I'm a bit conflicted this week. When Goblin Slayer was chosen I felt like I should skip it. It's against my own rules to do so, but I really don't have a whole lot to say about this one. There's no grand story about how I discovered it (other than seeing people talk about it online), and at the time of me writing this, there isn't too much out for it. It's had a single season run, with basically the entire story still being confined to the original light novel. So what I can tell you guys about this series is pretty limited at this time, and I have to be careful not to spoil anything too major. That being said, this is something I want to return to later on when more seasons are out, but for now I'll do what I can. This is what Goblin Slayer is.
Kill ALL Goblins:
The premise of Goblin Slayer starts out pretty basic. We have a young girl called "Priestess," and she's starting her life as an adventurer. On her first day of the job she teams up with some people to form a party, and the group set off to kill their targets -- some goblins. Goblins are these little creatures that really don't pose much of a threat. They are considered low end monsters, and are perfect for newcomer adventurers. The whole set up is a lot like a typical RPG with a guild hall or quest board. Adventurers come here, accept quests, go out and do said quests, power up, and then return to claim their rewards. Goblins are just the intro to this eventual loop adventurers will find themselves in, and so the party sets out without a care in the world. Yeah, let's just say things don't go as planned.
While goblins may be weak, these things are not to be underestimated. When being fought one on one they are nothing, but when you have a group of them, things change completely. As this first quest is to clear a goblin's nest, the place is completely infested with them, and it doesn't take long for the small party to realize just how big of a mistake they've made. This is where the show reveals its true colors. Goblins are brutal.
After slaughtering nearly all of the characters, and "having their way" with the females of the group, the only one to get away unharmed is none other than the Priestess herself. She is eventually saved by a knight in full armor, and later learns he is known as the "Goblin Slayer." Despite being a skilled fighter, Goblin Slayer only kills goblins as he knows the true horrors of what these creatures are capable of. He kills them without mercy, and isn't opposed to splitting baby goblin's heads open as they coward in fear in the corner. He frees the human women the goblins use for... Reasons... And makes sure no goblin makes it out alive. The things he does as he slaughters these creatures might seem demented to some, but in reality it's necessary..
Joining Up With the Goblin Slayer:
Despite having a horrible first day on the job, Priestess does not back down from being an adventurer. Instead she decides to join up with Goblin Slayer, and resolves herself to doing whatever it takes to kill these demons. Of course Goblin Slayer himself is used to working alone, but eventually he does agree to take Priestess with him. Afterwords the two start taking on multiple jobs revolving around goblins, and this is what leads them to meeting the other main characters of the series as well.
A lot of people in this world still discount goblins as being nothing more than weak creatures, but throughout the series we see more people come to understand the truth. One lead character in particular doesn't think much about Goblin Slayer or the goblins he kills, but the moment she comes across one of her own chained naked to a wall, she too understands just how horrible these creatures are. She sees why they must die, and why Goblin Slayer does what he does. The goblins are twisted, and the show does not stray away from showing just how bad they really are. This is a huge part of what makes Goblin Slayer so worth watching, as you never really know what to expect out of these things. There's a real danger in each episode, and the constant threat that a character might die (or have something even worse happen to them) keeps you on your seat. That feeling of unease is what will eventually push you to continue the series, and when it's all over you'll be left wanting more. And that's where we are today.
Should You Watch It:
Like with many series, this is not a show for everyone. Goblin Slayer is very dark, and very violent. Every episode contains extreme cases of blood and gore, with body parts and organs flying pretty often. The way Goblin Slayer kills some of his targets is pretty inhumane, but what the goblins themselves do is even worse. While there is no full on nudity (as parts are either not detailed or hidden in shadow), the series does contain a lot of strong sexual content as well. We see rape scenes happen, with only some camera tricks to really hide things from happening. Still it's graphic enough that it might disturb some viewers, and it could keep others from watching it at all. The good news is that most scenes like this happen in the early episodes of the show, but that doesn't stop later scenes from being disturbing as well. Often goblins have nude women tied up or chained to a wall, and it becomes pretty obvious what has happened to them during their stay there. Basically the show doesn't pull any of it's punches, and continues to be aimed at adults rather than trying to tone things down.
Putting that aside though, the show is really good. It's about a man who had something horrible happen in his life, and has now set out to try to make the world a better place. It's about the challenges he faces as he takes on his target, and the stories of the people he meets on his way. As the series progresses you get to learn more about everyone and their back story, but of course there's only so much of that in season 1. Thankfully season 2 is on it's way however, so we won't have to wait too much longer to see what happens next. So yeah, if this is the type of story you're into, then it's well worth checking out.