i remember seeing the 97 anime version of the eclipse over a decade ago without any context, and thinking the exact same thing. when i picked up reading berserk a couple years ago i had forgotten all about seeing that clip before and when that part came up it was like a deep-seeded memory got recollected in the back pits of my brain and i was like woah holy fucking shit.
Important to note that Griffith decides specifically to start the ritual of sacrifice after seeing Guts (who just climbed up the giant hand to reach him). Griffith does ultimately love Guts, but his egomaniacal mind views this as Guts having gotten in the way of his dream. There's a resentment there, and that smile on Griffith's face as he speaks the words looking at Guts highlights this. Griffith has probably never actually really loved anyone until Guts, and Guts never realized how much power he really held over Griffith's emotions.
I've always disagreed with the notion of any real friendship between Guts and Griffith. From Guts' point of view, sure, but not Griffith. To some extent I think Guts amuses Griffith, but he's also an extremely valuable asset and that's all everyone ultimately is to Griffith. Griffith as a character is never truly explored and I think that's completely deliberate on Miura's part. It's because there's nothing to explore - Griffith is empty. He's essentially a sociopath and a control freak. He acts as a mirror on which everyone around can project their hopes and dreams, but Griffith couldn't care less (unlike Guts who is shown to actually care and get to know those who he commands). Guts the "rabid dog" is also not just a particularly valuable asset, but presents Griffith something of a challenge in his effort to control everything and everyone around him. If there's one scene that truly highlights all this, it's their second duel. Griffith is willing to kill Guts to stop him from leaving. If he can't have him, no one can. Hardly the act of a real friend. And it's the very fact that Guts quite literally brushes past Griffith so easily, making a mockery of Griffith's self-image of having everything be inferior and subservient to him, that really breaks him. This is still something that defines Griffith as Femto - he says he doesn't care about Guts anymore, but the fact is Guts is the one thing in the world that Griffith can't control and that eats away at him. There's a tonne of other points I could bring up, because Berserk is just so rich with that kind of detail, but yeah, that's my take.
Griffith is the most extreme example, but just as with the Count in the Black Swordsman arc the Godhand approach their victims when they are at their lowest point, when they have nothing left to hold on to anymore. Griffith's state after his rescue is in a sense the cosmic or karmic result of his previous larger-than-life status. His lowest point is the complete inverse of his highest high, to make the seduction to join the Godhand virtually undeniable for him.
well quite literally he found the behelit again right after failing to kill himself. he was to weak to even kill himself and that is where he is at his lowest
@@booksandtropes Yeah, I mean he could have been on a knifes edge ever since Guts came into his life and could have gone either way depending on certain events. It was like Guts was a pillar of support for him but you could almost see that pillar crumbling over time even before Guts left when Griffith thought he was losing Casca to him, someone he only saw as a possession at the time. You can definitely read it either way so far.
Part 2 is gonna be pain and suffering. I was literally SOBBING at what happens next and begging for it to be over. I was constantly looking away from the book to prevent snot or tears from damaging my book. I'm scarred by the Eclipse so much that most horror series don't do it for me anymore when it comes to the level of dread or twisted mutilation that can be associated with it. Unlike most horror, the Eclipse works BECAUSE you care about the Band of the Hawks and everyone involved. If horror as a genre tried to write characters more like this, then maybe I'd be worried about them too. Literally, the impact of this event is something I'll never forget
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the eclipse is just how confused all the characters are as it is happening. And also the deep sense of dread I felt when I saw all of the apostles waiting for the ritual to begin hit so hard.
literally paused and took a sec when she got to that part. that panel where you see the count and all the apostles ankle deep in the lake is seared into my brain. miura did uncanny valley so fucking well
It's speculated whether or not Griffith tried to assault her in the wagon, or if Casca took it that way. It's theorized that Casca finally got some attention from Griffith, if just laying with him in the way she always wanted. (although I 100% think it was Griffith trying to reclaim what he thought was his). Outside the wagon Casca cries because she realizes she knows she is pregnant with Guts's child in the midst of this situation. (All speculation but interesting none the less)
This is one of the things that is so amazing about berserk. There is so many different ways to interpret what griffith is thinking. And you can make a great point about it. Because Miura makes it a point to really show that they feel and think something. But what that is? Its a good of a guess as mine.
