The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11: The Journey Home

Quick Summary of The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11

In The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11, “Episode 11,” Emma shows Peter Ratri a level of mercy reserved only for deities and Emma. Emma offers to let him come with them to freedom in the human world. In that instant, Ratri recalls everything he did to become the leader of the Ratri clan — including arranging for the murder of his own brother. Convinced that his actions had maintained peace between demons and humans for a thousand years, will Ratri join with Emma? Or will he choose another, more bloody path?

The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11: My Turn to Host!

Welcome to our collaboration review of The Promised Neverland Season 2, Episode 11.  Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime and I have teamed up to give you insights and reactions to this episode.

Introduction

Before we get started, how are things in your neck of the woods, Irina? Do you have any idea why we still say “neck of the woods” with urban and suburban development being as advanced as it is?

No idea. To be honest, I don’t even know exactly what a woods’ neck is. Is it a clearing or an edge? Ok I looked it up and this is what I found:

In Bill Bryson’s “Made in America”, the claim is made that the origin of “neck” is the Algonquian word “naiack” meaning “point, corner”, Algonquian being the name for a North American native language (and indeed language group). This at least fits with other sources recording its first use as in the USA.

Bet this wasn’t what you expected when you clicked on a Promised Neverland review! 

I have learned something today!

Review of The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11

So… As Bad As Hand Shakers?

I want to be honest with you (both the “you” in terms of you, dear reader, and in terms of Irina, who’s no doubt mildly apprehensive about my reaction to this episode). This episode hurt. But as we’ve talked before, I’m going to manage my expectations. I’m going to compare this episode with the first episode of Hand Shakers. With apologies to any Hand Shakers fans out there, that show physically hurt me. I had to stop watching after 10 seconds. No clue what that was about; I’ve never experienced it before, and I haven’t experienced it since. So, I’m comparing my reaction to Episode 11 to Hand Shakers.

Want to know which now holds the record for Highest Amount of Physical Pain for a Single Episode (or a Portion Thereof)? 

Hand Shakers remains king. 

Opening Thoughts on The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11

Irina, before I get into the episode, would you like to offer a counter point? I’d like some positivity at this point!

Nah, this one is all yours buddy! Go crazy on the negativity. I’ll get my say in here so as to not break the flow. 

To sum it up: I thought this episode was ok and pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. I liked the very end of it quite a bit. A Phil hug is a great way to end a show. 

As proof my view on this episode isn’t entirely negative, all me to present this: A Phil Hug. It was, as Irina said, a great way to end the season. Capture from the Funimation stream.

In fact, I sort of wish that instead of the season we got, we would have explored what we saw in montage. Basically the kids getting acclimated to the human world mostly and maybe snippets of Emma and co. on a classic fantasy adventure to win the land and have Mujika ascend to the throne. Maybe with a little side romance between Emma and Mujika just for colour!

I started imagining how a few years stuck in the mundane world those Grace Farm refugees would start dreaming about having some crazy isekai adventures, like all normal kids do, and how deliciously ironic that would be. Those montages were a great story.

That actually about sums it up for me. I got it all out of the way and I leave you the floor.

My God, I wish you would have been writer for this season! That sounds like it would have rocked!

Emma’s Words of Wisdom and Entreaty

There were three main portions to this episode, each punctuated by Emma’s Words of Wisdom and Entreaty. As you remember from the last episode, Emma offered Ratri her hand in friendship. All he had to do was take it and go to the human world. He protested, of course, saying the world she wanted didn’t exist. When she said, “It doesn’t exist yet, so we can create it,” he seemed shocked, as if the very idea was unthinkable.

Then we get a flashback. Many still shots in this flashback. Fair warning: They’re not the last. We learn that Peter adored his older brother. His older brother found out the Ratri family had betrayed their friends to establish peace with the demons, and being a normal human being, the older Ratri (who became Minerva) wanted to right that wrong. Ah, but Peter (living up to the colloquial version of the name) had his brother murdered in cold blood. Then cried loudly over the corpse.

Obviously, the dude was conflicted.

“Freeze! Stop trying to kill yourself or I’ll… shoot… wait a minute…” Capture from the Funimation stream.

So, instead of accepting Emma’s offer, dude pulled a hidden knife that he apparently kept for just such an emergency and sliced his throat open. 

Two Stand Out Points

Honestly — not kidding at all — there were two very interesting things about the shot. First, as Ratri raised the blade to his throat, Isabella raised her machine gun, then paused. I think she quite reasonably concluded that threatening to kill Ratri if he killed himself was probably unprofitable. That came out sarcastic, but it’s not. Isabella had a weapon, so her first response would be to raise it. It’s to her credit that she froze when she realized what she was doing.

Second, Emma ended up with blood on her jacket’s sleeve cuff. It was an interesting detail that stayed in place through the next scenes. Some animator somewhere showed pride in their work, and I appreciated that.

Irina, did I miss anything about that scene?

I don’t think so. Based on past reviews, I know you’re used to people being very cold blooded so I figure you probably thought it was weird for someone to cry over their brother’s death if they had arranged it but I thought that was probably the best piece of character building we’ve had this season. 

Then again I might be way off track and you completely agree with me.

In any case, I think you got everything in.

Emma the Persuasive Above All Others

The second section started with Emma, being Emma the Persuasive Above All Others (it’s a royal title, I think; kinda like knighthood in that it has to be earned), convinced Isabella to come with them. I won’t comment on that. There’s probably some positive sentiment in there, and I don’t want to scare it away.

