Goblin Slayer

Some very mature content, not for young audiences.

Goblin Slayer is a masterpiece of satire. It is a subversion of everything one can come to expect out of the Isekai fantasy worlds that has become all too familiar.

What we have in Goblin Slayer is really two worlds, the first is the "typical world", the same world the viewers have come to expect and that the rest of the characters in the show live. All the usual tropes of the genre are here; from the classic fighter, mage, archer, priest archetypes, to the guild hall with the smiling quest giver and progressive rankings for adventurers. ... You name it, it’s got it.

In this world Goblins are low level cannon fodder meant to allow neophyte adventurers to gain experience as they one day move on to fighting dragons and demon kings. The other, the world of the Goblin Slayer; he alone sees the Goblins for who they are. The ever present danger, the small evils left unchecked that can ripple into the destruction of the world. Unlike the other heroes born with great powers and a manifest destiny to uphold, Goblin Slayer has no special powers. His combat prowess comes from years of dedication to his craft, the devotion of his being to this singular task. What his gift is then, is not of divine destiny, but vision.

Goblin Slayer is great because it hits upon a subject rarely touched upon in the fantasy genre, the vigilance of the good required to keep evil at bay. It is rarely the great warrior that slays the dragon that keeps the lights on, the field tended, the people fed and the walls strong. But rather the nameless many who toils in the seemly mundane that keeps humanity moving forward.

Goblin Slayer acknowledges the heroes who don’t go from slaying goblins on their first day of adventure to slaying dragons two weeks later because of some prophesy foretold. It acknowledges the diligence, difficulty and creativity needed to fight the innocuous evil. The real struggle is not against bigger and badder foes as their power levels escalates to the ridiculous with the hero but the small but difficult tasks that reveal their challenge the more we confront them. Just as in our lives the true enemy is rarely the great injustices of our time. It is often not racism, misogyny, inequality or it’s like that holds us back in life. But rather our own inability to clean our room, to go to the gym, to eat right, sleep right and do the right things.

A particular scene in the show has the characters ponder the origin of the goblins. One of them tells of the story that parents would tell children, that “when someone makes a mistake, a goblin is formed”, ostensibly to keep children in line. But it holds perhaps the greatest truth in the Goblin Slayer world; that the evil of the Goblins come from us. They come from our pride, our fear, our ignorance, malice, envy and all the other foibles of man. The other adventurers might ridicule Goblin Slayer for his fixation on killing the lowly Goblins, but he alone understands that it is perhaps the most important quest of all.


9.5/10

Pros: Truly unique perspective and narrative arc that subverts convention

Cons: Incongruous tone at times

Goblin slayer isn't the best dark fantasy I have ever seen nor is it the worst. However to me personally I think it's an extremely beautifully lacking story.

Story 10/10: I personally love the story. It's so simple and that's the beauty of it. I understand those people who say things like it has nothing going for it, it's boring, and the one I like, IT'S NOT DEEP. Simply we have Goblin slayer who was traumatized at birth about his sister being killed, toyed, raped, etc within such a close range of where he was hiding. As such being the idk maybe less then 12 ... year old boy he was maybe caused him enough trauma to want revenge for what happened. So he spends the rest of his life so far killing nothing but goblins and thinking nothing of goblins. To me this is how he copes with the trauma which happened to him, this is how he tries to deal with the scar on his heart when his village and his sister were destroyed that day. To me that's the beauty of this simplistic story. Of course we could of had a series about the 3 heroes who we see occasionally who killed the demon lord or something and maybe people would of liked that more, however he may not have saved the world like those three heroes did, however to those people who he saved he saved their world.

Also another aspect of this show people might not have noticed or cared to much to pay attention to is how Goblin slayer slowly starts to get his emotions back. Caring, trusting, and learning to be more open with others. This is also a story of him getting over his trauma and starting to accept the present and not be so stuck up with the past.

Art/Animation 7/10: People knock on the the CGI way to much. I really only noticed it when they have Goblin slayer walking and during talking scenes and such. Not that big of a deal. During the fighting scenes that don't use the CGI and the art during the battle scenes are actually really good.

Sound 8/10: The OST is decent I guess no real song stood out to me but the OP is one of my favorites this season and I listen to it a lot. If you not like "engrish" then you won't like it but I love the song paired with the OP animation. The ED is also good but not as good as the OP.

Characters 7/10: Legit non of the other character beside Goblin slayer, guild girl, and the Sword Maiden did I actually really care for. Not that I didn't like them but they didn't really stand out to me. I explained why I liked goblin slayer when I talked about the story so I don't wanna talk about him again , I like guild girl for the way she acts, she's funny and a bit of a jack ass which I love. I also like the Sword Maiden because one she's hot and also for her backstory and what she went through.

Overall 8/10: To me the only thing lacking in this story is the character themselves. Which is why I can't bring the score higher in my review. Now do I think it's bad and anyone who doesn't like it have bad taste no. I can see how people don't like it and I don't blame them. I do think this show handles trauma, depression and the like better then NGE did but I only mention that because people who don't like this show 9/10 times have NGE in their favorites which is funny. Now I would like to have a discussion about this show with anyone who wants to. Feel free to do so.

