Goblin Slayer (anime! light novel!)

I'd also argue that Berserk is not actually a Cosmic Horror Story since the supposed eldritch horrors are just humanity's own collective tulpas. The true horror isn't some unknowable entity from beyond, but our own ignorance and inability to admit responsibility for our misery.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 12:21:24 AM

The comparisons between this and Berserk are even more superficial than the Doom comparisons.

@M84

While that sounds more like something darkly comedic in concept, I still think the Godhand are more terrifying than them.

I mean, people are always going to make comparisons between something regardless of how superficial it is.

GS is also closer to a real Cosmic Horror Story since while in Berserk the protagonist has every intention to challenge and defy the dark forces arrayed against him, the protagonists in GS have no idea that Truth and Illusion exist.

I wouldn't call it cosmic horror though, because those two exist in light novel's end fo the books intermission. They are essentially gag at end of each book iirc

Plus the fact that we see them talk and have conversations with each other dampens the cosmic horror aspect by a significant margin.

Seems more an attempt at metafiction than cosmic horror.

It's still a bit unnerving to see them treat the events in the world as a mere game.

There's a bit with Illusion about to write off the events of the first chapter (which happened because of a critical fumble of a dice roll) as "Whoops, TPK. Oh well, time to roll up a new character." GS's arrival threw her and Truth for a loop.

It's still closer in spirit to it than Berserk.

Besides, it's not like Cosmic Horror can't be played for (creepy) laughs. Just look at Star Control II. Specifically, the Orz.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 12:40:30 AM

I think the main reason why Goblins in this series are a One-Gender Race is because if there were females, then they become less humanized. It also would lead them to being more complex, rather than the simplistic take on them.

Heh if I was writing I wouldn't have such compunctions.

I'd treat both genders brutally without any shred of mercy or remorse, EQUALITY motherfuckers!

There's actually an old Free-to-play online game of all things (heavily text-based) that had that. In one quest's text description, the heroes go into a dungeon cavern complex to end a dire threat. Along the way they encounter a hostile tribe of kobolds who serve said threat. They cut down the male kobold warriors easily enough, but then they see the women and children rushing forward to attack them. After some hesitation, the heroes fight back to defend themselves.

That quest also ended with the heroes smashing unborn dragon eggs. At the request of their dragon ally no less.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 1:28:44 AM

The other reason is probably that a female goblin would almost certainly be a Cute Monster Girl.

Ugh, now I'm reminded of Re: Monster.

I think one way to mesh the idea of merciless goblin hordes with civilized, non-evil goblins is that they are two different factions of the same race. Like brutal goblins could be violent outliers of goblin society, who form communities of depravity, which regular goblin society disprove of. And these goblin bands tend to male dominated. Even better you can regular moral goblins not mind if someone slaughtered the bastards.

Oh I read about that one.

Did not like what I read, did not make me wanna read the actual story.

If there are good goblins in GS, they are the ones who stay far away from everyone else and keep to themselves.

Goblin Slayer: "The only good goblins are the ones that never come out of their holes."

It's especially bad given the way it handles rape. It's treated casually, and it's done by the protagonists.

Say what you will about how this series handles rape, but at least it tries to hammer home that rape is a bad thing.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 1:57:08 AM

Yeah while I was intrigued by the concept of a protagonist that grows more powerful through the consumption of others like Kirby & Hell a Villain Protagonist leading an army of conquering marauders is always an intriguing concept....

I can see its one of those narratives that is way too lenient on its evil-doer protags and gives them a free pass for any truly evil acts.

Plus it has a harem, you can always gauge how terrible a series is by the level of haraming it has.

On female goblins, they could have done what Pathfinder does with goblins though

Which is that they look near identical to male goblins

Also funnily enough Goblin Slayer actually portrays goblin children looking more sympathetic than pathfinder equivalent. Because Pathfinder goblins raise their children in cages(well some tribes at least, it depends on tribes, but usually similarly crazy negligent methods) and they are half feral as result <_<

Edited by SpookyMask on Oct 8th 2018 at 9:14:23 PM

If you're interested, Tensei Shittara Slime Datta Ken has a "Kirby" protagonist.

And I am, been meaning to get to it one of these days.

To me the most generally good fantasy light novels are the ones that feature extremely inhuman protagonists.

If Redcloack from Order Of The Stick saw this series, he would say it's anti-goblin propaganda.

"I mean, yes, I am plotting to unleash a god-killing abomination that might destroy the world and killed my brother when he tried to stop me, but this is just offensive!"

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 2:36:09 AM

@M84

Well, Redcloack is evil, because he believes that anything to advance his race is going to be worth it, which Xyolon pointed out to him in Start Of Darkness. I think what he would be offended about is Goblins being evil because of their race and not individual motivations.

The point is that the criticism would ring a tad hollow (though still accurate) when the guy making the criticism is going to do something much worse than making a nasty propaganda series. One of the ways Villain Has a Point can misfire.

If Right-Eye were making the criticism it would hold more weight.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2018 at 2:46:19 AM