Goblin Slayer (2018)

[ゴブリンスレイヤー]

Director: Takaharu Ozaki
Studio: White Fox
Starring: Yuichiro Umehara, Yui Ogura, Nao Toyama
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A young priestess joins a veteran adventurer obsessed with hunting Goblins.

Impressions:
I may not have checked this series out if I hadn't heard buzz about just before the controversy broke out. Other than the series initially having an inappropriate age rating on Crunchyroll, the controversy is overblown. If you heard from secondhand sources, you'd think it was a wall-to-wall rape porn fest. Yes, there's rape and if you're not expecting it, the first episode can be a difficult watch, but it's not made the focus nor is it fetishized. The first episode sets the stakes, but after that it doesn't dwell on it.

Now that that's out of the way, I did rather like this show. The main character being so emotionally stunted and monomaniacal makes for some amusing play off other characters. Also, unlike so many protagonists of late, Goblin Slayer isn't overpowered. He's actually rather weak, comparatively speaking, but he makes up for it with planning and inventiveness. While the duo of him and Priestess is solid, the series really gets into the swing of things when the full party is assembled. They have great interpersonal dynamics and are a treat to watch.

If you're in the mood for a decent dark fantasy, this is worth checking out. And if you're worried about what you've heard, if you can take Berserk, this hasn't got a patch on it.

Rating:
Watch It