As with all my reviews, this is SPOILER FREE. Don't listen to other idiots, there is no such thing as a "minor spoiler" in my eyes.

Goblin Slayer (GS from now on) has been the show that I've changed opinion on most this season. After watching episode 9 last night, I came to realize that it's my favorite this season. Here's why:

Story: 8/10. The story is interesting. There's a massive war going on with a Big Bad somewhere in the world, but we aren't a part of it. GS is like being a side quest. Occasionally you hear about progress being made in the war through ... conversations, but GS isn't about that. I think it's an interesting approach to world-building not seen anywhere else I know of. The characters' motivations are clear. For Goblin Slayer, it's to kill goblins. For the others, it's to have adventures and kick ass. Simple, which is nice. Some small parts of the story become quite confusing and complex but in general it's a simple story.

Art: 7/10. This may be contentious. Let me explain. GS himself is always CGI if he's in armor. I think it was a good choice. He doesn't pop in and out of CGI which can be quite disruptive. The other characters are designed well, it's very easy to distinguish them from each other. They have some cool complexity to their designs. Expect lots of fan service though. Some people say the animation isn't great but frankly I haven't noticed any explicit parts where it's just bad. And it's good when it matters most.

Sound: 9/10. It's good. The OP is awesome, definitely my favorite in recent history. VAs seem good from what I can tell in the sub.

Characters: 10/10. The show makes an excellent choice here. It keeps the main cast to five characters who are always present. Rather than having different ones filter in and out, it can focus on these five. They each have distinct personalities that interact and clash with each other's. It's good for both comedy and drama. There are minor characters who recur, but the main 5 are the ones you'll be focusing on.

Enjoyment: 10/10. Like I said, this show surprised me. I thought it would be all shock and awe with no depth, and would eventually get boring. While there was a bit of a mid-season drag that slowed the pacing, it was ultimately for the best by making the next arc that much more exciting. The world and the characters have a decent amount of depth for how simple their motivations are and the fact that they're basically a side-narrative, but these are both plusses in my eyes.

Overall: 9/10. If the story picks up a bit, I think this show could be a masterpiece. As it stands, it's already outstanding and definitely deserves your attention for at least 6 episodes. I suggest giving it a shot.

A truly brilliant mockery of Fantasy and potentially Isekai (large overlap) tropes. The world is filled with hapless, happy-go-lucky "protagonist" style adventurers, some of them even reaching high rank with this naivety intact. Until something goes, truly, wrong these adventurers always seem to face hardship with optimism and draw strength from these character traits.

In step the Goblins. Inexperienced and Experienced adventurers alike seem to consistently underestimate the evil and capability of these "low level" beasts. There is no glory in slaying a goblin. There is no glory in slaying 100. As such hoards of these beasts are often able to group together and congregate, forming ... surprisingly powerful and effective roaming militias, despite their individual low intelligence and strength.

Goblin Slayer is our protagonist. A man who sees this festering, ignored evil and has a single-minded obsession with ending their barbarism. He LIVES Goblin Slaying. He eats solely because his body needs nutrition to kill Goblins. He sleeps solely because he needs to be well-rested to kill Goblins. GS is your standard grim-dark stoic protagonist. Egged on by a terrible past to prevent suffering as much as he, as one man, can.

Throughout the series we learn that, while GS goes underappreciated among the ranks of most adventurers, even those below his skill level, that he has garnered a rather impressive cult following among civilians of the world who have seen the horrors roaming bands of Goblins can inflict upon helpless villages and travellers.

The series mocks overly-positive fantasies where nothing truly goes wrong and the hero and other inhabitants of the world are always safe via last second plot-armour, in the naive and overconfident adventurers found wholesale in the world. The series mocks edgy grim-dark fantasies in the overtly brutal nature of the goblins and GS's character and history. It is interesting seeing a world in which both extreme tropes exist and characters from both interact regularly. I think it also has a positive message about the dangers of dismissing "little" threats for too long.

The majority of negative reviews on this anime accuse it of offering little substance, however to me it seems that, that is the point, as the genre as a whole is over-saturated with power fantasy anime and edgy grim-dark goreporn with little-to-no actual substance or even basic narrative, beyond letting a reader put himself in the place of a powerful protagonist who always comes out on top, regardless of the odds or allow a reader a peek into a cold, uncaring world that does not forgive weakness. GS offers a limited view into both sides of this coin, with the subplot about the perfect seemingly invulnerable "Hero" and the naive adventurers and with the main-plot following GS on his darker crusade against the threat of Goblin-kind.

Other negative reviews complain about the infamous (mostly off-camera, barely graphic in any sense of the word) rape scene. They complain it is "unnecessary" and "adds nothing" to the show. These reviews should be immediately and fully disregarded. The scene is fairly important in cementing the unwavering evil of these creatures that is overlooked due to their weak individual strength by the naive adventurer community as a whole. This complaint is thinly veiled discomfort at darker themes, not a legitimate complaint in any sense. Commonly tacked onto these reviews is a weak complaint from power-trip fans who are upset that the victim doesn't instantly recover from her unspeakable trauma and become a mary-sue of Goblin Slaying.

