Full stop. Pause. Halt. Do not pass "Go". Do not collect two hundred dollars.
The events at Goldy Pond have progressed at a breakneck pace from the moment Emma first set foot in the Hunting Ground. Revelations and conspiracy have provided the bread and butter of story within THE PROMISED NEVERLAND. Now? Res, non verba. Actions, not words. Emma and her new friends are intent on taking back their lives and fighting for another chance at life beyond the bounds of Goldy Pond. Is their plan enough to get them to where they need to go? What are the demons motivations in all of this? These are the two central questions that the author and artist duo of Shirai and Demizu attempt to answer with their latest chapter. Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu have continued elevated their writing and artistry to new heights with each new chapter, and CH.84 - The Brakes is yet another triumph of their work. At long last the past and present are linked together as events at Goldy Pond crescendo to Emma's showdown against Archduke Lewis. In flashes, Shirai elaborates on Pepe's timely arrival, and the fail-safes necessary to entrap Lord Bayon. This method of information dissemination creates a sense of personal entrenchment that allows the Resistance's plan to feel akin to a personal plan. The subsequent successes of this plan, by proxy, feel enormously satisfying to read about. It does, however, also lead to a more empathetic relation between readers and Goldy Pond Resistance members. This is a relationship that Shirai toys with as the story progresses by stressing constant sense of danger that shadows each human character. These sinister intentions are then augmented and magnified by the phantasmagorical qualities embedded by Demizu's artistic style. In following up on CH.83, Bayon is knocked to the floor by Lucas. This ambush - a byproduct of fail-safes within the Goldy Pond Resistance's strategy against the demons - proves effective enough to catch one of the most formidable Poacher's off guard. Nigel and Oliver capitalize on this initiative by destroying the demon's mask and shooting his eye. Presumed to be dying at this point, Bayon recalls several key moments from his personal history. Through his recollection Shirai reveals some of the events leading up to the Promise, the development of human farms, and Bayon's relationship within the new regime. This exploration of a demon's history is yet another humanizing gesture that Shirai has deployed to parallel contemporary human methodology. The relationship between predator and prey are particularly emphasized in these recollections as part of a discourse on sentience, humanity, and primordial instinct. Shirai returns focus from the past to the present by revealing Bayon to still be alive despite what should be a fatal wound. The preternatural speed and strength of demons are made evident as the wounded demon lavishly attempts to murder Nigel, Oliver, and Lucas. Equipped with a pistol, Lucas is able to land a truly decisive blow, killing Bayon on the spot. This brilliant moment of success is marred, however, as Oliver is grievously wounded while saving Lucas' life. It is with this tragedy that Shirai pulls the curtain on CH.84 with "The Break". Up to this point events have been unfolding relatively well for the Goldy Pond Resistance. Although the odds are noticeably stacked against them, the Grand Valley orphans have proved themselves to be just as resourceful as the children from Grace Field House. Since the inception of their strategy to take down the Poachers, there has been a significant emphasis on each of the Resistance members. The life threatening nature of their circumstances, and their drive to overcome their situation has served to enamor readers to this diverse team of individuals. Though there have been casualties leading up to this point, Oliver's importance is not to be downplayed by his lack of presence prior to his wound. Where Zack's presumed death is out of sight, there is a startling immediacy to Oliver's injury that strikes at the heart. The high strung emotions of this chapter are carefully blended with powerful revelations about the demons and Lord Bayon's motivations in particular. It is a testament to their capabilities that THE PROMISED NEVERLAND's Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu are able to so seamlessly match powerful concepts and emotions with one another. Their ability to blend cold information with raw emotion is a strength that has formulated a foundation upon which their manga continues to grow. It is their exploration of humanity and the world that they have created within THE PROMISED NEVERLAND that speaks profoundly of their personal ideologies and ethos. As such, each chapter of their manga is heady blend of contemporary methodologies, and an evolving understanding of human beings. CH.84 is an exceptional addition to the story of THE PROMISED NEVERLAND, and leaves little to be desired. There is a strong satisfaction to be gained from Shirai's writing and Demizu's drawing that are often withheld from readers by other mangaka. As events turn to Emma and Archduke Lewis, there are still outstanding questions that mark Shirai's story. These quandaries, however, must wait until CH.85 as the lives of the Goldy Pond Resistance continue to be imperiled by their captors. How will Emma and her companions escape? What is going on with Ray and the mystery man from the bunker? Are the other children alright? What is happening with Norman now? These are some of the questions that will hopefully be answered in the chapters to come. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again - mostly because I never tire of being right - Estarossa's character is going through some surreal changes. This has been a work in progress from the moment the Ten Commandments first appeared in NANATSU NO TAIZAI. In a way, the Commandments were a foil to the titular Seven Deadly Sins. A team dynamic, a team leaders who look conspicuously like one another, exceptionally strong within their given nationalities. Straight forward, run of the mill, high fantasy fare. What's different here is the range of emotion and growth shown by Nakaba Suzuki's demons. Gloxinia and Dolor were never originally demons. Fraudrin, Monspiet, and Derieri have all shown an incredible affinity for compassion and empathy. That's already half of the Commandments showing more human tendencies than demons tend to do in more traditional literature. These "good" demons contrasted by the "evil" goddesses really makes for an interesting commentary on theology, and the nature of good and evil. That is, however, something to discuss for another day. Let us instead focus on Estarossa as he finally begins to rise in strength and antagonism.
