DANGERDOOOOM
Rest In Peace, Kentaro Miura. We will miss you.
Oh. My. GOD. THAT ENDING THOUGH
Episode 353
- Thread starter Beast of Darkness
- Start date
I'm surprised the Dragon Slayer was brought along with the armor, I really thought that it would be a separate escalation to the scene once they seem to be out of everything. It looks like that's Flora instead, and how great and unexpected is that. Good call on the hat Aaz, Miura really did go out of his way to point out the sentiment Sheirke has with it. Mozgus really is getting a lot of action in this arc. 
Really creative fighting with the dog and Falcon. The cannon out the mouth is perfect dream imagery. And once again, Miura called back on old Apostle designs, keeping things very consistent throughout.
The demon child is an interesting touch. We'll see if it's just a token like the others or if we'll get something different. It certainly does add a lot of emphasis on the importance of the child, which seems conisistent with the idea that it will factor in heavily in the series endgame.
Thanks Aaz and Puella on the quick translation!
Really creative fighting with the dog and Falcon. The cannon out the mouth is perfect dream imagery. And once again, Miura called back on old Apostle designs, keeping things very consistent throughout.
The demon child is an interesting touch. We'll see if it's just a token like the others or if we'll get something different. It certainly does add a lot of emphasis on the importance of the child, which seems conisistent with the idea that it will factor in heavily in the series endgame.
Thanks Aaz and Puella on the quick translation!
Gobolatula
praise be to grail!
Thank you so much for the summary, Aaz and Puella!
This was such a great episode. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. I was happy with the Dream Guts vs Dream Femto fight. I was a bit worried with how that would play out, but I was very happy that it fit in with the strange, dreamlike atmosphere. I should have expected no less.
This was such a great episode. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. I was happy with the Dream Guts vs Dream Femto fight. I was a bit worried with how that would play out, but I was very happy that it fit in with the strange, dreamlike atmosphere. I should have expected no less.
Gobolatula said:
Yeah, same thing here, was happy with how it turned out. Although I do wonder whether it's really over or not. I feel like there's a window for a continuation after the memory if Miura wants to. Would give the scene some urgency/tension, allow the the girls to reflect on the symbols, plus provide an opportunity for Casca herself to make the decision to end it, to wipe it all away. Also that exposed eye is kind of asking to get gouged.
ApostleBob said:
I was surprised by it being the dog's tail, and by the cannon. I had imagined being held in the mouth, what would echo with Gut x Count fight. And also pleasy my Dark Souls enthusiasm (Sif). However, the cannon would probably end in a questionable spot...
The look inWalter said:
Flora's
And it's a good turn that
the child is going to be the last piece. The challenge for Casca now is to put that piece into her life, to find a place for it in her conscious life, and make conscious decisions about it and face the consequences, which are going to be truly decissive in the future. Perhaps in the future the mother will be able to add more insight on this matter. I feel that only his parents alone will have the power to use the key their child represents: a human pathway to Femto's weakness
DarkAdin said:
Great point here on the symbolism of it being a part she needs to embrace to become complete.
Kompozinaut
Sylph Sword
I've been relatively absent over the last month so there were a lot of unexpected things that happened in this episode:
Thanks for the summary Aaz and Puella! I'm really enjoying this dream sequence progression, even if internally I just keep screaming to see a restored Casca. The journey has certainly been entertaining, and each episode keeps me at the edge of my seat!
Dragon-Slayer-tail, Femto's eye, Flora and Danan, the Demon Child...all of it gave me chills (and maybe just a subtle sting in my eyes 
)
)Thanks for the summary Aaz and Puella! I'm really enjoying this dream sequence progression, even if internally I just keep screaming to see a restored Casca. The journey has certainly been entertaining, and each episode keeps me at the edge of my seat!
DarkAdin said:
Not to nitpick, but the child as we see him here is "only" the symbol that will trigger the memories. I would be very surprised if the actual scenes contained within were only focused on him, without featuring what led to his creation: Casca's rape by Femto. I'm repeating myself but the rape is the event that actually broke her mind and that informs everything that's been going on in this dream.
Oh my god what an incredible episode. For some reason all I can think of when I see Mozgus is this sound.
I laughed like an idiot at Dog Guts' mouth cannon (of course it'd be in his mouth!) and seeing Flora again literally brought tears to my eyes. 
This dream arc has been absolutely amazing. I'm so excited to see this all play out! I been waiting nearly half of my life for this! The dog as been awesome for sure! The Dog Berserker Armor concept, Dragonslayer, and hand cannon tactics (which proves to still surprise me even today) have been visually stunning.
Archer1215 said:
I think it's possible, see what I've said in previous posts so far. It's not necessarily how I would want it to go, though. Like I've been saying, the big question would be how to reconcile the events of the Eclipse, which are a LOT to get through, with post-Eclipse (and therefore post-insanity) stuff.
