Intricately constructed and unbearably suspenseful from beginning to end, the first season of The Promised Neverland is a masterclass in using the episodic structure of TV to maximize the effect of a mystery-driven thriller. By placing us firmly within the perspective of its child protagonists (who are, to be fair, incredibly smart and determined), every step towards freedom still feels like a shot in the dark, and every setback becomes increasingly more devastating. Even as the season hurtles towards its conclusion, it never becomes clear how much its characters will succeed, if at all. Intelligent editing and animation that goes from ominous to fully grotesque ensures that something always feels off or too good to be true, no matter what.
And it says a lot about the sheer quality of the first season that it's still worth recommending despite a truly awful, rushed second season, which ignores its own themes and resorts to lazy animation just to get through the story faster. Viewed as a two-season series, The Promised Neverland can't help but look disappointing, squandering an exhilarating first half with developments that lead nowhere. But even on its own, season one stands tall as a stunning achievement in anime—a self-contained story of selflessness and hope in the face of dehumanization and despair.
Synopsis
Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage — a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again. However, the three oldest siblings have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children living at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.
Storyline
When several orphans living at Grace Field House learn of a dark secret being kept from them, they plot to make their escape from the orphanage.
TLDR
The two cardinal rules of watching The Promised Neverland: (1) don't look up a single thing about its plot; and (2) just pretend they never made a second season.
What stands out
It's difficult to talk about any aspect of The Promised Neverland without giving anything away, but it should reassure any skeptic to know that the first season boasts both a practically perfect premiere episode and a practically perfect finale. The hook within the very first 20 minutes of the show sets a tone that's impossible to shake, while the conclusion manages to work in just enough unexpected emotion into its breathless set pieces. With such strong bookends, the first season has a rock-solid foundation on which every development in between feels necessary and earned.
