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「冒険者の饗宴」 (Bouken-sha no kyouen)
“The Adventurers Feast”
Kind of hard to believe there’s only a week or so left in this season (not to mention Christmas is mere days away), but here we are once again looking a new year in the face and Goblin Slayer at least intends on making the most of it. In the face of the season’s end it’s only fitting to go all out, and with arguably the show’s most important fight before us, no better way to do so. This is one show which is going to go out with a bang.
While there’s some complaints floating about regarding Goblin Slayer’s rearrangement of its source material, for me at least this arc’s placement works well. Having Goblin Slayer defend hearth and home would function fine anytime of course, but by featuring it now instead of near the start we have the strength of past developments, character interactions, and revelations/understandings to build upon. Goblin Slayer requesting assistance and putting his whole being on the line for the sake of help? Quite a powerful moment when you have all those prior scenes of banter and humour to help explain the actions of every adventurer and guild girl to boot. In the end Goblin Slayer has truly been building up to this moment, the point where we realize the show isn’t as much about our greenskin slayer as the adventurer community as a whole. Our titular character is just one piece among many, and he can only accomplish what he does because everyone else takes care of the tasks he cannot.
By this token the same idea can be extended to goblins of this series. While the undeniable enemy of Goblin Slayer, goblins here aren’t really “the” threat per say, they’re simply part of the world everyone must learn to live with. In a sense goblins in Goblin Slayer are a pest or vermin: they exist, we don’t like them, and a few are tasked with the unenviable duty of exterminating them. The show may excessively play up these points—especially in regards to how the goblins act—but in short there’s nothing inherently wrong with goblin existence, like all life they’ve found a niche which simply clashes with the lives of Goblin Slayer’s inhabitants. At its core therefore Goblin Slayer isn’t so much a fantasy about right or wrong or epic quests to save the world (a few are already living that dream), it’s just one about living day to day and dealing with the issues life winds up throwing at you. Mind you, with a little more pizzazz than your typical commute to work.
While we may know how this little bit of goblin clearing will end next week (the face doesn’t lie), you can be sure there’s a trick or two left up Goblin Slayer’s sleeve before all is said and done. With quite a few goblins remaining and one cow girl in need of a happy ending, there’s plenty of time to see just what this show can offer.
Preview
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Kill them all
Give no quarter
Take no prisoners
I’m not sure what to think about that “goblin lives matter” paragraph. In that world they are parasites presumably created by the Demon Lord, not part of ecosystem. There is definitely something wrong with existence of creatures with “rape or die” paradigm.
I guess that watching Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken can soften one’s heart 😉
Heh you’re not wrong on Slime (just ask Enzo :P), but for Goblin Slayer my remarks are more about goblins overall than their mechanics. They’re a threat, but not the main purpose of the show—it’s all about adventuring and dealing with the daily circumstances of which goblins interfere with directly in several ways. It’s why I call them pests/vermin: you kill them because they do something you don’t want and no one else wants to do it for you. Like rats or mosquitoes in a sense, they have a role, but not necessarily one required.
Given how goblins here are portrayed obviously you want them dead, but I think the same effect—i.e. the importance of their extirpation—could have been achieved without all the raping and torture. IMO there are better, subtler ways to show what Goblin Slayer is intending with the goblins without the need to blunt force wallop the audience.
Are you talking about the graphical depiction of rape and torture, or their very presence in the show? Because if it’s the former, I agree (heck, the manga is worse in that regard). Ironically, episode 1 had a good example of how to do it right: the anime hid almost every detail of Warrior’s brutal dismemberment, but some selected moments and the screams and noises were enough to create a harrowing moment.
If it’s the latter, though, I have to disagree.
As karma and Mechamorph have said, the author turned goblins into nightmarish parasites, the Medieval Fantasy equivalent of xenomorphs. Take that out and you merely have a group of primitive, tribalistic enemies who are said to be “no more intelligent than children”, who speak gibberish and are hated by civilized people because they raid their settlements. And we’re supposed to accept the protagonist’s justification that their aggressiveness is “in their nature” so that he can crush the skulls of their babies without feeling guilty. Seriously, the unfortunate implications basically write themselves.
