Guts04
Sujal2351
Miura's author comment for the episode. Not sure if anyone's translated it yet http://imgur.com/gallery/SIbOzse
Episode 361 (July 22)
- Thread starter Heiji-sama
- Start date
So about this Vid thing, the bottom line is there's nothing substantial tying Vid to Void right now aside from a vaguely resembling name and the fact the Skull Knight remembers him from back then. It is however an odd coincidence and I think it bears keeping in mind. The fact the Skull Knight could immediately recognize Gedflynn (after a thousand years) implies his father wasn't just anyone. I also want to point out that there are interesting possibilities aside from Vid just having become Void, like them being related or connected in some way. What's clear is that they were all alive at the same time. Gedflynn and Flora presumably learned magic together at a time when Void (still human) might have been one of the most prominent magic users around. I don't want to launch into theories because it's already shaky ground but it's not hard to imagine interesting ways in which all these characters could have interacted (from friends to enemies, etc.).
As for elements that cast doubt on the Vido/Void idea, there's a bunch. Was the temple of Saint Albion named after Void's human name? Maybe, although the tower already existed, so what was it called before? Also, was he known by just one name? Or could "Vid" be the shortened form of a longer name? Like how we call Gedflynn just Ged for short. Moving on, is it safe to assume Gaiseric incarcerated an innocent man and had him tortured? Not really. But would it make sense for him to be amicable to someone bearing the likeness of his mortal enemy? And would Gedflynn not know or be at peace with all these details? Beyond that, does it make sense for a member of the God Hand, presumably the original member, to have a surviving son? It would be a pretty big departure from how they've been presented so far, and potentially a weakness too (like Theresia was for the Count).
That's just a screenshot from the digital edition of Young Animal, to which we all have access, but the resolution is too low to read it properly. As a matter of fact, that's by far my main complaint with these digital issues of Young Animal: it's hard and sometimes even impossible to read small fonts. Like for the old witch's name, we literally can't make out if the last part of her name is "ba" (volvaba) or "pa" (volvapa). There's also a couple of speech bubbles from Schierke and Molda that are practically unreadable. I've ordered a physical copy, so we'll eventually be able to check it out, but I wish Hakusensha upped their game...
As for elements that cast doubt on the Vido/Void idea, there's a bunch. Was the temple of Saint Albion named after Void's human name? Maybe, although the tower already existed, so what was it called before? Also, was he known by just one name? Or could "Vid" be the shortened form of a longer name? Like how we call Gedflynn just Ged for short. Moving on, is it safe to assume Gaiseric incarcerated an innocent man and had him tortured? Not really. But would it make sense for him to be amicable to someone bearing the likeness of his mortal enemy? And would Gedflynn not know or be at peace with all these details? Beyond that, does it make sense for a member of the God Hand, presumably the original member, to have a surviving son? It would be a pretty big departure from how they've been presented so far, and potentially a weakness too (like Theresia was for the Count).
That's just a screenshot from the digital edition of Young Animal, to which we all have access, but the resolution is too low to read it properly. As a matter of fact, that's by far my main complaint with these digital issues of Young Animal: it's hard and sometimes even impossible to read small fonts. Like for the old witch's name, we literally can't make out if the last part of her name is "ba" (volvaba) or "pa" (volvapa). There's also a couple of speech bubbles from Schierke and Molda that are practically unreadable. I've ordered a physical copy, so we'll eventually be able to check it out, but I wish Hakusensha upped their game...
Grail already pointed out the possibility of more inaccurate historical accounts interfering here, be it due to human incompetence or even an intentional altering of the truth. It's not an ideal explanation method because it usually raises more questions than it answers, but what if for example, the historical picture painted by the Holy See about the wise man (presumably after whom the temple was named) and his actual name before he became a kind of religious personality were different? What if his real identity, that of Vid is only known to the oldest characters in the story. It would be less strange for Gedflynn and the Skull Knight to be on good terms if we assume things didn't go exactly as Mozgus described in his story.