I was sure he was dead. After Monspiet revealed Estarossa to be the weakest amongst the Commandments I genuinely thought that he might be dead. It's not everyday that two of the four Archangels of the Goddess Clan take someone to an alternate dimension of oceans and gales where they then proceed to incinerate said aforementioned person into molecular dust. Then again, I also thought that the Love demon had much more to offer this story in terms of villainy. In that sense, this chapter was far from disappointing in its execution of the Rise of Estarossa. Derieri has rapidly become one of my favourite Commandments. She was always one of the ruder and more blunt characters in a series that is largely vanilla in terms of character parlance. Her idiolectic tendencies carved her out from amongst other more visually engaging characters. Then, of course, there was her Indura transformation along side Monspiet three thousand years in the past. As a character, she's seen a lot of growth in terms of both combat and emotional spirit. To have the focal point of her affection ripped away - the death of young (old?) romance before it has even begun - there was a powerful pathos added into the complex mix of her personality. All of these factors have allowed Derieri to become an immensely engaging and relatable character despite her formerly villainous nature. Monspiet's death and the aftermath of Estarossa's attack have had a profound effect on Derieri's character. Given her penchant for combat and foul mouthed conversation, it's a significant change to see the level of introspection now spliced into her personality. Derieri's discussion with Elizabeth on the subject of Monspiet, and his unspoken affection proved a backdrop for introspection and contemplation. Two things that Derieri might have never done prior to these events. Her conversation with Elizabeth is coloured by the tragedy of her personal romance, and raises the question of whether it is better to have love and lost or to have never loved at all. Amidst all this soul searching, Estarossa's return is one that emphasizes his position as major antagonist. Having been supposedly ground to dust at the molecular level, both Tarmiel and Sariel are shocked to see the Loved demon in relatively good health. His new appearance - which looks ridiculously goofy in my opinion - is heavily marked by dark energies around his hands and legs. In addition to having survived the joint attack of the Archangels, Estarossa's revival has blessed him with still more strength than before. Over the course of three pages he deals exceedingly powerful attacks to both Tarmiel and Sariel who were largely impervious to his abilities before. Fortunately, Derieri notices that Estarossa's new strength stems from his absorption of Galan's commandment. Estarossa, for all his new strength, is still unable to effectively and efficiently defeat the Archangels. He then absorbs Monspiet's commandment in order to further enhance his formidable strength. It is here that we recall Monspiet's words about Estarossa and his mental state. After having absorbed Galan's commandment, there is a sinister playfulness in Estarossa's demeanor that wasn't there before. As he absorbs the Commandment of Reticence, the Love demon goes through another significant change in appearance and mindset. Now clothed in darkness, Estarossa claims to be Meliodas. A weird turn of events, but one that once more stresses the importance of Estarossa's appearance on Meliodas' wanted poster. NANATSU NO TAIZAI is a series that plays it fast and loose with the MATTER OF BRITAIN, and Nakaba Suzuki's tendency to destroy conventional tropes only serves to enhance the changes from the more traditional text. By extension, Suzuki's characters carry an incredible presence, and a sense of impact that drives home their importance to the story. This facet of his characters is vital to his storytelling methodology as there are still several mysteries surrounding the Seven Deadly Sins and their relations. The characters provide a focal point that is otherwise lost to the mysteries of the story. Titled, Berserk Love, CH.265 of NANATSU NO TAIZAI may yet explain the relationship between the Demon King's favoured sons and Meliodas' wanted poster. This mystery has been around since the very first chapter - though it wasn't always obvious that this WAS a mystery - and has been hinted at ad nauseam following the arrival of the Ten Commandments. It is for this reason that I'm anticipating a fairly crucial expose of information that will greatly effect how events have been perceived up to this point. Whether Nakaba will follow through in this way, remains to be seen. