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Correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't remember Rhea before, which seem to GS version of halflings. Gosh I was terrified that introducing that girl was going to have her quickly killed. Still might do so.

The show is well aware that the wizard kid is unlikable, he practically had most of the adventurer guild yelling at him for being a disrespectful POS. But it kind of actually make him a good character if he grows humbled, if priestess might actually be able to have him not die. Which is also a good development, as assuredly she might be insecure if she can act on her own.

I will be looking forward to the show continuing. Even if recently, I have kind of been into looking up art of goblins as cute "goblin mode" gremlin scamps.

S2 #2

I've only just realised this, but the fact the series now has an earlier time slot instead of the late-night season one did means the content is going to be less stomach churning than the franchise opener. This doesn't mean it won't skimp on gore and upsetting scenes, but it won't be on the same trauma as that opener was years ago.

Speaking of trauma, did anyone pick up the resemblance prior to the big reveal? I did not, and the Priestess's fellow adventurers didn't really see much time out in the sunlight in fairness. Although it goes some way to explaining the brat's poor attitude towards goblins, it's also an ironic self-fulfilling prophecy. Goblins are successful despite being dismissed as dungeon fodder because of the overconfidence borne by so many human adventurers who don't adopt the careful measures taken by the Slayer (and anyone who parties with him). Despite the brat's dismissive attitude towards the Slayer, it's actually not a surprise because everyone who isn't close to the Slayer sees him that way. I'm not even sure the brat even realises he wouldn't be alive if the Slayer's party hadn't abandoned their careful approach to rescue him, but whether his tale is a cautionary one or one of change remains to be seen. The Slayer's lonely quest for goblin genocide will continue regardless of public opinion.

What surprises me is the Slayer's reaction to the big reveal. He's usually the most stoic person around, but this is the first time all franchise he's actually had something of a breakdown. Too close to home for him I suppose; although knowing him he'll shrug it off and resume his focus by the next morning.

As for this week's orgy of goblin slaying, I'm very satisfied with the result. I didn't keep an accurate count, but this week's commission had a number north of thirty. They even collected a bonus for the stone troll, with the Slayer's finishing move having a surprising origin. I remember him talking about the ice cream back in season one, I never imagined he'd apply that seemingly trivial technique to monster slaying. Another lesson the brat hasn't actually learned: there's no such thing as fluff when it comes to goblin slaying when the Slayer can and will use everything at his disposal to solve a problem, no matter how big it is.

This tale looks to continue as the brat is going to have his debut at the merchant's new finishing school. They did talk about this briefly in season one and whether Slayer would join the ranks of instructors when he retired, but he's hell-bent on the goblin genocide until they kill him and he'll never retire. Perhaps he'll change his mind if he sees the facilities.

Well, given the brat's attitude that did not go as horrible as it could have gone. Yeah, he was annoying and messed up more than once during the quest, but he survived and even had a moment or two of clear thinking. Maybe he will become a bit less of a hothead with some more guidance, since he is able to reflect on made mistakes.

As for the reveal, his Yugioh hair made me think of the sorceress for a second, yet I have made some bad calls based on hair before, so I disregarded it. That world really does need to re-evaluate how the view goblins and their danger level though. It is still way too common a thing to think of goblins a just weak and nothing more. The training school might help in that regard, since who knows how many rookies get lost into the goblin meat grinder.

The ending is not that surprising, yeah, Goblin Slayer stays calm most of the time, but given all that he has seen and experienced he must be really messed up deep down.

Edited to clarify a statement

I rewatched season 1 this summer when I found out season 2 was coming, and I picked up on Wizard Boy's resemblance to the original party member - that's what I meant when I asked if anyone else thought he looked familiar. The fact that the flashback didn't show wizard girl's glasses and concealed the color of her hair via torchlight sort of confirmed it for me.

I'm guessing it's the parallel to losing an older sister that triggered Goblin Slayer's reaction. It's not like there's been any doubt that he has PTSD all through the series - his monotone way of speaking, his emotional detachment, the repressed rage that only comes out when he's facing goblins - the dude is broken. It's one of the reasons I've never condemned this show. We live in a world where horrible things have happened and are still happening, to the point where we become numb to world events that we feel like we can't do anything about...and maybe I'm just talking about myself there. To me, this is a show about people in the middle of a horrible place trying to retain some humanity while they deal with the kinds of things that lurk in the dark places, but it doesn't glorify those dark places, and it doesn't pretend that the "heroes" aren't traumatized or messed up by their choices.

I did not make the brat/older sister connection but it's a cool reveal. I liked seeing Goblin Slayer's reaction at the end... it reminds us that he actually still is human and not just a relentless goblin killing machine.

Interestingly, the anime toned down the violence at one point. In the novel when the red haired boy first sees the girl wired to the chair, a goblin had just wacked off the fingers of her left hand against the chair arm. This is how he made her cry to attract the boy. When they go to pick up the chair, girl and all, the boy is told to collect the fingers so they can do a heal and reattach them at a later date (which is done) the manga shows the scene the same way. The fight is pretty much just the same in the novel and anime.