Loving your reviews of Berserk so far, I only got into it in 2022 by watching the 1997 anime, but have now also drained my funds to obtain all 14 deluxe edition tomes. It honestly is my favorite piece of fiction out there, and the eclipse is something else haha
There are a lot of comments saying to read chapter 83, but I will advise not to. Miura deliberately deleted it from the volume release because it spoils too much of how the universe works that he wants kept hidden at this point. Read it after you catch up, but certainly not now.
Don't worry, once you catch up in the manga you can reread the past chapters, reread the entire series, and devote 10,000 hours mastering a skill between each new chapter release.
I love your reaction to this, and this is just a minor nitpick. Only Guts belongs to Griffith that was a big issue between Guts and Casca. She makes it her point to say how unfair it is that Griffith has never and I mean never said that to anyone else.
Okay, so, long, random rambling about the Eclipse/Berserk (I'm sure you understand): The God Hand are apparently named after scifi books. And also, their dialogue is fucking awesome? Only ever read old scans of Berserk, have no idea how similar the translation is for the newer deluxe editions, but as examples, Ubik to Griffith: "Eyeing the castle in the sky, taking it by piling up corpses endlessly, *that is you*. Over thousands of of your comrade's corpses, over the tens of thousand's of thousands they, in turn, amassed, over those corpses with no identities, no names, you have trampled as you came, but with one desire in mind." and then of course Void's line "If it be reason that destiny transcend human intellect and make playthings of children, it is cause and affect that a child bear his evil and confront destiny." I just love it so much. Something you may have noticed during this arc, Griffith has been equated to a child several times throughout, with the last one being that quote from Void. Someone being child-like is usually a way to describe them as innocent, and that is exactly how it was used a couple of times before to describe Griffith, but Void's line there really tells us something different. Also probably intentionally connected to the idea of the God Hand being described as either angels or demon's. For some reason, there's some people in the fandom who do Griffith apologia by arguing that Griffith turning into Femto "changed him" or "made him evil" but uhh, think the God Hand made it pretty clear he was always evil, lol, not to forget all the clearly bad things he did beforehand. Anyone ever tell you to read the lost chapter? Don't, least not till you're done with the manga, because despite the chapter itself not being canon, a LOT of what's in it gets introduced later into the series and canonized then. It's not in publication for, I think so at least, that exact reason. It revealed waaaay too much stuff way too soon. It is incredibly interesting though, like, something I can say is that when Griffith is transforming into Femto, and he sees something massive covered in darkness and questions if it's God, that thing is named "Idea of Evil" and boy does it have some ideas of evil. Also the dialogue kind of sucks lmao, might be an older translation thing though. Casca canonically would've chosen Griffith over Guts. If Griffith's visions are to be seen as closer to the truth than not, that means had he stayed with the Band, Casca would've left Guts to stay with him. Considering she broke down crying, telling Guts she couldn't go with him...yeah, the vision Griffith had about living a domestic life with Casca is more than likely close to the truth. I don't really mind how Casca's SA was portrayed, but man, it really did not need to last an entire chapter-length. I know other people have major issues with it, but that's the only complaint i have. TH-camr Lady Emily has a good video going over the several adaptations of Berserk that i highly recommend, though it does contain spoilers, and I have no idea how wary of spoilers you are. No character deaths or plot twists or anything like that, mainly just character arc spoilers. I especially loved hearing her thoughts near the end of the video about how, despite Berserk being so dark and brutal, it is her comfort media, something she uses to help with her depression, and her thoughts on how Berserk handles trauma, grief and hardship. Can't wait for part 2 and beyond, Berserk still has so much to offer.
