「011145」

We’ve discussed this topic before, but why bother teaching the livestock kids about the world at all? Sure, I understand that they want these kids smart so that their brain-meats are nice and juicy, but why does their education need to be about anything resembling reality? It seems like this entire operation would be a lot easier with some good ol’ fashioned brainwashing. If the children were taught from birth that it’s perfectly natural to be eaten by some toothy demon-beast, that it’s part of the ♪Ciiiiircle of Life♪ and it’s their duty to give up their tasy grey matter for the greater good, then perhaps they’ll be more compliant. People have given their lives for less.

Perhaps it’s part of some arrangement between humanity and their demon overlords. Considering we basically have humans farming themselves, this unpleasant exercise seems to be at least partially voluntary, overseen by a ‘Grandma’ who was casually namedropped exactly once. We, of course, still have seen nothing of the world outside the orphanage and know little about it but, assuming Krone’s information is reliable there are humans who yet live, perhaps in something resembling civilisation. Perhaps these farms are some kind of tithe paid to the demons. And, hey, the children still get an old-world education and even have career prospects, with the potential to be promoted from livestock to farmer. Humans are good at these sort of sordid compromises. Pay the Danegeld and maybe the invaders will leave you alone.

Of course, if you pay the Danegeld you’ll never be rid of the Danes.

Perhaps Yakusoku no Neverland is asking us to judge humanity, and consider what it means to have a people so broken. In this vein, perhaps we are invited to contrast Krone and Isabella. This was very much a Krone-centric episode, in that she reveals a good deal of her character while also serving as our main source of crazy faces. Despite being a former orphan, once on the chopping block herself, she’s rather enthusiastic about her current work. In any other job perhaps we would applaud her occupational zeal. She’s certainly adapted to her circumstances, but Neverland asks us: can we actually call her well adjusted?

Neverland is certainly not shy about the answer it gives. I know the manga readers out there have found issue with the way Krone has been portrayed in the anime, but I think I understand why they did it. Krone is crazy. She has to be. Her job is to raise children with love for a decade and then send them off to die horribly. Sure, she really has little other choice but to do what she does, but something inside Krone must be very broken for her to embrace her position with such relish. Contrast Isabella, who is always professional and perhaps even regrets her own inhumanity.

What happens to Krone now, though? It’s implied, nothing good. I would hate for her to be written out of the story so quickly. The other members of the cast approach their situations so rationally and so sanely, and it’s only Krone who understands that it’s complete madness. And she can do naught but laugh.

8 Comments

  1. As a manga reader, I’m looking forward to next episode.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    I also want to comment on Krone’s doll, which is an anime only addition (and one I like). At the start of the episode, Krone makes it clear that only girls are allowed to become adults and the boys are always shipped off. Knowing that about every 6 months a new one-year-old appears at the farm, it’s kind of easy to put two and two together to see why only women are allowed to survive, and only those who are carefully selected based on test scores.

    Last time we saw the doll, Krone had ripped its head off and stomped on it. In this episode, the head is somewhat attached and the leg repaired, showing that Krone took the time to try and fix it. Fixing it shows that she values it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Krone were suffering from an advanced form of Maternal Separation Anxiety.

    anon234
  2. That Phil appearing at opportune moments. Im wondering what happens to the males. Most probably culled. If like a farm a few breeding stock. Some studs. It might be heaven or hell. They could be like battery hens or unconscious just kept alive sedated. Im speculating. What happens to the women explains why they are psychopathic. Though I think the original Mama is more dangerous. We shall see.Also we 5 episodes left. So that will be up to the escape. Is there a second season. When is it coming out.Two years later.
    Enjoying the series what ever happens.

    Gaachi
  3. I don’t hate Krone being crazy, because it’s not weird that she would have some screws loose as you said. Only issue I might have with the changes is that in anime form, having characters shouting/laughing/singing aloud excitedly gets especially jarring (compared to speech bubbles or inner thoughts) when you know they’re supposed to be talking secretly, which makes them seem a little stupid (which they are not). Of course this is not only limited to her but also includes how some other people and scenes are portrayed, but I think that just based on personality alone, this Krone isn’t any less greater than the original. She’s still one scary adult even if not on Isabella’s level.

    Everyone’s just focused on little bunny being there, but let’s not forget the small fact that Isabella actually kept all the toys of the previous children. She has been perfect and untouchable so far, but we finally see a bit of her that is perhaps not all fake, all conveyed in just a short scene.

    ZJZJ
  4. I’m inclined to disagree about feeding them false knowledge. It’s just unnecessary, and perhaps even discouraged considering that the farm is supposed to raise natural kids grown in an organic way, and that includes being fed natural knowledge from books, etc. If the kids know that they’re on a farm, they might even be less willing to comply.

    There was also already nothing wrong with the farm’s operation up until this point. The only reason Emma, Ray, Norman, etc. know about the whole thing is because of a slip-up. If Emma and Norman didn’t know… it would be business as usual.

    SuicuneSol

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