Oh right, Goblin Slayer came out back in 2018. I can't really remember if some of that sort of heavier rock like music was used back then, in one of the particular cool Goblin Slayer fights. But my mind went to a number of the sort of music I got into which were inspired by the Doom Eternal soundtrack, which feels like it would be great when Goblin Slayer goes Slayer mode.

Certainly, interesting to see GS actually left so actually affected, which seems to be the younger brother of someone he couldn't save. I would also think that Priestess will also be affected, as I remember her having survivor's guilt.

S2 #3

It is not until the end of the episode that the question which entered my mind when I saw the Slayer giving lessons to greenhorn adventurers was answered, and perhaps other viewers would have wondered the same thing. Why would the Slayer, obsessed with killing Goblins and using his spare time on equipment maintenance to allow him to kill even more Goblins during work time, give lessons to greenhorn adventurers? He wasn't keen on the idea when it was floated in season one. Did the events of the movie change his mind given who the patroness was? The answer however was a simpler one, it all came down to the site of the training camp. And the way the answer was portrayed meant viewers understood immediately without it having to be said explicitly.

A few familiar faces amongst the teachers and students. Spear Hero looks very different in his casual garb, and he's only been seen in it once in season one. He's still not fond of Slayer, but unlike Season One he actually asks him out for a drink after hours. That's a change, at least. Although it seemed particularly random given what went on in the last two episodes, the segment on the three adventurers talking about their dreams contrasts very nicely with the very ugly reality Slayer had to face up to with last week's revelation. Good thing he's more or less over it, but this next episode will be see how he faces up to trauma when he's forced to confront it head-on.

The apprentice wizard still hasn't learnt why he's doomed to be fertiliser the next time he tries killing goblins without being in the Slayer's party. The guild knows this, and they've even taken the trouble to give him guidance on his many issues. He's not appreciative, and it doesn't look like he will be since his mindset hasn't changed at all since before the start of the season. Even fellow adventurers are calling him out on it, not that he cares much. Only way I can see an improvement is if he sees the Slayer in action again now that his specialty prey has encroached on the training camp, as he somehow sensed earlier in the episode.

For the Priestess, it's good that her party mates are not giving up on helping her get promoted despite the previous quest not quite turning out the way she'd hoped it would. If the halfling warrior rounds up 2-3 extra volunteers with her at the lead and they somehow DO pull of a goblin raid extermination, that's good for all of them provided they survive intact and report their results. Surely promotion material, although much easier said than done even with her experience working together with the Slayer.

One episode for the animators to take a break, and it's back to Goblin Genocide at prime time next week onwards. I wonder what emphasis they'll put this time round since it's spontaneous and the Slayer doesn't have everything he'd like at hand to deal with a goblin infestation.

I'm curious about why the goblins are attacking the...training camp? Is this some sign of foresight or long term planning....let's wipe out the next generation of adventurers, or the place that's trying to help them level up? Does that reference to a hole means they've been doing some long distance tunneling to get there unseen?

Or if not them...who or what is leading them? Traditionally, that's the biggest indicator of how much crap the party has stepped in.

A goblin general, shaman, king etc leading them makes the horde a lot more cunning and tactical in how they approach things. That said, the show has also shown several times that goblins keep adapting and becoming smarter. Given enough time it would not surprise me to see the goblins mostly targeting the guild itself.

As for the episode, it was nice to have some downtime and to see the top adventurers taking time to educate the new generation. It was also a refreshing reminder that while they are the top local adventurers, they are not the star of some epic story to save the world from a dragon, most adventurers simply aren't.

They mentioned the Rhea girl having luck, which I would take as reference to halflings in D&D having luck traits in lore and mechanics. Also having several meals, which I at least know references Tolkien hobbits famously having several extra meals like second breakfast.

Also, the talk about fireball spell reminds me of some particular memes that talks about the fireball spell being the go to spell for all situations, despite the fact that wizards arguably can be one of the most flexible classes.

Had we seen a centaur before? I wonder what it says about being totally in line with admiring a centaur's rump. Usually kind of get annoyed by anime going into the objectifying angle, weird.

And with the fourth episode there comes an end to the training newbie arc. The episode had some solid action and it managed to cram some decent progress for a few of the characters on screen. Mage boy seems to be a bit less of a hothead now and he realizes that he does not want to be a goblin slayer. Whether going after dragons will go any better for him.....good luck boy. The priest has finally received her promotion and Goblin Slayer actually laughed for a bit, enjoying seeing mage boy find his own path in the world.

It was a solid arc, yet it had a pretty brisk pace. They cut out 3 or so fights plus lots of smaller moments between characters. It does not feel overly rushed, yet I do hope that the next arc slowls down a tiny bit.

S2 #4

I wasn't expecting more than a good dose of goblin slaying this week. I got that, and a bit more. For a four episode arc it's done a job at reintroducing casual viewers to the Goblin Slayer's world and setting up more story arcs for the rest of the adaptation. Some source material readers won't like the changes made here and have already said so, but for me it's been entertaining and that's the only thing that really matters.