Just to add to your comment, these are the sci fi novels they are based on: Destination: Void by Frank Herbert, Slan by A. E. van Vogt, Ubik by Philip K. Dick, and ...And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny All of them are legends of the genre :D
haha I intended it to be all one video but the past 2-3 days of migraines made me incapable of talking to a camera for over and hour to do it I should be able to get part 2 filmed today or tomorrow, so the next part will be done soon :)
What do you think of Griffith's decision being predestined? In my opinion, the reasons for Griffith's decision and how Guts and Casca react to it are the best part of the eclipse, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it being predestined. It kind of takes away a lot of Griffith's agency, but at the same time Griffith's turn is still understandable and well foreshadowed if you ignore that detail.
I like the idea of the demons/gods hand manipulating events in order to close off all roads for him except the one that brought Griffith to them. He still had the option/free will/agency to make a different choice, but the odds were against him as they have been manipulating him ever step of the way
Although Berserk is dark fantasy, the eclipse is the best depiction of cosmic horror I've ever seen in a visual medium!
agree!
i remember seeing the 97 anime version of the eclipse over a decade ago without any context, and thinking the exact same thing. when i picked up reading berserk a couple years ago i had forgotten all about seeing that clip before and when that part came up it was like a deep-seeded memory got recollected in the back pits of my brain and i was like woah holy fucking shit.
Important to note that Griffith decides specifically to start the ritual of sacrifice after seeing Guts (who just climbed up the giant hand to reach him). Griffith does ultimately love Guts, but his egomaniacal mind views this as Guts having gotten in the way of his dream. There's a resentment there, and that smile on Griffith's face as he speaks the words looking at Guts highlights this. Griffith has probably never actually really loved anyone until Guts, and Guts never realized how much power he really held over Griffith's emotions.
I've always disagreed with the notion of any real friendship between Guts and Griffith. From Guts' point of view, sure, but not Griffith. To some extent I think Guts amuses Griffith, but he's also an extremely valuable asset and that's all everyone ultimately is to Griffith. Griffith as a character is never truly explored and I think that's completely deliberate on Miura's part. It's because there's nothing to explore - Griffith is empty. He's essentially a sociopath and a control freak. He acts as a mirror on which everyone around can project their hopes and dreams, but Griffith couldn't care less (unlike Guts who is shown to actually care and get to know those who he commands). Guts the "rabid dog" is also not just a particularly valuable asset, but presents Griffith something of a challenge in his effort to control everything and everyone around him.
If there's one scene that truly highlights all this, it's their second duel. Griffith is willing to kill Guts to stop him from leaving. If he can't have him, no one can. Hardly the act of a real friend. And it's the very fact that Guts quite literally brushes past Griffith so easily, making a mockery of Griffith's self-image of having everything be inferior and subservient to him, that really breaks him. This is still something that defines Griffith as Femto - he says he doesn't care about Guts anymore, but the fact is Guts is the one thing in the world that Griffith can't control and that eats away at him. There's a tonne of other points I could bring up, because Berserk is just so rich with that kind of detail, but yeah, that's my take.
Griffith is the most extreme example, but just as with the Count in the Black Swordsman arc the Godhand approach their victims when they are at their lowest point, when they have nothing left to hold on to anymore. Griffith's state after his rescue is in a sense the cosmic or karmic result of his previous larger-than-life status. His lowest point is the complete inverse of his highest high, to make the seduction to join the Godhand virtually undeniable for him.
well quite literally he found the behelit again right after failing to kill himself. he was to weak to even kill himself and that is where he is at his lowest
one of the greatest arcs of all time
So it begins.
I believe it was always destined for Griffith to fall and sacrifice everything for his dream as soon as he came into possession of the Behelit.
I agree,
... though I do like the idea of fighting against ones destiny
@@booksandtropes Yeah, I mean he could have been on a knifes edge ever since Guts came into his life and could have gone either way depending on certain events.