Goblin Slayer is a very enjoyable anime with cute characters set in a fantasy world where people can sleep safe and sound at night. The reason why they can live their happy lives with their families and friends is that somewhere far away from them, cute little goblin babies are being brutally killed by some armored dude who doesn't like little green people.

If you like a little bit of gore in your anime, Goblin Slayer is for you. The story's progression is a bit slow, and the sequencing of events in the anime are scrambled when compared to ... the source material, which may hinder plot development later on. This doesn't decrease the overall quality of the anime as it most likely won't cover all the source material and is not as plot driven as other anime's are. The story gets a 7/10.

For Art and Sound, 10/10 . The music is great, and the animation is smooth and detailed. The art really stands when goblin slayer gets mad. For Character and enjoyment , 10/10 and 9/10 respectively. The mc is unique, doesn't resemble any other mc which gives a refreshing feeling to the anime. Side characters have yet to be developed but till now they all seem like successful attempt to be unique, and they can get quite funny too! Enjoyment is subjective and I gave it a 9/10 because of the gore, the fight scenes/art, the unique mc, and the music.

Overall solid 9/10 would recommend!

A classic type of RPG hack and slash like the good old days, except on hard mode. It gets gruesome so don't let the mellow cover picture trick you into thinking this is kid friendly. If I had to say something bad about this show it would be the generic story. Yet again we find ourselves against familiar foes with age old reasons to go on an adventure. You've probably heard this story a million times, but if you can forgive that one flaw there might be something special underneath. The lines are so far nothing special, with humor that falls flat and overly mellow ... personalities that make it difficult to make the case for "best character" in here. Characters range from lacking to solid, but nothing amazing has come up just yet. If I had to say something good about this show it would be the pacing. An unexpected introduction gives way for a quality paced adventure that takes it's time with each person they run into, it might remind you of how many similar shows these days get it totally wrong. Side characters often feel like a part of the main story and it's not rare to see familiar faces. This gives it the feel of a cast the show cares about. The daily depiction of ordinary, everyday routines adds depth and immersion, making you feel like you're with them along for the adventure. The soundtrack is very moody, swinging from mellow and gentle, to chaotically invigorating, giving action scenes a lot of flavor. Animation has it's up and it's downs: action animation has a nice touch, with a unique style it can call it's own. outside of battles the show can be a bit too stiff, like a plain old comic with little life. Unique camera angles add some emotion and perspective to situations that are dry.
Overall it's a multi-class RPG like a retro game, but with a slow and steady approach that rewards loyal fans with great moments. Like a cardboard house, the flaws are very noticeable, but that doesn't mean it's not fun. I give it a 8.5/10

PSA: may not be suitable for younger audiences, it gets as violent as possible

TL;DR Version: Slow and steady RPG adventure that's rough around the edges. Has it's flaws but also has considerable depth and will become addictively immersive.

I refuse to accept such a score! I refuse to agree with the masses! Goblin Slayer is underrated and here is WHY!

Right off the bat we start with a strong opening episode that tells us "this is no lighthearted adventure and all bad stuff happens". It's not a matter of being edgy, it's a matter of telling a story the right way! The dude has trauma, well justified trauma, nothing is wrong with the main character and side characters as far as I can see. If you want to be so picky about everything here then you might as well become a housemaid for all ... I care.

The story itself manages to do a great job at building suspense, expectations as well as subverting those expectations. It actually includes character development along with a little bit of world building that's done well. Or well enough for my standards (which are rather high (please ignore my current top scores, they are long since incorrect)). Also, the pacing is on point, so that's that.

Voice actors and actresses did a magnificent job. Not only do the voices represent characters well, they also match their looks for the most part. I guess that's what you would expect from studio with a good reputation. The animation is mostly on point excluding some out of place looking CG armor, but it blends in well enough to not distract your from watching. Sound design is also nice, it doesn't feel artificial at all.

TL;DR In short it's a really well done anime that manages to drag you into the world and feel sympathy for the characters despite being so dark and somewhat cheerful at the same time. You could describe it as life honestly.

Goblin slayer is not for everyone, no anime is for everyone, i can understand some people are very senitive to blood, violence and other dark themes like rape. As that is said, i fucking love Goblin slayer.

Story: Seems like a pretty generic fantasy story at first, but it quickly turns its head around to go on a really dark story with dark subjects. With this in mind, it's not like its worth an oscar, its not the first time we have seen animes do this, but its still pretty uncommon and feels fresh.

Art: The use of CGI for the main character in some scenes is ... debatable, but the actions scenes do look really nice with a lot of gore. Not the best by any mean in therms of animations, but its okay. The desing of the supporting cast is pretty generic but the goblin slayer himself elevates that score by 2 for being another anti hero (like saitama being bald)

Sound: The Op is calm and sad yet very exiting. Plus its in english making it really stand out from anything else. The background music is pretty average but as soon as the action starts, the rock music reminecent of doom kicks in, nice touch.

