The Promised Neverland Episode 6 Review: 311045

The last two episodes of The Promised Neverland have been heart racing and mind bending. Characters speak with double meanings and try to outwit one another, while others jump into danger without a second thought. But this week’s episode took a step in a separate direction. Emotions replaced cool calculations, with characters returning to the core idea of unity and truly looking out for one another.

Plot

Don and Gilda haven’t quite learned their lesson after their narrow escape during their first break in. The duo re-attempt to break into Mother’s secret room, and discover a lot more than they bargained for. Elsewhere in the orphanage-farm, Norman, Ray, and Emma discover secret messages printed insider various library books which act as warnings to the children. As usual, the episode ended on a cliffhanger, but rather than spelling despair, this week’s final scene could prove to be in our protagonists’ favor.

Episode Highlights

Don’s breakdown: Don’s emotional scene with the rest of the hopeful escapees was by far one of my favorite scenes so far in this series. It was so raw and emotional. I actually got a little bit teary as I was watching him and how frustrated and powerless he felt. Don just wants to be able to help the people he loves, and out of all the characters, I’ve found his to be the most realistic and relatable.

Phil: Phil seems to have his sticky fingers in everywhere this episode. First, he finds Gilda and Don inside Mother’s room, and then he mentions the morse code circles to Emma. Phil, you sneaky adorable boy! I’m getting suspicious of you again!

Themes & Trivia

Merch, Glorious Merch!: Just last weekend, Good Smile Company announced that they would be releasing an Emma nendoroid. At the moment, none of the accessories/ parts have been shown besides the basic figure, but gosh is it adorable. On top of this, a The Promised Neverland Ichiban Kuji (lottery), will be released in Japan during March. Prizes include character pillows, acrylic charms and the special last prize is a Little Bunny plush!

Don’t forget that if you want to request specific new or second-hand merchandise from Japan, you can always use Otsukai!

Morse Code: Heavily featured in this week’s episode, morse code was developed in the early-mid 1800s by Samuel Morse, with the first message being sent out in 1844. The now famous first message read ‘What hath God wrought!’ Interestingly, various websites recommend learners of morse code to focus on remembering the sounds rather than the appearance of the dots and dashes.

Minerva: The name William Minerva, found in the books with the morse code, is a reference to the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategy, Minerva, who is symbolized by an owl (among other things).

Comments

Promised Neverland has well and truly hit spy territory with its secret rooms and hidden messages. It’s like a cold war thriller. But, as I mentioned above, what I really loved about this episode was that it broke up the tension with some real dramatic and emotional scenes. Don has quickly become one of the more interesting characters of the series, and while he is impulsive, he is also very human. On the other hand, Gilda has lost her spark in the last two episodes. She really stood out before as a second strong female character, but now that the focus is on Don, she’s faded into the background. In most scenes she just runs after Don when he’s had an outburst or goes along with his dangerous plans. I’m really hoping to see some more real agency from her, like when she stood up to Sister Krone.

Speaking of Sister Krone: She’s absolutely terrifying! If the kids are spies, Sister Krone is the perfect James Bond villain. I swear, when she appeared at the end of the show I nearly jumped out of my seat. But her proposition for the children could turn the series on its head. Having an adult on their side, who may actually know what’s going on in the outside world could very well be the key to their survival. But, on the other hand, they’ll need to tread carefully as at the moment Sister Krone has the power to ship them off before they even have a chance to escape!

Steps 1, 2 and 3!

Planning out their escape in three steps makes it sounds so easy. But, it’s clear that the characters will have numerous hurdles before them as the days count down to their escape day. This week’s episode marks the halfway point of the season, and I can’t believe how much story has been covered in just six episodes. At the same time, I can’t imagine how they will wrap it all up in just another six episodes. Well, for now, it’s another week of waiting and another week of holding back and not reading the manga.

During the wait for next week’s episode, make sure to check out the MANGA.TOKYO team’s other episodic reviews for Winter 2019! You can find the full list of them over here.