©Kumo Kagyu • Goblin Slayer2 project by SB Creative Corp.
After weeks of messing around with Goblin Slayer and his stupid new Wizard Boy, I’d almost forgotten how good enough I was enjoying this show’s actual cast. They may not have names, but they still embody powerful characters. Most importantly, they convey the all-important dynamics of an adventuring party (tabletop or otherwise), sharing rapport and the believable sense of familiarity that comes with effective teamwork. At times, it can be enough to make me wish Goblin Slayer wouldn’t bother so much with the repetitive goblin confrontations and let these prisoners play around a bit in a sitcom setting.
So I appreciate that’s basically what this week’s episode of Goblin Slayer II does. Ranger’s sister is getting married, so everyone is excited to prepare to attend the once-in-a-lifetime event that is the elf’s wedding. The initial misinformation that the Elf Archer himself was getting married went on a bit too long. But then again, it’s Goblin Slayer, and I welcome the lightness. You don’t get much lighter than Goblin Slayer planning a vacation, with all the logistics a fantasy setting entails.
Part of the value of Slayer’s party is that they are archetypal fun fantasy series. The audience likes them and they like the Killer, so it brings human sympathy all around. The team urges this revenge-motivated man to take a vacation because of all the trauma he’s been suffering in an unhealthy way, and it seems completely reasonable. Will the Slayer attend the wedding in actual formal attire or simply hot glue a bow onto his armor? These are tough questions that need to be answered along with the article’s suggestion of hiring someone to temporarily kill goblins while our hero is on his trip. He was even forced to bring Guild Girl along!
With Cow Girl also accompanying the crew on this relaxing trip, it forces Goblin Slayer II to remix its dynamics more than its predecessor actually did. Certainly, non-combatants like both the Guild and the Cow Girls would add an extra layer of anxiety to the situation when the goblins would inevitably attack. But they also bring a fresh perspective to the accompanying characters and so viewers can see this fantasy setting throughout. It’s not always about being prepared for the next goblin-slaying session. There’s also time to shop for interesting personal items or investigate research materials looted during adventures. I even kindly accepted the increasingly blatant competitive feelings the girls had for the Killer. He seems cool after all. Plus, there’s something inherently interesting about him putting in so much effort into being a stoic sentinel for Cow Girl while she’s clearly becoming more desperate for Slayer D. Ganbare , that sweet, sweet Cow Girl.
Don’t do that. says that this episode of Goblin Slayer II is all about the group following fantasy Google Maps while engaging in awkwardly one-sided flirting. Like any responsible employee preparing to go on vacation, Slayer had to complete some of his previous projects. It’s not even really a reductive joke; The heroes clean up a nunnery captured by goblins faithfully with all the action that goes into a day at the office. After all, that fits the show’s usual slasher style. And to its credit, Slayer appears more thoughtful about the tragedy and ordeal these nuns endured than the characters’ more flawed responses to the violence last week. This time it’s all true in a way that effectively sells the reality in which the characters live.
Not a bad way to spend time with these characters while the show is gearing up for its next arc. Goblin Slayer is a program that exists at the request of multiple levels of interfacing “reality” with fantasy campaigns. So it’s nice to be reminded of one of those aspects which is simple, enjoyable interactions between team members. Bringing guests along will help with that, serving as a reminder that these people have lives outside of their goblin-slaying, waiting for them to return from potentially deadly adventures that person. Now if only they could get some names to go with them.
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Goblin Slayer II is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
You can just call Chris the Goblin Slayer. You can check out his other adventures on the blog or brave the dirty goblin cave Twitter.