Goblin – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Goblin

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2018

28%

WISE Score

8.0

TMDB

A brutal, pitch-black subversion of fantasy tropes that turns low-level monsters into the stuff of nightmares.

8.0

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Goblin

show

2018

28%

WISE Score

8.0

TMDB

A brutal, pitch-black subversion of fantasy tropes that turns low-level monsters into the stuff of nightmares.

8.0

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8.0

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Screenwise Verdict

If you are looking for a cozy D&D adventure, this is the exact opposite. Goblin Slayer (often just called Goblin) is a polarizing, brutal series that uses sexual violence and extreme gore as world-building tools.

It's effectively 'Fantasy Vietnam.' While it has a cult following for its tactical realism and its refusal to play by the rules of standard hero tropes, it is fundamentally a trauma-fest. Unless you are an adult who specifically enjoys the darkest possible corners of the fantasy genre, this is one to skip.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults. Despite the 'animation' tag, it's a Seinen (adult male) targeted series that leans into dark fantasy and horror. Keep it far away from anyone under 17.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While there's a core theme of a found-family 'party' forming, the tone is overwhelmingly grim, focusing on trauma, revenge, and the cold reality of a world that views human life as cheap.

Imaginative

It deserves credit for subverting the 'power fantasy' of RPG-style worlds. It treats low-level pests like goblins as genuine, terrifying threats rather than just XP fodder, which is a clever flip on the genre.

Safe

The first episode contains a graphic depiction of sexual violence and extreme gore that is notorious in the anime community. It is fundamentally unsafe for children or sensitive viewers.

Enriching

There's some value in its depiction of tactical thinking and the psychological toll of 'the job,' but it's largely a dark action series designed for shock and grit rather than ethical growth.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Tactical realism in a fantasy setting where the hero wins through preparation and pragmatism rather than 'the power of friendship.'
Subverts the genre by treating common RPG monsters as genuinely lethal threats to the average person.
High-stakes tension that makes every encounter feel like it could be the characters' last.

⚠

What to Watch For

The first episode is a massive hurdle; it features a graphic gang-rape scene and extreme brutality that sets a very different tone than the marketing might suggest.
The show's nihilistic streak can be exhausting; it rarely offers moments of levity that aren't immediately undercut by horror.
The depiction of women is often as victims of extreme violence used specifically to motivate the male lead's stoicism.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the show treats 'low-level' monsters as such a serious threat compared to other fantasy stories?"
"Does the main character's single-minded obsession with killing goblins make him a hero, or just someone who's broken?"
"How does the show use shock value to get its point across, and is it actually effective or just gratuitous?"

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