It was on April 25, 2018 that the manga The Promised Neverland was released. For Kazé, this is surely the biggest release of the year, given the communication campaign around this title. And for us, it's time to lift the veil to see what it's all about.
The Promised Neverland
Original title : 約束のネバーランド – Yakusoku no Neverland
Alternate title : The Promised Neverland
Authors : DEMIZU Posuka (art) SHIRAI Kaiu (scenario)
French publisher : Kazé
Original editor : Shueisha
Release date : 25/04/2018
Number of volumes : 8 volumes in Japan, 1 volume in France
Status : Current series
Price : 6,79 €
Synopsis
Emma, Norman and Ray spend happy days at the Grace Field House orphanage. Surrounded by their little brothers and sisters, they flourish under the tender attention of "Mom", whom they consider their true mother. But everything changes the night they discover the abominable reality that hides behind the façade of their peaceful life! They must escape, it is a matter of life and death!
Source: Kazé
An orphanage like no other
The children at the Grace Field House orphanage are far from unhappy. They live together as a family run by the one they call Mom. Certainly, she is not their biological mother and the children do not share a blood relationship. But here they get all the love they need. And yet… It is during the adoption of Conny that everything changes. Emma and Norman discover the hidden side of their living conditions and decide to flee, accompanied by the other children. Only how? How to escape from the cage in which they are locked up, without arousing Mom's suspicions? What world awaits them outside, they who have not set foot outside since their arrival?
The Promised Neverland offers us a story full of intrigue and suspense. We follow the discoveries of children who become aware of the world around them, which they had never paid attention to before. They must let go of the one they thought they received sincere love, while keeping their feelings buried. For children as young as 11, the mission is difficult, especially since Emma refuses to abandon "a member of her family". Like today's Shonen, this title is based on observation, malice and intelligence.
A descent into hell
The Promised Neverland has a special atmosphere, from the paradisiacal exhibition scene to a dive into hell during the discovery that Emma and Norman make. And this change is felt through the drawings, with features sometimes warm for children who do not know the true nature of the place, sometimes heavy for those who know the sad truth. DEMIZU Posuka has a unique graphic touch and is illustrated with an effective staging. At times, it creates a dark atmosphere, reminiscent that Weekly Shonen Jump has, at times, counted titles not recommended for sensitive souls such as Yu-Gi-Oh or Hokuto no Ken.
The first volume of The Promised Neverland keeps its promises, with a dive from heaven to hell. The reader is glued to his reading by the discoveries and the present atmosphere. We are pleasantly surprised by the author's direction to make intelligence and psychological fights as the main source of confrontation. We feel in addition, that many things are still to be discovered which makes you want to chain the volumes.
Note that its anime adaptation has also just been announced. A manga that is likely to reach the top this year!
