Berserk – episodes 14 to 25
May 1, 2005 on 3:53 pm | In Berserk | 3 Comments
The final stretch of Berserk is excellent … but then there is the matter of the ending.
It can not be denied that the characters and situations in Berserk are excellently realised; I have got a fair bit of mileage from regaling my friends with stories of the exploits of the series, so rich and colourful that people react in all the right spots (“This guy’s a bastard!”). This is the sort of anime you could steal and adapt it to tell by the firelight at a hunting lodge or smithy deep in the mountains.
From the battlefield. where Guts and Caska reach an understanding, Berserk bleeds right into court drama. Moreso than on the battlefield, the nature of Griffith can be understood in this context. Griffith is not a nice person; his dream, as Guts realises, takes precedence over all else. One can understand Griffith’s charisma, but the audience can see his determined eyes: they are huge and cold; piercing, like a hawk.
Guts, on the other hand, is not as cold as one might think: some of the best moments in this series are the conversations between Guts and Caska. Here it is revealed how well he knows his fellow band members, and that he genuinely cares for them. Guts may be gruff, and uncomfortable in fancy regalia, but he is very human indeed.
So, to the last two episodes: they deliver exactly what is promised in the first. What we get is Supernatural Berserk, which I did not really find enjoyable. Most of the program had nice moments, but the conclusion is completely bleak; it is from these two episodes that Berserk receives its reputation.
The change of gear is not the major issue, however: Berserk ends on the biggest cliffhange ever! Almost never has there been a louder shout from the director of “buy the manga!” than Berserk episode 25. This is very edgy indeed.
While the final episodes may produce nail-biting moments of tension, Berserk was wonderful at what it aimed to be: an account of Guts’ life in the Band of the Hawk.
3 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Powered by WordPress with Pool theme design by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
Valid XHTML and CSS. ^Top^
berserk…SICK!!!! unfortunatly I havn’t seen the rest but the blood and gore alone is very cool…plus Guts rules. :]
Comment by Shade — February 15, 2007 #
the ending is only like that, obviously because the whole managa isnt finished yet and Kentaro Miura knew there wasnt enough material for another season so they ended it at the conclusion of the band of the Hawk Arc.
Comment by banana slug — April 26, 2007 #
“Berserk” is a wild ride. I thought it was going to be awful after I saw the first 2 episodes, but after I stayed to watch it to the end, I actually found it to be good -of course, it’s not for the sensitive.
As for the endging…yeah, big cliffhanger. Too big actually. But a friend of mine who read the manga said that after that the story went to decline, so we didn’t miss much.
Check out my review of this anime when you have the chance.
Comment by Marin Mandir — August 16, 2007 #