#TPN 165

[fullscoreshenanigans]

(The Promised Neverland Art Book World)

Ah yes, one of my favorite genres of baby full score trio pictures: Isabella being openly affectionate toward Emma and Norman in front of Ray while being hands off with him.

(Chapter 2 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 165 | Chapter 170 | Chapter 177)

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 165

Chapter 165: "You Can Fly!"

(I've finally reached that point where those old chapter reviews of mine became consistent, so if there's some deja vu moments with stuff I say from here onwards then I apologize. Might not happen since those were done blindly while I have a perfectly good idea of what happens in the story now, but I'll look back at those posts just in case so I don't become a broken record.)

I find it so adorable that even after so many years, Isabella still thinks of Leslie.

The hatred I feel for Sarah has grown immensely over the past couple months, so of course now I can't help but feel a bit giddy over her being shipped out. Peter eventually comes in with a comment stating that the farm made the decision based on who, between Isabella or Sarah, would be more beneficial to the farms, and with the impressive results Isabella has made during her time as caretaker, she was chosen as the obvious choice to keep around. And rightfully so. Thank heavens.

I know this poor woman just wanted to be free from all this hell and while I certainly don't wish to see Isabella suffer under the farm's rules and restrictions anymore, I love her too much to just see her get killed off, so you gotta stick around for a couple more years to help out the kids honey. It'll be worth it.

As much as I despise the man, I do like the intense shadow Peter gets across him during this panel. It really makes the sinister aura believable with how terrified Isabella looks, and for a woman who's been around death for so long and perfected a strong facade over the years to actually show some kind of fear, that's quite impressive he managed to make her feel that way.

After all this time and now I'm just getting the feeling that Isabella was crying a bit sometime during that panel of her looking at her number and chip implant in the mirror back at GF. Anyways, I know it was intentional for her to look completely scared upon making this deal with Peter here, but I love that it's all just an act as we later find out in ch170. (also, not important but this is my post so it was gonna get mentioned anyway: absolutely thankful that the second season decided to keep Isabella's hair down during this scene. She may have made the deal with one of the GF demons instead of Peter, but I can forgive the anime for that because Isabella just looked so perfect.)

Duh, everything this woman does is impressive. Sure, it's real bummer for those kids who had to be shipped out, but at least we learned during 181.7 that she did lower the frequency of the shipments so a fewer number of children were shipped out all together. It was a whole quality over quantity idea that worked out well so good for her. The less lives lost the better.

I'm certainly repeating myself from somewhere, but the way Isabella was able to successfully rally all the other moms and sisters together in less than a day is just fantastic. Such a power move. I still geek out over it.

Motherly instincts kicking back in (pfft, silly me, as if they ever left. that's genuine concern on her face). It's certainly a painful way to fix a finger but at least she helped!

The switch from "mom" to "caretaker" happens so quick it could give someone whiplash. Honey, I know this is all part of a grand performance but I don't like when you openly treat your precious children as food!

Still wondering how y'all managed to cross the giant cliff in order to sneak into headquarters but whatever works I guess. I'm certain they didn't just cross the bridge since security probably would've been alerted much sooner and I'm not gonna believe they arrived via random hot air balloons like the second season did. Regardless, it was quite a surprise to see Norman armed with a gun but very welcomed. Seeing him in the shelter jacket and pants is a good look for him too.

Favorite panel/moment:

Oh to be lucky enough to receive a hug from such a beautiful woman.

[map-of-neverland]

Operation recapture, begin

[deep-tpn-hell]

TPN 165 review

We finally see Isabella after years of not hearing from her! Lots of Isabella content, and very scary as usual. (By the way I’m so much earlier than usual?)

I have never once believed that Isabella was dead, and here she is, alive and (not) well. It would’ve been a fitting end for her to be executed as a punishment, but Grandma Sarah (btw I didn’t know that was her name?) was killed in her place. It’s also kind of scary to think that grandma, a supposedly old woman who wouldn’t make good merchandise, was still shipped out regardless. Not killed, but shipped out as food. It’s frightening to think that if Isabella tries anything on Peter, she might get the same treatment.

This talk between Peter and Isabella suspiciously looks like a deal made between a mortal and a demon (like Black Butler). I don’t think Peter will do anything for her (‘cause, you know, that whole evil villain thing and all), but for the sake of survival, Isabella takes that deal like she took the chance to be a mom. Then we get this spread of them sitting across from each other, and I love how Isabella looks here, such confident eyes and completely different from the last page.

It’s painful to see this page here, how much of that line is said from the heart and how much is said to give them a false sense of security? Was she horrified to see them and know what she’s about to do, or relieved she got to see them for the last time? Isabella is such a great actress and villain, Peter could never. Look at his fake happy face when he told her to “pluck” the children, not charismatic nor scary in any way, *sigh*...

And let’s just get some F’s in the chat for Nat’s fingers, so much pain in so little time as well. It was really suspenseful because for a moment, there was no telling of what Isabella was going to do (especially with that facial expression). It’s so unpredictable and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Turns out that whole “adorable children” thing was a lie, and they’re all going to be disposed of. I can’t imagine how painful it is for Isabella to do this with her own hands and have to act like she really means it.

Luckily, our trio is finally back after a few weeks, here to have a final boss fight with Peter. Someone on reddit said that a Ray-Isabella moment has to come, and I totally agree. It would be very dramatic and emotional.

Let’s see how they save the kids next week!

rachel

[81194elf]

The Neverland Trio: Operation Recapture.

