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rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, okay. Umm, this is going to be tough putting all of my thoughts and feelings into a coherent review, but I'm gonna do my best, because WOW this volume was incredible!
First and foremost, I am SO HAPPY Norman is alive and leading the rebellion against the demons! Seeing him reunite with his family was so wonderfully heartwarming it brought tears to my eyes. Norman was never my favorite out of the original trio, but he was a gentle yet strong-willed character that I admired and am thrilled that he's back. I'm curious to see how much of his backstory we get regarding his time at Lambda, but it's not vitally important now so it's cool.
While I'm not fond of Norman's new crew (Cislo, Barbara, and Vincent) as I find them to be fairly one-dimensional in terms of personality, I do appreciate their place in the story. Obviously, not every escapee is going to be as empathetic as Emma or Ray and their hatred towards demons is valid. Could they have been introduced more creatively? Sure. Could they simply become cookie-cutter characters meant to represent the opposing side? Of course. But for now I'm happy for their inclusion and look forward to (hopefully) learning more about them.
Emma and Ray continue to be fantastic characters but for different reasons. Emma is fantastic because of her intense empathy and longing for peace for everyone, and Ray for his willingness to help his best friend anyway he can and being their to support her. These two have gone through a lot and I'm so proud of the development they've received.
Finally, one thing that I haven't touched on regarding this series but that I adore is how secondary/side characters are handled. Okay, rant time, but I swear this is important:
Something that I have noticed while reading as much as I can is sometimes it feels like authors, whether they be novelists or manga-ka, don't quite know how much screen time to give side characters/secondary characters. Usually this isn't an issue, as most authors now that side characters can shine in their own right, but some either give one side character too much screen time or give them so little you wonder why they exist in the first place. This is an even bigger problem if you have a large cast of characters but only one or two main characters. In my opinion, side characters should have enough personality to seem like real people while having enough screen time to justify their existence. And, in my humble, biased opinion, is what The Promised Neverland does really well. Emma, Ray, and Norman are obviously the main characters of the series, so they're given the most screen time, but that doesn't mean the other characters should exist solely as props. In order to justify their existence without them taking over the story, the manga-ka behind this series gives other characters time to shine in ways that make sense, like the group of younger ones who recognize forest fruits and nuts and Anna volunteering to go get the medicine since she had been studying it for so long. Yes, it's not a lot, but it gives them room to grow and time to show what they've learned. It's simple, but effective and definitely welcome.
Sorry for the long rant, I've been meaning to get that off my chest for a while and kept forgetting to bring it up. Anyway, loved this volume and looking forward to volume 15!
First and foremost, I am SO HAPPY Norman is alive and leading the rebellion against the demons! Seeing him reunite with his family was so wonderfully heartwarming it brought tears to my eyes. Norman was never my favorite out of the original trio, but he was a gentle yet strong-willed character that I admired and am thrilled that he's back. I'm curious to see how much of his backstory we get regarding his time at Lambda, but it's not vitally important now so it's cool.
While I'm not fond of Norman's new crew (Cislo, Barbara, and Vincent) as I find them to be fairly one-dimensional in terms of personality, I do appreciate their place in the story. Obviously, not every escapee is going to be as empathetic as Emma or Ray and their hatred towards demons is valid. Could they have been introduced more creatively? Sure. Could they simply become cookie-cutter characters meant to represent the opposing side? Of course. But for now I'm happy for their inclusion and look forward to (hopefully) learning more about them.
Emma and Ray continue to be fantastic characters but for different reasons. Emma is fantastic because of her intense empathy and longing for peace for everyone, and Ray for his willingness to help his best friend anyway he can and being their to support her. These two have gone through a lot and I'm so proud of the development they've received.
Finally, one thing that I haven't touched on regarding this series but that I adore is how secondary/side characters are handled. Okay, rant time, but I swear this is important:
Something that I have noticed while reading as much as I can is sometimes it feels like authors, whether they be novelists or manga-ka, don't quite know how much screen time to give side characters/secondary characters. Usually this isn't an issue, as most authors now that side characters can shine in their own right, but some either give one side character too much screen time or give them so little you wonder why they exist in the first place. This is an even bigger problem if you have a large cast of characters but only one or two main characters. In my opinion, side characters should have enough personality to seem like real people while having enough screen time to justify their existence. And, in my humble, biased opinion, is what The Promised Neverland does really well. Emma, Ray, and Norman are obviously the main characters of the series, so they're given the most screen time, but that doesn't mean the other characters should exist solely as props. In order to justify their existence without them taking over the story, the manga-ka behind this series gives other characters time to shine in ways that make sense, like the group of younger ones who recognize forest fruits and nuts and Anna volunteering to go get the medicine since she had been studying it for so long. Yes, it's not a lot, but it gives them room to grow and time to show what they've learned. It's simple, but effective and definitely welcome.
Sorry for the long rant, I've been meaning to get that off my chest for a while and kept forgetting to bring it up. Anyway, loved this volume and looking forward to volume 15!
bailey_walk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gabjd's review against another edition
5.0
omg! probably my favorite volume so far because i'm big on the world building. very interesting about the demons and knowing fully why they eat humans and put eating their brains on a pedestal. also emma not wanting to kill them is so real lol she's just like me. and i was just like "awwww" when everyone got to see norman again! his reunion with ray and emma was so sweet. as always, i'm super excited to see what happens next based on what i remember from the show. i know it's going to be even better here!
aca_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
stephgo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
cristina_m's review against another edition
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sleepingnerd's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea of what's gonna happen and thrilled to go find out!!
We finally saw Norman again!! He's so grown up and tall, and so different too. All of them went through unspeakable traumas, and I guess they're all changing, growing. So it was interesting to see that Norman has a different personality as Minerva. That boy is amazing, to do all he did, free all those children... You go, Norman.
I understand Emma's hesitation, though. It's not as easy a choice as it seems to just commit genocide. Discovering the true nature of demons was interesting (I knew there was something related to intelligence! Why the kids took tests and all), and I'm really curious about how Musica and Sonju managed to retain their human shape.
Fave moment: the trio's reunion. Ray's tears!!! The look on Emma's face!! I love my kids.
We finally saw Norman again!! He's so grown up and tall, and so different too. All of them went through unspeakable traumas, and I guess they're all changing, growing. So it was interesting to see that Norman has a different personality as Minerva. That boy is amazing, to do all he did, free all those children... You go, Norman.
I understand Emma's hesitation, though. It's not as easy a choice as it seems to just commit genocide. Discovering the true nature of demons was interesting (I knew there was something related to intelligence! Why the kids took tests and all), and I'm really curious about how Musica and Sonju managed to retain their human shape.
Fave moment: the trio's reunion. Ray's tears!!! The look on Emma's face!! I love my kids.