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S0crates wrote:

So the Sword Maiden was the evil mastermind/accomplice behind it. This would explain the scenes of the last episodes and how it gave the grounds for the views the Sword Maidens had established in relations to her PTSD (not to mention her almost obsessive attraction to Goblin Slayer).

That said, I'm kind of surprised Goblin Slayer didn't see her as a Goblin Ally and attempted to have her punished/killed. He's taking quite the risk here, even if things seemed to have sorted itself out. It could be but temporarily state where her mental strength might worse again if unsupervised.

Not quite. The ones who killed the girls are the cultists that got destroyed by the Hero back in ep 6. The thing is that the LN and manga had the hero arrive around the time that GS and his party took down the champion but the anime introduced her earlier in addition to skipping some scenes. SM just blamed it on the goblins as a way to convince people that goblins are worse than theyre given credit for.

With every review, it seems more like the reviewer is trying to find things to complain about just because they don't like the series and don't want to be doing this, but if they don't do it they won't get paid, so let's just find or make up whatever to badmouth it without cause.

At least this one seems to actually be watching the show, rather than just having it on in the background while they did their taxes or something like the Darling in the FranXX reviewer, who kept on missing things and asking questions that were actually addressed in the very episode they were reviewing.

It's fine to not like a show, but if you don't want to watch it and seemingly never did, don't take the job OF watching it.

I can definitely concede on the quality of Sword Maiden's plot, but I feel like the reviewer and I's tastes differ so drastically that he's missing all of the qualities I think make this series great.

I love the dynamic of the party and how they play off one another. Their camaraderie and growing friendship feels organic, wholesome (despite the circumstances...) and really natural. Priestess grows as a person and gains invaluable experience while traveling with Goblin Slayer and the others. At the same time, Slayer-san himself gradually learns to form bonds with others and come out of his shell.

The slice of life moments have a great feeling of sincerity that makes the cast highly likable. Elf is lightly tsundere in the perfect way and banters so cutely with Dwarf. Lizard's delight over dairy products is adorable as well.

Also, I am enjoying the D&D style party and combat highly enjoying to watch. No one is blatantly overpowered and the group is forced to work together within their limitations to defeat monsters and clear quests. Despite magic existing, they have to use their wits and experience to make it out alive. They rely on one another and it never devolves into "My darkness magic has ascended beyond yours! Now my power level is higher!" which I appreciate.

I understand there is some unsavory content as well, however I feel like the grim/dark elements are in service of the tabletop RPG settings, rather than the other way around. This is an anime about Dungeons and Dragons style adventuring that happens to contain dark elements that serve the theme. Not a raunchy, cheap thrills anime with a bare bones fantasy plot to hold some loose narrative together.

I guess I honestly find this show to be comfy despite the blood and screams. My wife has been enjoying the hell out of it with me as well.

Just my two cents.

S0crates wrote:

So the Sword Maiden was the evil mastermind/accomplice behind it. This would explain the scenes of the last episodes and how it gave the grounds for the views the Sword Maidens had established in relations to her PTSD (not to mention her almost obsessive attraction to Goblin Slayer).

That said, I'm kind of surprised Goblin Slayer didn't see her as a Goblin Ally and attempted to have her punished/killed. He's taking quite the risk here, even if things seemed to have sorted itself out. It could be but temporarily state where her mental strength might worse again if unsupervised.

Wait, are you assuming the Sword Maiden was the one who was behind the killings and disappearances? If so, let me clarify. The Demon King's underlings were behind those. The Sword Maiden lied about it being the goblins because otherwise, she felt no one would take the request seriously or the people would lose faith in her for not taking care of the goblins herself (her trauma makes it hard for her to face goblins in particular). She was never allied with the goblins.

Also, while I will not spoil the light novel, later on, we're greeted with more interesting tidbits that start to explain why it is that goblins are becoming more organized and strategic (and thus, dangerous) as of late. It seems to be playing into the background theme of everything that's going on with the Demon King. If that sounds fishy, it should. The random scenes in the background about the Demon King and the world affairs seem to me a hint as to what's going on with the goblins. I'd keep an eye on those.

GhostD wrote:

Not quite. The ones who killed the girls are the cultists that got destroyed by the Hero back in ep 6. The thing is that the LN and manga had the hero arrive around the time that GS and his party took down the champion but the anime introduced her earlier in addition to skipping some scenes. SM just blamed it on the goblins as a way to convince people that goblins are worse than theyre given credit for.

I see, I interpreted it as her having the aligator down there in part to keep adventurerers out so the goblins could bolster their forces through the mirror (in order to make them seem more dangerous once revealed), considering the familiar also attacked them. Her just being incompetent sounds more logical, as I had actually forgotten about that event in episode 6, or more specifically that she had used that as the casus belli to call upon the Goblin Slayer.

I'll admit Sword Maiden's plot is a bit contrived (heck, all this is - but it's a D&D game, so let's be real here ...) But sometimes I think the reviewer is for some reason assuming that all the characters know everything the audience knows. Sword Maiden only heard of Goblin Slayer through the song that's spreading around (same way that High Elf, Lizard Priest, and Dwarf Shaman heard about him). She didn't KNOW all she had to say was "Goblins" and he'd come running ... she felt she had to be SURE she could lure him to help by making the goblin problem seem really, REALLY bad. This also explains why she gets so emotional hearing that he truly will kill all the goblins no matter what and protect her (even in her dreams - basically, she can count on him 100% to take care of goblins since she is unable to - she didn't know that before she met and talked with him.)