Enjoyment: Again, if you dont like dark themes, you wont like it, but i do, so i enjoyed this anime a LOT

Overall: best anime of 2018 for me

"Goblins aren't smart creatures, but they aren't dumb creatures either. This is a common mistake to beginners, since they think too lowly of this creature, and soon enough they all got killed by the creature they think lowly off."
- The Goblin Slayer

So i've read the manga beforehand and known the story and arcs as of the present time. However i have to express my gratefulness towards White Fox to make Goblin Slayer into an anime. Because i've been looking forward to seeing the manga turned into an anime.

For starters i have to say this anime is intended to be 18+ or 21 for some ... countries. The anime portrays a lot of scenes from the manga which included a lot of gorey and dark imagery and i'm quite surprised that White Fox pushed the F-cked up imagery and shown some explicit scenes even though it's for a wider audience. I mean if i were to stumble across this anime in my living room i can't explain this to my parents.

Story : 9
The story is very promising since it's just been 1 episode, and it really portrays the unknown world that occurs in our usual isekai animes. Different then any anime or game we used to play, goblins used to be minor preys that beginners could took out easily. However in this anime, goblins aren't that typical easy to kill creatures for beginners, but a very lustful and all around F-cked up creature. And that’s where The Goblin Slayer comes in to play. Im sure enough as the story progresses the Goblin Slayer wont be slaying just goblins yet much higher up creatures like demos and such, whose controlling the goblins, get where im going at.

Art : 8
The art is good in it's own right and probably one of the best art I’ve seen as of yet. The Art style is edgy and is very familiar with the manga. This kind of in-depth art and gradient makes it more impactful to me.

Sound : 9
The soundtrack of the anime is Awesome it really portrays the atmosphere of hopelessness and pure epicness when sh!t got real.

Characters : 9
If you think the first group of people is the protagonist, well you're wrong because they're generic and mainstream. The MC which is The Goblin Slayer is a total badass in his own ways, he’s not your typical main character. He isn't your typical naive MC or an OP MC for no reason, he built his path to becoming a badass, and sure enough he succeeded in his own accord. The rest of the characters are also likable with each of their own tropes.

Enjoyment : 10
Even thou I read the manga, watching it animated is a different experience in it altogether. Seeing the characters come alive on the screen is just too thrilling.

But as stated before, it is quite dark and has some explicit scenes. However if you watch the anime you'll get hooked instantaneously because there's no other anime then this

Overall : 9
In conclusion it's a hell of an anime with a lot of dark and thrilling atmosphere. It makes you more open in my opinion, it makes you realizes that the world is not a safe space and the fact of the matter is we could act out like the screwed up goblins too.

Therefore as of yet it's only been 4 episode and i have to recommend it straight away. Because just like the manga the anime hooks you in like getting an SSR in gacha games.
And when you see the anime all you can say is "WoW Alexa, This is Epic."

A new awesome dark fantasy...

Art/Sound:
The art style in this anime is decent but nothing out of the ordinary for the fantasy/isekai genre, the animation so far has been consistent with some ok CGI in place that doesn't look horrendous surprisingly! It's definitely not on the shitty level that berserk (2016-2017) was! The sound is great all round, the OP and ED fits the show but what really stands out is the voice acting which in my opinion as it's some of the best this season. (The OST is solid also.)

Character/Plot:
There isn't really much story so far, however the backstories and hinted things that have occurred ... have been intriguing enough where it strengthens the overall plot. But in all honesty, the plot so far hasn't been great but rather just slaying goblins hence the fucking title (surprising right?) Every character has been great and likeable in my opinion even the horny little green shits this anime calls goblins but yet again there has been minimal development for now besides the MC. The MC so far is a basic badass with a tragic backstory but hey, I'm not complaining!

Overall:
It's a solid dark fantasy, it's not quite on par with its manga from what I've heard but so far it's definitely been enjoyable! I expect it to only get better from here and I'm not worried due to it being adapted by White Fox studios. Just a little notice; don't be a bitch about the rape and goriness in the anime, just don't watch the show if that disturbs you! I actually think these darker themes help to showcase the setting hence it being a "dark fantasy." Yeah, I'm edgy as fuck...

Once when the sound of footsteps suddenly fell silent then the events and dreams vanished with just a few moments.Welcome to 2018's most controversial anime? What problems made the first episode riot some scenes of rape? dripping blood? or other? it is just a matter of conflict they face. The story is made only to entertain it does not matter to them if the problem they face is still just fiction, isn't it too much to enlarge the problem?

It was determined in the three-month problem that it was a difficult matter, focusing on a man named Goblin Slayer and starting with a pretty fair scene ... inside the cave. Through a coincidence Goblin Slayer met Onna Shinkan, who was crying and praying in the cave. Actually inside the cave there are reports that there are goblin base inside.The strange thing is that these goblins don't prey on humans or steal their treasures just kidnap and deprive a woman of virginity to breed. Events in this episode may at first seem very furious or controversial, but this is actually an interesting storytelling method because it requires a lot attention and thoroughness from the audience. The track that quickly takes the right steps makes this story even more interesting because it is the last part of the film to move with exciting clips.

