Shounen Yakusoku no Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu

[Su Tunc]

Shounen Jump's new manga. It'll be released on the 1st of August.

Alternative Title: The Promised Neverland
Author: Kaiu Shirai
Status: Ongoing
Demographic: Shounen
Category: Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural
Description:

Emma and her friends have a pretty good life at the orphanage they grew up in. Though the rules may be strict, the caretaker is kind. But why are the children forbidden from ever leaving...?


The first issue will be 54 pages long!

 

[Demonspeed]

MS translated the chapter.

 

[Su Tunc]

I am already seeing an animation adaptation for that manga. Hope this post still be here in two years when the first episode was released

 

[BASED Shinigami]

The story seems intriguing. I like the art. Reminds me of Deadman Wonderland or Smokin' Parade. I knew something was wrong with this orphanage when I saw the numbers on Emma's neck. Also, the warnings about never going past the boundaries led me to think that the rest of world has gone to s*** or monsters are involved. I was right.

 

[Erinyes]

Demizu Posuka's trumbl, love so much his art !!! https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/demizu-posuka

 

[ProGoddess]

I have just read the first chapter with 54 pages - almost like a one-shot chapter - and colored even. Yay!

The Jump Cover of illustration of the new manga didn't look good - not the story or art - but the numbers on the children's neck. Though they were kids, they definitely didn't have the expressions of innocent children.

The story starts off with a beautiful scene with children playing happily and a woman who acts like a mother to these kids. The kids aren't siblings but they live together with their mother - in an orphanage, Grace Field House. Everything seems so serene and peaceful till it dwells deeper into their story.

A very good morning to all - it's always nice to see kids running about in the early hours of the day. There's a saying "early bird catches the worm," I suppose these kids in Grace Field are doing it right now - not catching worms but having the most important meal of the day, their breakfast.

Clearly, one shouldn't be expecting the children to be able to gather together in an orderly manner - especially when there are 38 of them. Our main protagonist, Emma, being the oldest kid among the siblings, appears to have the responsibility to look after all the younger ones. As chaotic as it can be in the morning, Emma seems to enjoy herself too.

There are two older kids, who are similar age as Emma, don't give a good vibe though they have a smiling face. A bit serious for them but don't seem like bad kids. Their mama appears like a wolf in a sheep's skin. Truly, at the end of the chapter, we finally know what she has been doing.

During breakfast, they even say grace before eating. The family is indeed having a feel of a happy family. But the "identification number" - hmmm... why do they need these numbers on their neck for? It's not like they are some kind of criminals. Even such practice does not exist anymore.

Grace Field doesn't feel like an orphanage, does it? With the good food, nice lodgings, pretty clothes and high technological equipment for studying and learning, they definitely do not feel like kids without parents. Even the exams they are taking aren't quite normal for their age.

Strangely enough, the kids aren't allow to go outside of their "home." Kids don't question, but when they grow older, they will want to know everything in the world. They are curious. Something is fishy about the outside world, as well as the inner one.

The three geniuses, Norman, Ray and Emma, are pretty interesting with their unique skills and abilities. Adults don't understand how children work sometimes. They may be small but their brains are always learning what is outside of them.

The later part of the story goes deep and dark when Conny is seen dead in a truck. The scary thing is a stalk of flower is "planted" on her. Looking at her with eyes so widely open, we know that she suffers a tragic death.

Oh dear! Little did I expect to see monsters scene in such a supposedly heart-warming children playground and it's a children-meat farm. That's really dark.. children-eating monsters!

Now it's time for the kids to fight for their survival. They must find a way out! What is the outside world? Are there only monsters and demons there? Or there may be some other species like humans and others?

Wow!

The first chapter seemingly raises some curiosity. Though it's kinda dark, but it may have a good story plot afterwards. Awaiting for the next chapter.

It's good that MS did the Edited Manga - all thanks to them.

 

[Arcueid]

Not bad first chapter. The dark theme seems promising and will be interesting to see kids dealing with a situation like that.
I hope this doesn't turn into let's be heroes and save the world thing too soon. I would like to see it focusing on the kids learning to survive and grow up in this cruel world.

