The main character is known as Goblin Slayer. Unlike all other adventurers who have “leveled up” and graduate to killing stronger monsters that threaten human civilization, he fixates on goblins. Although considered low-level mobs by most people, he sees them as a greater threat than the higher level monsters everyone else hunts. He takes it upon himself to erase the goblin race from the planet. His desire for revenge won’t be sated until he cuts out the heart of the last goblin.
I haven’t read the manga; I cannot comment on it. I prefer to examine anime series on their own merits, apart from their source material. Please correct me in the comments if this causes me to be in error. It appears goblins are only male, and the only way they can breed is through raping women of the human races–humans, elves, dwarfs. This breeding method provides the source of the controversy surrounding the first episode.
Much of the criticisms center on how a rape was handled as a story telling method. Geoff Thew of the YouTube channel My Mother’s Basement explains the reasons why he found the first episode repugnant. His argument centers on how the anime doesn’t establish the rape as horrific apart from its innate vileness and how the scene appears to be repugnant fan service. The episode opens with a party of new adventurers we know nothing about. They fall into the usual roles: fighter, swordsman, and mage. And they are naively unprepared, but in their defense, goblins are supposed to be fodder.
Well, the goblins prove themselves more dangerous than the newbies imagined. Each die brutally, and the fighter is gang raped by the goblins. Geoff’s criticizes the rape scene’s cinematography as fan service because of it’s gratuitous showing of skin and lingering gaze on the victim. He explains the goblins as posed too orderly, perfectly framing the woman’s pale skin, instead of acting as a pack of rape-obsessed creatures. The scene disturbed me, and I agree that it happened too soon. I didn’t see the scene as fan service, however. The more orderly behavior of the goblins struck me as a contrast to the established view of the creatures–stupid beasts who are easy to kill. Instead, they kill with considered tactics and rape with ordered intent. I agree that the scene had an element of fan service to it. The scene could have implied the rape and showed less skin, but when I first saw it, the way the goblins tore the woman’s clothing off felt intentional. The goblins wanted to show the priestess (one of the main characters) her fate in as lurid a way possible. At least, I had the impression that the camera angle was from the priestess’s view.
I can’t speak to the intent of the animators. I just found the calculated intent to terrorize and abuse victims more terrifying than the expected mindless bestial violence. Don’t get me wrong. I would’ve preferred this scene not existing. And I agree with Geoff that it is a poorly done way to establish the goblins as terrible creatures. The scene itself works, but the anime failed to establish the fighter and the other characters before killing them. They acted as Star Trek’s redshirts. It also smears the entire series right out of the gate. I reluctantly admit that the scene did work in establishing a feeling of catharsis as the Goblin Slayer butchers the little green creatures.
The show continues anime’s troubling trend of dehumanizing women. They become plot devices, like here, or objects of lust. Of course, not all anime stories do this, but far too many do. As I’ve touched upon in my first impression article about Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, respect for female characters stands out. This shouldn’t be so. Rather it should be the norm–to the point where mutual respect is taken for granted. I’ve pondered the reason why for quite some time. Some of it has to do with Japanese culture’s male focus. I suspect some of the recent objectification of women comes from a reaction to women’s rights movements and the #metoo movement. Of course, the men suffer from their own objectification in the story: they become objects of extreme violence as the goblins hack them apart slowly.
Whenever movements appear, an equal and opposite movement also appears. But guys do honestly feel lost. Masculinity, including the attraction toward females, has been under attack. Many men don’t know how to react or even what to think. The natural male enjoyment of female beauty is suddenly wrong. He can even be fired from his job for looking a little too long, which is often an unconscious action. Anime provides a safe and exaggerated place for many frustrated men. It is also a haven for those who lack the ability to interact with women–another source of frustration. Although this is a minority of anime fans, they watch enough to drive a good bit of the content we see released.
Considering these forces, it will be some time before such objectifying content, like in the first episode of Goblin Slayer, becomes the exception. Women can help by speaking out against the content and supporting content that doesn’t objectify or use women as plot devices. At the same time, men need to be allowed to be men (this does not vindicate harassment or other related behaviors–this is not masculinity).
The first episode, despite its problems, works in establishing the reason why the goblins need to be destroyed. The vileness of the scene is the point, but it still reduces a female character to a plot device. Of course, the men of the party suffer a similar fate as they are hacked apart. I’ve watched several more episodes. The brutal, dark fantasy world the story has contrasts from the more fluffed fantasy we’ve seen lately. I used to read dark fantasy novels with more brutal scenes than Goblin Slayer has shown so far. Terry Goodkind’s early works, for example. If you like dark fantasy, but want to avoid the rape scene that has sparked such controversy, just skip to the second episode. Other than setting up the brutality of the goblins, you aren’t missing much in the end. Be warned, the series retains its violence and blood.