The art and animation in this installment are the usual steps for whitefox. Given the series they aired before, it's hard to believe that they have surpassed themselves, but they succeeded with their efforts here, animations in Japan are well known throughout the world, and various sequences of actions are very detailed without suffering major losses in quality. Animations are very well made and integrated, and can hardly be distinguished from traditional animation in many sequences.

The design of the character from the start is not much there is a change in this studio, the only difference is just a slayer goblin has a unique design that always brings the armor everywhere, the monster design for this is very kind of similar to some of the sources I have read in the ancient mythology books, there is a quesiffal product for its features that sometimes conscious with his actions.

The voice actors are very good, the compatibility between the characters is very good, their voices are very suitable with their respective character age. In some scenes they show the quality with good background music that makes the atmosphere more tense to make its own attraction. There are also their performance very well they are the authors of the opening and closing themes of their role is very important for the progress of this series and they succeeded in bringing it.

It should not be surprising, that an area of ​​the film falls with the character. Continuously there is little or no justification for the actions of those who for some reason never call their names to each other and how suspicious they cover the face of the main character until it runs out, although with that lack of action sequence still quite satisfying genre addicts.

A work is judged not to be as good as what film they make but a perfect assessment based on the desires of the viewer's heart.

Spoiler free review




Fantasy anime with a mysterious protagonist that only slays goblins.
Definitely different to what we are used to, but this is what makes it special.
As someone who likes fantasy anime and not really difficult to please its extremly itriguing.
Funny at times, captivating and unpredictable.
It does have a good and interesting storyline and backstory, as long as you are a viewer who doesnt judge immediately without thinking.
... Great opening and soundtracks in general.
The art is amazing.
Seriously good anime, I recommend it 100%.
Even if you like OP characters(this isnt one) you should watch it.

Overall, I enjoyed watching the anime, with the exception of first episode. Going back now, it seems that the first episode was only used for shock value to attract attention from the mass episode. I've watched a lot of other fantasy and adventure animes, with tags in guildhalls such as "Bronze, Silver, etc etc", but I've never seen one in this fashion. Normally, we follow a main protagonist as he makes his way to the top, but this anime doesn't do that. This anime was unique in the sense that it adds a hint of ordinary life. It doesn't attempt to make the protagonist do ... anything special. He is just an ordinary man killing ordinary creatures, goblins. As for the animation and depiction of scenes, it was quite gruesome, but I believe this risky move will be a progressive one for the anime industry.

I'll give it a 10, since i'm not waiting for a only lifetime masterpiece to be amazed, but just an anime that provides you enjoyment, recognizable quality, well written plot, understandable atmosphere, touching feelings and emotion, and run a bit out of conventional.

And Goblin Slayer provides you all that, if you opens your heart and don't be just a pus* freaked out with some open or subtle rape scenes.

Far beyond the history of a boring "one line" character, this show is about:
- a parody opposed to conventional RPG heroism
- a story that take a serious look about fight tactics, weapon choosing, and how to surpass ... own human limitations.
- a story that don't abuse of ex-machinas in general and even so is not just tragic against the protagonist.
- a honest story about a honest human acting character, with understandable PTSD marks, without great pretentions and even so very interesting development.

Not to mention, the GS is a character with a strong identity even without exhibiting his face, in a peculiar show where nobody have actual names (part of the parody against traditional hero exibithionism)

Being so satisfying in general, it deserves a better consideration. It's hard to come back to watch any other fantasy work that is naive, plain stupid or too pretentious (and failed) just after this.

At first I didn't want to watch GS because it looked like a cheap ripoff of KonoSuba, and thats exactly what I thought for the first few minutes into episode 1. I mean, I'm not saying it was exactly KonoSuba, but I had some extremely serious KonoSuba vibes and raised my eyebrow like 7 inches when I heard "Priestess" and saw a quest board. Then there are these "parties" like a group of adventurers and I was extremely sure that GS was just a KS ripoff. *Minor spoiler* Then the Priestess joined a group of noobs... and one gets raped, another gets ... shredded, the third gets killed. Honestly though their deaths were their fault, since they were honestly pretty shit at handling their weapons. Then Goblin Slayer comes just in the nick of time and saves the dumbass Priestess who also wet herself (not once but as of episode 8, TWICE).

Story: Story is very simple. Man loses village to goblins. Now he kills goblins for a living. If you couldn't follow that, then go back to Lucky Star. Just being honest. However, due to the simplicity of the story, instead of being edgy and dark, the anime just became ridiculous. I have to admit, the battle scenes are pretty cool though, but then again they don't hold a candle to Megumin's explosions. Also, basically half of every episode is a battle scene... so it doesn't make much room for storytelling. I like the battles, but I also want some story, which is kind of hard when the story is already told in episode 1.

Art: The censoring is pretty heavy in this anime. Hair covering nipples, to be very specific. Personally, I think it should just not be censored as it is R 17 already, so you should expect stuff like SKIN. Art is okay, I guess, but somewhere around episode 6, I noticed that the animators got lazy. I don't know how, but it just feels that the art quality dipped slightly. At least the art isn't like Serial Experiments Lain where you literally have to squint through every damn scene to make out whats background and whats dust on your screen.