 

[ProGoddess]

Not bad first chapter. The dark theme seems promising and will be interesting to see kids dealing with a situation like that.
I hope this doesn't turn into let's be heroes and save the world thing too soon. I would like to see it focusing on the kids learning to survive and grow up in this cruel world.

This is also my first impression of the series and truly, the focus will be more "appetising" if it goes along the line of the kids learning of survival skills and attempting to stay alive with minimal sacrificial in that supposedly cage for them.

I have just read the 2nd chapter - thanks to MS Edited Mangas - which continues to stay on track with Norman and Emma gradually deducing of who they really are and why they are raised in the stipulated condition. Their enemy is their own "mama" who shows a motherly smile and leads them to death.

Chapter 2 opens up the possibility of the older kids finding a way out of the "cage" and planning to escape with all the other kids. But their "mama" seems to know who have been sneaking around on the day when Conny was taken away and is declaring a war?

What will the kids do? Will they be able to come out with a plan of escape? Will they get caught and be punished for it? Will there be more sacrifices?

It is a good chapter overall and it's getting my attention for the next.

 

[BASED Shinigami]

The chances of all the kids escaping without alerting mama is now zero. She knows something is up. They will have to directly deal with her in order to leave the orphanage. Maybe they will ambush her in the next chapter. Tie her up or something.

 

[Erinyes]

So, anthropophagy is one of the topic of the story (a really interesting topic btw) So, the farm seems to produce some 100% organic kids with no GMO (hormones/steroids free) free range, Amazing !!

I really enjoy the series so far

 

[ProGoddess]

The story may have gone ahead of time. Why are the kids being "locked up" in the first place? They would have their origins - birth place, home town, families and relatives, etc. How did they end up as orphans? Were they abandoned by their parents? Parents died during war? The kids were kidnapped when they were born or at a very young age?

Perhaps we may get these questions answered at the later part of the story. Meantime, the children are facing a crisis, between life and death. They would have to fight in order to flight.

There are three super-kids - one with a good brain to absorb knowledge; another who strategises and formulates plans for survival; and the third one has a agile body to carry out legwork more smoothly and speedily. Together, they form a great team to face their greatest challenge ahead of them.

Wow!

 

[Erinyes]

Chapter 3 spoilers :

source : Here + 4chan (translation)

Spoiler: Spoilers YN 3

Emma and Norman try to figure out the truth of the outside world from the encyclopedias and books they've read, but they can't find anything that would help them. Feels like there is a big gap of time after 2019.
Ray is suspecting something is wrong with Emma and Norman.
Emma and Norman don't know how to look for the receiver in their bodies.
Mama confronts Emma. Mama hugs Emma, treats her like nothing has happened. Mama talks to Emma sweetly, Emma is scared. Mama tries to taunt her into revealing the truth by talking about Connie, Emma is on the border of dropping her poker face but is saved by Ray, who says dinner is ready.
Since Mom hasn't discovered them, Norman and Emma think that the receiver doesn't identify the individual or she would know they were the ones who went to the wall.
Norman and Emma have figured out how to get a rope. They also decide to steal the watch from Mom.
Big twist at the end of the chapter. Mom is in her room undressing, her poker face suddenly kinda breaks as she looks in the mirror. We can see that she has a number on her neck. She thinks to herself: "I'll survive, no matter what I need to do

 

[Spirit]

I'm surprised something like this is in WSJ. I kind of feel it's more of a Seinen myself. But if the Japanese readers like it then WSJ is where it will stay. I'm enjoying this greatly, and I see that chapter 3's spoilers are already out

 

[ProGoddess]

Thanks @Erinyes for the spoiler.

It looks like a good development has occurred in the Home with the kids trying to figure out their situation and how to go about escaping.

The "mama" figure seems like an interesting character - antagonistic one - who may appear to be a villain, but at the same time she could be a victim herself, perhaps in her past.


I agree with @WithYouInSpirit that the series seems like a seinen genre though it's classified as shonen.

 

[TotalEconomist]

So Mama is also tagged and trying to survive as well. I wonder if the demons will kill her if any of the children escape.

