https://i.ur.com/zMVkmUd.jpg Goblin Slayer was one of the most hyped up anime of the fall of 2018 mainly because we might finally get something dark and violent like Berserk that doesnt shy away from some brutal and messed up stuff. Regarding that while it did show gore and the like the more happy and wholesome kind of guys in the anime community was livid because it had rape scenes already in the first episode which they didnt like and started to bash the anime in multiple ways to satisfy their greed. While I am willing to admit Goblin Slayer was not what I wanted it still ended up being a relative fun watch and an interesting take on the adventure aspect with some darker elements. You dont see much of this kind of anime so it was refreshing in some ways. StoryThere is no goal like becoming stronger or any of the sort. Although you have heroes in this anime which kills the more dangerous creatures like dragons demons among everything else. Meanwhile you have Goblin Slayer far secluded from everyone else who only kills goblins and nothing else if he can avoid it. While it might not be an issue at the time as more goblins get produced it could become a huge problem so in that way what Goblin Slayer is doing is an excellent work one that is and shouldnt be ignored just because killing goblins is no fun or any other stupid reasons. It can come and bite you later and when the problem is too big it will be too late to cry about that. Being only about killing the same old would just become boring in the long run thats what you would call being repetitive. However as he goes on his killing spree you see him strategize and there is even teamwork involved once he gets himself into a group of the rather fun and amusing bunch. With all likable and quirky personality the anime became more fun once they entered the scene according to myself at least. Art and AnimationArt was not all to write home about but it was acceptable and didnt come in my way as I was watching the anime. Although I am willing to admit there are moments where the CGI is terrible that it did annoy me but not enough to make that my whole reason to trash on the entire anime. The anime does to a certain extent show gore and blood and while I didnt think the censoring was an issue for me. Manga is far more brutal and detailed. One of the more messed up things you see in the anime is above and beyond in the manga its a very sickening sight. But being a fellow Berserk reader myself I never had trouble with anime nor the manga concerning those aspects. Also if I had to compare it to Berserk I would say they are nothing alike and I dont see any point into making a false assumption about that. The only thing that I can without a shadow of doubt see that makes people think that way is the violent nature and the rape scenes. But Berserk is another league when it comes to how grim and gritty and all of the above it is. If you havent read it already and want something genuinely dark which gives it justice and more then read Berserk and tell me how its anything like the latter. Animation beside CGI is okay but during certain fight scenes it became more fluid and looks better where you can see the studio put some effort int animating. Its not amazing but not so bad you can rave about that alone. SoundThe sound was quite good in this case there were some very memorable insert soundtracks and especially that beautiful opening song which to this day I still go back and listen to. I want to see more of her Milis work in the future I enjoy listening to that opening song of Goblin Slayer its one of my favorite from 2018. Meanwhile the voice acting was nice and did the job it was set out to do. I never once taught as I was watching if the character felt off or something similar. Adding on the goblins were disgusting and dangerous and their voices conveyed that well it didnt feel false so to say. CharactersGoblin Slayer as a character was not all that amazing he was for the most part silent in the start and didnt talk too much. His conversation always had simple sentences or even when he answered questions and he didnt go through the effort of lengthening them. However as he got used to this new team he started to show more character and life to him making me in return enjoying his role more than before. That said him being so not talkative was one of the aspects that produced some of the quite funny scenes in the anime just because his character was like it was it made for some hilarious moments which I can still go back and get a giggle or two out. The rest of the cast is simple but effective they did a wonderful job to give life to both the anime and our main character. Without them the anime might not have hit so well of with me. Also The dynamics between Elf Girl and the Dwarf was hilarious and never ceased to amuse me. The Lizard was also funny and made it all the more entertaining. The comedy was quite simple but in some weird way it was just sufficient to give me a good time. The NegativeAs a manga reader I did notice some issue in the pacing and some things were cut out or the order was changed. A particular scene especially might make no sense to anime onlies because there was no build up toward it. The dialogue was also a bit lacking and felt more onpoint in the manga. I am not a light novel reader yet but I am sure its even better in the source material. Moreover the last arc impact was not as strong as it was in the manga. Though it was not bad either just slightly lacking and couldve been done better. Its only my gripe as a manga reader so not something that should be true to everyone. ConclusionIf you have some time to kill and want something dark but entertaining with a slightly unusual take on the adventure aspect. Then this anime might be you. However if you are looking for something more like Berserk then this will unfortunately not satisfy you. At best it will only give you the tip of the iceberg of what Berserk has to offer maybe not even that. Are you able to look beyond that you might find this anime enjoyable enough to entertain you for a few hours. Its not what I expected but I still had a okay time watching Goblin Slayer.