Berserk Golden Age Arc III: Descent [Review]

How would you rate this movie?

  • *****

    Votes: 18 12.4%
  • ****

    Votes: 32 22.1%
  • ***

    Votes: 29 20.0%
  • **

    Votes: 32 22.1%
  • *

    Votes: 34 23.4%

  • Total voters
    145

Kompozinaut

Sylph Sword
Lithrael said:
Not to belabor the point but I'll belabor the point anyways: physical arousal sometimes takes place during rape. These are the human body's autonomic reactions to stimuli.

Indeed, it's a source for further psychological damage found in rape cases, such as heterosexual men who are sodomized. I imagine that's an incredibly difficult and horrifying thing to experience. Essentially your body betrays you. I can't even begin to imagine.

Lithrael said:
Please do not confuse them with enjoyment. Unless of course you want to run for office in the USA.

:ganishka:
 
Because they're fucking idiots..? And who are these people, again?


um, in this very thread a few pages back there were complaints about how the rape scene was handeled in the movie and that it would cause more speculation that she enjoyed it. Some one on here even mentioned that they thought she had enjoyed it.

I recently rewatched this and I have to say, the hook up between Casca and Guts seemed so random. I guess I should say right now I am not a Guts and Casca relationship fan. I am not putting Casca down or anything but it sort of seemed forced that she swung over to Guts after being so hung up on Griffith. One minute she is bitching at him for ruining Griffith's life and even saying she regrets not being able to be his woman and then suddenly, because he stops her from killing herself, she wants to have sex with him? It just seemed like Casca decided she could not have Griffith so she settled for Guts in a weak emotional moment.

And Guts sudden passion for Casca seemed out of place as well. :???:

I have seen some of you comment that it was better in the manga and that it is more intimate, and I have ask another question, is Guts supposed to be a virgin? When I read someone on here made some comment that he seemed awkward while making love to Casca and that he was a minute man, implying he is inexpereinced. I did not think that Guts was one, I mean the very first page of the first volume in the manga is Guts having sex.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Hot Chic said:
I have seen some of you comment that it was better in the manga and that it is more intimate, and I have ask another question, is Guts supposed to be a virgin?

That scene is handled way, way, way better in the manga. It's implied that Guts is a virgin when he and Casca are relaxing after having sex.

Hot Chic said:
I did not think that Guts was one, I mean the very first page of the first volume in the manga is Guts having sex.

The first page of the first volume of the manga takes place a long while after Guts is with Casca.
 

Kompozinaut

Sylph Sword
Hot Chic, I suggest you read the manga. It's infinitely better than whatever the hell those movies are. Everything that doesn't make sense, or doesn't seem handled well, makes sense and IS handled well in the manga (not surprisingly).

Not to mention if you like the series you should support the creator, and it's a forum rule as well.
 
I think a lot of you guys are being a little too hardcore. The anime was far off in many parts and yet it is what brought me to the manga. That being said NOTHING will EVER catch the magic of the manga. I personally enjoyed the golden age arc. Better than nothing for me. It left a lot out, sure, but it wasn't completely butchered either. Some people will love it and make them curious to get into the series itself. They'll be like wow, this series is deep and at the end of the day thats what adaptions are all about. I have never seen a frame by frame or telling of a tale nail it from any series in any form of media, but I haven't seen anything from berserk yet that would make a casual run for the hills.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
bandofthehawk said:
I think a lot of you guys are being a little too hardcore.

We're a forum exclusively formed around discussing Berserk. Did you really expect a softcore dissection of it?

I personally enjoyed the golden age arc. Better than nothing for me.

It charicaturizes characters and events, making them seem trivial and one-dimensional. That's not better than nothing. That's blasting a poor version of what Berserk is on a bigger megaphone than the original, shaping people's perceptions of the series. "Oh, THAT's Berserk?"

They'll be like wow, this series is deep

I don't see how anyone could reach that conclusion based on a viewing of the movies. It excises many of the scenes that give the series its depth, keeping only the most forward-moving plot points (while excising scenes that make these function).
 
Walter, I meant they'll think the series is deep upon reading the manga. Also, what could anyone expect covering so much ground in a movie? Upon softcore, no, but you could change it to "dissecting the god awful trilogy." ;) Did you enjoy the anime? No trilogy or movie can or ever will capture berserk properly to the degree hardcore fans desire. Low expectations. Lastly, blasting a poor version of berserk.....if anyone is even partially intrigued into something, most people these days do the research and even this version, easily understood as the weaker of all other elements, is still more intriguing than most stories.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
bandofthehawk said:
Walter, I meant they'll think the series is deep upon reading the manga.

Okay, I guess I became disoriented by your repeated use of "it."

Also, what could anyone expect covering so much ground in a movie?

That's true. It was a failed endeavor even upon embarking, and thus shouldn't have been made at all.

Upon softcore, no, but you could change it to "dissecting the god awful trilogy." ;) Did you enjoy the anime?

I liked the (TV) anime at the time. Afterall, it's what introduced me to the series. But now, I don't think it's anything special.

No trilogy or movie can or ever will capture berserk properly to the degree hardcore fans desire. Low expectations.

To me, it's more about respecting the series. This adaptation didn't, and that's the fundamental problem I have with it.
 
