Following on from the fights and twists of last week’s episode, this week Goblin Slayer took a step back. We were given some more interesting insights into Goblin Slayer’s character, the past that defined him and the future that he worries for. With just two episodes of the series left, I can’t help but feel we’ve only scratched the surface of a troubled and charming character.
Episode Ten Violence Levels – None
Japanese Original Episode Title: まどろむの中で
Mirroring Episode 5, Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl head into town to do deliveries, check on quests and pick up armor. The short trip turns into a reunion as the squad invites Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl out to lunch.
Musing on the Past: Seeing Goblin Slayer talk about his past and his hopes and dreams as a child was particularly heartbreaking, especially compared to his present self.
Looking to the future: It’s interesting that none of the characters worry that Goblin Slayer would ever die during his escapes but rather they worry if he’ll ever be able to stop. Cow Girl is shaken when Guild Guild talks about how adventurers/ heroes who live to an old age and wonders what will happen when Goblin Slayer can no longer physically fight goblins anymore. What will be the outlet for his rage and hatred then?
Harem Time: In this week’s episode another Guild Girl watched as Goblin Slayer was surrounded by all his female friends and muttered ‘how amusing!’ It seems our masked hero is a real charmer, and everyone but him knows it!
References: Again, Goblin Slayer has outdone itself with some awesome references. First up is the demon king which looks eerily like Ainz Ooal Gown from Overlord, next is an armored female adventurer who reminded me of Teresa from Claymore. Continuing on with the references, one of the blacksmiths mentions that Goblin Slayer would be better protected with mythril armor, mythril being another reference to the Lord of the Rings universe. It is a type of metal which is incredibly light but stronger than steel.
While in last week’s episode review I was apprehensive on another laidback episode, I didn’t mind this one. As the series comes to a close, I’ve been wondering how it will wrap up and what Goblin Slayer’s future looks like. In recent episodes we’ve seen he is just an ordinary man, a tenacious one, but still human. I’ve wondered how they will bring his story to a comforting close – will we see a grandpa Goblin Slayer still going or will the impossible happen and he’ll actually destroy all the goblins in the world? But as I think that, I remember that a happy ending may not even suit this kind of show. So as a viewer all I can do is mirror the worries of Cow Girl and his friends, and wait to see what comes.
Trauma is a theme I’ve discussed quite a few times before in my Goblin Slayer reviews, but I’ve mainly focused that discussion on Priestess or Sword Maiden. Today, I want to look at Goblin Slayer. Episode one presented him as a warrior with only one goal in mind – destroy all goblins. But as the series has gone on, little chinks at his armor reveal a person underneath all that rage and hatred. While a lot of viewers may see Priestess as hanging onto Goblin Slayer for strength, I believe it’s a two-way street. Since that night when Goblin Slayer’s sister was killed and his village raided, he hasn’t moved on, he’s been stuck in the same cycle of destruction. Having Priestess with him, and seeing how she moves forward in her life will be a point of inspiration for him. One that I hope is continued on in the last couple of episodes to wrap up his story.
The end of this week’s episode spells trouble for the next two episodes. We’ll finally get to see the skipped arc, and it is sure to be an intense ride. I do hope that this last arc isn’t rushed as it’ll be great to see this series end on a high note.
That’s it for this week’s Goblin Slayer review, while you wait for the next one, make sure to check out the rest of the MANGA.TOKYO team’s Fall 2018 reviews.
NEXT TIME: Adventure Records / TBA
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
