Chapter Yakusoku no Neverland Chapter Reviews

[Seraph]

Yakusoku no Neverland/The Promised Neverland - Chapter 163 Review by Seraph

Chapter Title: Reversal

This Week's Chapter of Neverland begins in the Holy Temple where Musica and Sonju are trying to revive the High Priest and the 4 Sages with their special blood from their Suspended Animation,said and done,the High Priest is the first to be revived by Musica and Sonju with visible struggle as both appear exhausted when his Excellency comes back to consciousness after hundreds of years. He is greeted by Sonju and immediatly recognizes him by his Mask and Hair, as the elder wonders about what exactly might be going on he realizes that he has been revived with the blood of his saviors and that it must've been quite an amount as both Musica and Sonju are struggling to keep their balance right now. Sonju promises to explain everything to him so they have a seat,as the High Priest learns of the Queen and the 5 Regent Houses demise he expresses sadness but also apologizes to Sonju for the way things had to go. While they may have been enemies it is also true that the Queen was Sonju's Sister by blood,in other words,"Family". The Priest worries that now with the Balance and Pillars of their Regiment broken the World as they know it is on the verge of collapsing in itself,something he feared for hundreds of years,but while he may have feared it it was also necessary. The Gods left them a final but most effective way to live from here on out: Musica with her Special Blood!,if she was to share it with the other demons it would be possible for everybody to survive without Fresh Human meat or in very very simple terms: The Priest is Pro-Emma!. He thanks both Sonju and Musica for surviving all those 700 years while being hunted only to return and save their kind from starvation,the High Priest believes their current situation to be a test for Demonkind as to wether or not they can change and live accordingly. He promises to help as much as he can.

Suddenly,just as Sonju wants to begin reviving the Sages,a very loud noise is to be heard from outside which is revealed to be an announcement made by some of the Queen's former retainers. One of the retainers informs the Citizens of the fate that both the Queen and the 5 Regent houses have suffered,leaving many in shock and surprise,he claims that they have been killed by a bunch of bandits that took advantage of the earlier chaos in Town. He quickly moves on form the bad news and begins to announce that both the 4 Great Farms and the remnants of the Royal Army will from now on govern under an assembled council,as the Citizens are still in surprise about this the retainer begins to read the proclamation. Meanwhile,Sonju and Musica cannot believe what they're hearing here,this is all happening way too quickly as the Queen has only been dead for a day by now and yet all the remaining factions that are usually at odds with another are in perfect agreement with this even without Ivelk around which can only mean that Peter Ratri has his hands in play again. As the Citizens wonder what the Bandits identities are the retainer urges them to keep quiet as they were about to reveal that anyway: The Geelan-Clan and "The Evil Blooded" Sonju and Musica!. As another retainer holds up a wanted poster of Sonju and Musica some of the children recognize them as their saviors that prevented the earlier crisis in the capital,and even some adults speak up for them but the retainer tells them that their new blood is harmful and contaminated and they will have to be killed to find salvation of their sin of associating with them. While some are immediatly imprisoned for their "crime" some others try to run away as they're being hunted by both fellow Citizens and Royal Soldiers, including Sonju,Musica and the High Priest.

As they're running away some of the Citizens attempt to catch them but with no luck,as he's running Sonju thinks to himself that this is not the world they want as there is nothing better about it than the previous one ruled by the Queen. It's still terrible for them,the chance to change was there but they didn't grasp it tightly enough he thinks to himself as he remembers Emma and Ray. Everything is going according to Peter Ratri's plan,a man who has just been playing Chess with actual lives and feelings. Sonju needs to save Musica and the Priest otherwise they will be captured and the High Priest will be killed as one of those that are "infected",sadly Musica and the Priest can't assist Sonju(Who is still barely standing himself) in fighting off the pursuers as they're both at their limits. Musica due to almost severe blood loss and the High Priest due to his 1000 year long sleep rendering him physically weak. Just as he finishes his train of thought they're already being attacked by some Soldiers and Citizens,unfortunately Sonju can't fight them off as he is worried that he'd kill one of the civilians by accident. He attempts to fight them off until Musica and the Priest have been brought to safety by his horse but Sonju is too weak to even block a single strike and is quickly defeated by the Soldiers. The Chapter ends with both Musica and Sonju(Yes,the High Priest as well as the horse aren't anywhere to be seen suddenly-) being arrested for the crime of attempting to overthrow their Government.

Personal Thought's

I rate this Chapter a 7.5 out of 10.

Peter might turn out to be an incredible final villain after all,he's effectively taking away any possible allies for the remaining Kids in this rough situation by capturing Musica and Sonju while also eliminating any possible replacements for the Demon Royalty that are not of his "liking" as well as making everything both Demon and Human Society related in the Neverland his own. That's Strategic thinking that could give Norman a run for his money i'd say,but if nothing else it shows just how and where Norman adapted his previous rather ruthless and extreme mindset in terms of dealing with Demons and unwanted interferences in his plans. Then again,Peter had him at Lambda for a reason. The High Priest was a lot more lighthearted than i expected him to be but i guess if he really made it out of that situation on Sonju's horse then he might turn out to be an important ally as he shares Emma's mindset to an extent by having Musica share her blood with everybody and get Sonju to rule next. Something i actually agree to as well,it is his birthright after all. I do admit that i am more hyped and excited for what is going on at Grace Field right now though,even more since i know that Isabella is back in action and ready to impress us again with her brilliance,Peter's interactions with her could be interesting but we'll see soon enough. I'm looking forward to it that's all i know, Till next time everybody!!!

