Big surprise, Goblin Slayer survives. I’ll admit that this anime sure tried its darnedest to wave that death flag (albeit to some unintentionally humorous results) but was there really any doubt? If you honestly thought he could die, at least this early in a clearly longer story, I’m gonna slap some sense into you. That said, the manner in which Goblin Slayer recovers is, uh, strange to put it mildly. Really? You’re going to take a page from Fate/stay night with the sexy time equals powerful magic detail? Not only is it a silly excuse to show Priestess naked, you’re also making me remember Fate/stay night. How dare you, Goblin Slayer.
The following scene where Goblin Slayer converses with Sword Maiden is pretty decent. I didn’t make this too clear in the last episode review but I do find the latter a potentially fascinating character. Even though she faced and defeated the Demon King, what truly still haunts her to this day is her traumatizing experience with goblins. It’s heavy stuff, relevant even in today’s cultural discourse. However, that there’s still a couple of fanservice shots sneaked is very questionable. I suppose they serve to accentuate the fact that Sword Maiden is flirting with Goblin Slayer here. Given their similar pasts, I buy the idea that she’s interested in him, even borderline infatuated. But I don’t know, maybe save this kind of male gaze pandering for another, more lighthearted scene? It’s a little hard to take the conversation seriously when you can clearly see someone’s erect nipples. Geez, even with clothes on, little is left to the imagination.
Personally, I think the highlight of the episode is watching Priestess and Goblin Slayer stroll through the town as they get their equipment repaired. Leaning towards the latter’s more socially awkward or off kilter side continues to work wonders for his character overall. Just the shot of him wearing normal clothes while keeping his helmet on is a funny enough image and there’s a lot of charm watching Priestess call him out on his frequent, one-word responses when talking. You also get a glimpse at Goblin Slayer’s compassionate side. After saving Priestess last episode, I’m convinced he cares about her but even so, it’s still heartwarming to see him thank her for all the help she’s provided. He still seems to insist that she doesn’t need to any of that though at this point, it now feels more out of modesty and concern and less him being emotionless or rude.
That of course doesn’t dissuade Priestess in the slightest. Until something drastic, good or bad, comes up, it’s safe to assume that this girl is committed to staying by Goblin Slayer’s side. It is kind of stunning that after two horrifying experiences, she’ll still brave facing hordes of goblins but perhaps that’s a testament to her resolve. I’m all for it though; this entire dynamic has really grown on me.And while I’m still partial to Cow Girl (whose occasional appearance is always welcome) for my favorite character, Priestess has been slowly creeping her way up to second. Darn it, why are there so many candidates for Best Girl?
As always, the action continues to be really entertaining. Sure, the enemy isn’t a goblin this time around but this weird tentacled eyeball monster suffices. The manner in which Goblin Slayer takes it out is spectacular. I mean, he uses a bag of flour to blow up the room. Say what you will about this show but its titular character is remarkably creative and well informed when it comes to the act of murder. Honestly, it’s worth paying attention to what ideas Goblin Slayer might be secretly cooking up. While touring with Priestess, the two get some ice cream and you can just see light bulbs flashing over Goblin Slayer’s head as he learns how ice cream is made. I’m so darn curious as to how exactly he’ll apply this knowledge to better kill goblins.
Thanks for reading!
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Xenodude's Scribbles 
I love that about Goblin Slayer, the fact that he’s so keen to learn but he applies the knowledge for basically a singular purpose. I’m just imagining how much good he could do if he expanded his focus and used the knowledge for other things, but at the same time I’m kind of glad that he’s so incredibly set on his goal and manages to tie everything to achieving the end result.
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I agree that Goblin Slayer would be good at so many other things but God, I’m having a hard time imagining him doing anything but hunting goblins. Imagine him actually making ice cream for everyone; it’s too weird (though if the anime does do that…).
That aside, I am impressed with how compelling of a character Goblin Slayer has proven to be. At first glance, I figure his vengeful personality would be more one dimensional. That and all the other characters’ personalities helps balance off the more excessive elements of the anime too.
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The plot isn’t deep with this one and I will admit I find it quite meandering, but the characters continue to evolve and grow and I just love reading it for that. The anime has done a reasonable job of bringing it to life, though I will admit for people who haven’t read either the manga or the light novel it probably isn’t the best way to experience the story because some of the things they’ve left out just make decisions seem confusing.
Still, I’ve been having fun watching it, I just think that I’d have a different opinion if I’d gone in without prior knowledge.
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To be honest, I kind of wasn’t expecting much of an overarching story when I started watching “Goblin Slayer”. Which is fine; so long as the characters are good and the world feels alive, I can still enjoy the work at hand.
I’m of the opinion that an anime adaptation must stand as its own work of art but I have heard that there’s been some questionable changes to the original text and that makes me pretty curious. I’ve actually been meaning to get the first volume of the light novel anyway but last I checked, the printed edition was sold out everywhere. Guess the show has gotten very popular.
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oh that sucks, about the book. I only just managed to get a hold of volume 1 of Banana Fish that was sold out and I’m really looking forward to checking that out over the holidays. Then again, if I like it, getting volume 2 might take equally as long.
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Heh, I’m still trying to get a hold of “Banana Fish”. Viz Media is resupplying which is great but the anime has naturally sparked interest again. Oddly enough, Volume 2 is still hard to find in the US…
I guess I could get these volumes digitally but I’m an old geezer who prefers printed media so…
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I know. Digitally you can get almost anything but while I do have a Kindle for travel purposes (planes and weight restrictions don’t really allow for carrying that many books), I definitely prefer my paper copies of books.
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