I'm actually concerned.
That doesn't really sound like much, but after years of reading fiction/science fiction and their respective subgenres I've built up a solid resistance to most plot mechanics. After a length of time experiencing and understanding the tropes and traditions of a genre there are few things that truly take a veteran reader by surprise. THE PROMISED NEVERLAND is an exception in that sense because of how it does away with the contemporary theories about how children should be treated. Namely, Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu throw young people head first into a world that is actively murdering the youth of tomorrow. That's a pretty brutal way to look at it, but their depiction is no less stark in its portrayal of these atrocities. In fact, the use of murder, mutilation, and other noir themes heavily characterizes THE PROMISED NEVERLAND while also serving as obstacles for our heroes to overcome. From the very start it was clear that this was going to be a very different sort of story, and that first surprise was enough to get me into the series when it began publication. Fast forward to the most recent chapter, and you might find yourself experiencing a similar feeling of concern over the direction of the story. We all know that Emma is the quintessential shonen protagonist, nix the female part, but that's a can of worms for another day. She's ridiculously intelligent, and very competitive. The idea of surrender is something that I believe very rarely, if ever, crosses her mind. No, Emma is the type to continue making moves until she really has no where left to run and even then would fight tooth and nail to her bitter defeat. That's a lot of praise for an eleven year old girl, but it is all well deserved when you consider that she is not even the most talented of her siblings. In spite of her deficiencies she still finds herself the de facto leader of her escapee siblings, and is willing to expend her own life if it'll mean their longevity. We see this aspect of her personality portrayed vividly during this chapter. Even with all of the odds stacked against her, Emma is still willing to drag Lewis into a firefight, and there in lies the biggest problem. Though it seems that at this stage she has certainly figured something out in regards to Lewis' relationship with his pet Parvus, the Goldy Pond Revolution remain entrapped by their dire circumstances. Even if Emma and her companions are able to somehow corner Lewis, there is nothing stopping him from using her own personality against her. Lewis needs to only take one hostage in order for even the most elaborate strategy to fall apart against him. Emma, being dead set on saving everyone, could easily have her hand forced by the demon should the need arise. Mercifully, the mysterious man from shelter B06-32 is not nearly the bleeding heart that our heroine embodies. With his name till unknown, its unlikely that he'll die anytime soon as the significance of who he is may yet vault us into another stage of the story. In keeping with this, my expectation is that Adam will be the final nail in Lewis coffin, though it remains unclear as to how that may yet be possible. I am optimistic, however, because there is still so little that we know about what goes on in the special facility where Norman is currently being kept. It may simply be that Adam is a child with an abnormal growth factor developed by scientists to feed demons better. It may also be that Adam is genetically enhanced in someway that allows him to match the strength of demons. There is just no way to know until Shirai reveals his hand in the matter. THE PROMISED NEVERLAND has so much to offer contemporary readers, and while some are veterans like myself, there are others who miss out on the refreshing quality brought about by the darkness inherent to the story. Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu have done an outstanding job in bringing together many of the older traditions of fairy tales for their own story. It is certainly the ideals of an older, harder generation, but is also a change that explores new avenues in a medium that has really begun to stagnate over the years. There are few mangaka with the ability to create such an engrossing plot from week-to-week, and still fewer confident enough in their capability to make their series work. Shirai and Demizu are nothing but masterful in how they have approached their series up to this point. Next weeks chapter will hopefully reveal Emma's new strategy, as well as the relationship between Lewis and Parvus. For now, I'll simply have to go on feeling concerned until events sort themselves out! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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