You say you want Schierke and Farnese to see Guts' assault on Casca from volume 23, plus various interactions Casca has had with her son over the story... And my answer is sure, but isn't that too many things at once? Wouldn't bundling all of these events together lower their individual impact and meaningfulness? So far the memories have been pretty focused and straightforward. And this is all about what drove Casca insane in the first place, which is why it would odd if we were to see stuff that happened after she lost her mind.
Besides, it's not like these things can't be addressed at a later time. Guts' abuse towards Casca could be discussed directly by the two of them. I'm not sure there's much to be gained by making it a group thing. The same goes for the huge revelation that Femto has usurped the body of Guts and Casca's son, resulting in the Moonlight Boy's existence. It's huge and could easily be its own completely separate event.
Now to change topics a bit, I've been thinking about the nature of Casca's trauma and specifically why those traumatic memories would be best represented by the Demon Child. Earlier in the thread I replied to Mage who was saying he hoped Casca's love for her son would be revealed to transcend her instinct as a mother and be something she felt even "through" her broken mind. One of the easiest guesses is that the corruption of her child (more than the rape itself and the associated humiliation) was the cause for her madness. She couldn't bear it. In that case the culmination of the memory could be her feeling something inside, knowing somehow that the corruption took place.
Now another possibility that occurred to me is that maybe she lost her mind precisely because she couldn't love her son, knowing what he was. Much like Guts himself struggled to accept him (euphemism of the year). Maybe she could love him only because she was broken, and maybe in a way that's the purpose her broken mind served. Maybe that's why it happened. That would also (conveniently) provide an easy way for her to return, if the girls can communicate to her that things have changed or something.
Just food for thought.
Something that's kind of obvious but I haven't mentioned so far: Casca might have felt the corruption of her son through her Brand. Imagine how awful that would be... That could have happened during the rape or at some point afterwards e.g. while unconscious, before she first woke up in the cave).
Yeah, I mean I still think Casca will be extremely focused on her son and wanting what's best for him, but it doesn't have to be an "all black or all white" deal.
I really don't see the memories lasting three or four episodes, which is why I brought that up. I think we have two or three episodes left for the dream sequence as a whole.
Wow, really? No offense but that's a strange way to approach it... I mean like you say you've since realized, this whole venture isn't about that at all, it's about Casca, her trauma and trying to bring her back. And the secondary aspect, which is not to be overlooked, is giving Farnese and Schierke a window into who Casca really was, her relationship with Guts and Griffith, and what broke her. That will allow them to relate to her and become her friends after she's back. It also further puts an end to Farnese's little crush on Guts (which I think will effectively end at some point not long after Casca wakes up), which is another step in her personal development.
Archer1215 said:
Yeah, I mean I still think Casca will be extremely focused on her son and wanting what's best for him, but it doesn't have to be an "all black or all white" deal.
Archer1215 said:
I really don't see the memories lasting three or four episodes, which is why I brought that up. I think we have two or three episodes left for the dream sequence as a whole.
Archer1215 said:
Wow, really? No offense but that's a strange way to approach it... I mean like you say you've since realized, this whole venture isn't about that at all, it's about Casca, her trauma and trying to bring her back. And the secondary aspect, which is not to be overlooked, is giving Farnese and Schierke a window into who Casca really was, her relationship with Guts and Griffith, and what broke her. That will allow them to relate to her and become her friends after she's back. It also further puts an end to Farnese's little crush on Guts (which I think will effectively end at some point not long after Casca wakes up), which is another step in her personal development.
One thing i wonder about is if Miura may begin the dream sequence with Episode 71, where Casca kinda realized that she is pregnant. But at the same time the last fragment is the main trigger for her current state and it was obviously caused by the rape, so im not sure if it would be the most logical thing to do.
Archer1215 said:
How exactly do you measure Schierke or Farnese's admiration for Guts compared to Isidro's? Seems like a specious assertion.
Archer1215 said:
You assume Guts has a clear understanding of what the Beast of Darkness is, which isn't really the case. He mostly ends up confused whenever they interact. The Beast of Darkness is a characterization of his dark pulsions (resulting from his trauma) that exists for the benefit of the reader. If you asked Guts himself I think he'd just say he has a problem dealing with certain thoughts/urges, which is true. Furthermore I don't think it's something his friends could actively help him with, it's mostly an introspective work on his psyche... The one person that could help? Casca.
Mangetsu said:
There is absolutely no evidence Casca "kinda realized" she was pregnant in episode 71. In fact it is basically impossible, given how recent the conception was at the time.
Rather I think she holds her chest because she's very distraught by what just happened with Griffith in the wagon.
Miuras comment
Aazealh said:
That's awsome. His comment goes along with this years post card that he had drawn
RaffoBaffo
Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
And now I have to find the rest of those cards.Aazealh said:
Just got my issue today, man it's glorious. It'll take a while to fully appreciate it, now onto listening to the pod on it ^_~
Thanks for the summary puella and Aaz!
Thanks for the summary puella and Aaz!
jackson_hurley
even the horses are cut in half!
IncantatioN said:
Still haven't mine. I received 352 like two weeks ago or something. So I don't expect too soon. I'll probably have time to pre-order 354 before 353 gets in!