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(Watch+ or Rent-) (All episodes watched): The original Goblin Slayer series is one of my ten top anime of all time; it told a truly intriguing story which didn't waste any time and was brimming with quality. Even today, I remember how it ended, which is something I can't say about most anime. So, I was a bit anxious to see if this second season would live up to the same standard. After one episode, I'm not sure; this seems good, but is it as good? The episode begins with a telling warning of possibly disturbing content, and repeats the first scene of the very first episode in which Goblins torture and rape several overconfident adventurers who they have ambushed. That is all the action in this episode, as we see how Goblin Slayer's party is doing. Elf and dwarf still argue as always. We learn that a wealthy benefactor (the woman who was rescued in the movie?) has set up a training school for adventurers, so that fewer make fatal mistakes before they gain experience. And we meet the red-haired guy who wants Goblin Slayer to teach him how to kill Goblins, but he initially isn't interested (the joke about GS's siblings was good). There's an intriguing suggestion that this guy can learn a few tricks from another member of GS's team. And that's it for episode one. It looks like the blindfolded Priestess from season one will be back. I can't be certain that everything will function as flawlessly as it did in season one, but so far so good. In episode two the team goes on a quest into a masoleum, with Priestess supposedly in command, and the newcomer predictably rushes into combat unprepared and gets them in trouble. I didn't get why he blames GS for something and refuses to acknowledge him as the leader. Why do they keep this troublemaker on anyway? GS is disturbed to learn that the boy had an experience that involved Goblins attacking his family that is similar to his own. I feel that just where the plot is going remains unclear, and that was never really a problem during S1. During episode four I finally concluded that this sequel simply isn't living up to the standards set by the original GS. The first arc seems to come to an end and if asked I probably could not say exactly what the point or purpose of it was. This show seems like a watered-down version, riding on the coattails of its predecessor rather than trying to match or exceed them. It's not all that bad, but it is a definite disappointment for someone who had been hoping for more of the same. Where's the tension, the 'adventuring is a highly dangerous, roll-of-a-dice business', spirit? A new arc gets underway in episode five, which is a between-the-missions episode (there were several of these in season one). I was encouraged that things seemed to have returned to normal; the troublesome magician boy has largely disapeared and we meet the blindfolded priestess from season one again. I don't really see what the point of the first arc was and am glad that we seem to be moving on. Better to spend our time with the five tried and proven members of GS's team than weak newcomers. The team heads off to Elf Archer's sister's wedding, and has a run-in with Goblins along the way. Though I will definitely watch it to the end, I still feel that this second season isn't as sophisticated, intense, and high quality as season one. What's with the Samurai-like guy in the OP sequence? Anyway, they encounter a strange, dinosaur-like beast for reasons that escape me (why was there a Goblin 'riding' it?), then learn of a Goblin incursion into Elf territory and head off to destroy it. Here, at least, I detected a bit of mystery and was modestly intrigued. The actual fight sort of reminded me of Goblin's Crown--wild and violent but not brilliantly staged and kind of hard to take seriously. Is this arc complete? Did purging the Goblins also remove the threat of the strangely named giant forest creature? In season one, the answers would have been obvious. Another arc gets underway in episode nine as the blindfolded High Priestess makes a special request for GS and his companions to escort her through goblin ridden territory to the capital city. At the beginning of the episode we see what seems to be an adventure she undertook before taking this office, and among her allies is the Samurai-like character. In the city we encounter the girl who was rescued in Goblin's Crown. A Princess gets into trouble with goblins and I couldn't help laughing when GS bursts into a meeting of the Prince and the Royal staff and politely but firmly demands he be given the task of recovering her. It seems that whereas season one had more of a plot to it, here we are expected to be entertained largely by countless goblins getting splattered. The tricks GS pulls aren't quite as clever or surprising here. Fortunately, the final episode was pretty good. Just when it seems that the mission has been accomplished a new, much more deadly threat emerges. Goblins alone get boring after awhile, so the team must be obliged to fight something else now and then. The climactic fight was pretty exciting, more like season one stuff. Afterwards some sort of conspiracy which had tried to employ Goblins but was frustrated by GS is broken up by the government--I wasn't sure what to make of that. It suggested that the long term plot was far from over and a third season might be needed to deal with it. After the disappointments of this one, I'm not sure whether that would be good news or not. Ah, who am I kidding? I would watch it at least once. Last updated Wednesday, January 31 2024. Created Friday, October 13 2023. | ||||||||
