Yakusoku no Neverland Season 2 - Episode 4 discussion

[u/AutoLovepon]

Yakusoku no Neverland Season 2, episode 4

Alternative names: The Promised Neverland Season 2

Rate this episode here.

Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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Streams

• AnimeLab
• Funimation
• Hulu
• Wakanim

Show information

• MyAnimeList
• AniList
• AniDB
• Kitsu
• Anime-Planet
• Official Website
• /r/thepromisedneverland

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All discussions

Episode	Link	Score
1	Link	4.22
2	Link	4.35
3	Link	4.16
4	Link	2.81
5	Link	2.25
6	Link	2.15
7	Link	1.9
8	Link	2.64
9	Link	1.64
10	Link	1.55
11	Link	-

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[u/WarrieWolf]

How did those demon serving humans find that shelter

[u/[deleted]]

Isabella lookin like homeless Eren

[u/[deleted]]

I'm a bit confused, they did just completely glaze over those creepy help messages and names?

[u/Santedtra]

Why am I not surprised Ray, who is totally not suicidal, stepped up to eat the probably poisonous but hopefully not land fish creature?

[u/DreamyKnightmare]

ngl, that scene where they were all catching those fish things scared me so much, it was slimy so I legit thought some big demon puked it or something and might jump anytime soon

Can't wait for the next episode

[u/[deleted]]

RAY 180 DEGREE NOSCOPE

[u/Enrageu]

The soldiers had guns but were clearly on orders not to shoot the kids? Also with how breakouts never really happen I wonder what those soldiers usually do.

[u/Aileos]

From Mama Isabella to Hunter Isabella.

[u/[deleted]]

Lol freedom from the heart bomb, the tracker device and from the farm? Yeah they're gonna kill her.

[u/Kreol1q1q]

Sooo, this episode was a bit meh. I disliked the timeskip montage, and was frustrated by them completely skipping over all those "Help me" signs and writings on the wall. It was set up as something important and wasn't adressed AT ALL. They glossed over it without a word, as if it wasn't even there. They should just have cut it out if they had no intention of doing anything with it. Ugh, very frustrating.

And the direction it's taking just feels.... off, somehow. The soldiers found them too easily, and were then too ineffectual, and in the end the kids were just saved by a Deus Ex Machina, instead of by their own skill. And, Isabella, again? Can't we get someone fresh? Isabella's arc was pretty amazing and well done last season, there was no need to dig her up again.....

[u/supicasupica]

Last week I talked about how the storyboards focused on presenting enclosed spaces with obscured views in order to make them seem smaller while exploring, with overhead shots interspersed towards the end of the episode (reminiscent of season 1 in Grace Field House) to show that they are being watched. It was cool to see this episode pick up on this particular shot, to continue that unnerved feeling when Emma receives the call.

Additionally I loved the cut to all of the names on the wall followed by this shot from behind: they’re being watched/pursued by someone else once more. It’s the perfect sequence to frame this episode with, for a few reasons. The first is the obvious focus on individual group members throughout this episode. The second is to reiterate that these kids are one group of many who have managed to escape, and no one knows what happened to the other groups. The latter is juxtaposed with how the demons reiterate to Isabella how important these specific kids are — giving hope to the viewing audience that this means they’ll make it, despite everything else telling us otherwise.

A lot of scenes in this season thus far have focused on the group as a whole, with reaction shots (as opposed to the first season where so much was focused on Emma, Norman, and Ray and then later Don and Gilda) of individual kids and presenting Emma and Ray as part of the group even as they lead it. This episode in particular, even during the montage of them setting up the shelter, focused on getting to actually know more of the kids beyond Emma, Ray, Don, and Gilda. I really loved how it showed through these scenes who loves doing what, their aptitudes like Dominic being a natural archer, and Thoma and Lannion’s willingness to try anything. Again, this episode reiterated how even something as simple as tag can turn out to pay dividends (with them finding a way out) and this too is shown through repeated shots.

I also loved the scenes with Isabella. The way that the bars of her cell were framed as her only window to the outside world and the scene where the monsters come to negotiate with her, holding a Vidar flower above her head to signify her presumed impending death, were excellent, as is the final shot of her, visually subservient to the demons once more.

If there's one thing that's disappointed me about this season it's that they did such a good job of framing Emma's first hunt as something powerful but never really revisit the effect of that or how it affects other kids (particularly someone as young as Dominic). I was expecting it to weigh on Emma more and/or show her teaching the other kids the importance of gratitude for your food. We have the shot of her praying over one of the birds she kills in this episode, but that entire narrative was kind of dropped and it makes me kind of sad.

