English Dub Review: Goblin Slayer “Adventurers and Daily Life”

America’s Next Top Adventurer, with a special guest judge: Goblin Slayer!

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Goblin Slayer awakens from his three-day break after the last quest, though Cow Girl still thinks he should keep resting up. At least until that “randomly turning into CGI” condition goes down. Though she is glad he’s making more friends.

He returns to town to sell Cow Girl’s cheese and has a pretty full day of social interaction. First, he meets up with the Elf, Dwarf, and Lizardman, who still sounds open to further quests. He then sees the Priestess, who’s gone from Porcelain to Obsidian, the next rank on the Adventuring ladder, thanks to her performance against the ogre (ah, dammit I could’ve made so many ogre puns last week!). Two rookie adventurers return from a failed quest in the sewers, with one losing his sword there. He gets a candle from the Witch to help relocate it, though GS suggests he use a club instead, which ends up doing just the trick.

But the big task of the day is when Guild Girl finds herself without a third observer for another adventurer’s promotion exam, so she recruits GS. Said adventurer seems pretty confident they’ll be promoted to at least the top half, but it turns out he’s guilty of hoarding loot and will be demoted and banned from the town for his crime. He almost goes to attack Guild Girl in his rage, but GS’s intimidating nature stops him. Guild Girl thanks him for his reliable presence, though it seems he still can’t tell she has quite a crush on him.

GS also gets word of a new goblin quest, one requested by the famed Sword Maiden herself.

OUR TAKE
Another easy-going breather episode, which I appreciate just as much as the last. The world of this story hasn’t been made especially large in size or scope just yet, but it’s making every effort to feel lived in and real. This is something I think a lot of stories miss the mark on because they’re so eager to get to the grand and awesome moments where the whole of existence is on the line, but they forget that having those moments means far less if we don’t know or care enough about the world that’s at stake. Goblin Slayer has spent a lot of time to make sure the setting is fleshed out enough so that even the most minor of conflict has me at least somewhat invested, like the adventurer rookie duo trying to get a sword back (which was especially perilous after what we’ve seen happen to unprepared rookies in the first episode).

We also get to see what a day off is like for someone as seemingly single-minded as Goblin Slayer (the character). He seems to be, almost unwittingly, cultivating newfound friendships with his party, helping out rookies with advice, and even attracting a couple of girls outside the farm, namely the Elf and Guild Girl. He still takes non-goblin related tasks humorously literally, only observing when it comes to being an “observer” for the promotion exam, but even that shows how his mere presence has varying effects on those around him. He’s kind of like a Rorschach test for people and their opinions about those who are doing a job for its own sake.

The one downside I could really point out with this episode would have to be Guild Girl’s dub voice, Sara Ragsdale. More specifically, in here range and how it holds back a certain moment during the exam. I have a feeling Guild Girl’s unforgiving nature towards the examinee’s actions was meant to be more cutting, but the delivery in the performance felt lacking towards that end. I remember Ragsdale doing just fine as Alicia in “How Not to Summon A Demon Lord” just last season, and even that character was very layered and allowed her to really show her chops, but I don’t think it quite worked in this case.

Aside from that, this was another solid reminder that this series is just as compelling whether it’s on or off the battlefield.