It was like Guts was a pillar of support for him but you could almost see that pillar crumbling over time even before Guts left when Griffith thought he was losing Casca to him, someone he only saw as a possession at the time.
You can definitely read it either way so far.
That's who the character of Guts represents @@booksandtropes
Part 2 is gonna be pain and suffering. I was literally SOBBING at what happens next and begging for it to be over. I was constantly looking away from the book to prevent snot or tears from damaging my book. I'm scarred by the Eclipse so much that most horror series don't do it for me anymore when it comes to the level of dread or twisted mutilation that can be associated with it. Unlike most horror, the Eclipse works BECAUSE you care about the Band of the Hawks and everyone involved. If horror as a genre tried to write characters more like this, then maybe I'd be worried about them too. Literally, the impact of this event is something I'll never forget
gonna grab some food and witness peak
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the eclipse is just how confused all the characters are as it is happening.
And also the deep sense of dread I felt when I saw all of the apostles waiting for the ritual to begin hit so hard.
literally paused and took a sec when she got to that part. that panel where you see the count and all the apostles ankle deep in the lake is seared into my brain. miura did uncanny valley so fucking well
Loving your Berserk Reviews 👌🏽
It's speculated whether or not Griffith tried to assault her in the wagon, or if Casca took it that way. It's theorized that Casca finally got some attention from Griffith, if just laying with him in the way she always wanted. (although I 100% think it was Griffith trying to reclaim what he thought was his). Outside the wagon Casca cries because she realizes she knows she is pregnant with Guts's child in the midst of this situation. (All speculation but interesting none the less)
This is one of the things that is so amazing about berserk. There is so many different ways to interpret what griffith is thinking. And you can make a great point about it. Because Miura makes it a point to really show that they feel and think something. But what that is? Its a good of a guess as mine.
Remember to read chapter 83. Because it is not released in the volume! ;)
Welcome to The Red Wedding of manga.
Loving your reviews of Berserk so far, I only got into it in 2022 by watching the 1997 anime, but have now also drained my funds to obtain all 14 deluxe edition tomes. It honestly is my favorite piece of fiction out there, and the eclipse is something else haha
You should read the deleted Chapter/Episode 83 of Berserk, it provides a lot of lore!
There are a lot of comments saying to read chapter 83, but I will advise not to. Miura deliberately deleted it from the volume release because it spoils too much of how the universe works that he wants kept hidden at this point. Read it after you catch up, but certainly not now.
GRIFFIIITTHH!!!
I been waiting for this one!
I should be able to record part 2 either today or tomorrow
so it won't be long till the end of the eclipse video
Don't worry, once you catch up in the manga you can reread the past chapters, reread the entire series, and devote 10,000 hours mastering a skill between each new chapter release.
There is one word that you need to remember when reading Berserk: causality
I love your videos, looking forward to the next one. Big fan of Berserk.
Now that you have reached the eclipse, you showd give a shot to de 90s anime of Berserk, it's just 25 episodes, 20 min each
I never know if I should be happy for people reading Berserk for the first time or feel bad for them.
I love your reaction to this, and this is just a minor nitpick. Only Guts belongs to Griffith that was a big issue between Guts and Casca. She makes it her point to say how unfair it is that Griffith has never and I mean never said that to anyone else.
Poor Judeau can't get a break. 😥
Everything could have been avoided if Guts haven't left.
Oh boy
Okay, so, long, random rambling about the Eclipse/Berserk (I'm sure you understand):
The God Hand are apparently named after scifi books.
And also, their dialogue is fucking awesome? Only ever read old scans of Berserk, have no idea how similar the translation is for the newer deluxe editions, but as examples, Ubik to Griffith: "Eyeing the castle in the sky, taking it by piling up corpses endlessly, *that is you*. Over thousands of of your comrade's corpses, over the tens of thousand's of thousands they, in turn, amassed, over those corpses with no identities, no names, you have trampled as you came, but with one desire in mind."
and then of course Void's line "If it be reason that destiny transcend human intellect and make playthings of children, it is cause and affect that a child bear his evil and confront destiny." I just love it so much.