Even though the lack of tension between them could be explained by past developments which are different from what we know and/or simply a long enough time for Gedflynn to bury any ill feelings he might have had about whatever happened, the way SK addressed this Vid character did seem a bit on the casual side if he had been thinking of Void, even for an older, human version of him, so who knows. The rabbit hole is probably not worth pursuing at the moment.
Besides Theresia which you've already mentioned, what about Rickert? He wasn't a relative to Griffith, but still, he managed to dodge both the Eclipse and the truth about what actually happened back there for quite some time. If Ged had indeed been in a similar situation he must've become aware of it long ago, but the point is, such circumstances aren't entirely out of the realm of possibility, even for members of the God Hand. It could turn out that Gedflynn gets to play a much more important role than his introduction to the story would have you believe, but I don't wanna get ahead of myself.
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I wanted to clarify this, because I had forgotten where the idea of Void = Albion originated from. It's actually something we ginned up during our review of Volume 17 on SkullKast 71, when St. Albion is first mentioned by Rickert. Our conversation at 1h4m goes like this:
W: "Wouldn't it make sense if the tower was named after the event for which it's known to be holy ground? For example is Albion the name of that wise man?"
A: "Of course, that's not a wild guess."
But there's really no basis for it in the manga itself, other than it being a possibility based on circumstance. It's one of those things where we say it, and it makes some sense, and then starts generating solidity in our heads, but the basis for it is still merely circumstantial. That being said, there are indeed points of friction no matter which direction you take the Void/Vido or Void/Albion concept. And that's natural, because we're only now starting to emerge from being in the dark about the time he likely lived in.
There's also the possibility that St. Albion was a name derived by the Holy See, and was not his birth name. That's not actually farfetched if you consider a Pope's name is different from their birth name. And historically many saints had designated names different from their birth names. In this case, St. Albion = Vido, who became Void.
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Originally yes, although in Berserk it's just introduced as a name without a specific connotation. That said there's no doubt Miura chose that name because he found it fitting.
I amended my post to add a bit about the name itself, but you were probably already replying so you didn't see it. What's sure is that the Holy See's version of events as briefly related by Mozgus is unlikely to be an objective, accurate account. Same goes for the tale of Gaiseric's fall from volume 10. In both cases the truth was likely embellished/distorted over time.
Good point, although I think leaving a son behind would have more weight to it than Rickert's survival.
HE'S COMING
(For those who weren't there at the time, this was done by Grail for one of our old April Fools' Day)
Absolutely love this Grail, i personally would have drawn Conrad using this picture as a reference. I think it would have been fitting.
Based on the descriptions I'm hearing this sounds like quite the episode. A great way to expand the lore with activity. Visiting a magic blacksmith connected to both SK and Guts' armor. And we get a look at the darker side of elf helm which sounds like it's in a state of equilibrium with the happy elf side. Even a traditional crone witch. Interesting.
Sounds like this could lead into a sparring between SK and Berserker Guts. Very cool developments.
Sounds like this could lead into a sparring between SK and Berserker Guts. Very cool developments.
Rhombaad
Video Game Time Traveler
I wrote my post pretty quickly last night because I was so excited, so let me clarify some of what I meant to say.
I thought the story surrounding St. Albion was probably embellished by the Holy See (including the name of the wise man imprisoned there by Gaiseric). It was just the closest thing we had to a possible moment from Void’s past, if he was in fact the wise man. Now that I’ve read some of the responses to my earlier comment, I suppose the wise man and Vid could be the same person. We just don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle yet. It’s an exciting time to be a Berserk fan!
I thought the story surrounding St. Albion was probably embellished by the Holy See (including the name of the wise man imprisoned there by Gaiseric). It was just the closest thing we had to a possible moment from Void’s past, if he was in fact the wise man. Now that I’ve read some of the responses to my earlier comment, I suppose the wise man and Vid could be the same person. We just don’t have all the pieces to the puzzle yet. It’s an exciting time to be a Berserk fan!
Yeah, I didn't check. We seem to be on the same page, and I also like your suggestion that Vid might not necessarily be the one who became Void but instead someone related to them in some way at the time; it had also crossed my mind but I didn't wanna dump too many ideas into one post. Speaking of relations...