The only way to adapt berserk properly is a very lengthy anime or god forbid live action series that doesn't deviate from the characters or events to the most simple detail. That won't happen, but I'm ok with this if it turns others on to the real deal. Some will walk away thinking how awesome and crazy the show is, much like i did to the anime. Tell their friends and then a small portion of those might get into the series and buy some books.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
bandofthehawk said:
The only way to adapt berserk properly is a very lengthy anime ... that doesn't deviate from the characters or events to the most simple detail.

As I recall, that was what they set out to do with this "Berserk Project" that was supposed to retell the whole series. Of course, it also started out as a single movie for the Golden Age (wouldn't that have been a blast to watch?), which was later padded into three movies, and now there's been no word of them moving forward.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
bandofthehawk said:
No trilogy or movie can or ever will capture berserk properly to the degree hardcore fans desire. Low expectations.

I don't think that's true. The story can be adapted to a satisfactory level (i.e. not butchering it, which the trilogy definitely did do), and it's not a matter of expectations but of ambition. The Golden Age arc is too expansive to be adapted in movie form, and the story just doesn't flow in a manner that makes it appropriate for that format. It doesn't take a genius (or a "hardcore fan") to put that together. However there are portions of the story, like the Black Swordsman arc, that could fit said format. It's really just about doing things competently.
 

Kompozinaut

Sylph Sword
bandofthehawk said:
:???: I recall seeing casca in her robes in a preview of the previews, but that never came to be.
That was probably test footage from when the studio made their pitch. There was also an image of Griffith in his post-incarnation Falcon of Light armor.
 
One thing that stuck out to me (apart from all the obvious stuff that's already been pointed out) was the way they made Casca crack up laughing after she wakes up insane. It was ridiculous and also ruins the segments with Guts wondering when he last saw her smile. But I also have to comment on the so-called rape. They... really didn't make it clear that Casca's suffering there, all it looks like is a minute of ugly fapping while Casca semi-enjoys the whole thing, then it's over before you know wth just happened and for some reason she's insane the next time we see her... even as I know better I sat there feeling like I couldn't tell the reason to why she was like that, the rape barely left an impact and all the added perverted scenes they add such as Femto fumbling her breasts and crotch for a good minute is just gross (though it doesn't top Charlotte's epic squeeling at Griffith merely touching her breast the last movie).
 
Quick thoughts

upfront i saw the movie with a group of friends. We had watched the previous two movies together, besides one friend who only watched the second one.

These trilogy's have had me excited for each addition. Some of the other people in this group less so, because from the very beginning the question from all our lips was, would this somehow lead towards other parts of the manga being adopted.

Looking for signs of that in each movie is encouraging, but most people tell me do to funding this won't happen. But i did give me hope, false or otherwise, from the opening in each seemingly reflecting not so much the golden age but the group post eclipse. It's weird seeing ishidoro, schierkie, in the opening.

this isn't a long review, but some moments during the movie.

Seeing puck was a heartfelt moment, it's like seeing the hope for the future, even before that optimism is necessary. I always felt that way about him. But him appearing was ever so moving.


This is stupid, but i was pissed the eclipse was blue.


It went down a bit differently than i remembered, but that's not a complaint, I also missed judo's speech.

From what i recall the bits of griffith's transformation seemed spaced out differently in such a way that, was eerie.

I would say they did a great job with this, this is where i saw the movie as wanting to be different than both the manga, and the anime's telling of this story.


And as a story telling device, it seemed to play of the other forms of the story. It was wrenching viewing this, because i feel the way they told it made Griffith's transformation a celestial one.

And there's nothing more devastating then the perspective of the hawks and of people, getting crushed by something that through this presentation choice had the effect of a celestial law.

They gave it this transcendent tone, after selling out the hawks. But the way they told it, or perhaps more fittingly showed it with the perspective from outer space, and him looking like pure light for a second.

It's crushing that they showcased in this transformation as everything its cracked up to be, for what it took to make it happen and that he's going to become evil incarnate within the next few scenes.


The other people i watched it with were satisfied, except they were all focused on the eclipse being different in some way or another, me as well with the blue.

but it was an interesting dynamic when contrasted with the anime telling of the final days of the band of the hawk, and the manga telling.

Some how it left me feeling excited for future movies with more of the story.

But as of yet are there any plans mentioned for this.


Stil
 
Hot Chic said:
I recently rewatched this and I have to say, the hook up between Casca and Guts seemed so random. I guess I should say right now I am not a Guts and Casca relationship fan. I am not putting Casca down or anything but it sort of seemed forced that she swung over to Guts after being so hung up on Griffith. One minute she is bitching at him for ruining Griffith's life and even saying she regrets not being able to be his woman and then suddenly, because he stops her from killing herself, she wants to have sex with him? It just seemed like Casca decided she could not have Griffith so she settled for Guts in a weak emotional moment.

Sorry for the really late reply, but I honestly thought the relationship build up between Casca and Guts was subtle but definitely present throughout the Golden Arc chapters. From the moment she agreed to keep him warm with her naked body (because really, even if it was an order from Griffith, as if she'd be willing to do something so intimate with someone she truly despises), to the time they spent together after Casca fell down to the river at the battle for Doldrey. Their attraction to each other was always there, just obscured from each other's view due to Casca's jealously of how close Guts had become with Griffith, and Guts with his inexperience with women and not realising he was in love. They had been through so much together, argued bitterly and saved each other's lives, and the attraction strengthened after each experience, that it became fairly obvious they would eventually hook up.

In more colloquial anime jargon, Casca was essentially a 'tsundere' type character.
 
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