Episode 348

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Grail said:
My first thought about seeing the big "spiky mountain" in the background was that it would eventually show itself to be the enormous hand from the Eclipse.

It's also what it immediately brought to my mind. However, and I'm also saying that for Mangetsu and hearTes, we shouldn't forget that this is a dream world where everything is a symbolic representation. It doesn't have to actually be a giant hand in order to be a representation of it, or of the events which took place around it. With that in mind, the fact it is a huge, looming part of the scenery and that it stands under a black sun makes it close enough already.

Zant said:
My guess is the mountain in the distance is a massive pile of corpses who died in the eclipse, that's where we'll see the band of the hawk, at least what remains of them in casca's mind.

The idea of a pile of corpses also crossed my mind. Given the pyramidal shape of the structure it makes total sense, but my one problem with it is that this vision has been traditionally associated with Griffith and him only. It was the vision of what was needed to attain his dream. Would it make sense for Casca to picture it herself? I'm not sure. Furthermore, regarding the Band of the Falcon, I would imagine that a more personalized depiction of its key members would be more fitting for her trauma. Maybe in keeping with the animal theme that we got for Guts, too (Judo as a squirrel throwing acorns? :ganishka:).

Anyway, it seems clear to me that this final step of the journey will be directly related to the Eclipse and the rape. And there's this idea I can't quite shake that the final fragment of her ego might be pinned on top of that big structure, with the black sun in the sky turning into Guts' eye as he watched her being abused. I can't let go of her very last words: "Don't look." Having the one she loves bear witness to her abuse must have generated so much shame and misplaced guilt, and it would be horribly tormenting for her to stay under that unflinching gaze forever...

Obviously it might be something wildly different, but I think that'd work really well.

Walter said:
This little figure is the remaining essence of Casca -- an innocent, childlike aspect of her ego that was somehow shielded from the trauma of the Eclipse. It's remained hidden inside the shell of what was Casca. And it's of course no coincidence that that sprite is what she resembles now. Though it's always been the case that this "new" Casca is about as un-Casca as you can get, it's amusing to consider that somewhere in what composes her essence, there was a wild, childlike part of her that tumbled around like this. I wonder if this aspect survived because it was so foreign from her life with Griffith. Like an exponentially bad breakup, every part of her life that he had touched became poison, and was uprooted.
Johnny Apples said:
I thought something along those lines too. Perhaps that mini-Casca sprite represents the sweet, playful little girl that Casca used to be, during her early childhood, before she was handed over to that pedophile nobleman?

I don't really agree with the interpretation that this part of her is just wasn't touched by her life in the Band of the Falcon, or that it's a throwback to a version of her when she was a kid. I think it might simply be something very primal. Something that also encompasses the part of her that likes action, that is curious and tumultuous, etc. Something that's always been there, but seen through lots of other layers and mixed with other feelings. When her ego was broken and scattered, only that part remained. Maybe because it is the strongest and/or perhaps the very first that came into existence? It's like all her personality was blown away, and only the most basic part remained. The part that eats and sleeps and wants and wonders.

Viewed like that, the childlike behavior could be seen as a consequence of it being unfiltered. Like a young child who doesn't yet know that you can't ask mom "why is that lady so fat?" in front of the lady in question, and who will just grab something he wants without caring. We learn social norms through experience, and that shapes our behavior and our personalities. But there are still core functions somewhere in there (that explains impulse purchases! :iva:).
 
I can't wait to see how abstract and twisted the imagery becomes as they go deeper into Casca's broken mind. No doubt Miura is gonna take us on a feels trip. Ughh, I'm so anxious about these next few episodes.
 
Grifth said:
Amazing art on this one! Casca in portuguese means shell. :???:
In Russian it means a hardhat. :???:
RCEHKzzDeiI.jpg
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Mangetsu said:
By the way guys, Volume 39 should come out around june.

Interesting. At one release each month, there won't be enough material for a new volume until June. For the volume binding that latest episode to come out in the same month would be unprecedented, but not impossible I suppose.

Unless it drops to 8 eps per volume instead of 9 :magni:
 
Walter said:
Interesting. At one release each month, there won't be enough material for a new volume until June. For the volume binding that latest episode to come out in the same month would be unprecedented, but not impossible I suppose.

Unless it drops to 8 eps per volume instead of 9 :magni:

Another possibility is the 8th and 9th episodes of volume 39 coming out 2 weeks apart from each other, instead of a full month. Just trying to be optimistic :serpico:
 
It's safe to assume as other have pointed out that Casca appreciates what Guts is going through to protect her, more cynical theories about Casca rejecting Guts after being cured, have thankfully been proven false. Regarding the hellish peak, I doubt it will be the God Hand altar, since it looks bugger all like a hand.


