He’s pretty weird in social contexts, but we love him nonetheless, and we sure are glad to have another side story of the series.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
Goblin Slayer Side Story II: Dai Katana, or just Dai Katana, promises to expand and explain Goblin Slayer’s lore. The original series doesn’t explore world-building too well as the protagonist mainly focuses on hunting down the green devils. For Dai Katana, we follow the story of a party of six, who hasn’t known each other too well. In fact, their party has only been formed to explore the infamous Dungeon of the Dead. It is said that this dungeon emits death from its maw and has claimed countless lives of those who dared to challenge it.
1. Expanding Our Views
Dai Katana is set ten years before the original’s timeline. To be precise, it’s the Sword Maiden’s year one, although this is more inferred rather than stated. However, it becomes very evident given the character design and all. Unlike the common goblin dungeons explored in the original, Dai Katana’s band of heroes aims to plunge into a dungeon that’s said to be housing a demon lord. Heck, the moment there’s been a rumor of a demon lord appearing in the original series, Goblin Slayer didn’t even bat an eye.
2. A New Band Of Heroes
As we’ve on our first point, the series is set ten years before the original. Other than the Sword Maiden-- err, female bishop is probably more appropriate, the other party members are entirely new. We have an unnamed samurai, female warrior, half-elf scout, female wizard, a Myrmidon monk, and the female bishop. It’s a pretty varied party, which means they also have different personalities. In the first volume, we only get to see their introductions, but we sure are excited about what else they have to offer.
1. It’s Literally Just Team Building
The entire first volume is just focused on the party getting together. Initially, we just have the unnamed samurai, the female wizard, and the half-elf scout. Throughout the first volume, more of the party members as well as their skills and quirks are introduced. Just as the party has been formed, the volume ends. We don’t even get to see them fighting monsters or killing some goblins. Heck, the only action we’ve seen is the samurai fending off the people trying to harass the female bishop and when the female warrior and the samurai test each other out.
Final Thoughts
Dai Katana holds a lot of promise, but it’s a bit disheartening seeing that promise being put on the second volume. The characters and the art are great, and we hope that we get to see them in action. Unfortunately, the volume ends just as they are about to start their dungeon diving. Nonetheless, knowing the members of the party isn’t really a bad deal. We also get reminded of how dark this world truly is.
Author: Christian Markle
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