 

[Seraph]

Yakusoku no Neverland/The Promised Neverland - Chapter 169 Review by Seraph

Chapter Title: Perfect Scores

"If there were no farms...our families and friends...would not have been killed to be served as food. If it wasn't for you(Peter Ratri)...that abhorrent hunting ground wouldn't have existed. If it wasn't for your Clan...the World wouldn't be this way. This World wouldn't be a place where we children are continually eaten by Demons. How many children have died because of you? How many have shed tears?."...And with this serious and intense Dialogue of Oliver i welcome you,Neverland-Readers, to my Chapter Review for Chapter Number: 169. It has been awhile and we apologize for the little hiatus we've taken on the TPN Reviews everyone but worry not we won't disappear again anytime soon and we'll do our best to make sure we cover and focus as much as possible onto the current and recent chapters in order for you(Who is reading this right now-) to enjoy the climax of Neverland wholeheartedly!. But let's not waste too much time on chit-chat and let's get right to it shall we? Here we go!. The only response Peter Ratri can muster to Oliver's questions and criticisms is to call him foolish,as the Cattle Children wouldn't exist if not for him and the Ratri Clan's existence in the World,he is their creator and by extension their "Dad". Hearing this visibly angers Oliver,he thinks to himself that Peter cannot be serious about this as the only person who the kids from Goldy Pond would accept as their Dad is Lucas,the man who entrusted them with everything when they parted ways back at the shelter. Concluding his thought Oliver,Zack,Gillian,Ayshe and her wolves charge Peter Ratri threatening him into going down on his knees and drop his weapon. Meanwhile,Don used the change of situation to check onto Vincent's group in order to free them and check if the latter is still alive,which he is as Peter missed his head and shot his shoulder instead.

As Vincent wakes up from his brief loss of consciousness Hayato looks at him teary eyed,expressing his relief that his friend is still alive and right after a flashback begins. Cutting back to a few minutes earlier just before Vincent had been captured and shot by Peter Ratri, the reason Hayato wasn't captured is that he was sent out by Vincent in order to secure their Escape Route, Nigel told him that if the group fails to catch up to him he is to join up with Oliver's group. When Peter gave his "victory" speech about not letting the Kids go again and having them become proper food this time Hayato took his chance and helped out Oliver's group by attacking one of the Ratri-Henchmen which served as enough of a distraction for Oliver's Team to take out all of their enemies. Back in the present Vincent reveals that it was part of his plan to try and trigger Peter into shooting him,because even if shot they would not get rid of him without finding out the passwords he knows and also due to them needing to perform the Gupna Ceremony,he thanks Hayato for saving all of them. As the situation seems in the Kids favor Don lets Ray know that everything's alright on their end with the latter responding that they too have gotten their situation under control by now,shortly after, all the groups rejoin inside the Assembly Hall in front of Peter Ratri who has now effectively lost everything at his disposal as all of his henchmen have been tied up and all of the Security Demons have been put to sleep before. As Norman comes face to face with his Old "caretaker" he tells him that he has lost this "game" but he is only met by a ridiculing laugh from Peter who wonders how stupid the kids can get as nothing will change with their situation even if he was to die here since they still don't have any means to escape nor any hope of winning here.

Emma and Gillian tell Peter that there is no need for him to "worry" about them as they already have an escape route as well as plenty of hope for victory and group survival,the former tells the head of the Ratri Clan that his schemes and games are over as there is nobody left to save nor protect him anymore,hearing this Peter cannot help but wonder what Emma means since he thinks that the Kids have forgotten something very important. Suddenly,all over Grace Field we see "Mama's" showing up armed with rifles and...tablets(yeah i know haha,which they used to unlock all the doors-)who immediatly surround the Kids from both sides and that just as they thought they had won for good. Among the many Mamas there is also Grandma Isabella, who instantly puts her aim on Emma asking her if she had fun outside while destroying everything the Ratri-Clan has worked so hard for to achieve and maintain over the years,the Kids can resist as much as they want but despair is unavoidable and it'll always end up this way as long as they refuse to learn their lessons and continue resisting. All of a sudden Isabella lifts her aim from Emma onto Peter Ratri while putting on a challenging grin,she praises the Kids for their efforts and tells them that all of them receive perfect scores,every Mama in the vicinity changes her aim onto Peter as well who is now realizing that Isabella has infact betrayed him along with the Grace Field personell...

Personal Thought's

I rate this Chapter a 10 out of 10,because Isabella got her well deserved great moment,as an Isabella Fanboy i can be shameless for once and base my rating solely on the hype i felt reading this chapter.