Since GS has been more than willing to explore the implications of a D&D adventuring society, I’m pretty sure the author wanted to find a way to make goblins valid targets of a Guilt-Free Extermination War (trope!), to justify Goblin Slayer’s genocidal campaign without turning him into a psychopath.
You guys are missing the point.
The Goblins are an allegory.
for what you say? well, read the manga to find out it spells it out pretty clearly(im 99% sure that won’t be touched on in the final ep, if it does though I’ll be surprised, although I won’t be surprised that 99.999% will miss it tho)
Surely the point is that goblins are not “simply part of the world”, they are (or so it seems) invaders from elsewhere. Presumably in their own world there are natural controls that keep their population in check, but in GS-world they have no systemic natural enemies as such. This is evidenced by the general reaction to goblins, even by Priestess’s original thoughts of wanting to spare the goblin children. Only GS has the mindset necessary to deal with the existential threat they pose.
@dropped
No, dropped, they’re not “missing” the point. They’re actively avoiding it.
And it’s only to be expected.
Personally, I think they should just relieve themselves of the ridiculous “terror” that seems to grip them, and remember it’s just a fantasy. Goblin Slayer, like any story, tells its audience about the AUTHOR – NOT the subject matter. “History” lessons and books in school, for example, only tell you about the historian and author of the book – his personality, his biases, his “truth” – NOT history itself. If you wanted real history, you’d have to learn engineering and archaeology and learn authentication processes, logistics, cataloguing, etc. And then, you’d have to think for yourself about what it all means, rather than have some swindler called a “historian” or “sociology professor” think for you.
In that regard, integrity is more important than anything. Integrity breeds curiosity.
But these kinds of people think “To Kill a Mockingbird” is “the truth” because they read it when they were impressionably young (yeah, how does that work?), and don’t know that Harper Lee wrote her Magnum Opus in response to a very real, high-profile rape in Indiana.
ie Lee wrote fiction, rather than fact, because to write about fact would undermine her purpose.
ie She lied.
Nevermind Kumo Kagyu’s viewpoints, alright? It’s just a fantasy author who’s views should have little bearing in RL – if at all. At the same time, if Kumo Kagyu’s “message” is scary, don’t lie about it and pretend not to see it. Their tendencies to treat such possible “heresies” with horror – and then LIE about it – is indicative of a deeper character flaw.
Deceiving people by feigning “Ignorance” to mask Dishonesty is neither clever, nor indecipherable.
You’d never trust such people with primary source material or an archaeological find (although I’ve heard of plenty of such people who have been, unfortunately). Today there’s a trove of registered archival material and catalogs which can be sifted more conveniently than ever for reference, research, and personal inspection – even NDT if you go through the proper channels. But many “historians” are unwilling to acknowledge their existence, knowing that doing so will not only strip their plausible deniability, but undermine their One-World modern narrative. Even worse, archival material and artifacts are under stricter guard more than ever because more than a few of these kinds of people are willing to destroy them in hopes that NOBODY will be able to acknowledge its existence, now or in the future.
Kumo Kagyu’s work reflects Kumo Kagyu’s beliefs and personality.
Rather than lie about it, just deal with it.
@Mistic
Yeah it’s the former in this instance. I’ve got no problem using rape as a mechanic (though there’s an argument it’s superfluous for the intent of the show), but the focus on it and how it’s played up certainly feels overkill at times.
of course the “Goblins” here are just an placeholder of other real life things. But first, this is an Anime. Well, before the Anime it was an Novel and manga..
But if you want to compare the Goblins with the real world, then the Magic of the Anime gets sucked out and Real Life will crush it.
Turn the time back into WW1, what was mostly the “propaganda” they used to mobile against the enemy? Also if the enemy has an other “skin color” then themselves this would fill proudly in.
But like i said, one that had not sleep during the History class, knows what these Goblins “could” be. Even in the Ancient Japan/Nippon they would fill perfectly the role of the “barbarians”… Oh crap, now i go there and wrote an name..
So, blend this “goblin” comparing of Goblin Slayer of, because we are in 2018. Even if around the world voiced wishes to turn back time or to turn Light or fear into their strength, we should stay strong and be some “Padawans” of the Light
Sorry, for my little mix of politics ramble.. i excuse it because of my age…
There’s a funny fan made 4-koma of Rimuru’s goblins beating up goblin slayer’s goblins becasue of Rimuru’s village policies XD
Now we don’t want those goblins anywhere near Shuna would we?