I mainly wanted to establish that it's something plausible in my previous post, so I didn't get into what consequences it could have. It's true leaving a son behind has more importance, but maybe that's where the story is heading. Gedflynn could be a weakness few people know about, and because of his mild nature he's been overlooked by the God Hand and not considered a threat in the grand scheme. They aren't really afraid of anyone, not Guts, not the Skull Knight who are actively opposing them, but the straw that broke the camel's back might come from an unexpected place; and I say the God Hand, but in reality it's probably just Void who would know about him, which gives even more room for possibility.
In any case, It's hard to say how strong of a connection he had with his father, or how influential he could be, if at all. This is already pretty deep into speculation territory, so it might be better to wait a while longer before thinking too much about it.
Why does everyone seem so eager to see it happen right then and there. Wouldn't it be cooler for something like this to happen under more...dramatic conditions? C'mon guys.
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RaffoBaffo
Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
In the next Episode Guts will continue going Bersek because the dwarf, who believed he could stop the armor fury, undestimated the amount of rage that Guts is feeding the Armor.
Brief fight Guts vs SK.
Shierke arrives but can do nothing.
General panic.
Suddenly, Guts regain his reason, but why?
A familiar raven-haired boy appears.
Close-up of the SK.
The end.
Thanks for reading my fanfic, folks.
Brief fight Guts vs SK.
Shierke arrives but can do nothing.
General panic.
Suddenly, Guts regain his reason, but why?
A familiar raven-haired boy appears.
Close-up of the SK.
The end.
Thanks for reading my fanfic, folks.
To move beyond the Vid speculation, here's a recap of my thoughts on this episode (while trying to not repeat too much of what I've already said).
The Skull Knight's discussion with Guts is interesting in that it follows the usual format, except SK is interrupted by Gedflynn at the crucial moment, when Guts asks him to explain his cryptic warning (usually followed by a lengthier cryptic warning). I appreciated the departure from the norm, especially since the goal was to bring Guts to the one who created the Berserk's armor. It's also I think a reflection on the people living in Elfhelm and the fact they're not to be underestimated. You just don't get on the island without Gedflynn knowing.
The Skull Knight's interactions with Gedflynn and Hanarr are particularly exciting for those who are waiting to learn more about his past. They both knew him when he was still human and, while short, their exchanges are quite telling. The mention of Gedflynn's father is clearly set up to be referenced later, possibly in a flashback, which I look forward to. The fact they last saw each other when Gedflynn was a child also implies SK hasn't traveled to Skellig since those days. As for Hanarr, his conversation with the Skull Knight is probably the most familiar in tone that we've ever seen ("Hah, doing fine you say? You're just babbling in your coffin."). It also confirms in the space of three panels that the Skull Knight is a spirit encased in an empty armor that prevents it from leaving the corporeal world. And sure, we already knew that, but having Hanarr casually confirm that information is still pretty huge.
Another great character introduced this episode is Molda's teacher, Volvaba. While we only see her in passing, she's definitely a heavyweight magic user and I really can't wait to see more of her. Her reaction to Schierke is especially intriguing, and reinforces the idea that Flora was special among witches. She also has that very mysterious line about something that's going to come true, which is a good reminder of much how of a tease Miura can be. He's managed to lay a lot of hooks in this episode, which somehow made this already momentous day in Elfhelm feel even more critical. And really, I just cannot imagine that she won't opine on the Brand.
Of course everyone's focused on the Berserk's armor and it will be interesting to see not only how Guts handles it (which could really go many different ways), but also what Hanarr's diagnostic will be. The way the armor works makes it difficult for me to believe that there's going to be some easy way out of the danger it poses. The same everburning Od that allows the user to bypass the limitations of the human body also clouds their judgment. However Hanarr could help Guts understand how to better handle it. There's also the matter of the long-term damage it does to his body (slowly depriving him of his senses), and I really look forward to an update on his state and whether or not there's a way to lessen the effect. I'm also curious to hear what Hanarr thinks of the spell Flora engraved on it and which prevented Guts' ego from being destroyed the first time he used it.