Sound: VA... is OK I guess. I'm not a VA expert or anything like that, so I can't judge, but the BGM in this anime feels lacking. Sound is OK, I guess. Not great, but usable.

Character: High key Goblin Slayer himself carries this to a 10/10. All other characters all feel cliche or copied from some other franchise. The high elf literally brings bread... packaged in a leaf. Lord of the Rings, anyone? Lizardman is a shaman... hmmm where have I seen that before? But I have to admit, a Dwarf magician is something I strangely have never seen before. Cause Drarves usually use big hammers and smash shit. And the Priestess... absolute fucking dumbass if I do have to point out. She's not even loli enough to be cute, nor old enough to be LEWDED. Also, she's dumb. Need I say more? Alright I'll say more.

She wants to be an adventurer, but she can't handle blood
She can only cast 3 spells a day... 3 support spells that is...
She cares about goblins
She's basically the support character that was initially OP but then got nerfed 100 times and is now unplayable
Ignore that last point, she's the support character that needs a major buff, but since nobody uses her its okay, right?

Also, it would help if our main fucking cast actually had NAMES.

Enjoyment: Not bad, not boring, but definitely not as good as Erased, which I enjoyed from first episode to last (which means you should watch it). Its ok, I guess.

Overall, is an 8. I know that not everyone is accustomed to the violence and rape, but those shouldn't be a reason to give it a bad score anyways. But still, the anime doesn't really deserve the 8 that I'm giving. I'm just being biased because I like battle scenes.

Congratulations for the staff! Absolute masterpiece! Goblin Slayer is a worthy successor on the throne after Slayers and Overlord.
Thank You creators for the very necessary, graphic blood, sex and violence: Its sobering!

Voice acting:
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Japanese voice actresses and actors are in their own divine class, there is simply nothing in the entertainment world that could compete them ever. When I start playing a video on youtube and its a horrible English dub - I get nauseous and quickly stop video play.

Graphics:
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Drawing is really good. Several items of the design is reference-worthy, particularly the goblin totem, the playable races - a well worked out lizard - that ... is on par with the design of Overlord's lizards.

Sound effects:
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Those satisfying gore sounds I won't forget. Goes very well with the music.

Story:
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The writing and story-dynamics are superb. The voice actors are doing their utmost to give us top-ranked entertainment.

Creative Direction:
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Veteran director Ozaki Takaharu and Kuroda Yousuke and all the creative experts - who ever was responsible for this fantastic show - should be awarded multiple times.

This work of art is has every right to stand beside Sword Art Online S1S2 and Dungeon S1S2 and maybe even surpass them.

Final words:
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I wish season 1 would consist of 100 episodes. But we have already seen creative exhaustion in case of some Slayers episodes.

STOP MISSING THE POINT OF GOBLIN SLAYER

(okay, sorry. That title was complete garbage and was only meant to grab attention, pls don't hurt me)
I just want to begin with how I feel about the community watching this anime.
I feel like a ton of people are missing the point of Goblin slayer.

SPOILER (even though everyone knows this one already)



... So yeah, there is rape in the first episode. And that's all everyone talks about. That or that the anime is edgy which is for some reason is a bad thing...? Shounen anime are pretty edgy too but I guess nobody likes those anime ;)

Anyways, what I wanted to bring is the things about Goblin slayer that I felt a lot of people missed out or had fly right over their head. Here they are:

1. Goblin slayer defies conventional RPG tropes
Everyone who plays and knows RPGs usually think that goblins are petty, low level enemies who are really easy to kill. Welp, not even the noobiest of adventurers could do much against the goblins. Rather they got themselves killed by creatures that allegedly have the intelligence of children (ha... that says a lot about the adventurer group).

Excusing the really crappy adventurer party, the anime does show that goblins are capable of killing humans, rather easily (probably because they are always underestimated).


2. The NSFW scene and the perspective on Goblins
Yeah, everyone knows about this. It might as well not even be a spoiler. Anyways, whilst I know a huge amount of people hate the anime for this very scene. I sometimes feel like people forget that the scene is intentionally made to be disgusting. It gives us a reason to hate goblins, to believe that they are completely evil monsters. By no means is it meant to encourage rape. Not sure why anyone would come to that conclusion, since the scene is meant to do the exact opposite (Unless you have a fetish for that)


3. The whole situation with goblins raiding villages
This is the one I think most people miss out on. Yeah, we all know why goblins raid villages, what on earth could we be possibly missing? It's that this whole raiding thing is actually a representation of the Dark ages (There is probably a lot of people who have watched Goblin slayer but don't even know what the Dark ages were; if you do, good on ya, if otherwise, google it). During this time, Raiders would always pillage defenseless villages and DO THE EXACT SAME THINGS THAT GOBLINS DID IN GOBLIN SLAYER. Raiders would, steal money, steal livestock, steal food, steal equipment, rape/kidnap women, kill men and children and all sorts of other dark crap you can think of. The Goblins in goblin slayer are no different to those raiders.


Now onto the ratings

Story 6/10
As far as the main story goes, not a whole lot happens outside of killing goblins. The ultimate goal has to be reached so I can't say a whole lot on this. I don't want to come off as someone who is judgemental so I'll leave it here.

