All right: let's get to it. You may recall that I had an interest in The Promised Neverland, and was looking forward to its second season among many others. Then the season actually aired, and with it came less of a sophomore slump and more careening down an abandoned quarry. There are few promising anime that cratered this fast; with most reception pointing out how the second season created a litany of its own issues while also exacerbating ones from the manga. As someone who has read said manga in preparation for this; I think it's finally time for me to do a deep dive into this; and maybe see how it can be fixed. That is going to be your only spoiler warning to click away. This is how The Promised Neverland Season 2 went wrong.
Episode 1
The season opens roughly where the first left off; with the escaped children running from a beast in the forest and Emma forging the path. While not a bad idea in theory, we're admittedly already not off to a good start. This is only further compounded by Emma's exchanges with Ray during a quieter scene; in which they decide to find someone named "William Minerva." We will come back to this later; as it relates to another issue faced by this season: the changes from the source material.
Episode 2
Case in point- this episode jumps ahead not just a handful of chapters, but volumes as well. I can understand if a scene sometimes has to be cut for pacing; but this leaves out numerous characters and story arcs; a problem that's only going to get worse from here. I know the big one people will be asking about; and we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Episode 3
Three episodes in, and it's already becoming quite clear that this approach to the material was a mistake. The presence of the demons Sonju and Mujika alone in this episode and the last is going to be part of my final reasons on why this second season got it so wrong. Let's keep this journey going.
Episode 4
Emma and the others make contact with Minerva, and the pacing continues its accelerated rate. I am not against making changes in adaptation; but they really need to be changes that make sense. In a way, it's like attempting to condense an entire volume of A Song of Ice and Fire into a half-hour; and it only gets worse from here.
Episode 5
Here is where the idea of adhering so closely to the structure of the first season truly becomes a mistake; even before the more egregious cuts are revealed. While the manga had enough breathing room to build the atmosphere; this borders on the 2017 Death Note in terms of cramming too much material into a single space. That's not a comparison you want made, count on that. (Side note: Certainly hope the Duffer brothers do a better job with the next attempt, big fan of Stranger Things.) Bottom line- the only real events of consequence are trying to stay out of sight from the demons and eluding capture with help from. unlikely allies.
Episode 6
Here is where it all goes officially pear-shaped: while the creator of the manga reportedly wanted a different ending for the anime; the result was viewed as an overcorrection even among those who had issues with the manga's conclusion. Norman's escape in particular raises a lot more issues; as does the fact that Minerva is dead. The focus on the Grace Field group at the expense of the Goldy Pond arc and the removal of Yugo are particular sticking points. I'm not even saying an anime of this sort can't do a satisfying action sequence- both on and off this blog; I am known to appreciate a good bit of gunplay as much as anyone (I was contemplating at least two other works; but ultimately decided to delay them for now). The Lambda 7214 plot also has much greater weight in the source material, as does the character of Smee (no relation to the Peter Pan character, I'm afraid). Bottom line- there is a cure for the condition plaguing the world and its enemies; and this point carries into the next episode.
Episode 7
The debate about whether or not to break the promise and use the cure (as well as a gateway to a world without demons) is not only more engaging in the manga to me; but the contrast between Emma wanting a peaceful solution and Norman wanting to take action just makes me want to shut this off and rewatch Nausicaa again instead. Yet, I've come this far; so I might as well continue.
Episode 8
Now comes the part where we find out the details of Norman's escape from Grace Field; and his subsequent falling in with the backers of Lambda 7214; including their late primary financier Peter Ratri. All things considered, both the character and this plotline should be enough to carry an engaging story... except most of the circumstances of his escape are condensed into a single episode. Moreover, the impact of the character's face turn is effectively nullified by compressing the adaptation like this. The manga built up the impact of the drugs Norman was given and the decision to not go through with the eradication of the demons properly. Here though, this turn makes no sense. That is a feeling that will continue through the remainder of this season.
Episode 9
Case in point- How easily Norman decides against his plan to retaliate against the demons. I have seen people compare the anime rendition of this turnaround unfavorably to the infamous "save Martha" exchange; and I can understand why. Let's just say that his rendition of "I want to live" doesn't hold a candle to Nico Robin at all.
Episode 10
Here, upon returning to Grace Field; Emma, having learned the sickening truth; decides to confront Peter. If the story had actually been given the time it needed to flesh out on screen as it did on the page; perhaps this could have been serviceable. Instead, it seems needlessly and carelessly thrown together. That includes Isabella and her role in these last couple episodes; which recalls the "somehow, Palpatine has returned" meme. I that bit find amusing even as someone who likes The Rise of Skywalker. What I do not find amusing is the massive downgrade in animation this episode and the finale have. Condensing the bulk of the action into a bunch of still shots may not be the only side effect of the pandemic (finally got my booster as I type this), but it's one of the more egregious casualties of that season.
Episode 11
Now, the conclusion has come. Peter reveals his role in Minerva's death; and his attempts to justify his actions are among the worst faux philosophy psychobabble I've dealt with since finishing my look at Code Geass R2 five years ago. A significant chunk of the episode is also done as a glorified slideshow. That includes Ratri's backstory; which he divulges before refusing Emma's offer for peace and cutting his throat. On that subject, while I didn't have as much an issue with the children "adopting" Isabella as others in the manga; the shortening of events is once again the fatal flaw in this anime. No joke- the entirety of the final minutes are a slideshow condensing the Grace Field children venturing to the real world and Emma brokering peace with the demons; save the very last scene of Emma reuniting with Phil. It certainly isn't impossible to tell an engaging and coherent story in less than a dozen episodes; but this isn't the way to go about it.
Here is the crown jewel of mismanagement- this season attempted to compress the equivalent of 144 chapters of the manga into a single 11-episode season. For context, the first season only adapted 37 chapters into its 12-episode run. On top of the aforementioned pacing and cuts issues, there was enough material for several seasons of content and a more faithful adaptation. In the pantheon of failed YA stories with wasted potential, the second season ranks among the adaptations of Eragon and Percy Jackson as one of the most mishandled adaptations in any medium. The later volumes of the manga may have been contentious in their own right (with the ending in particular being divisive), but nothing compared to this.
So, with that in mind; if this story were to be adapted again, it's clear a reboot would be the only way to correct the mistakes made by the second season. Instead of cramming multiple volumes into one season, the content can be parceled out over the course of several. Even bigger IPs like Dragon Ball and One Piece still have to make changes, but they're typically changes that make sense. Being produced during the pandemic didn't help matters either; but when other series managed to make more sound changes (totally get why season 5 of MHA quite literally flipped the script on the main arcs it adapted), it's particularly baffling and disheartening.
Bottom line- few series this promising have cratered this fast. The second season of The Promised Neverland is a textbook example of how not to adapt a story into another medium. This may not be a conventional Halloween or milestone celebration (this marks my 700th post); but I am glad to finally have this done. No joke- I started drafting this in my head the moment the second season concluded two years ago; and it has taken me precisely that long to dissect its failures. Rest assured, there will be other subjects to address that I will enjoy discussing much more. Thank you everyone; and Happy Halloween.