[notelectrictigerart]

Chapter 165: You can Fly and Chapter 166: Going Back Home

[the-promised-neverland-trash]

Emma, Ray and Norman looks so cool in that last panel 👏👏👏

[bluelric]

Basically everyone’s reaction at the end of chapter 162

[migila]

About Isabella

Cruel, heartless witch? Well, not quite.

She cared about Leslie and she cares about the kids. But why did she do what she did? Chapter 165 clears that up quite well, though we already got the simple version of our answer as early as chapter 3:

What she wants is to survive, to live. That’s a very human desire to have and it doesn’t make her a bad person. The problem is that she’s fighting for her right to live by destroying other people’s right to do so. But does that make her a bad person? Yes and no. See here:

She’s tired of seeing death all around her; she didn’t want to do it. But she did, simply because that was the only way she’d ever known. Even if she had somehow managed to escape, all that would’ve waited for her would’ve been a world of demons, where she’d have to fear being eaten every day... or so she thought, for she didn’t know about the promise.

She took the only path she knew of besides death.

Then she was offered a new way: keep tolerating taking lives for the time being and one day, you’ll be free for real. Now, if I remember correctly, Isabella was around 31 at that point. She had a happy childhood, but at the age of 12 she learned how their world worked. That means that for 19 years, way over half of her life, she’s been fighting in order to survive and she’s done it all alone. 19 years of thinking that the rest of her life, regardless if it’s going to be long or short, will be spent stepping on other people’s lives. Yet now she was offered a way out that doesn’t involve her dying. And she took it, simply because she has the very human desire to survive.

Does this mean she should be forgiven? Not exactly, but I feel sorry for her. She’s also a cattle child who wants to survive, just like Emma and the others. She’s a victim of the cruel system.

Sadly, her suffering won’t end there even if everything goes according to their plans. The Ratri clan despises the people of the other world and doesn’t see them as humans. Knowing that, I’d say it’s a given that if their side would win this, Peter would stab Isabella in the back. He’d never let her come to their world as an equal human being; he’d either have her killed or find another way to use her.

Not that it’ll happen; Team Emma is going to win. The real question is what it means for Isabella. Will she:

A: Fight on the wrong side ‘till the end and go down with it

B: Change sides but die while protecting others or

C: Make use of the promise and get a happy ending along with the other cattle children?

Personally I’m rooting for option C, but unfortunately, I think it’s the least likely one.

[wingsfreedom]

Isabella wants to achieve freedom, when her children all become food then Peter would send her to the human world: as the sole saviour of the Neverland. Will she be able to achieve this? Put her own self ahead of her children. Even if deep down she's wavering, she probably would still fight tooth and nail. Which is shame because I thought she finally achieved redemption after her children managed to escape, but Peter's words awakened the desire in her to fight for her life again and discover the Truth of this world.

I wouldn't romanticize Isabella too much, looking at her objectively she's a bad person, and as a mother she's terrible because she constantly put her own life ahead of her children. A good mother is self-sacrificing and Isabella clearly isn't. She's a villain that makes sense in the context of the world that was created: a constant struggle for survival while occasionally give/shows the form of 'love' she herself received. But we all know what's her priority is, at least for now at this point.

I still don't see what's the Point of her being kept alive while not changing much from writing standpoint, but we shall know that soon.

[just-like-playing-tag]

Isabella and her children - Chapter 165: You Can Fly! // Chapter 174: A New World, part 1

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Is there an age limit for the Moms/Sisters?

For me it would be reasonable that after 60 Moms either die or become Grandma. But I'm not sure how this system works. 😅

No. It feels like it could be a thing, given the conditions we see the sister candidates in and the violent fates many meet that Shirai purposely brings to our attention.

(Chapter 170 | Chapter 181.2 | TPN Light Novel 2: Moms’ Song of Remembrance - “Searching for the Skies of Freedom”)

But despite the oppressive nature of the farm system easily lending itself to the idea, there's no mention of a hard age or time limit for moms and sisters. Assuming they don't make any grievous mistakes, it seems like they're allowed to live as long as they're useful.

(Chapter 165)

Unless they're set up to take the fall for someone else.

The second light novel goes into further detail about how due to the very limited number of positions outside of headquarters, some sisters choose to retrain and pursue other roles in the system.

But even then, it doesn't seem like they're allowed to pass away peacefully in their sleep due to old age and have that be the end of it. Under this system, their ultimate fate is to become food.

On the flip side of things, Krone specifically mentions Isabella becoming a mom at nineteen is an extraordinary feat.

(Chapter 181.2 | TPN Light Novel 2: Moms’ Song of Remembrance - “Searching for the Skies of Freedom”)

This happens when Krone is thirteen or fourteen, and while we don't know exactly when Sarah became grandma between Isabella entering headquarters at twelve and becoming a mom, I default to her assuming the role when Isabella is around eighteen or nineteen and installing Isabella at plant no.3 being one of her first major actions as grandma that would best serve herself.

(Chapter 181.3)

Though with Isabella's scores she had enough justification to frame it based entirely on merit and beneficial to the bottom line of the farms if she booted out another mom prematurely.

(Chapter 181.3 | Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 Q&A)

[brave-symphonia]

On the bright side to this chapter, the Full Score Trio is back together where they started to save the day!

[map-of-neverland]

That knowledge will be used to save us

[deep-tpn-hell]

Raw Leaks for The Promised Neverland #165

The one with Isabella says “2046 Jan. 15th. Two top grade cattle and 15 cattle escaped from Grace Field Farm” in the bubble (idk what word to use for cattle). The one beside Isabella’s head reads “two days since escaping (2046 Jan 17th)”.

Source: The Promised Neverland discord #raw-spoilers tag

Can’t wait for this Sunday!

[littleemobean]

EXCITEDD FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERR UWU💓