I've talked about it in this thread already as well as over the years, but this will probably be the last chance Guts will have to get the Dragon Slayer looked at, and it's fitting that it should be by a mythical blacksmith. Very excited to see that happen. If Guts were to take off the armor and leave the Dragon Slayer in Hanarr's care, it would also make for an interesting situation, ripe for development. We know that his son is on his way for example, but I'm also curious to know how Casca might react if she saw him in just a tshirt, without the Black Swordsman costume on. Would her reaction be less intense?
I loved the dive into the gorge and the vibe that we get from there. Schierke getting nervous because it's close to the Qliphoth was pretty cool, and it puts an end to another longstanding question: whether the Qliphoth as a whole had been destroyed in volume 26 or just that local part of it. This is also something that we had correctly deduced long ago, but it has been disputed a few times over the years, so it's good that it's settled. Some people have commented on the contrast the gorge provides to the elfin paradise up top, but I don't think it's all that stark. I like how Molda puts it, that some people will always prefer dimness to sunlight. Along with meeting Volvaba, the tidbit of explanation Molda gave Schierke about the Wicker Men provided another morsel of information on the past, which I also expect to hear more about soon. As is often the case with Berserk, all these little details will eventually add up to form a richer big picture.
Speaking of details, it was nice to see some talk about Barytes again. Like I mentioned earlier, it plays a key role in allowing the witches to fly around. Molda's comments about the Stone Forest make me wonder to how applicable it is outside of Elfhelm, but I guess time will tell. I'm also curious about Daiba's technique for floating now... And of course about other potential properties this element might have. Last thing: it was great to see Molda and Schierke's relationship develop like that, especially the fact they get along so well despite being radically different. Volvaba's comment also gives her some depth; she's not just the cool kid but also a bit of a loner. I would still love to see them have a little magic showdown, but it's great that Schierke got to befriend a peer and I can't wait to see how that relationship grows. I also really dig Molda's character in general, be it the design of personality, I think Miura nailed it.
The Skull Knight's discussion with Guts is interesting in that it follows the usual format, except SK is interrupted by Gedflynn at the crucial moment, when Guts asks him to explain his cryptic warning (usually followed by a lengthier cryptic warning). I appreciated the departure from the norm, especially since the goal was to bring Guts to the one who created the Berserk's armor. It's also I think a reflection on the people living in Elfhelm and the fact they're not to be underestimated. You just don't get on the island without Gedflynn knowing.
The Skull Knight's interactions with Gedflynn and Hanarr are particularly exciting for those who are waiting to learn more about his past. They both knew him when he was still human and, while short, their exchanges are quite telling. The mention of Gedflynn's father is clearly set up to be referenced later, possibly in a flashback, which I look forward to. The fact they last saw each other when Gedflynn was a child also implies SK hasn't traveled to Skellig since those days. As for Hanarr, his conversation with the Skull Knight is probably the most familiar in tone that we've ever seen ("Hah, doing fine you say? You're just babbling in your coffin."). It also confirms in the space of three panels that the Skull Knight is a spirit encased in an empty armor that prevents it from leaving the corporeal world. And sure, we already knew that, but having Hanarr casually confirm that information is still pretty huge.
Another great character introduced this episode is Molda's teacher, Volvaba. While we only see her in passing, she's definitely a heavyweight magic user and I really can't wait to see more of her. Her reaction to Schierke is especially intriguing, and reinforces the idea that Flora was special among witches. She also has that very mysterious line about something that's going to come true, which is a good reminder of much how of a tease Miura can be. He's managed to lay a lot of hooks in this episode, which somehow made this already momentous day in Elfhelm feel even more critical. And really, I just cannot imagine that she won't opine on the Brand.
