After 12 grueling episodes, the first season of Berserk has come to an end, with a second season confirmed to air in the spring of next year. Though I would call this series as THE 2nd season since it is a follow up to the 90's anime and the movie remakes.
As you may or may not know, this version of Berserk is specifically meant for those who have read the original manga, watched the first anime series from the 1990's, or watched the movie trilogy - the latter two of which details the events of the first two arcs of the manga. So if you happen to have no idea what is going on, you need to read the manga, or watch the first anime series, or the movie trilogy.
As such, this latest incarnation of the Berserk anime takes place in the 3rd arc of the manga known as the "Conviction Arc". More specifically the latter part, as the very first part of the "Conviction Arc" was omitted. In fact, a good chunk of the manga have been omitted in all the incarnations of the Berserk Anime. Either it's because the stories are somewhat in the 'filler' territory as Guts goes on a few dark adventures that doesn't tie-in to the main plot, or that there are certain types of content in those stories that are just too taboo for TV or Film.
You have to remember that Japan's portrayal of sex and violence in TV and Film has changed over the years, unlike 20 years ago or more when it was more lax. I won't give too much details as it's a different subject altogether, but the short version is these changes were made in response to the pressure both Japan's Entertainment Industry, and its Government is receiving over such portrayals both from inside and outside the country.
Nevertheless, these 12 episodes mostly stay true to the events of the manga, so manga fans will be pleased with this portrayal. It's not without its problems, however.
In my first impressions review, I said that I wasn't bothered at all by the the awful CG animation in Berserk, because I was so used to seeing it in Anime like Knights of Sidonia and Ajin. That said, as the series progresses, the CG eventually becomes such an eyesore.
Now I'm not too knowledgeable on the makings of an animated series from a studio's point-of-view, so I don't know if using the CG in Berserk is made because it'scheaper and easier than traditional 2D animation, or because CG is cool and trending in most animation works. Studios like Pixar and Dreamworks have been doing CG films for ages now and have been very successful.
In any case, I am much more forgiving with Berserk's bad animation, and of course, the awful "CLANG!" sound effect whenever Guts swings his sword at something, whatever it is. It's so annoying it actually became a meme for a short time.
(NOTE: The following two paragraphs in brackets is not included in the video version of this review)
[The reason why I am more forgiving with Berserk's bad animation and sound effect, compared to say, Dragon Ball Super, is because the former makes up for it thanks to the incredibly dark plot and its cast of characters. The latter, on the other hand, while steadily improving over the past year, is still wobbly with regards to its writing, and the series is way too focused on Goku & Vegeta, while very little attention is given to the rest of the cast.
Besides, DBS is a shonen-anime, so certain themes have to be toned down for its target audience. You will never see Dragon Ball ever feature religious fanaticism, or how humans are capable of defying the odds stacked against them. Goku is an alien with superpowers fighting other characters with superpowers, whereas Guts has virtually no superpowers at all, and is forced to fight armies of human and demons alike.]
If you're a person of a certain age, than you will enjoy Berserk because it just fits with your way of thinking. Of course, younger viewers cannot comprehend the themes featured in Berserk, and they're not supposed to get into it anyway because of its not for the young ones.
Indeed, re-reading the manga chapters again before, and after seeing the final episodes make me appreciate the series even more and how it handles such themes.
One of those themes is religious fanaticism, where Berserk depicts how the humans who suffer by the demon horde were desperate to seek salvation, yet at the same time, they choose who they deem as their savior. This is seen between the two major characters and how the world of Berserk views them.
Griffith wants nothing more than to rule the world, even if it means killing off ALL of his comrades and commanding an entire army of demons and the undead. Guts, of course is the main protagonist of Berserk, but both his appearance and character gives him the impression in-universe that he is the bad guy. And yet, as Farnese says in her monlogue in the season finale, Guts gives a very reassuring aura, so to speak, that everything will be fine even in this time of great darkness, despite him being a pretty dark character himself.
Berserk does not give the message that you should turn away from religion, as portrayed in this arc and other stories. Rather, not to take the faith so blindly as to lose your own sense of reason. As Luca says it in the end scene, "God left humans enough free will to do what they need to do". There is no harm in praying for blessings and spiritual strength. But to get through even the greatest hardship, or a dire situation, it has to be done by our own hands. A later story in the manga, which will hopefully be picked up in the anime, explains why religion isn't entirely as bad as others might think.
The amount of gore, death counts, and even sexual violence, while obviously toned down in the anime for braodcasting reasons, is very much apparent in the manga. There is a major difference in which depictions of sex and violence in a fictional work are there for its own sake, or to help advance the story. In Berserk's case, it's not just the latter, but it also shows the state the world of Berserk is in. You can compare it to Game of Thrones in a sense, but the difference is that Berserk's world is darker, grittier, and there is no distinction on who gets the wrong end of the stick. Those that do receive it, get it in the most gruesome way possible.
I would dare say none of the factions from Game of Thrones could ever take down Guts, let alone the God Hand.
Such themes of a hellish world is not new, as it is featured in many other works. In anime and manga, it would be, for example, in the form of Go Nagai's Devilman and Violence Jack series. Others include "Now and Then, Here and There", "Hellsing", and "High School of The Dead", among others. What I could say is that the world of Berserk, and its message towards the audience, is very well done and very appreciated once understood.
Berserk is as much deep and philosophical as it is a visual experience. This is despite its very dark nature, and in the case of this new anime incarnation, its awful visuals, sound effects, and toned down, but still very mature content. It's truly not for everyone, but for the right audience, it is quite an epic. I am looking forward to how they will adapt the next arc. Until then, I will have a blast going back to the manga.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give the 1st season of the 2016 version of Berserk, a 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment