Goblin Slayer – 02

OP Sequence

OP: Mob mentalityby Mili

(Saki o korosu mono)
“Goblin Slayer”

With the memes raining down and everyone and their Bowsette waifu caring grandmother voicing opinions on this seasons contentious highpoint I think we all know where we stand on Goblin Slayer by now. Even being only the second week in this show has already established itself as this seasons most provocative offering (Tokyo Ghoul train wrecks dont count), and as highlighted this episode that fact wont be changing anytime soon. You best learn to like the edge, because its only going to get sharper from here on out.

After the vivid events of last week I was expecting something similar to grace our screens this time around (if youve read any spoilers you know what I mean), but instead we got treated to an otherwise normal episode. Well, as normal as gritty fantasy violence can be. As expected a little history on Goblin Slayer was revealed, with the guy originating from a quaint little village home to the always cute (and ever voluptuous) childhood friend who also provides lodging while our iron-clad terminator takes care of business. Even without reading the light novels its easy to guess what might have transformed a pouty brat into the (goblin) devil incarnate: something small and green tried acquainting themselves with the Slayers friends and family, resulting in a transformation yielding the monster before us. Obviously a little more complex than that of course, but Goblin Slayers routine and his single-minded focus tells the tale more than any info dump ever could. This guy is on a mission from God, and no one is going to stand in his way.

Beyond the stark portrayal of goblin slaying though, what particularly makes this simple setup work are the quirks of the characters involved. For example Ive already mentioned Goblin Slayers morning routine, but I like how the guy possesses a no nonsense, few words spoken personality which is engrained enough to eat with his armour onsay what you will, but that shows some serious dedication to the mission. Likewise our little Priestess has also grown with a commitment to helping her new partner and an unflinching willingness (well, mostly unflinching) to using otherwise pure magic/prayers in roles they werent originally intended for. Its a good bit of personality for a largely one track show, and one small highlight which eliminates some of my concern about things only being about the visual (and visceral) satisfaction of impaling small green things on long pointy sticks. If Goblin Slayer and Priestess have some backstory explanations awaiting us, you can bet the rest of our yet unnamed cast will too, and such discovery ensures the inevitable goblin slaying will be that much more impactful when it happens.

One way or another theres a story plan in place when it comes to this fantasy bloodletting, and likely not a moment too soon. With another chunk of our cast looking set to join with our licensed exterminator, you can bet the green pointy eared fun and games are not far behind.

 

ED Sequence

ED: (Gin no Kisei) by SoraruPreview

64 Comments

  1. Wanderer

    When I saw the screenshots of the childhold friend my first thought was “how long until she gets raped and murdered like everyone else?” :/

  2. ace

    They made the friend extra fan-service-y in the anime to like wow. She seemed more of a ditz in the anime too. could be me though.

  3. This episode is actually fairly subdued compared to the source material, IIRC. The anime doesn’t show what happened to the Steel ranked all female adventurer party. In the anime, you only see most of them dead. One of them is used for archery practice as a target, one of them is burned alive at the stake (you can make out a human form in the bonfire), one of them has her mouth stuffed with her own guts to prevent her from biting her tongue to stop the suffering, and the last is forced to watch before being raped to death.On the downside, it also omits how that otherwise competent party went down… a lucky sling shot to an unarmored head. It also explains why Goblin Slayer wears his helmet at all times.

    • Henrietta Brix

      After huge uproad of episode 1… I’m guessing WhiteFox went the safe way.Though it’ll make me rage more at the goblins if they really showed what happened to the previous party.That said… Let’s just gas and exterminate the goblins

      • SDFGS

        You do realize companies don’t just “react” to things in a week. It’s impossible to assume that they redid scenes in a weeks time if you know anything about how long it takes to actually produce an anime. Them leaving that out was most likely a decision they made when drafting the episodes a long time ago, or they could have just moved that scene to another episode. Anyways, an episode does NOT change after a week. The only thing I see different from last time with them responding to the outcry is that they actually put a “Viewer Discretion Advised” warning in the beginning….which TBH….First episode needed a hell lot more since apparently there was no warning. So that’s their own fault.

    • Mechamorph

      Short answer? Yes. Power of friendship, Priestess, Guild Girl and Cow Girl all trying to draw Goblin Slayer out of his shell, Goblin Slayer becoming a *little* more civilized, etc.Considering the way the volumes go and that Goblin Slayer looks to be one cour….The anime will likely end in or around the Battle of the Farm. It is hands down one of the most optimistic arcs in Goblin Slayer. An entire horde lead by a Goblin Lord bears down on Cow Girl’s farm. She refuses to flee and Goblin Slayer goes to the Adventurer’s Guild for help since not even he can fight a hundred plus goblins in pitched battle on an open plain.The Adventurers rally including all heretherefor introduced Silver plates. They beat back the goblins with minimal losses and everyone parties at the Guild. The arc ends with the (offscreen) reveal of Goblin Slayer’s face and him genuinely being welcomed as a member of the fraternity of adventurers instead of the weirdo who keeps going “any goblins?”.

      • Devastator001

        Depends on how fast they’re animating the chapter, at their current pace of roughly 2 chapters an ep they’ll blow past the Ogre Ruins in maybe 2 or 3 eps. The Goblin King/Farm Battle would also be done in around 3 eps. So that’ll leave us at the Sewers/Goblin Champion arc I guess 😕

      • Worldwidedepp

        let’s see if theyanimate the Meat shields of the Goblin army. This tactic appeared in “Maria the Witch” and “Berserk” right? Where the attackers forced the prisoners to be on the front lines to demoralized the enemy’s to shoot on their own brothers and sisters. But i bet even in Asia past history there where something similarSo i wonder how far they will go with the manga here at this pointBut you should also consider that always have Goblins as enemy’s and dead ones are the best… would bored the anime fansaka “Let’s see how many Goblins he slay in the next episode…*yawhn”

      • Worldwidedepp

        in short:Are Manga-fans the same as Anime(only)-fans or do the anime want to please the manga+anime lovers?It has to choose

      • haseo0408

        Well a huge part of the story is focused on Goblin Slayes reagaining his humanity after all the crap the goblins did to him, the guy is broken and more than a little of crazy but he’s not beyond hope.

      • Mechamorph

        I suspect that they are going that fast mainly to introduce the party seen in the previous episode’s trailer. Getting them on screen might have been seen as a priority compared to the fate of the Steel Party (which they allude to but do not explicitly state as a bone thrown to the LN/Manga readers).Perhaps they will slow down a bit in the future to add more character development and tension. I really would not mind seeing Sword Maiden on screen or for them to do the arc in the sewers. To my best knowledge, she has not been cast though. Fingers crossed we get to the Mirror at least. Who would not want to see Goblin Slayer booted off a hill or the fight with the Beholder?One possibility is that the Farm Arc is the finale but they insert in episodes from the Brand New Day or Year One storylines to make up the episode count. As for the human shields, I think they will probably make it into the anime however they might be covered with tatters, rags or shadows to censor the most explicit bits. Everybody remembers what happened with Full Metal Alchemist, Hellsing, Claymore and other adaptations that were seen as inferior for deviating too far from the source material. Not everyone is lucky enough to get a Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood or Hellsing Ultimate. I think the studio will try to stick with the light novel or manga as much as they can get away with.

  4. Why do I feel like Cow Girl is not gonna be making that many appearances going forward, even if she does remain alive. I like her presence in this setting.

    • Ginobi47

      She will, but not shes not as important as Priestess, Guild Girl and the rest of the party. So yeah, her screen time is limited

      • Mockman

        What’s with all the bleeping spoiler comments on this show.

      • Ginobi47

        Really?All I said was that Cow Girl was not important.That’s a spoiler?

      • Mockman

        If it didn’t happen in this episode or a prior one but will happen in a future one (and you’re stating it as a known fact as opposed to speculation) then yes. And that would apply to comments saying that a huge focus of the upcoming story is one thing or another. Let the animators tell the story.

  5. Litho

    Ugh, that cowgirls voice. Does her seiyuu make JAV for the deaf or something? Gave me tinnitus. Same for the OP and ED. Shold’ve juat made it instrumental. As for the content – was okay, I guess. Nothing special. I’m just waiting for the party to form. Less graphic than last week, though that probably won’t stop the feminazis on Twitter.

      • Dude

        Nun girl voicing cow girl. *head explodes*

      • Litho

        Good thing I’ve never bothered with Index then.

  6. Gars

    An uneven 2nd episode as they rush through the source material to get to the start of the “real” adventure with the full GS party. Fair amount of backgroud information and a good part of tactical side of the fight with the goblins in the old elven fort was heavily cut or left out entirely. Hopefully the speed will slowdown in the coming episodes so there is enough time to tell the story properly

    • Aex

      They also cut a lot of Guild Girl’s stuff, which sucks because she’s great and helps to ground Goblin Slayer a bit more. She’s good to show that he’s just a little more Batman than Terminator, plus her crush is adorable.Hope the anime isn’t trying on purpose to make the series more serious than it already is.

    • Mockman

      I dunno. I’m good with the level of information they’re providing now. I don’t feel that I need to know any more of what happened in that fight than I learned here. I presume we’ll see and hear more from the guild girl as we go forward, so it’s all good. Not looking for Goblin Danmachi. This episode had plenty of stage setting. That said, I thought it was well done in an understated ‘put all of them to the torch’ kind of way. Where two of the females are concerned, I find it more interesting how they struggle with their roles the Priestess as she learns the most brutal combat skills that the goblin slayer has developed, feels compelled to stifle her feelings for the doomed rookie squads, and then go out and pervert the blessed magicks that she was granted for entirely other purposes.Or the guild girl, perfectly postured and smiling warmly as she accepts jobs or chats up the adventurers, but the moment she’s not being watched, she sags beneath the weight of it all. And the despair she feels when, seemingly daily, rookie squads dismiss her warnings, and head out, never to return.I like the pace as I feel they’re not wasting a frame as they drive the story forward almost as relentlessly as the goblin slayer himself.

    • Have to agree with Mockman, what we received here was good in terms of explaining some world basics and the features of certain characters. We didn’t need a good deal of tactical information to understand Goblin Slayer’s strategy for example, it was shown in practice and highlighted in the moments needing it—i.e. Priestess’ use of her new magic. Given what’s been shown so far I likewise imagine any relevant background information and world history will similarly appear when needed.

  7. Bambi

    Do we get more depth in plot or character development rather than a slightly episodic life mission story?

  8. Devastator001

    I always imagined the Witch to be a Red head (seeing as she was based on Dragon’s Crown Sorceress XD) and Lancer/Spearman to be Black haired. Guts/Heavy Swords,am and Paladin are as I imagined.

  9. One Pinch Man

    I love the atmosphere at the guild. Feels like a real lively place.

  10. Wizel

    They left out a big scene in the Manga/LN.An female team of Steel ranked adventures took on the Goblin fortress before GS inherited the request. They fell prey to a Goblin trap using a dead body and it alerted the entire Goblin nest to their presence. As they were falling back Tank-Girl and her team killed many Goblins but she (like most others in this) was not wearing a helmet. A Goblin with a sling hit her in the head with a rock which KO’d her, without their front line fighter the other member’s were quickly overrun.Their fates are not good, the Goblins were pissed they had lost so many to their raid and did way worse things than what happened to Fighter-Girl in episode #1. If you look closely when they first show the Goblins in the fortress you can see the fate of that team briefly.

    • Wizel

      Sorry I forgot to put a spoiler tag on that, many apologies for anybody that is upset.

      • No worries, I don’t think it would’ve spoiled anything regarding future events, but just in case I put spoiler tags in.

  11. Worldwidedepp

    Well, now you know how our Goblin Slayer works and fight. Do you still are with him? Then this is your anime. Is his world full of Hate more an annihilation of Goblins and you can not bear this? Then do not look behind and go, for your own happiness. Our Goblin Slayer here wash his hands mostly on Goblin BloodBut if you are still unsure what to do, then it would not hurt to watch 1 more Episodeand yes, as you can see this “Cow girl” here survived, because she was away with his Uncle at the City

    • Worldwidedepp

      and she is the anchor that he still remain “Human” and care for the female Priest. Imagine he would just slay the Goblins in the Dungeon and let her behind, taken care of herself and just continue to slay Goblins…an Spark, that he has a bit humanity inside him

      • Worldwidedepp

        in a way, this is “active” Violet Evergarden Trauma, where Violet herself had this experienced in her past

    • Need to factor in the pointy elf ears though, pointy elf ears always win 😛

    • FVA

      It is hot. because technically the anvil was always struck by a hammer XD

  12. Worldwidedepp

    @animators:The Car she pulled after this scene:https://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2011.jpgGive it more bigger ones. Because bigger let use you lesser force to overcome obstacles, like rocks and such.. Imagine this tiny wheels overcome today’s sidewalk barrier.. So it would be better to have bigger ones, right?or make the back one Wheels bigger, so she can lift a bit the front ones to overcome this problemPhysics

    • Worldwidedepp

      also see at the Baby buggy of today…

  13. RenaSayers

    For some one who lived through a dramatic experience, this girl is fairly care free with her image dont you all think? With the danger of goblins, with how those monsters raid villages and turn women into sex toys for their amusement. Yet here she is but ass naked under her sheets. This episode is so sharp I got bandaids all over.https://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%2006.jpghttps://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%2007.jpg

    • haseo0408

      Well, goblins are HUGE problem for villages in that fantasy world, but nobody considers they are going to be next in line for the nightmare until is too late. Cow Girl was on the city when she lost her parents to the goblins so she didn’t get to experince the full horro of goblin raids as poor Goblin Slayer did.