She basically had to toe the line calling for help with the goblins in the first place - acting like it's not THAT big of a deal (beneath her) but a big enough deal that SOMEONE needs to take care of it - so she could avoid having to face the goblins herself (and she also knew that there were lots of goblins due to her familiar alligator being in the sewers).

I definitely agree that a lot of this story seems to work better in novel form. For one thing, the fanservice designs (while accurate to the LN illustrations) are way less distracting when they aren't so in your face while reading. A lot of the perspective is from Priestess, Cow Girl, and Goblin Slayer himself - none of whom are drooling over the T and A surrounding them. It's definitely male fantasy fodder, but the cleavage and nudity is just less OBVIOUS all the time when you're reading.

It's also very talky which is entertaining in the book (I remember really loving Priestess and Sword Maiden's bath discussion, and Goblin Slayer and Sword Maiden's conversations in the novels) but feels like a drag sometimes in anime form. It may just work better as a novel. Aside from the first episode which played out very dramatically well while animated, the rest is very much conversation and strategy.

jenthehen wrote:

I definitely agree that a lot of this story seems to work better in novel form. For one thing, the fanservice designs (while accurate to the LN illustrations) are way less distracting when they aren't so in your face while reading. A lot of the perspective is from Priestess, Cow Girl, and Goblin Slayer himself - none of whom are drooling over the T and A surrounding them. It's definitely male fantasy fodder, but the cleavage and nudity is just less OBVIOUS all the time when you're reading.

It's also very talky which is entertaining in the book (I remember really loving Priestess and Sword Maiden's bath discussion, and Goblin Slayer and Sword Maiden's conversations in the novels) but feels like a drag sometimes in anime form. It may just work better as a novel. Aside from the first episode which played out very dramatically well while animated, the rest is very much conversation and strategy.

Well, I kind of disagree. Nobody would be talking about that if the reviewer didn't bring it up last time, just like we don't primarily talk about sex when we discuss Game of Thrones or The Witcher 3. I also don't feel it was unnatural. Sword Maiden just used every trick at her disposal, not to mention that having a middle-aged woman being attracted to what in her view would be her savior isn't unthinkable in the least. I mean, we have full on rape scenes, so seeing a bit of attraction shouldn't shock anyone. If anything it's good comedy value as her seduction techniques (even if subconscious) still isn't enough to get them goblins out of Goblin Slayer's mind.

Also, I too would be freezing if I just got out off bed naked like that, just saying.

Besides, the alternative would probably be to put something like this in the background:

To be fair, I totally see elf girl doing this every episode to mr. dwarf (when we aren't looking). xD

S0crates wrote:

jenthehen wrote:

I definitely agree that a lot of this story seems to work better in novel form. For one thing, the fanservice designs (while accurate to the LN illustrations) are way less distracting when they aren't so in your face while reading. A lot of the perspective is from Priestess, Cow Girl, and Goblin Slayer himself - none of whom are drooling over the T and A surrounding them. It's definitely male fantasy fodder, but the cleavage and nudity is just less OBVIOUS all the time when you're reading.

It's also very talky which is entertaining in the book (I remember really loving Priestess and Sword Maiden's bath discussion, and Goblin Slayer and Sword Maiden's conversations in the novels) but feels like a drag sometimes in anime form. It may just work better as a novel. Aside from the first episode which played out very dramatically well while animated, the rest is very much conversation and strategy.

Well, I kind of disagree. Nobody would be talking about that if the reviewer didn't bring it up last time, just like we don't primarily talk about sex when we discuss Game of Thrones or The Witcher 3. I also don't feel it was unnatural. Sword Maiden just used every trick at her disposal, not to mention that having a middle-aged woman being attracted to what in her view would be her savior isn't unthinkable in the least. I mean, we have full on rape scenes, so seeing a bit of attraction shouldn't shock anyone. If anything it's good comedy value as her seduction techniques (even if subconscious) still isn't enough to get them goblins out of Goblin Slayer's mind.

Also, I too would be freezing if I just got out off bed naked like that, just saying.

Besides, the alternative would probably be to put something like this in the background:

To be fair, I totally see elf girl doing this every episode to mr. dwarf (when we aren't looking). xD

I'm not sure what we're disagreeing about? I just personally feel like the fanservice in anime form is a little jarring in comparison to the novel (which I'm currently reading - just started volume 4). I mean, the fanservice is THERE in the books, because you have the illustrations and general descriptions. But you definitely don't have Sword Maiden's rock hard, giant nipples IN YOUR FACE while they talk in the book, lolol (I mean, it's not even mentioned ... GS isn't one to ogle girls, so you don't get a lot of LOOK AT HER TITS descriptions like you sometimes do in other LNs with different male protagonists).

Like, Goblin Slayer is kind of a silly story, because it's SO OBVIOUSLY just the author's tribute to D&D and Lord of the Rings (it's literally D&D with a minor twist + LOTR references sprinkled in). That's not a BAD thing necessarily - it can be very enjoyable, but it's not really groundbreaking or nuanced or serious like people seem to want it to be. Then in the anime version, you add in a lot more fanservice, and that just makes you extra roll your eyes at how silly this all is.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's definitely a guilty pleasure type of enjoyment. There isn't anything deep about it.