Of course everyone's focused on the Berserk's armor and it will be interesting to see not only how Guts handles it (which could really go many different ways), but also what Hanarr's diagnostic will be. The way the armor works makes it difficult for me to believe that there's going to be some easy way out of the danger it poses. The same everburning Od that allows the user to bypass the limitations of the human body also clouds their judgment. However Hanarr could help Guts understand how to better handle it. There's also the matter of the long-term damage it does to his body (slowly depriving him of his senses), and I really look forward to an update on his state and whether or not there's a way to lessen the effect. I'm also curious to hear what Hanarr thinks of the spell Flora engraved on it and which prevented Guts' ego from being destroyed the first time he used it.
I've talked about it in this thread already as well as over the years, but this will probably be the last chance Guts will have to get the Dragon Slayer looked at, and it's fitting that it should be by a mythical blacksmith. Very excited to see that happen. If Guts were to take off the armor and leave the Dragon Slayer in Hanarr's care, it would also make for an interesting situation, ripe for development. We know that his son is on his way for example, but I'm also curious to know how Casca might react if she saw him in just a tshirt, without the Black Swordsman costume on. Would her reaction be less intense?
I loved the dive into the gorge and the vibe that we get from there. Schierke getting nervous because it's close to the Qliphoth was pretty cool, and it puts an end to another longstanding question: whether the Qliphoth as a whole had been destroyed in volume 26 or just that local part of it. This is also something that we had correctly deduced long ago, but it has been disputed a few times over the years, so it's good that it's settled. Some people have commented on the contrast the gorge provides to the elfin paradise up top, but I don't think it's all that stark. I like how Molda puts it, that some people will always prefer dimness to sunlight. Along with meeting Volvaba, the tidbit of explanation Molda gave Schierke about the Wicker Men provided another morsel of information on the past, which I also expect to hear more about soon. As is often the case with Berserk, all these little details will eventually add up to form a richer big picture.
Speaking of details, it was nice to see some talk about Barytes again. Like I mentioned earlier, it plays a key role in allowing the witches to fly around. Molda's comments about the Stone Forest make me wonder to how applicable it is outside of Elfhelm, but I guess time will tell. I'm also curious about Daiba's technique for floating now... And of course about other potential properties this element might have. Last thing: it was great to see Molda and Schierke's relationship develop like that, especially the fact they get along so well despite being radically different. Volvaba's comment also gives her some depth; she's not just the cool kid but also a bit of a loner. I would still love to see them have a little magic showdown, but it's great that Schierke got to befriend a peer and I can't wait to see how that relationship grows. I also really dig Molda's character in general, be it the design of personality, I think Miura nailed it.
Interesting theory, but wouldn't "Weed" or "Wido" be the more correct translation? Usually English V's are represented as B's in kana, as in Boido/Void.
No, "ヴィ" is "vi". Traditionally, there was no way to distinguish between B and V in Japanese, but in recent years new katakana were created to be able to handle it.
I'm not super convinced on the Vido=Void idea, but it's possible. As others have mentioned, the way Gedflynn and SK talk about him feels a little too casual and nostalgic for Vido to be Skull Knight's archnemesis. Gedflynn's mention of his current position suggests to me that Vido might've just been the village's previous head before his son took over.
The mention of the barytes again definitely seems pretty noteworthy. If we're correct that barytes are connected to the God Hand's power, maybe this is foreshadowing for a later scene confirming the connection. I can imagine Schierke trying to fly and suddenly being forced to the ground by the strong presence of barytes around Griffith or some other God Hand-related entity.
The mention of the barytes again definitely seems pretty noteworthy. If we're correct that barytes are connected to the God Hand's power, maybe this is foreshadowing for a later scene confirming the connection. I can imagine Schierke trying to fly and suddenly being forced to the ground by the strong presence of barytes around Griffith or some other God Hand-related entity.
Thank you for the summary and for your thoughts @Aazealh.
However, I too am of the opinion that Vid could be Void, also because Gedflynn and SK talk about it with familiarity. Even among them, there is a lot of confidence (SK: That insolent child appears to have grown up well.) In the end, it was a nice episode with an ending that will lead us to an even more interesting episode (362).