The purpose of that scene was to convey to the audience how absolutely disgusting and evil goblins are in this universe. Goblin slayer kills goblins, and we the audience need to sympathize with him to understand the plot….hence building up the villains as evil is necessary. It has less than zero relevance to any “social message” or “moral relativism.” The ONLY reason this is brought to the public eye is because of the influence of Western Feminism. Because any perceived slight against a woman by a “man” or male humanoid in ANY form is “sexist” and irredeemable in the eyes of feminist viewpoints (parroted by the media and establishment corporations – see outrage over xmen apocalypse poster) thus, the media kicked into a frenzy and caused an uproar. “MISOGYNY!” they screamed “THIS SUPPORTS RAPE AND ABUSE!” Ignoring the fact that men also get raped and killed in society (and murdered brutally in the show/shown to have bad things done to them in other entertainment media) but ignore all that…..A WOMAN WAS RAPED BY FANTASTICAL GREEN MONSTERS THAT RESEMBLE MEN IN A DARK TV CARTOON!
It’s ridiculous, sorry for the rant, but it’s such a non-issue…… yet, Australia (A COUNTRY) actually wants to BAN AN ENTIRE GENRE OF ENTERTAINMENT because the media influenced POLITICIANS TO BELIEVE GOBLIN SLAYER REPRESENTS ALL OF ANIME! (https://www.thegamer.com/australian-senator-wants-to-ban-anime-featuring-child-exploitation/).
Goblin slayer is not the best anime, but it’s a violent shounen, NOT HALF as bad as others, yet it gets special attention (like rising of a shield hero) because ideological ding-bat feminists misunderstand a plot point then misrepresent it in media to convince normies of a falsity that “perpetrates” in an entire genre of entertainment. This is all done with malice because (some) “inc els” and M G T O W like anime, and feminists hate inc els and M G T O W hence, anything they enjoy must be eradicated.
Feel free to disagree and debate, either way, I hope this gives you perspective of some sort.
Thank you.
Leave anime alone.
Let men objectify women, and women objectify men.
Objectification is unavoidable, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
Complaining about it is beyond stupid.
I have to disagree. Objectification isn’t unavoidable. Reducing someone to an object is even immoral in many moral, religious, and philosophic systems.
You’ve never seen berserk then
I’ve read some of the manga.
The very act of intercourse/sexual arousal is an object by nature. It is a physical chemical object which triggers a physiological response, within the individual. Fundamentally it is not born out of reason or morality, but rather out of need just as eating, sleeping, scratching an itch or even defecating. Because that is the case “objectification” will always inevitably occur. Natural processes have little to do with morality. They just happen. When the goal itself is an object (eg. a chemical pleasure response), the means to get it will also be “objects” in their own sense. The way to those goals, will take on whatever shape it takes. This is where concept such as “consensual/non-consensual” get inserted. Morality is an add-on here, a maleable one, while the human mind is SOLIDE and old, following its own natural unknown code (not sure how to phrase this).
Reproduction is one-sided. When person X has consensual intercourse with person Y, no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to feel what the other person feels. The reward response remains at its core one-sided even if great effort is put into pleasuring the other partner even at one’s expense. We remain single, locked feeling beings. Our drives, and pleasures, pains and needs remain our own. The exterior world in a sense is an object and our body the vessel to experience it, alone. Sometimes even vessel itself becomes an object for its own experiencer. You could even argue that sex or masturbation, is in a way self-objectification, a means to an end.
Sex is a means to pleasure. It would never happen if pleasure wasn’t part of it. Rape would be non-existent otherwise. It is opportunistic too. It’s about about the INDIVIDUAL carrying on HIS OWN genetic material whether knowingly/caringly or not, and there are a multitude of “evolutionary strategies” to do so. This drive does not stop to question itself about right or wrong. It just happens without you asking, sometimes without you even wanting. Now we may feel guilty about it, especially if it does not coincide with our moral beliefs/ideals, but it is in us and we can’t deny its existance.
‘Why the hell do I crave a chocolate bar now? Is there moral reason behind that? Is it right or wrong?’
It just happens.
Let us not therefore be surprised therefore that sexual objectification is a thing and shall remain a thing for as long as humans remain the same old beast they’ve been for a longtime. Blame mother nature if you must…
The solution is perhaps to change man from within, the whole machinery itself, but this sadly is still science fiction.