I wonder if the rape will come up, and if it does, how the event will be portrayed, and how Griffith will be portrayed. It will be very interesting to know just how Casca views Griffith at this point, since we've had little to no clues up until this point, in every traumatic flashback Casca has had of the eclipse, none of them portray Femto, only the apostles that stripped her naked.

I also wonder if the wind that nearly blew Casca away, is a prelude to a larger threat, like some kind of enemy will attempt to destroy the Casca doll, or remove the Mini Casca from her coffin.
 

RaffoBaffo

Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
Walter said:
Interesting. At one release each month, there won't be enough material for a new volume until June. For the volume binding that latest episode to come out in the same month would be unprecedented, but not impossible I suppose.

Unless it drops to 8 eps per volume instead of 9 :magni:
Mmmh, maybe he will go into regular relase schedule [twice a month] for a period.
Or maybe all the Episodes are already finished and the last will be relased on YA in June,at the same time of the Volume.
Yeah, a lot of "maybe"

BTW, regarding the current Episode, it's beautiful, I loved it :badbone:
 
MrFlibble said:
It's safe to assume as other have pointed out that Casca appreciates what Guts is going through to protect her, more cynical theories about Casca rejecting Guts after being cured, have thankfully been proven false.

I think it is too early to make that assumption. Until we get deeper into Casca's mind my cynicism remains intact. I'm still not expecting the results of the ritual to go favorably for Guts.
 
Sareth said:
I think it is too early to make that assumption. Until we get deeper into Casca's mind my cynicism remains intact. I'm still not expecting the results of the ritual to go favorably for Guts.
The thing is, if th y cure her of her madness, Casca will remember everything, and then to me there aren't a lot of options left after that... Either she just breakdowns again or she goes Berserk like Guts, then there could be a lot of possibilities, like her turning against Guts or using the beheritt, it would be interesting if she stole the Brsrkr armor(but unlikely)... But all those options are unhappy... If they want to make her sane I think they have no choice but to manipulate her mind, wich is a perfect bitter resolution for Berserk. But none of these options are gonna happen imo I just hope it's not horrible or cheaply unexpected
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
MrFlibble said:
It's safe to assume as other have pointed out that Casca appreciates what Guts is going through to protect her, more cynical theories about Casca rejecting Guts after being cured, have thankfully been proven false.

The idea that she'd leave Guts (often accompanied by the idea she'd flock to Griffith) was always baseless and asinine. However their relationship will have to be rebuilt over a period of time, and I do believe there'll be points of contention along the way. A lot of time has passed, a lot of things are different. Also, keep in mind this is just the beginning of Farnese and Schierke's journey into her mind. There are many fragments of Casca's ego left to be recovered (in whatever form they'll take), and those will probably include Guts' less savory moments.

MrFlibble said:
Regarding the hellish peak, I doubt it will be the God Hand altar, since it looks bugger all like a hand.

Like I said in a post a couple days ago, it doesn't have to a replica of the hand in order for it to symbolize it. Guts is also not a dog and Casca isn't a broken doll being dragged in a coffin, but here we are. Given the scenery in this dreamscape, having a big towering structure under a black sun is already enough to for it to figuratively be a reference to the hand. Now that being said, what the thing will actually look like is definitely an unknown. Because it's all in a dream, perspectives and sizes can change (i.e. from mountain to molehill and vice versa), environments can morph into different things...

MrFlibble said:
I wonder if the rape will come up

Well duh. :schierke: Of course it'll come up, it's going to be the centerpiece of this. It's the event that led to this whole thing. And its depiction will definitely be very interesting (if painful) to see.

RaffoBaffo said:
Or maybe all the Episodes are already finished and the last will be relased on YA in June,at the same time of the Volume.

Wouldn't surprise me if it were the case.
 

BiQ_

" ... "
Thank you Puella and Aazealh!

Whoa.... Just wow. Here we are, finally. Casca's healing process is upon us.

The thought that she would, after healing, go to Griffith's side is indeed absolutely asinine thought. However, I don't think it's at all given she will ever be that close to Guts either again. Of course I wish they can find emotional support in each other again, but I don't dare to hope that. At the very least, she will have to actually face her massive trauma consciously for that to happen, instead of the (very understandable) reaction of complete dissociation.

My prediction for that mountainlike thing is that it's the whirlwind which actually "houses" the sacrificial ceremony. Like, the one we saw when Skull Knight had a face-off with Zodd back then, before diving in to attack Void (and saving Guts & Casca). Maybe Casca was something like borderline conscious when they were huddled over SK's horse and fleeing? Furthermore, I expect that the ceremony is basically replaying there nonstop ever since it actually happened, and part of Casca's consciousness is there too.

Which brings me to another thought; maybe Skull Knight is going to have some presentation here too?

If not that, it's a deformed arm & hand altar that Casca's mind has somehow made like that due to perspective. I believe no one would actually blame her for not having the clearest picture of the battleslaughterfield geography under those conditions.

