Goblin Slayer II (Episode 10) – City Adventure
While visiting a bathhouse with High Elf Archer, Priestess’ clothes are stolen by the Princess. With them, she hoped to become an adventurer, but as soon as they left the city, they were ambushed by goblins! Can anyone save her?
Goblin Slayer II (Episode 10) – City Adventure
What happened?
Upon arriving in the Capital, Dwarf Shamen and Lizardman were adamant about getting some food. Goblin Slayer wanted to do some research, but he had no reason to refuse them. Priestess had something she wanted to take care of so High Elf Archer went with her. While the guys ate and drank, Priestess visited the grave of the older sister of the Red-Haired Mage. She told her about her little brother and how she trained him for a while. Once they were done there, High Elf Archer took Priestess to a bathhouse where they could let their hair down. In the bath, Priestess was asked about adventuring by a blonde girl. It seemed kind of strange, but it wasn’t until they went to get dressed that she realised all of her equipment had been stolen.
Priestess was distraught about her equipment, especially the chainmail armour that Goblin Slayer had complimented. He spoke to Sword Maiden about asking if there was anything the King could do since she was to attend a meeting the next day. However, the main focus of the meeting was about a ball of fire that fell from the sky and landed near Holy Mount. Something was going on, but no one could work out what. Then, the meeting was interrupted as the Princess’s maid reported that she had left the city dressed as a priestess and been captured by goblins. They had to do something, but sending the army would cause concern with the other nations. Luckily, Goblin Slayer heard everything and barged in to accept the job. The most likely place for the goblin nest was the infamous Dungeon of the Dead!
What did you think?
We’ve already had a bikini episode so why not throw in a bathhouse episode? There’s something relaxing and enjoyable watching these characters get to let off some steam. Just seeing them smile and laugh makes the world of difference, especially given how dark things can get in this show. And, I get the feeling they’re going to get a lot darker soon. The Princess was captured by goblins and they had a goblin shaman with them. Normally, this would be bad news, but with the news about the bad omen and something going on at Holy Mount, and then the quest near the elve’s home, I have a very bad feeling about this. I wouldn’t be surprised if she dies or worse!
However, my favourite moment was when they were discussing what to do about the Princess. They needed to send help, but it had to be an adventurer they could trust. Surprisingly, they turned to Sword Maiden because of her past as an adventurer. She froze thinking about the goblins and returning to the Dungeon of the Dead, which was where she went on the quest with Dai Katana. I love that Goblin Slayer just barged in and was like “I heard everything. I’ll do it!” These last two episodes are going to be epic!
What have you learned?
A lot of the original criticism of Goblin Slayer was because people believed that goblins raping adventurers were put in to titillate and entertain. They called it fan service, which is the most absurd and abhorrent thing imaginable. I can’t imagine seeing that episode and thinking it was “sexy”. The point was to show that this world is horrible and the monsters that they face are truly evil and vile. The bathhouse scene, on the other hand, was put in as fan service. It was fun without being lewd. Honestly, the biggest takeaway from that scene was how happy High Elf Archer looked. However, it also helped to move the story along and gave the characters a chance to relax and reflect.
So, I don’t think a dark series needs to shy away from moments of levity. If anything, you need them to give the characters and the audience a break from the carnage and chaos. The bigger the contrast between the highs and the lows, the more it’s felt by the audience. Drawing out emotions is a part of storytelling. It helps people to connect with the characters. We empathise with them. We want to see them happy. Of course, now that we’ve had our fun, it’s time to get serious. I doubt there will be anything like the bathhouse scene in the next two episodes, but someone somewhere will find a way to claim otherwise rather than feeling the horror that the Princess is no doubt going to experience.
Other posts in the series
Series Information
| English Title | Goblin Slayer |
| Japanese Title | Goblin Slayer |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Dark Fantasy |
| Demographic | Seinen |
Anime
Season One
Movie
| English Title | Goblin’s Crown |
| Japanese Title | Goblin’s Crown |
| Released | Winter 2020 |
| Animation Studios | White Fox |
Season Two
Manga
| Series | Side Story II: Dai Katana |
| Author | Kumo Kagyu |
| Artist | Shougo Aoki |
| Volumes | Ongoing |
| 1 | The Fortress City |
| 2 | There’s Always Tomorrow! |
| 3 | Help and Help Alike! |
| 4 | I Can Smell Blood! |
| 5 | If You Let Your Guard Down, You Die! |
| 6 | Be Thankful to Everything! |