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH You can say what you want about Slave In Utero, but don't ever say that SIU is not a man of his word. This week's chapter of TOWER OF GOD was everything he had promised last week, and a little bit more than anticipated. There are, as per usual, several storylines that have yet to be wrapped up, and that is okay. SIU is nothing if not resourceful in how he ties off loose ends. Instead, there is a distinct shift in tone as preparations are made for Baam's battle against Zahard's data. This is a fight that has been long in the offing, and whether Baam is ready for this next stage in his journey is in the air. As a protagonist, he has certainly come a long way from the boy who needed Yuri's assistance in problem solving. Baam is far more capable and powerful than he has ever been over the course of a story where he seems to be perpetually powering up. I suppose this type of progression is to be expected. In a series about climbing a tower, one should natural expect to experience ascendance over the course of the story.
CH.378 is a pretty relaxing chapter all in all. There's one simple reason for this. On his blog, SIU has gone on record to say that this chapter was intended to be the one before Baam begins his fight against Zahard's data. Why? Probably to get all the exposition out of the way before one of the most long awaited battles in the Talse Uzer Stories Universe gets underway. Mirroring SIU's preparation for next weeks battle, Zahard's data and the Big Breeder have created an arena upon which the battle will be staged. Much like SIU himself, Zahard has a penchant for the dramatic and a giant gold monument certainly points to his affinity for theatrics. While Zahard's data may have been learning how to finesse architectural design to fit to his machinations, the protagonists have been hard at work. A fact that is immediately evidenced when the Big Breeder arrives to escort Baam and company to the battlefield. Instead of the full party, however, Aguero informs the Big Breeder that he felt that presence of his companions to be unnecessary. Though the Big Breeder comments on his bravado, it appears that Aguero has gained significant mastery over his new ice capabilities. In a masterful display that last all of four panels, Aguero freezes a monster summoned by the Big Breeder, clearing the quest, and earning the team safe passage to Zahard's battlefield. For the record, the afore mentioned battlefield literally looks like a dismembered arm holding up plate grafted from solid gold. Don't ask me, I don't get the aesthetic either, but that's what's what. Yet again, there are a swirl of schemes that have begun to rear their ugly heads in this chapter. After having separated Baam and Eduan from their companions, the Big Breeder reveals that Aguero and company won't be sitting idly by while Zahard's data tries to maul the central protagonist. Instead, while Baam faces one of the most influential and powerful beings to have ever passed through the Hell Train, Aguero and friends will be fighting against White. Oh, and that bitch Rachel disguised as Icarus. I'd point out that Icarus is well known for having flown too close to the sun resulting in his death, and the parallelism of this parable within the boundary of TOWER OF GOD. I certainly could. Yes. SIU has disguised it very well. There is no indication from him, his writing, or his blog to indicate that Baam has any chance of defeating Zahard's data. On the contrary, everything about the literature indicates that Baam doesn't have the capability to defeat Zahard's data in equal combat. Zahard's data is presumably aware of this disparity in strength as well having set up secondary objectives for Baam. By destroying three out of four cores hidden within the battlefield, Zahard's data is willing to admit defeat should Baam accomplish this task. With everything about TOWER OF GOD's central plot in the air, there really is no way of knowing how events will pan out regardless of whether Baam wins or not. Obviously Baam now possesses a hidden ability - having learned "Revolution" from Eduan - but whether this will prove to be the definitive skill for beating Zahard's data remains to be seen. Thankful SIU's blog is much less obtuse, and as such next week will see the start of Zahard's data against a newly strengthened Baam. With the setup complete, all that's left is to enjoy a fight for ages. P.S. I wouldn't worry about Aguero and company. Rachel is the type to sabotage herself so that's going to be a firm win for Baam's friends. Yes, even with Po Bidau Gistang's gift. That's just how these things go! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
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