IF it really is so that volume 39's publication coincides with an episode that is also therein... wouldn't that basically mean we might be in for at least six episode monthly streak?? :ubik:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
BiQ-- said:
However, I don't think it's at all given she will ever be that close to Guts either again. Of course I wish they can find emotional support in each other again, but I don't dare to hope that.

Oh, come on, of course they will. It might just take time.

BiQ-- said:
My prediction for that mountainlike thing is that it's the whirlwind which actually "houses" the sacrificial ceremony.

I find it hard to believe the characters would mistake a mountain for a tornado.

BiQ-- said:
If not that, it's a deformed arm & hand altar that Casca's mind has somehow made like that due to perspective. I believe no one would actually blame her for not having the clearest picture of the battleslaughterfield geography under those conditions.

Not to repeat myself but given the highly symbolic nature of that dream world, I doubt anything will be 1:1 with real events. It's not a matter of good/bad memory but of figurative representation.

BiQ-- said:
Which brings me to another thought; maybe Skull Knight is going to have some presentation here too?

If they come across a reenaction of her child's birth, maybe.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Thanks to Puella and Aaz, as always.

The part I find most interesting is the idea of fragments of her ego split up around this dreamscape, and what the rest may be like. Will they all be small because they're fragments that need to "fit" in the doll, or is this one small because it's playful and Elf-like, and will others be different and represent different aspects? Like, will something like her warrior aspect be larger and more imposing (we've definitely seen it come to the forefront of her before). I guess it could change at any time because as Schierke points out scale is all relative here. It's pretty open what aspects there could be (lover, fighter, leader) or even more specific fragments significant to her life and development, but I'd be surprised if some major aspect of her femininty wasn't prominent. Anyway, as Aaz and others have already theorized from the previews they're probably going to need to find and reassemble these fragments in the doll in order to reassemble Casca, and I'm curious how that plays out in the dream and externally. Will she become more lucid, will parts of her be able to help them, will others try to intercede to protect her? If they put the warrior back in too soon could she become... dangerous? :carcus:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
Will they all be small because they're fragments that need to "fit" in the doll, or is this one small because it's playful and Elf-like, and will others be different and represent different aspects?

I've been wondering the same thing actually. I don't think they all have to look the same, or that each fragment even needs to be personified like that. Maybe some will be inert objects, like a crystallized essence or something.

Griffith said:
It's pretty open what aspects there could be (lover, fighter, leader) or even more specific fragments significant to her life and development, but I'd be surprised if some major aspect of her femininty wasn't prominent.

For sure, I think we'll see at least three key aspects to her womanhood: as a lover, as a mother, and as a victim of sexual assault.
 
Grail said:
My first thought about seeing the big "spiky mountain" in the background was that it would eventually show itself to be the enormous hand from the Eclipse. As it has become a recurring symbol within the series, and in many ways represents the crux of Casca's suffering, it seemed like a natural choice. Then again, Miura is pretty good at getting us thinking one thing and then subverts our expectations, so I never know what to predict. :ganishka: Anyone have another theory about it?
The only other thing the shape brings to mind for me is the top of a tent. Since that's what Casca and the Falcons lived in a lot of the time in her life as a mercenary I thought it might have something to do with that. The seemingly far off mountain shape in her dream looks so foreboding, though. I'm not sure a tent would fit, since I would think that would be something she would see as shelter or comfort. So I don't know! Some representation of the hand or eclipse does seem like it would make sense.
 
Hi,

Thx for the preview and the traduction.
The travel on this BattleField is so symbolic.

Aazealh said:
So I think we'll see Casca as a mom (with the boy), Casca as a warrior (with the Band of the Falcon), Casca as a lover (with Guts), and so on,
Oh, that means, they'll discover Casca/Guts past. I mean, who are "The Band of Hawks", perhaps some fragments of old friends (Judo, Pippin, Carcus etc ..)
 
Still waiting on my physical copy to arrive, I want to look at the episode in print. I'm currently collecting some back issues of Young Animal and my first one (#13 2016+appendix) came in the other day. Looks so much better without the weird filter from scans.
Now if only I could actually read Japanese... :troll:
 
Sareth said:
Still waiting on my physical copy to arrive, I want to look at the episode in print. I'm currently collecting some back issues of Young Animal and my first one (#13 2016+appendix) came in the other day. Looks so much better without the weird filter from scans.
Now if only I could actually read Japanese... :troll:

it looks amazing in the magazine, so raw. the booklets they include with the old episodes makes me want the whole series to get a proper printing in that size :judo: looks so good
 
Kaladin said:
the booklets they include with the old episodes makes me want the whole series to get a proper printing in that size :judo: looks so good

Yeah, I really liked flipping through the book with episodes from volume 16, can't wait for the other ones to come in.

I'm sure my family is going to be pretty suspicious about why I've suddenly started collecting magazines with half-naked Japanese girls on the cover...
 
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