In what world would people use the “goblin lives matter” paragraph?
Is it Monday yet?
You know a show is really, really good when
it bleeds comments into another series…
@jerry Kumo Kagyu’s work reflects Kumo Kagyu’s beliefs and personality.
this is exactly what im referring to…were saying the same thing. . .(this what an allegory is)
TAKE NO PRISONERS… LEAVE NONE ALIVE!
ONWARD TO SLAY THE GOBLINS!
LET LOOSE THE HOUNDS OF WAR
HOLD THE LINE!! HOLD THE LINE!! BRACE!!!!!!
Nothing against you, but these lines remember me of this Game:
https://youtu.be/UXLVFnl3WcE?t=47
Goes to show that Goblin Slayer still has people that he will die to protect. He will defend the farm but he knows that a single man against a hundred goblin horde on open terrain is a dead man, silver ranked adventurer or no. That is why I think he did not go to his party first since five people are equally dead. No, he needs the guild or a good chunk of it. For a man who has only recently been socialized by fighting alongside others, it says a lot that Goblin Slayer chose to put his trust in the guild first.
As for goblins I agree with the sentiment that at best they are an invasive species, at worst parasites placed by the dark gods to rape, pillage and murder. No species can evolve without easy access to reproduction, let alone a complex multicellular organism as goblins. That they require female humanoids of other species to breed as if they were some sort of virus pretty much points the finger at an artificial origin.
As the goblin lord shows, taking prisoners and allowing survivors only leads to grief. Goblins evolve through surviving long periods of time, he is likely the sole survivor of more than one attempt by adventurers trying to massacre his entire nest. Then he became a Wanderer until he could build his own army of goblins to trouble the frontier. Kill them all by sword and flame.
The manga covered, quite abit of the Goblin Lord’s backstory like how he brained death his first adventurer who made the mistake of thinking a goblin child a few days old is no threat and the amount backstabbing, raping, pillaging and looting it took to claw from a weak mook to the threat he is now.
Am psyched for the last ep esp after that scene of goblin slayer emerging from the shadows at the end of the ep.
I am hoping we get into the Lord’s backstory next episode. It would feel like missing something if they don’t.
Honestly given what kind of creatures goblins are in Goblin Slayer, any “evolved” goblin probably has done quite a lot of terrible things in its time. To become a goblin lord, the pinnacle of goblin evolution, there must have been quite a lot of blood under the bridge.
I do hope we get the fight against the goblin lord next week as well as a return to the veterans versus the goblin champions. The veteran adventurers are quite a colourful bunch and I am pretty sure that them charging at the goblin elite is not all there is to that scene.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
Rip and tear until it is done
I like this episode but i felt that they downplayed the reaction of the lizard when he finds out that the farm where his cheese is made was going to be attacked, in just one panel you can see his fury
Here we barely noticed.
I’m surprised the witch onee chan didn’t cast some kind of fire ball or explosion spell
It is on land that is close to the farm, so probably best not to cause unnecessary collateral damage by fire. Plus they have enough adventurers for the job anyway.
Just like AshScar said. We’ve seen how Goblin Slayer uses fire in this world. He’s probably one of the few people there that can control fire. Can’t say she knows that, so probably better safe than sorry.
Also, from this episode, we know that she didn’t join for the gold coins. No reason to get greedy is there?
This series is heavily inspired by D&D. Like D&D, the wizard that only knows how to blast is the worst kind of wizard. The author really takes this to heart and explicitly has the most powerful wizard (Witch girl) on screen not using any damage spell at all, while the newbies are blast-happy.
Well, she would be sad here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I685CIJkt7U
Using the protection from missiles and the sleep spells to keep the people around her safe are probably the biggest contributions anyone had made to the fight (in this episode anyways) aside from Goblin Slayers planning.
While I’m still convinced that changing the order of the events was a mistake (the middle arc, character development and internal logic suffered a lot because of it), I understand why they did it. Indeed, it makes for a great finale. As Pancakes says, the series “has truly been building up to this moment”.
