Mama is Watching You.
- Episodes : 12
- Genre : Sci-Fi, Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Thriller, Shounen
- Airing Date : January 2019 – March 2019
- Producers : CloverWorks
Contains Spoilers
Yakusoku no Neverland Introduction and Story
Life is changed forever when Emma and Norman discover that the orphanage where they grew up is actually a farm where humans are raised as food for demons. Along with Ray, Don, and Gilda, the children band together to plot an escape from Grace Field House. Pitted against their caretaker Isabella, can a group of young children really outsmart an adult put there to ensure their development into premium goods for the demons?
From the start, Yakusoku no Neverland leads to cliffhanger after cliffhanger. How does Isabella’s tracker work? How will the children get around Sister Krone? Is it even possible to escape over the wall surrounding Grace Field? These questions keep the pace set and deliver a suspenseful thriller all the way to the end.
1. It Sets the Mood and Tone.
The characters in Yakusoku no Neverland carefully navigate a minefield of interactions with each other, and the emotional shifts are handled superbly. From the shrill music jumps upon first seeing Isabella’s cruelty in handling Conny, it’s evident that the animation and music are in sync to set exactly the appropriate tone for every situation. Scenes are framed to make the adults large and imposing when they make sudden appearances, and it adds to the suspense felt throughout.
2. It’s an Intriguing World.
With farms of children being raised as livestock for demons, there are a ton of questions that come up. Where did the demons come from, and how was this farm system set up in the first place? It’s fun to wonder at what’s to come, even though it surely means that this is just the beginning of Emma, Norman, and Ray’s struggles.
3. It Has Distinct and Expressive Characters.
The cast of Yakusoku no Neverland is diverse and well defined. Emma is a standout of the main trio and one of the most facially expressive characters in recent memory. Despite every child wearing the same uniform, they all have their own unique profile that makes them easy to discern.
1. Children Suffer.
There are some brutal scenes depicted over the course of the show. Conny’s grisly death in the first episode and the reactions of Emma and Norman to it are pretty disturbing. The audible crack when Isabella breaks Emma’s leg and her screams of pain is another example. If seeing children getting hurt is a problem, you’ll need to stay away.
2. The Plot Moves Slowly.
Yakusoku No Neverland never really fleshes out the concepts that are introduced. The story of the season is just for Emma and the kids to find a way to escape Grace Field House, and that’s what happens. Glimpses of the demons and of Isabella’s past are just that: glimpses. There are hints throughout at bigger things at play, but that’s about it.
3. The Manga Isn’t Very Far Ahead.
Anime adaptations of ongoing manga can lead to long breaks between seasons, or just having later sections not animated at all. This first season of Yakusoku no Neverland adapts nearly a fourth of manga at present in only twelve episodes. With the cliffhanger-heavy nature of this story, it could be jarring to have to wait.
Final Thoughts
Even at the ending of the season, Yakusoku no Neverland left off with a cliffhanger (kind of literally). Now that Emma, Ray, and some of the other children have escaped Grace Field, what will happen now? These kinds of questions drove the show week to week and will leave it lingering in your mind after watching it in its entirety. Having too much suspense can be exhausting, though. Even though the goal to escape was met, there are still more questions than answers for now.
If you haven’t seen Emma, Norman, and Ray take fate into their own hands, do you want to now? If you have, are there any standout moments that you just have to talk about? Let us know in the comments below.
Author: Jessica
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