    • Worldwidedepp

      in the Manga there will be an point where all the Horror she experienced in episode 1, will come back in an flash, and she nearly lost it…but lucky the MC had an miracle return and save the fight. Because being around him she lost her fear.. So our Cow Girl here has the same feeling. If he is around she feels saveSorry, even hidden in spoiler i do not want to tell you of how i am talking about.. but only 1 person survived in episode 1 beside the MC

      • RenaSayers

        That’s really interesting.

  14. Incognito

    Goblin Slayer anime (so far) in a nutshell:Episode 01: “Damn, that was a brutal twist for a season premiere.”Episode 02: “Based on the audience reaction, the last episode was so brutal, we ought to have a breather episode today.”Might as well enjoy these moments of fanservice before s**t hits the fan once again:https://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2007.jpgCow Girl? More like Cow Tits, amirite? Hehe…https://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2017.jpgThat hot witch (trope!)… Though I can’t help but wish for Sword Maiden to make a cameo in the season finale at the very least. (Yes, I’ve read the manga up to chapter 28–the latest unofficially translated one–and… Damn.)https://images.randomc.net/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2036.jpgHope they give High Elf Archer a nice behind, just like the SAO character she was based on.Can’t wait to see if next week’s episode will be as no-holds-barred as the first. BTW, is Goblin Slayer usually broadcast in Japan during the “Otaku-o-clock” timeslot? (Late nights from 11 PM to 1 AM, IIRC.)

  15. haseo0408

    It pains me to see how Goblin Slayer is treated like an outcast and weirdo by almost everybody when he’s doing such an important work for thsoe defenseless people, hell, most adveturers don’t take goblin slaying quests because they are really dangerous and the pay is very low. At least Priest, Guild Girl and Cow Girl know he’s a real hero, that’s got to count for something.

    • Devastator001

      Witch also kinda understands too which why he keeps Lancer from Bugging Goblin slayer too much.

    • Devastator001

      Witch also kinda understands too which why she keeps Lancer from Bugging Goblin slayer too much.

    • theirs

      Well, he isn’t really that sociable. And his zeal on a single type of foe probably means he hardly parties up with anyone on other quests. The only impression he makes to anyone is by his looks. Just by hearing what everyone is saying you can tell that that isn’t helping his image at all.

    • Not everyone dismisses him. The farmers and rural villages on the frontier loves Goblin Slayer. Heck, he even has bards singing of his exploits!

  16. Beedle

    I’m probably in the minority, but I found Cow Girl’s voice very jarring. I guess I’m too used to hearing Iguchi Yuka voice flat-chested imouto-ish characters (I’m looking at you, Index and Tsukihi) that hearing her voice her really broke my immersion. Elf-chan as well, for that matter. I was expecting a spunkier tone based on her manga depiction. And what’s with all the lip gloss? o__o

    • Mistic

      You’re not the only one. I didn’t expect Cow Girl’s voice and, frankly, I didn’t like it. For a moment I thought that she was still speaking from her childhood flashback, but no, that was her adult voice.

  17. Andmeuths

    One of the more interesting, under-discussed aspects of the second episode is actually the Priestess as a character. What drives her to continue to follow Goblin Slayer, even if his methods themselves call her faith into question? And I think it’s a very interesting direction, to have the holy nun nice girl archetype to question why her goddess permits her to use her powers in such cruel, un-merciful ways, in the very ways that feel wrong to her moral conscience even if she agrees with the reasoning of the GS on an intellectual level. I do hope we get more about the crisis of faith that the Priestess may well be going through, instead of this being a one-off incident.

  18. Bakapooru

    What I find interesting is four VAs plays the characters from Encouragement of the Climb:1. Yui Ogura (Priestess) plays Kokona2. Nao Toyama (Elf Archer) is Honoka3. Yuka Iguchi (Cow Girl) voices Aoi4. Yoko Hikasa (Witch) plays KaedeSmall world. They just need Kana Asumi.

  19. Dark Wing

    Goblin Slayer is an interesting individual. Imagine The Punisher, Batman, and Doomguy rolled into a suit of armor.

  20. Worldwidedepp

    Ep 03:I would say, this Episode 03 is an good entry for peoples that do not like the Dark Theme of the first two ones, but then they miss the “drive” of our Main Hero. Sure its hard to bear, but seems like you still are here and walked this pathWelcome, in an dark world where not all is shiny and easy.. i still wonder what manga parts they want to animate.. i look forward for this dark theme world, but be warned this is not your every “stroll in the park” anime. Blood, Gore and … you will see

  21. dropped

    After seeing the flashback it seems that the uncle knew about the impending attack on the village and got the girl out of there before it happened, seeing the look on his face there. The Author DID mention that there were bigger forces at play, the humans probably have been doing stuff that as a side effect, piss off the goblins. It also seems hes pretty afraid of the Goblin slayer, as i afraid he’d find out the truth.

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