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Why is The Promised Neverland anime so controversial? Discover what went wrong with the second season of the anime.
Once compared to the likes of Attack on Titan, The Promised Neverland Season 1 was a fascinatingly dark series that gripped fans with its unique story. Unfortunately, when it returned after close to a two-year break, it was subject to heavy outrage. So, why is The Promised Neverland anime so controversial?
The second season of The Promised Neverland skipped out on most of the arcs from its source material while rushing to a conclusion. This was heartbreaking to fans of the first season, which had a near-perfect adaptation of the manga. Let us take a closer look at this.
The Adaptation Issue of The Promised Neverland Anime
The first season of The Promised Neverland introduced us to Emma, Norman, and Ray, three orphans in the Grace Field House. They spent their days in leisure with friends and their caretaker – Mama. Being the smartest among their peers, the trio soon discover a shocking secret.
Demons overran the world and raised the children in the house as livestock. Despite being young, the protagonists were brighter than most adults and prepared an escape plan. Even after getting out of the Grace Field House, however, they’d have to learn to survive in the world. This was the point up to where the first season of the anime adapted the story.
As soon as the second season aired in January 2021, viewers noticed significant differences where the series was rushing its plot along. It skipped entire storylines such as the Goldy Pond Arc, Cuvitidala Arc and several more. Even The Imperial Capital Battle Arc featuring Norman’s triumphant return from death and internal struggle to not kill demons was significantly changed since there was none of the world development present.
The story in the manga ends with Emma’s self-sacrifice to send her loved ones to the human world. The anime does not adapt this and instead shows her saving the other orphans, who naturally found humanity. For the few fans still watching, this marked the final nail in the coffin of a poorly handled adaptation.
The Difference Between The Promised Neverland Anime’s Season 1 and Season 2
At one point, fans considered The Promised Neverland among the best of the new generation of anime. With nuanced characters, a deceptive storyline that showed the brutality of the world, and beautiful visuals, the series seemed geared to take the ratings by storm.
With its second season, it lost this charm. This contributed by a decline in animation quality and nearly 150 chapters adapted into 11 episodes, there was no time given for drama to be built or showcase the tensions between the demons and the humans.
Norman’s complex struggle, Emma’s bubbly personality being challenged, and screen time for Ray were all cut down on. Most importantly, the first season of the anime promised an expansive world with all kinds of creatures and awe-inspiring elements.
The second season failed to deliver on these aspects, focusing on a few plot points and ending unsatisfactorily.
What the Studio Should Have Done
The most obvious answer to this question is that the studio – CloverWorks, should have realized the popularity and potential of The Promised Neverland. They should have split it up into multiple seasons, even taking potential hiatuses if it meant for a proper adaptation. Covering only a few bases of the story prevented emotional investment and gave just a broad outline of how the events in the series took place.
The Promised Neverland Season 2 was adapted shortly after the manga had ended. Hence, it is likely that CloverWorks was disillusioned with the story and simply wanted to conclude the anime without spending too many resources.
If the studio lacked finances or interest in adapting the second season, they could have passed it to another studio. This has happened before with Vinland Saga and Attack on Titan, where Studio WIT handed them to Studio MAPPA. Studio WIT faced backend issues and couldn’t maintain their high-quality work, so the transition ensured continuity.
Hence, instead of holding on to the project and ending it themselves, the studio had several options to satisfy fans.
Is The Promised Neverland Manga Worth Reading
For those who enjoyed the first season but were let down by its sequel, The Promised Neverland manga will undoubtedly be a compelling read.
It spends time developing all characters and explores several parts of the world, enhancing its grandiosity. The intense and emotion-driven moments in the story never feel out of place, and there is consistency before the enjoyable conclusion.
Additionally, the manga features great artwork and is the original vision of the author – Shirai Kaiu. Therefore, we’d highly recommend it for those who want to see how the story actually proceeds after season 1.
Conclusion
To conclude, The Promised Neverland anime has caused one of the biggest controversies after diverging from its source material. While it is possible that the studio had unspoken issues in the adaptation, there were also steps they could take to ensure it stayed faithful to the manga.
Nevertheless, the story of The Promised Neverland still remains a standout in the realm of dark fantasy. It stunned fans with its psychological drama and plot twists, and we are sure viewers will be hoping for a remake in the future.
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