However, I too am of the opinion that Vid could be Void, also because Gedflynn and SK talk about it with familiarity. Even among them, there is a lot of confidence (SK: That insolent child appears to have grown up well.) In the end, it was a nice episode with an ending that will lead us to an even more interesting episode (362).
It's my impression or SK is on this island just waiting for the Moonlight Boy to appear?
There's no indication SK has encountered the boy, or knows he exists.
If this were the case he wouldn't have gone to meet Guts.
Griffith
With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Hey, it's a compliment, and I like the way she holds her satchel too, always been a technique I've admired.
Well, not a refutation of your point as it pertains to the boy now, but, technically they met when Skully recommended Guts euthanize him at birth.
Pro ChoiceMaybe that's what he was going there to tell Guts before they were interrupted, "Told you so."
But seriously, while Guts and Casca would be the best people to stake out for such an endeavor, he probably wouldn't make his presence known, and I doubt Skully went there to intercept the boy/Griffith and got side-tracked talking shop about their armors.
Creatures such as the ones we saw down there are almost exclusively depicted as evil in traditional fantasy and folklore, but in Berserk they seem to also fit the role of misfits who simply prefer a more secluded way of life, rather than purely harmful or malicious beings; so yeah, ultimately this is just the same kind of nuance Berserk has always had.
I also like where this is going, Molda is growing on me and her character is undoubtedly meant to stand out, which makes me wonder if she won't be joining the group, apropos to the discussion about breaking up the group into teams. I'm sure it's been brought up before, given her clear interest in the outside world, but I saw no mention of this possibility in the respective thread.
One has to wonder how urgent his arrival really was, considering all he did was give Guts a warning, a warning that can wait, apparently. If anything this is just a confirmation something serious is gonna happen on the island, which we had already guessed.
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That possibility has been brought up before, yeah. However the idea of the group splitting up is already quite speculative, so I didn't want to add even more speculation, especially since the point is to reduce the size of each group.
One thing i wonder about Guts' future with the armor is if this will lead to him possibly learning to use the armor consciously without the help of Schierke.
From Schierkes perspective, their shared experience was something she valued a lot, so I wonder how her reaction would be to Guts taking such a big step forward.
From Schierkes perspective, their shared experience was something she valued a lot, so I wonder how her reaction would be to Guts taking such a big step forward.
This is the biggest point of the episode, at least for me, if Guts manages to harness the full power of the armor without going fully Berserk, this would be a fantastic boost for his abilities and bring him one step closer to reaching the God Hand's level of power.
It'll be interesting for sure to see how Schierke reacts if this happens as while she recognizes Casca and Guts' bond, Schierke remarks that only she has something unique and special with Guts that nobody else has. It'll be interesting of course to see how Casca reacts Guts being able to use the armor without going Berserk.
Another point of note is whether Skull Knight actually brought Guts to the blacksmith because he knew Hanarr would have the skill to allow Guts to fully operate the armor which would give further evidence to a theory that Skull Knight wants himself and/or Guts to go on a mission together. By allowing Guts to use the full capabilities of the armor without the most negative fallback, SK knows that Guts wouldn't need Schrieke or his other companions to bring him out of his Berserk state and so can use Guts by himself to further his own goals.
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I wonder if SK is obliquely referring to an impending Junction of Time (DH calls this "temporal junction points"). Particularly in light of the other end of that sentence (stay alert), it seems like SK is clued into danger nearby or in due time. Easy guess is Griffith/Boy's arrival, but maybe it's not so incidental as that. Too bad they were interrupted by Ged.
That would be nice, but it's not like Guts was ever going to reach "the God Hand's level of power." Whatever results from Hanarr's guidance, I think there will always be a "cost" associated with using the armor, and that Guts will have to contend with the Beast. That cost, skirting danger with every use, it's what makes the armor cool, to me. Also, any guidance that provides Guts more control over when the armor activates would be great, but it wouldn't address the other problem of the armor -- using it dulls his senses, makes him weaker. Maybe that can't be remediated...
Nah, it's Ged who brings up visiting Hanarr, not SK. Anyway, I guess I'm not too familiar with that theory. What's it based on...? SK appearing in front of Guts last episode?