Where doe this leave us? Yes, we ought to strive to respect one another. This seems like a valid though somewhat utopic GOAL in order to maximize the well being of the greater number. However, we must also learn to understand what we are, and accept it rather than deny it.
Hope that makes some sense…
Allow me to disagree a little with your argument:
1. Morality focuses exclusively on limiting natural processes. Accumulation of wealth, for example, is a natural tendency in humans; it aims for material security and social status. Morality attempts to keep this process from becoming exploitative. Likewise, the sexual urge is mostly optional. With discipline, education, and habit, it can be overridden and redirected into creative endeavors. Morality strives to keep it from getting out of hand and becoming socially and emotionally destructive.
2. Quantum entanglement appears to function at a macro-level. The principle extends to two people’s emotional and physical states changing based on how closely their neurons and physiology are paired. Think of cases where people have sensed something was really wrong with their spouse or child. That sense is entanglement. So one-sided pleasure, at least with people who are in long-term relationships, is not the case. However, within our poisonous and destructive hookup culture (and I will stand by this assessment) one-sided pleasure IS the norm. And this is hedonism and selfishness. Both are immoral.
3. Rape also comes from a desire for control, which is a social motivation.
Men can be changed from within through education and self-discipline and shifting our mindsets. Just because a man has an urge, doesn’t mean it should be followed. In fact, a moral character acknowledges those urges and channels them into healthy context, such as marriage, or toward other goals, such as the arts or community building. Humans have a lot of control over our biological urges thanks to our higher executive centers. This is different form denial, which is self-destructive. Those biological urges can fuel the noble pursuits of the human spirit.
Really? That’s the only view of sex that you have, as mutual use? I feel really, really sorry for you
Can please you clarify your perspective? I don’t understand what detriment you see.
To me this is just another anime. The beginning was pretty insane. But you do however have a deep hate for goblins after that. But this is how they are. It’s not like in the anime. That time I got reincarnated as a slime. But I think goblin slayer should be left alone and it’s a very good anime
Goblin Slayer is pretty tame compared to some dark fantasy novels I’ve read. Do you think some of the outcry I addressed is because of a culture of sensitivity?
Dude please stop picking things apart like this. If ya don’t like it…don’t watch it. I am utterly so sick and tired of everyone throwing their two cents into every last thing in life. If you think someone who watches this and thinks this behavior is ok well I’m pretty sure that individual has had long ongoing mental problems Besides why watch anime when you can just watch hardcore porn with live people if your into that. It’s an ANIMATION NOT real. Now I didn’t have a problem with this because it allowed me to feel more attached to the characters, their motivations, and want to see them destroy the goblins because of the vile things the goblins do. Look again if ya don’t like it then don’t watch it. Besides there are so many other things out there for you to pick apart – hardcore porn, the Kardashians, Disney pictures, I don’t know take your pick. Just leave anime alone.
I analyze anime because I enjoy the medium (One of my degrees is in animation, so I do kinda like animation in general :D). I mostly enjoyed Goblin Slayer, but it had problem areas (in my view, of course).
Lol. If you dont like his take.. don’t read it? Hilatious that you comment on an article with a “dont like it dont watch it” comment when the solutionnto your angst is to do the same exact thing.
Exactly lol it’s a anime not actual life;people are really sensitive these days like Berserk and others don’t exist .
True. It is a story. In isolation, a few stories won’t shift your thinking, but if you consume too many of the same messages, your own thinking can shift to align toward those messages. Usually, negative messages do this easier than virtuous messages.
For the love of god folks, it doesn’t have to be a social message like everything nowadays. Yes, rape is bad, we know. It doesn’t take a PSA to establish that. As for a female character becoming a plot device, what of it? Male characters have been plot devices and no-one batted an eyelid, why the outrage now?
I dislike men acting as plot devices and acting as one-note characters too. I’ve written about that problem off and on in the past several years. It isn’t the rape itself that is the problem, but rather how it was handled. It was a hamfisted attempt to establish the goblins as evil. However, the scene also does a good job at defying what the characters expect out of the goblins–mindlessness. It would’ve been more effective if time was spent establishing the characters before killing them.
Stop being overly sensitive, lay off the soy, it’s chock full of estrogen.
Expecting better writing isn’t being overly sensitive. Why do you think the desire for better written characters is?
Hmm I don’t know dude. You’re kind of belittling the making of these shows. Anime has evolved in many different ways than before, so it’s not surprising to see a hidden message in it. Didn’t they teach you that in school? Critical thinking skills go a long way.
I said that not everything has to be a psa and have a deep hidden message in it, not that such stuff does not exist in general. If you look for patterns and ”hidden” messages everywhere, you’ll find them everywhere.