Art 8/10
I think the art is pretty good. You could say I have low standards, but when you learn to actually draw anime characters, you start to appreciate anime art a lot more. Plus, I find Priestess to be pretty cute. (Yes, I'm weak to the MOE attribute, sue me)

People often complain about CG in anime. I never really understood why people hate it so much. It has always seemed like a preconceived notion to me. Anyways, I believe that CG wasn't over done in Goblin slayer. The animations themselves weren't to bad either (albeit, CG was usually used in short scenes). At least they weren't overused AND poorly animated like the CG in Overlord where soldiers literally bounced off shields by charging at them (because physics)

Sound 7/10
Nothing exceptional, but nothing bad either. I don't have much to say about the sound effects since it mostly consists of stabbing and slashing sounds.

The music is not to my tastes, but this is completely subjective. I tried not to let my view on the music affect the rating here too much, since, in my experience, it didn't seem to affect the scenes too much.

Character 7/10
I struggled to rate this one the most. A lot of people will think that the characters are boring or are cardboard cutouts of stereotypical anime tropes. What made me give Characters a balanced rating was because of the voice acting and the character backstory; which kinda negate the negative of the seemingly bland at first glance personalities all the characters have.

The voice acting was pretty darn good in my opinion. The way the characters screamed and tried fighting back the goblins seemed at least somewhat realistic to me. I know a lot of people might disagree with me on that, but that's only because I have been in fights where people badly wounded each other. So yeah, I believe that people do scream like that in these kind of fights

Backstory is a quite a sidetrack for me since I read the manga after watching the anime, my opinion will be slightly biased and not representative of the anime here. I think the backstories are vital to the character development here in goblin slayer. Without it, Goblin Slayer really would have seemed like some dense as brick wall kinda guy. I can see how some people view him this way, since his backstory is far better elaborated upon in the manga, but not the anime.

Enjoyment 6/10
Wouldn't exactly say this was enjoyable watch because of the graphic content (unless you have a fetish for that NSFW scene). Which does make sense, since the anime is supposed to be as disturbing as it could possibly be. I dare say that the goblins are doing a good job at that. It feels awkward rating Enjoyment since the whole genre of Goblin slayer goes against it, but I ultimately decided in giving it a lower number.

Overall 7/10
In conclusion, I think that Goblin slayer does a excellent job at disturbing its audience. It's already evident in how many haters there are. Being a very controversial anime, I tried to stray away from the things people often complained about. I focused more on the representation of things such as how goblins are evil (obviously) and that goblins raiding villages is normal since the exact same thing happened during the Dark ages.

I realise I'm being a massive hypocrite here in saying that people missed the point of goblin slayer since I myself have also skipped over many details. The motive for this review was just to provide another perspective to Goblin Slayer. Pls I beg you, don't sue me T-T

This show is graphic and is not for everyone. This is not your typical happy adventure story, and it does a good job showing that in the first episode.
Goblin Slayer is the best anime of 2018, and one of the best that I have ever seen. This is just my opinion, if you disagree that's fine, we are all entitled to our own opinions.

The show takes place in a fairly standard world of magic and adventure, but the elements that are focused on is what really sets it apart from the rest. Instead of focusing on a 'big bad' (demon lord, lich, enemy kingdom, ... ect.) it takes a realistic view on what are usually minion enemies or pests. The way in which the goblins are portrayed as vile pests is the most accurate and faithful portray that I have seen. The show does a great job of making you detest these creatures without making them out to be the most dangerous or evil threat to the world. There is a fair amount of graphic material, not only gore but adult themes. The graphic nature of the show is not graphic just for the sake of it or for shock value, rather it is a faithful depiction of the vile creatures that goblins are.

The magic of the world is that of classic D&D. There is a limit to how many spells you can cast per day and you gain more spells over time through leveling up. This setup allows for magic to be used without making it too powerful and forces the casters to be creative to optimize the effectiveness of its use.

The main charter, Goblin Slayer, is a well designed charter who goes through a believable and interesting development through out the show. He is not particularly special in any way. He is not powerful because he's a 'chosen one' or because he found a great magic item, in fact he is only extremely effective against goblins.This because he has dedicated his life to studying them and coming up with specific ways to fight them. He pays attention to the world around him and uses whatever he learns to better fight goblins. He is simply a broken man who wishes to kill goblins to prevent what happened to him from happening to others. During the first season he meets others who work with him and through this he begins to heal as a person.

The introduction of new charters feels natural and flows nicely with the plot. The progression of the story is kept at a good pace with very little filler and a good amount of action. There are new types enemies and situations that keep things interesting without feeling forced.

I have seen many complaints about aesthetics of the show, but I'm not sure why. There are some scenes where bigger more complex creatures are rendered using CGI, but that is something common when trying to make large, complex, and detailed creatures. I agree that these elements still have a way to go to be more seamlessly blended with non CGI elements, but I think it has come far even from just a few years ago. Despite issues with the CGI elements, I quite like the art style of the show.

