The Promised Neverland

The Promised Neverland is not easy for me to rate. The plot itself may sound hackneyed, but its treatment is definitely worth watching, it delivers many surprises to the audience, and only a complete ignoramus could label it a totally unimaginative show in the context of contemporary Japanese animation. It has a thick atmosphere most of the time, which is mainly due to the great minimalist soundtrack and, the first-person camera shots highlight the most intense moments, but this anime is far from perfect. Why? Throughout, I had a specific problem with the characters, who, though emotionally immature, like a Mary-Sue, accurately deduce everything immediately with a minimum of clues. They also sermonize at the top of their lungs, as they are flawless and their unwavering direction is presented as the only legitimate option to resolve the situation. The pace of the narrative is so unbalanced that while the season drags on until the last third, with more talking than action (with some plot twists fizzling out completely into nothing), the action picks up quickly in the last few episodes, and the ending comes quicker than the audience had hoped for. The sequel which has been announced, however, intrigues me, as it is in it that the creators might fully show what cards they have up their sleeve, that is if they have not already done so. A slightly better 3 stars. (03/01/2020)