The kids still love their mom. Capture from the Funimation stream.

So they all troop on the elevator, kids, mothers, and Isabella. It descends. They get off and approach some Fantasy Gate to Another World Doors. Also a conferred title. It opens and the Obligatory White Ground Fog comes rolling out. They stride into the light.

Except for Emma, Norman, Ray, and Norman’s new squad remained behind. Apparently, unbeknownst to us, those three had had a secret conversation with Mujika and Sonju. It looks like it happened around the time the entire troop of kids was getting ready to take their leave from the two friendly demons (back around episode 3, maybe –, Norman was with them; so maybe when they were preparing for the Great Balloon Assault?). So now, tearful farewells all around.

Do you know how much I would have liked to have seen that scene when it happened? Do you know how much drama and emotional conflict that would have introduced? How much angst? Seeing Emma, Ray, and Norman interacting with everyone, knowing they had decided to part ways?

This show hurts my heart….

Fun with Door Physics

What’d you think of their parting, Irina?

I was wondering about the door physics. Like it was almost closed, then fully opened again, then Phil ran out last minute and I thought the door closed behind him but no it just stayed open for like 5 minutes but instantly closed as soon as he stepped back.

I like to imagine that the big mysterious magical door had one of those mouvement capture thingies like automatic doors on stores have. And because Phil is quite short it was detecting him on and off which is why it was constantly closing then opening then closing again.

Lucky for Phil, the door was on his side. Notice the blood stain on Emma’s sleeve? Capture from the Funimation stream.

This is not something I’m proud of but without heels some automatic doors don’t quite detect me either but because I have a bouncy walk they’ll sort of pick up mouvement once every 3 to 6 steps or something and do the same open close dance. It’s kind of funny but mostly embarrassing. It would be hilarious if it was a big mysterious fantasy door though!

You can’t see it, but I’m actually laughing out loud. Both my wife and my cat are worried about me.

Emma’s Massive Campaign of Rightness

The final part frankly astonished me. Do you remember the series Record of Grancrest War? Irina reviewed the series, and so did I. I adored that series. I liked almost everything about it. As an aside, I just got wonderful news from Good Smile: My pre-order of the Siluca figure finally shipped! Just thinking about Siluca makes me happy….

Back to TPN. Grancrest Senki. I liked everything about it but one thing. In 24 episodes, it tore through material for about 120 episodes. No lie. The show screamed though its material. Characters, plot points, beautiful scenery was strewn all over the place! But for me, it still worked.

Irina, I suspect you see where I’m going with this.

Starting around 12:40, the rest of the show was Emma and Friends, with special guest stars Mujika and Sonju, going on their Massive Campaign of Rightness. Apparently, there was a big battle, because we got a shot of ragged flags above a desert in a red sunset. 

But was all still shots.

Dang it! I wanted to know about the one-eyed dragon! Why couldn’t’ve they have shown us scene with the one-eyed dragon? And I guess Emma walks on water now… Capture from the Funimation stream.

Mujika apparently became Queen. She and Emma shared a Touching Forehead of Friendship. Then Emma was surrounded by her friends now on Earth (New York, by the looks of it). Phil was quite a bit older, and he was happy to see her.

“We’re home, everyone,” she said. 

In Memory of Grancrest Senki

Before my internal control systems completely fail, I’m turning the conversation over to you, if you don’t mind, Irina!

Oh man, but I already sort of said everything I had to say about this in the first paragraph.

Let’s see… I did not like Grancrest Senki very much. Actually, I didn’t like anything about it really except for the premise and foundations. It’s like it had all those good ideas but it failed to deliver on them. I will give it credit on the ideas though and I had fun reviewing it. I will also give it credit on the fanservice. To this day I get daily searches for Grancrest Senki fanservice, nude scene, sex scene, rape scene, nacked, ect… Let’s just say the show has a very specific following!

Closing Thoughts

I’m trying a Sencha tea that says it’s from Japan. In fact, it says “Made in Shizuoka, Japan.” The act of brewing a cup of tea helped me stuff all that angst into an internal closet. 

It’s no secret this season disappointed me, until by the last three or four episodes, I was trying harder and harder to control the Sarcastic Beast Within. But here’s the thing: It disappointed me because the first season, and even the first half of this season, made me care about this kids so damned much. I wanted to see them survive and I wanted to see more of the world. The writers had me interested in demon society. That didn’t happen. 

What this show could have been will haunt me forever. Capture from the Funimation stream.

I’m glad that they made it to Earth. I’m glad they placed Mujika on the throne. I just wish they had taken me along for the ride, because it looked like it would have been fun.

Any closing thoughts, Irina?

I hope your next season of anime will be a lot more fun. 

And for you guys out there, if you are reading this then you might have watched TPN all the way to the end and some of you may even have enjoyed it a bit. I sure hope you enjoyed some parts of it at least, since watching anime should be fun! 

Thank you all for joining us and hope to see you all again next time!

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• RABUJOI: The Promised Neverland – 23 (Fin) – Easy Win

This Collaboration (I Drink and Watch Anime and Crow’s World of Anime!)

• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 1: Episode 1
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 2: Episode 2
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 3: Episode 3
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 4: Episode 4
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 5: Episode 5
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 5.5: Episode 5.5/Guidepost
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 6: Episode 6
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 7: Episode 7
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 8: Episode 8
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 9: Episode 9
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 10: Episode 10
• The Promised Neverland Season 2 Episode 11: Episode 11