The scene in the guild hall is probably the most triumphant example. One of those “moments of truth”, when characters have to make a choice that reveals who they really are:
-Spearman has always seen GS as a rival, but when push comes to shove, he respects him. While flashy and a more “classic” adventurer, he’ll do the right thing even without a reward (but give him something so that he can save face, please).
-High Elf Archer once looked down on GS and chewed him out when he disregarded the Demon Lord to focus on goblins. Now she was about to jump in his defense and cause a scene because people were disregarding the goblin menace (that pout was adorable).
-Guild Girl was worried that the current system throws poor villages under the bus, because adventurers don’t want to risk their necks for a meager pay and the guild is a business, not a charity. Guess who takes a stand and convinces her boss to help this time? Friendship and emotional speeches can help, but in the end money is money.
-And, of course, Goblin Slayer himself. The perpetual loner now needs help. And asks for it. When he started, it might not have ooccurred to him. Or he might have failed. But now he has companions that trust him in a heartbeat, and even his fellow adventurers have a soft spot for him (he’s basically the weird mascot of that town’s guild). He’s not alone.
Based on the Paladin-to-be’s revelation, GS may not be popular or doing the Lord’s work, but he saved the greatsword-guy’s village when goblins showed up.
End of the day, GS’s actions helped save a lot of villagers, killing vermin that adventurers deem “below their paygrade” to tackle.
I don’t think changing the order was a mistake per se,just that it’s not handled as good as it could be (aftermath of Ogre battle and beginning of Water Town arc especially). Even the logic issues etc can be avoided if they are handled well.
That’s a fair point. And truth be told, they tried to patch things up a bit, but… It wasn’t enough.
In some cases, they should have introduced new scenes or made deeper changes to avoid the logic issues. The “no fire, no water, no poison” rule still puzzles many viewers to this day, because from their point of view it came out of nowhere. Same for the ridiculousness of Goblin Slayer keeping his helmet on while the rest of his armor was being repaired. Other times, scenes were rushed or shortened. Anvil’s fans in particular didn’t like it when a lot of her playful banter didn’t make the cut.
And finally, there are moments that are a bit less poignant with this order.
Like the very scene where GS goes to the other adventurers. While in the anime he was comfortable enough to invite Priestess and the three amigos to his Water Town adventure, in the novels that hadn’t happened yet. This was the first time Goblin Slayer had asked anyone for help, and even High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest coming to his rescue wasn’t a given (from his point of view).
This is what adventurers are supposed to be like, 30-ish humans (and elves, and dwarf, and lizardman) against 100+ goblins of varying sizes and threats. I would just like to say the tactics shown here are superb, and reflect the 10+ years that Goblin Slayer has been studying and killing goblins.
Small fry first = free for all with rookie adventurers (with veteran supervision)
Zerg rush = use magic like Sleep and Stupor to make them all go asleep, then kill them easier
Using human shields = use magic to stop them without killing the hostages, free hostages
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%2027.jpg
Using wolves as ride mounts = pike defenses
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%2033.jpg
And when the small fry are done and the Big Boys (heavy hitters) are finally rolled out? Switch the rookies with the veterans and let the specialists do what they trained for.
This wasn’t so much a goblin attack as an adventurer live-fire training exercise. Only two human casualties that I counted, and that’s scout depreciation. I would have been more worried about goblin tunnelers at that point, but I’m glad my fears were groundless.
In a more arranged human society “goblin live training” nights like these would be more common. Sure, there would have to be immediate transportation as farmer’s requests and intelligence came into the guild, but this attitude of “no more farms lost, period” would do far more to train adventurer rookies than King’s levies and demon army requests.
You also have your “black ops”, like a certain Goblin Slayer going after Mr. High-and-Mighty in the back. This is truly a “no mercy, no quarter” mission. Goblins left behind only get stronger. Kill them all!
This episode hyped me up a little. Kinda worried the next will drop below the heightened expectations. Especially since I know that they rearranged stuff from the source, and understand why.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%2015.jpg
Is this the first time the guild master showed up? He certainly looks like someone who can afford 1 gold coin per goblin.