 

[Spirit]

Indeed. This is a pretty screwed up situation to be honest but I'm enjoying this thoroughly so far. Only thing is I hope it doesn't get axed. I do think that it will be moved over to Young Jump though

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 23, 2016, Original Post Date: Aug 23, 2016 ---

Wow... The "Oh shit you're so screwed" feels were so strong on this panel

 

[ProGoddess]

Thanks to MS for the Edited Manga.


The story in Chapter 3 continues with what that has been left off. The children have been living in a place like a paradise - carefree and warm - till they found out of their true fate. They have always thought they are loved and cared for by their Mama when it turns out that she is their enemy. The children's trust and faith and dreams get shattered overnight when they witness a horrible scene of their little sister's death, which make them realise who they are really living for. What a horrid way to discover about yourself and the usefulness of it - food for demons!

With the new discovery of who they are dealing with, it gives them hope to face their future and they will fight for their survival. They have two months - only two months - before the next disaster happens. Their life is at stake.

(Little did I know that humans are classified according to the quality of their meat (brain) through their intelligence that derived from academic results - like animals! What are the authors thinking? )

It looks the transmitter is a hinder to them though it sounds a relief that the kids are not specifically bugged individually in the sense that their Mama does not know who have crossed over the line. So in other words, the children can continue to explore their surrounding without getting named as long as they are careful.

The "iron lady" isn't that dumb, is she? She has been observing subtly though closely and threats that indicate that she knows. Little Emma gets caught and being examined like a spy whom she is going to execute soon. It seems like she has her own plan in catching them off-guard. Will the kids able to overcome and hide their fear when facing the cold and ruthless, and yet fill with pretentious warm from their Mama? Being a human herself, she too, is struggling with survival. Has she been threatened by the demons, to provide "food" continually in order to preserve her own life?

Indeed, the prison break begins! Mama vs Children!

 

[Mankichi Togawa]

Spoilers (source: 4chan)

Spoiler

Emma and Norman find rope and cloth in the barn, they take it out and hide it in the goods. They finally come clean to Rei but he already suspected it. Rei actually tells Emma what everyone in these threads has been thinking: saving all 37 kids is impossible, Norman should know this and he probably is only planning on making a escape for the 3 of them. Rei also tells Emma that the outside world is likely overrun by demons and it will be impossible to survive with all the 6 year old kids with trackers on them. Emma tells Rei that she isn't just planning to escape from the orphanage, she wants to change the world. Norman and Rei confront each other alone, they both confess that they like Emma. Rei tells Norman that he should cut the saving everyone crap unless he wants Emma to die. Norman says that he wants to save Emma but he also wants to make Emma smile. Norman is planning to sacrifice himself if necessary. Rei tells Norman that the books they have in the house are useless and outdated and the most important thing is to determine the status of the outside world and the reality of the monster society.

 

[Bigbootyjudy]

New Chapter is out: http://mangastream.com/r/neverland/004/3644/1

Poor Norman. Death flags, death flags everywhere.

I'm not sure I like his whole, "I love Emma" deal. I hope it's just that he loves her, as his closest friend and not a romantic deal. I mean, they're all essentially brothers and sisters. And he's 11 why is he even thinking about love...oh who am I kidding, let the shipping wars commence.

As it stands now I see no way they're going to get all the kids out without Mama noticing. Either Mama is going to have to help them or they're going to have to kill her.

 

[Erinyes]

New Chapter is out: http://mangastream.com/r/neverland/004/3644/1

Poor Norman. Death flags, death flags everywhere.

I'm not sure I like his whole, "I love Emma" deal. I hope it's just that he loves her, as his closest friend and not a romantic deal. I mean, they're all essentially brothers and sisters. And he's 11 why is he even thinking about love...oh who am I kidding, let the shipping wars commence.

As it stands now I see no way they're going to get all the kids out without Mama noticing. Either Mama is going to have to help them or they're going to have to kill her.

The word used in japanese is 好 suke wich means more like/care than love (may means love in certain cases though), also see what the official translation says :

Spoiler: pic