Review: The Promised Neverland Vol. 1

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 1

Story by Kaiu Shirai

Art by Posuka Demizu

Shonen Jump, 2016

8 cups of tea out of 11

Summary: Emma lives in an orphanage but she’s relatively happy. She loves the kids and the woman who runs the place. She also has two best friends, Norman and Ray, who are her age. But then they find out a secret that changes their whole world upside down.

Likes: The feeling of dread was well-cultivated. The foreshadowing was solid. And then the reveal and how the shift in perspective are illustrated works (via character expression and use of shadows). I also really like Emma, Norman, and Ray. I’m rooting for them and I’m terrified. The reveal was a little what I expected. The evidence was predictable but I wasn’t ready for the reasons. I’ve also become much more curious about how this world works.

Dislikes: This has a ton of potential to be fabulous, simultaneously this could fail spectacularly too.

Overall I scared and excited to continue. This series is probably going to wrench me apart emotionally.