What I am more fascinated by this episode is Goblin Slayer requesting assistance from other adventurers going out of character to protect what is left of his past life. Not saying Goblin Slayer couldn’t ask for help when it’s necessary but, it’s not in a common trait from him it goes to show how solitary and accountable he is alone. Then he goes, and ask for help after assessing the situation, this is the true mark of a leader and where his silver rank shows.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%2036.jpg
“one cow girl in need of a happy ending” did you do this on purpose? you did didn’t you?
The point of Goblin Slayer is that he is a hero who does not seek glory in killing high profile monsters, such as demon king or dragon. He does the job that no one wants to do, and deals with the low life goblins all by himself until this episode. It gives you a warm feeling because people finally realize that it takes a community to defend a community.
Geez, adventurers, give them even a meagre reward and they go from “not my business go die elsewhere” to “gung-ho!”
Of course then there was AnvElf and co. who are real friends by now and wanted nothing more than drink, meal and opportunity for real fun adventure 🙂
Still shaking off that (figurative) holiday hangover…and the new year’s about to come up.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
As expected, the “human shields” scene had to be toned down for broadcast (though the jury’s out if it will be extended and uncensored for the DVD/Blu-Ray), yet the anime still handled the hostage rescue scene quite well. And that’s already better than being outright cut out.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
It’s no Macedonian pike phalanx, but this will do in a pinch. (Plus there’s that nice element of surprise.) As much as I love excessive violence, it’s still pleasant to see the proper application of strategy and tactics.
https://randomc.net/image/Goblin%20Slayer/Goblin%20Slayer%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
It’s one thing to swing a big effing sword in an enclosed goblin cave (you just don’t do it, as the Rookie Swordsman found out the hard way), but out in the open? Time for some Goblin Champions to get a much-deserved can of whoop-a**.
Well, looking forward to the season-ender, though I know there are still more story arcs in the light novel that I’d love to see in animated (or manga) form.
@Pancakes, the more I think about your goblin lives matter Paragraph, and in light of recent events in real life (Morrocco) the more I think “gee, it must be nice talking from the point of view of being stuck in a bubble of extreme safety” (First world countries) it’s funny because HUMANS themselves can act just as bad or even worse than goblins (i.e. ISIS and the CIA[and politician] assholes who helped create them) it seems that you forgot that those guys pretty much do the same things as the goblins, but with guns.
To go and turn around and blame the author for “Setting up world like this” is a cop out of the highest degree, and shows that you and many of the readers are willfully blinding yourself to the fact that the author is trying to tell you something:
“The world ISN’T safe!” It’s NOT all first world roses where people don’t rape and murder others, (Hello again Morrocco) this is a HUGE blind spot for many people nowdays, especially more left leaning people. Why? is this a “Blind spot”?
Because unlike the show, in the real world (where this kind of thing happens and is happening out side of the safety bubble of the first world) there ARE NO GOBLINS.
Instead there are ONLY humans.
Which means, since we are all human, each person has the capacity to act this way as well which is scary, why is it scary?
There’s a saying that in cities, three days without food, society goes to shit. If you’ve read any history book at all in the past 30 years, you’d realize that Humans are capable of horrible shit (hi USSR, GULAgs etc) but for some reason you all think that you are “exempt” yeah. . .no you are not.
If the police for some reason stopped policing tomorrow, how many of you all WOULDN’T resort to acting like a bunch of Goblins? And even if you kept your humanities in check, how many OTHERS would?
how long would it take for someone to stab you in the back over a resource (food, or a woman)you’re all incredibly naive, especially given the fact that you’ve been praising this show to high heaven and only recently you’re all “goblin lives matter” Hell, in real life not even HUMAN lives matter in MOST of the world.
You all don’t realise that there really aren’t many countries that aren’t fucking up in this regard. How many incidents like what happened in Morrocco, where the guys aren’t stupid enough to post a video, occur daily. a LOT more than you think, but. . .out of sight out of mind right? I actually think that blaming the Author for setting up enemies like this is huge cop out, when humans have and can do much worse.
I think lot of people here really dont want to face the fact that they CAN and maybe even WILL become just as bad as these goblins, given the right opportunity. A lot of people who shy away from this, actually tend to have a lot more of this darkness waiting to pounce out, and since they want to deny it exists, it can’t be controlled as well as someone who knows his own capacity for darkness, and comes to grips with it to keep it in check.