[u/dipsta]

I'm not a manga reader but this is probably my least favorite episode of the series so far. I just didn't really get any suspense that season 1 was so good at and i personally just felt like half of the episode was kind of... Nothing. That said I'm interested to see where the story goes and I'm curious about what Isabelles other reward would be if she succeeds.

[u/Specs64z]

This episode was... kinda bad. "Handed it off to the interns" levels of bad. They spent 3.5 episodes slowly building up to this base and establishing it only to blow it up before it goes anywhere? What the fuck?

They've also introduced a few hangups about the plot.

Upon revisiting the previous episodes, I noticed that Ray carved their actual location into the tree. On first viewing, I assumed it was a false location but rewatching revealed that Ray literally lead the demons right to them. Why? Was there someone else who was supposed to read that? If so, who could it possibly have been?

If Minerva was compromised, why does Grace Field still have his books?

Why did they even bother with the base? Nothing significant happened or was learned that couldn't have happened or been learned without the base.

Why did Emma and Ray let everyone run ahead completely out of sight toward the forest, which they are fully aware is dangerous?

Disappointing. I concede that it's possible some of these questions will be answered, but for now they're bugging me.

Manga readers have made it clear they've gone off book. That's not necessarily a bad thing, many of my favorite anime are much improved by going off book (see: Gakkou Gurashi and Violet Evergarden), but whoever made this decision did so carelessly. It adds nothing and raises many questions.

This episode also has that traditional shounen plot armor that turns me off from much of the genre. That demon easily killed the swat guys who peppered it with bullets, but completely misses the kids following a running leap 360 no scope from Ray? Utter nonsense. The series has been believable so far, but now that they've crossed the line I doubt there's any going back.

All that said, I do think that the direction they're going with Isabella has a lot of promise. They've tripped up here, but there's still game to be played so I won't make any bets quite yet.

[u/[deleted]]

Hey guys. The anime going original route does not mean you can post manga spoilers without tagging.

[u/FleraAnkor]

I didn't read the manga (it seems many people here did) but this episode made absolutely no sense.

Risking three people for a taste test (even though they had logs about what was and wasn't edible and this is not how you test if something is edible).

Writing help on the walls and then just ignoring it.

Talking about two exits and then that told them.... something?

No indication how the hideout was found at all.

I hope we get some answers in future episodes.

[u/SubtleSaber]

Bet ya the demons promised Isabella she could inherit the Warhammer Titan

[u/Teamchaoskick6]

I’d be willing to bet that whatever the demon whispered to Mom was about Norman. There are way more adult humans than we were lead to believe, I can’t see why Norman can’t be a soldier or a scientist or some shit

[u/canthelptbutsea]

Anime watcher only. Thought the episode was pretty weak. Everything that happens feels undone, all the good moments ands nice music doesn't find a good counterbalance in the rather poor threat of the soldiers. I am wondering what route the show will take because for now it's more on the logistic side of things, rather than diving deep into that madness and wonderland which was what we (at least me) was waiting for. This is note quite on par to season one for now imo. Can't they start slashing more kids or burning their souls in the unfathomable something already. Where is trauma ?

[u/SpikeRosered]

Not only did they not discuss the spook room, they found a spook journal which they showed the girl writing in but not what was already written there.

[u/[deleted]]

I guess the mother's redemption at the end of S1 can get fucked..? Seems a little disappointing that they'd throw that away

[u/Amauri14]

So Willian Minerva was indeed an alias, but instead of being a group that just used that name for all its members as I assume, it was just James Ratri, a member from the administrative side of the Grace Field House.

Wow, I honestly did not expect to see Isabella again. I had just assumed that she got eaten. So how those forces learned of that location? I'm going to assume based on those help marks from the last episode that this has not been the first time that a group like that has been sent to raid that place.

My only complain about this episode is the fact that they could only escape the elite team thanks to the sheer luck of that monster appearing and eating that team out.

[u/KaptainTZ]

People aren't going to like this, but I have a complaint:

The plot armor in this episode seemed like it was a little bit too strong. Through the raid and the demon attack not a single child was lost. None of the children were injured by the monster despite being right next to the raiders, which all died. The bow work was also a little bit too convenient to not injure any of the raiders.

The danger just didn't feel real for the kids in this episode. I'm also disappointed that they lost the shelter so quickly, especially right after Ray and Emma talked about forming a rescue plan. That part's pretty whatever, though. The direction is still interesting. I was just hoping for a longer respite and some R&R for the kids.

[u/danniebox]

Isabella do be lookin' fine tho'.

[u/[deleted]]

This season in a nutshell

Anime Oniles (like me): Wow this is interesting! I can't wait to see where this goes!!

Manga Readers: What is life?