Did viewers expect the Priestess to be correct? Not only was the Goblin Slayer fooled by the diversionary raid, even viewers would not have expected the Goblins to specifically target the next generation. That is a surprisingly long-term view for a species which only lives for the moment, even though this lot was guided by a shaman it would represent progress on their part. Climbing trees and hurling rocks at defenceless newbies is another innovation which is not good news for the Slayer, especially if he hears later on the Priestess wasn't able to exterminate the group which was pursuing the newbies. But that is a problem for another time.

Draining a lake to flood the myriad network of Goblin tunnels and then icing them up to prevent reuse? So typical of the Slayer, he'll use anything and everything to solve the problem even if it means long-term consequences down the line. I can't imagine the Cowgirl will be too pleased if one major source of irrigation is out of commission for months or even years, even if the ends somewhat justify the means.

The last time I remember the female mage with the slow speech pattern in action was at the tail end of season one against the Goblin Lord. She's still a capable spellcaster, but it's hard to believe she gets away with her slow incantations in the heat of battle. It's especially pronounced when she has to speak more often than she has to in action sequences, but that's her USP and it's worth the suspension of disbelief to see her contribute.

The redhead did take the Dwarf Shaman's lessons to heart, and for once he actually contributed positively to the task at hand. As much as he hates the Goblin Slayer, subconsciously adopting his mindset towards problem solving is the most important step he could take towards actually surviving as an adventurer. I still think he won't make it past the Priestess's current rank, but his Rhea companion just might if her luck holds out and her training with the others pays off.

I never thought I'd hear the Slayer actually laugh in an episode. Just as big a surprise as him taking off his helmet at the end of season one. Having heard his own thoughts about dreams, entrusting his own dream of being a great hero to the redhead is a nice touch. The burglar he spoke of was shown briefly in season one and it wasn't the best first impression either. If the Slayer is right and the duo meet up with the burglar, then their chances of survival won't be quite as low as they are now.

What's the next arc going to bring? The Sword Maiden is featured prominently in the ED, so I'd expect she'd make an appearance in this quarter somewhere down the line.

Edited to change three words for clarification/grammar

I enjoyed the episode, but I also thought it felt a tad rushed.

I'm still curious about the leader/motive of this attack. In order to understand what the training center was all about, somebody who spoke the human common tongue would have had to be involved at some point, be it Shaman, Goblin King, ogre, or what have you. I find the idea that goblins are going to start targeting adventurers in the cradle or adapting long term strategy kind of frightening. It seems to me it would only be a matter of time before they set a massive trap specifically for Goblin Slayer if they've adapted to that point. I was hoping for some kind of goblin Dr. Evil scenario, and hoping for a scene where it specifically got killed.

I never did muster up much liking for the wizard brat despite his sympathetic origin, and I don't really understand how he made some crescendo spell out of fireball components if that's what dwarf shaman's lesson was all about. Maybe he has some kind of simple spell for amplifying one's voice on the battlefield? Did I miss or forget where he used something like that earlier? If I'd known/remembered in advance that he had a spell like that, it would have made wizard boy's big moment seem less like a storytelling @$$pull.

Getting to see Priestess prove herself was gratifying, and seeing all of those child-like adventurers who are presumably rat smashers was a bit...I dunno...it made me feel protective of them I guess. It was effective.

Like the others mentioned, Goblin Slayer's earnest laugh was the biggest surprise/payoff. I guess the way he empathized with Wizard Boy that was so traumatic earlier was also cathartic. That and the dinner with Spear Warrior and Sword whatever were cool.

S2 #5

Well this is a surprise. The next arc has the spotlight on the Elf Ranger this time round. The occasion is a wedding for her family members, so naturally she invites all of the shorter-lived compatriots she's been keeping company with since she arrived at the Slayer's village. Compared to the last arc, this one starts off more promisingly simply because the Ranger is one of the key party members and she's never really talked much about herself bar a few snippets in season one. The message delivered by Post being written on a forest leaf is a nice touch.

There's even an excuse to throw in a cameo for the Sword Maiden. A year hasn't stopped her from yearning even more for the Slayer, but her warning about sunken boats has triggered the Slayer's paranoia and allowed their party to have something to work with besides the Ranger's arrows and the Shaman's spells. Unlike his usual hunting grounds, fighting on deep water in a ravine with two civilians in tow is going to be a very different challenge to ones he's used to.

It's quite a change to see the Guild Receptionist in casual clothes. The Spear Hero has the hots for her for a reason, and if the outfits they bought for the other two are any indication she might have more surprises for viewers provided they get past the ravine ambush unscathed. If there was ever a chance for the series to indulge in fanservice, this arc is definitely it.

There's a bit of action as the Slayer has to have his piece of mind before going on "vacation", and a reminder the series has changed timeslots and has sanitised some of its content somewhat compared to season one. If they are right and the goblins are gaining intelligence at an accelerated rate, that is going to be trouble down the line. First order of business is to see what crude tricks goblins who have figured out the way to ambush vulnerable boats can do besides rockfall.

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