I'd have been pretty disappointed if Isabella had gotten shafted at a crucial point of the arc such as here,not just as a Fanboy but also as a Reader in general,she is of a high calibre and we had been wondering for awhile what exactly she had been up to while the Kids were going onto their adventures in order to make the new Promise with the Supreme Demon and quite a few(Me included) were expecting her to make a return and get one big moment before it's curtains on Neverland. First i thought she was a legitimate ally of Peter but the more i saw her on panel the more i felt like "Nah,it can't be." Though admittedly i was caught by surprise when she came back and had become Grandma all of a sudden. Even though the assumption was always open to be made since her last appearance. I liked the Flashbacks to Yuugo and Lucas from Oliver,they really were their adopted Dads in a way and seeing Oliver admit and acknowledge that instead of viewing them as Elder Brothers was a really emotional moment. Peter got what he's deserved so far,i'm surprised that it was this easy to stop him and overwhelm his own plans,does prove that Norman has more tactical genius than he does i suppose though. Oh well,we'll see where Neverland goes next,i only know that i'm looking forward to it for sure! Till next time everybody!!!

 

[Hermit]

The Promised Neverland Final Chapter Review by Hermit

A tad late, apologies for that. But this review will reference quite a few things, not just the last chapter.

So, it finally comes to a conclusion. After 4 years of serialization, spanning 181 chapters, the Promised Neverland ended last week(end). Chapter 180 (The second last one), revealed the truth about the details of Emma's promise. The deal was that she would sacrifice ALL her memories about her family. So she in fact lied to her family. Something I quite liked. In this penultimate chapter;

The rest of the kids have been searching the entire world for Emma. An endeavor that has taken them 2 years (Another timeskip in the series), but I am glad that locating Emma is not this easy. Gilda then suggests that they try searching for Emma in forbidden zones, such as where Norman had instructed the Lambda crew to search for Musica and Sonju.

Through nothing but sheer coincidence, Ray, Norman and a few of the other kids end up in the same town Emma is at. Emma herself is travelling with the elderly fellow who has been taking care of her for the past couple of years. Emma and Ray end up crossing paths, but when Ray turns back to look for her, he doesn't find her. Emma, on the other hand, has misplaced her necklace. The memento Musica had given her back in the second arc.

She finds the necklace somewhere on the ground, but just then, Ray and Norman are standing in front of her. A tearful reunion ensues, and Emma is embraced by the other kids. Sadly, she does not remember them. Gilda and one other kid are skeptical over whether this is the real Emma. Ray reassures them that it is indeed her, realizing the repercussions of the promise right there and then. Phil hugs her, trying to remind her who she is.

Norman though, is relieved. Even though Emma has indeed lost her memories, she's in good health. Which is the most important thing, more than anything else. He begins to tell Emma about how all the kids are living their lives currently. Apparently, the Lambda kids (+ Norman) were all able to cured by the world's medicine. Ayshe also hasn't killed Norman, plus Mike Ratri serves as their guardian.

All of this makes Emma emotional, and she confesses that she has always wanted to see everyone there. Somewhere in her heart, she feels as if she has known them for ages. Just then, the kids all agree to live together with Emma.

Personally, I quite liked this final chapter. Despite the last 20 or so chapters being full of countless grievances (One after another), this was a really good final chapter. The expectation going into this was that Emma would magically recover her memories after running into Ray and Norman. But she still doesn't remember them, which is good. Very good even. Finally an action that has a damning consequence on the group of main characters.

Overall, I would give this final chapter a strong 7.5/10. As a whole, I would give the series a 6/10. The first arc was a masterpiece. Truly a sensational arc. That alone deserves a 9/10. I feel as if the arc would have been stronger if Ray had just died there, instead of constantly playing second fiddle for the rest of the story. Goldy Pond was decent, nothing special. But the arcs after that, just.....grrrrrr. Not very entertaining stuff.

Things I would have really liked changed was obviously, Isabella's death. That is quite possibly the WORST moment in the series, and I wasn't even that big a fan of her. Like, why? Why did she have to die? Much less, to a nameless fodder demon that ended up being offed a panel later? Makes no sense at all, if the author was trying to go for a last emotional tug it should have and could have been done better. The kids were all bawling their eyes over Isabella, but a chapter later they were all happy and ready to head into the human world -.-

The best character in the series for me was Norman. Hands down. Even excluding the nonsensical nakamization, he was one of the series's shining points. Considering his 'sacrifice' in the first arc was the first moment of the series where you realize just how screwed these kids are, and even his return later on in the series brought with it new plot elements + world building. Worst character was Emma though, hands down. Has been the most frustrating lead protagonist to follow in recent times for WSJ. So much, SO much more could have been done with her character. But she remained the same blank canvas from start to end, which was just....underwhelming.

And so, another WSJ series comes to an end (Seems to be happening quite a bit this year). But before I end this review, would like to mention something important.

Spoiler

P.S: The bird bites.