Something you may have noticed during this arc, Griffith has been equated to a child several times throughout, with the last one being that quote from Void. Someone being child-like is usually a way to describe them as innocent, and that is exactly how it was used a couple of times before to describe Griffith, but Void's line there really tells us something different. Also probably intentionally connected to the idea of the God Hand being described as either angels or demon's.
For some reason, there's some people in the fandom who do Griffith apologia by arguing that Griffith turning into Femto "changed him" or "made him evil" but uhh, think the God Hand made it pretty clear he was always evil, lol, not to forget all the clearly bad things he did beforehand.
Anyone ever tell you to read the lost chapter? Don't, least not till you're done with the manga, because despite the chapter itself not being canon, a LOT of what's in it gets introduced later into the series and canonized then. It's not in publication for, I think so at least, that exact reason. It revealed waaaay too much stuff way too soon. It is incredibly interesting though, like, something I can say is that when Griffith is transforming into Femto, and he sees something massive covered in darkness and questions if it's God, that thing is named "Idea of Evil" and boy does it have some ideas of evil. Also the dialogue kind of sucks lmao, might be an older translation thing though.
Casca canonically would've chosen Griffith over Guts. If Griffith's visions are to be seen as closer to the truth than not, that means had he stayed with the Band, Casca would've left Guts to stay with him. Considering she broke down crying, telling Guts she couldn't go with him...yeah, the vision Griffith had about living a domestic life with Casca is more than likely close to the truth.
I don't really mind how Casca's SA was portrayed, but man, it really did not need to last an entire chapter-length. I know other people have major issues with it, but that's the only complaint i have.
TH-camr Lady Emily has a good video going over the several adaptations of Berserk that i highly recommend, though it does contain spoilers, and I have no idea how wary of spoilers you are. No character deaths or plot twists or anything like that, mainly just character arc spoilers. I especially loved hearing her thoughts near the end of the video about how, despite Berserk being so dark and brutal, it is her comfort media, something she uses to help with her depression, and her thoughts on how Berserk handles trauma, grief and hardship.
Can't wait for part 2 and beyond, Berserk still has so much to offer.
Just to add to your comment, these are the sci fi novels they are based on:
Destination: Void by Frank Herbert, Slan by A. E. van Vogt, Ubik by Philip K. Dick, and ...And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny
All of them are legends of the genre :D
And the TBR grows longer
And th best is yet to come
"cant we just have nice things" LMAOOOO true
Part 1! you like make the suffring and ptsd longer lmao
haha I intended it to be all one video but the past 2-3 days of migraines made me incapable of talking to a camera for over and hour to do it
I should be able to get part 2 filmed today or tomorrow, so the next part will be done soon :)
Oh no, welcome to beserk
What do you think of Griffith's decision being predestined? In my opinion, the reasons for Griffith's decision and how Guts and Casca react to it are the best part of the eclipse, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it being predestined. It kind of takes away a lot of Griffith's agency, but at the same time Griffith's turn is still understandable and well foreshadowed if you ignore that detail.
I like the idea of the demons/gods hand manipulating events in order to close off all roads for him except the one that brought Griffith to them.
He still had the option/free will/agency to make a different choice, but the odds were against him as they have been manipulating him ever step of the way
You better respect my pookie bear Judeau 😡
6:16 🌤No🌈
Read the lost chapter. You get to see Griffith have a conversation with the embodiment of evil itself during the eclipse.
I know some people may think this whole Eclipse thing looks bad, but let me just reassure everyone that Griffith did nothing wrong.
Are you from newfoundland? Can't place your accent might be Minnesota.....it's a weird question
yes, Newfoundland :)
💀the eclipse is here💀
It is said that those who gaze upon the eclipse can never be the same again. Welcome aboard, struggler!
216 = 6 x 6 x 6 : )
hahaha I love that!
Griffith did nothing wrong