I think that this show is a wonderful look at enemies that are normally overlooked, with charters that are normal adventures (more or less). The world built in this show is realistic and balanced in respect magic, enemies, and the individual strength of charters. I applaud this show for not shy away from the graphic material naturally stemming from the vile enemies in it, and approaches it in as tasteful a manner possible. The result were charters with believable motivation and enemies that were a real threat.

Goblin Slayer (the character) is often misconstrued as a "boring" or "brick wall" character, but I'm daring to say he is possibly the most complex, realistic isekai (non-videogame isekai) main character out there. As someone who has a partner with PTSD in real life, I can attest that Goblin Slayer's emotional baggage, reactions, personality, and beliefs, as well as how he treats others, is incredibly accurate when it comes to comparing him to a veteran, a soldier, or a roughed-up man who has survived a lot of trauma.

Sorry, if you came here for yet another naive-shota main character who is clueless and ... bubbly, you're coming to the wrong show. The characters throughout are diverse and interesting, the scenes, intense and suspenseful, and the romance, satisfying. In fact, I feel as if this anime will appeal to feminine audiences more than it will appeal to men. Goblin Slayer is very much a damaged knight in shinning armor, winning over the affections of some female characters with his stoicism, vigilance, and heroic masculinity. I can see why so many male reviewers are bashing him and calling him boring, they can't recognize these admirable traits because they might just lack the capacity for them.

The art and animation is stunning, the fluidity of the battle scenes are awe-inspiring, and the dialogue IS engaging. Only one of the characters is a, "they don't speak much, but when they do, it's impactful," types. I kept wanting to see the next episode, which is what makes a good story to me. There is a good balance of tragedy, narrative, comedy, violence, and romance in this series. The pacing stays consistent and leaves you wanting more.

I don't like calling this series an isekai, because it's not a "transported into another world", it's just a straight up fantasy. You wouldn't call Lord of the Rings a isekai, but since everyone IS referring to this as an isekai, I'd say it's definitely one of the best ones out there, next to Tanya the Evil. I'm now reading the prequel series, Goblin Slayer Year One, it's also excellent.

Goblin Slayer is one of my favorite fantasy series and here's why.

Story
It's bland story of a man killing goblins. But that's what make it so good. It's pretty realistic, I'll explain why in the character later. How goblins are considered trash and such but this man keep killing them because of his traumatizing past. I love that unlike most fantasy anime with RPG from video game themed, this one has the tabletop RPG theme like DnD with their unique classes like mage dwarf, monk dragon, and stuff like that. Like I said, the story is simple, straightforward, but that what makes it so good. From ... the title I can say I want them to slay goblins, and hey, it delivers.

Art
I can feel that they have decent budget. Few CGs here and there, mostly on Goblin Slayer, maybe to make his armor looks shiny while he's walking. But hey, at least the CG is not a total disappointment like Overlord. Other than the CG part, all other animations look nice and fluid. The fighting scenes are really good.

Sound
One of the few that I like from this anime. Almost all the seiyuu are experienced pros so they work great. Priest Girl especially sounds great. I love her crying and screaming voice and can feel the chill. The music is great, and pretty much serve their purpose. Heart pumping music during fighting scenes, soft music during wholesome scenes. But what I like most? The fighting SFX. The sound of weapons hitting the goblins' flesh, and the sound of the blood spurting, and the arrows flying. They are great and sounds pretty realistic and echoing in my ears.

Character
This is the best part that I love the most from Goblin Slayer. I especially love that none of the character has an actual name. They're just called Goblin Slayer, Priest Girl, Cow girl, etc. This is one of the series with the "making the MC looks bland so the other side characters shine" type in my opinion. But I'll say this, that Goblin Slayer is a pretty realistic character. I worked in hospital where cops bring their criminals and their victims. Goblin Slayer acts similiar to many other people actually acts after traumatizing event (such as rape victims, and DV victims) where they seems to become stoic and lost interest in many other things. And I also love how, unlike Eren from Attack on Titan that swore he will "kill all titans", Goblin Slayer clearly shows that he knows he won't be able to kill all goblins, but he will at least try to kill as many as he could. And of course, no generic stuff like suddenly getting superpower, or getting power from friendship. The dude use logic, knowledge, and experience, alongside tons of training. He's like budget Batman. And you can see how with interaction he grows with the other characters later on. Good unique main character, that makes the other side characters shine and doesn't feel like this is the "main character is the center of the world + other characters". In here you can feel that... The other characters exists. It doesn't give the "Goblin Slayer and His Bitches" feeling. But more like "this is a group of people with goblin slayer in it".

Enjoyment
I really really enjoy this of course. I give this 9 instead of 10 because, well, in the end the story is pretty bland. He comes, he kill goblins, he finished. I don't say I don't enjoy watching goblins getting pummeled, but in the end I still know "these goblins are getting their butt kicked". So yeah, that's why this get 9 instead of 10.

Overall I give this a 9. Really recommend it. Some parts are indeed a bit disturbing and maybe kinda gory, not something you wanna recommend to people who's new to this kinda series and children of course, but it's enjoyable. The gruesome and disturbing parts just show us about how the world really works and such, and thus should not prevent someone from watching this.