Casca regains herself but what if she doesn't remember anything?

puella

Berserk forever
I've been thinking a lot about this matter. Casca might regain herself with the help of the King of the Flower Storm, but what if she doesn't remember anything about the eclipse? I mean she could have just kept all the memories before the occultation.

I also thought maybe she still doesn't want to get back to her original state, considering what SK said: "However, it's not sure you and her will want the same thing." I see it as kind of her choice to have been an imbecile-like girl so far because her inner mind didn't want to cope with the horrible reality. It actually happens to many people who have crazy experiences. They remain speechless or insane or retain no memories. It's a sort of subconscious self-protection mechanism.

I've been wondering about how this could be a partial success for Guts. If she doesn't remember anything about the eclipse, what should Guts do? Should he tell her everything, at the risk of deeply hurting her, in order to rally her against Griffith?

If this thing happens, I think Guts will just leave her like she is. But then, it means he can't keep his journey for revenge and she can't accompany him, which lead him to make a decision to leave her behind AGAIN. Or simply, he can take her with him without telling her anything.

What do you guys think?
 
Well, we have the precedent of the Oblivion Herbs incident in which Casca regained her sense of self temporarily, and she stated that she was in a "bad dream". Whether she had remembered every detail of the Occultation is hard to speculate given the short amount of time she was in that state, but I think over time her memories would probably have resurfaced sooner or later.

Now I'm not saying that the Hanafubuku-Ou's healing method is in any similar to the Mandragora's (although it may be likely, since Mandragoras are probably a useful ingredient in portions used by wizards/witches). But I think the precedent (or foreboding? :miura: ) set by the Oblivion Herbs can't be ignored when speculating about Casca's possible mental regeneration.

I can also see how she may have some recollection of what happened, but be in complete denial that Griffith could have betrayed the entire Band of the Hawk, or just have a sense of disbelief as to what has all occurred. Certainly, the dynamics of the group is going to change drastically since Guts only relented to having it in the first place because he needed help taking care of Casca. If Casca is cured (and I'm pretty sure she'll retain much of her combat prowess, if not her actual strength) then everyone else pretty much is at square one (except for Guts) in terms of forging a relationship with her.
 
I don't think that will happen, as Miura will simply be replacing one psychotic episode with another. It would be quite the anti-climax after trawling their way to Elfheim, if Casca conveniently forgot the reason she went loopy in the first place.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
yota821 said:
If Casca is cured (and I'm pretty sure she'll retain much of her combat prowess, if not her actual strength) then everyone else pretty much is at square one (except for Guts) in terms of forging a relationship to her.

And that would make for some very interesting character development.
 

puella

Berserk forever
I know this kind of topic has been discussed many times before, but I wanted to focus on Guts' choice if it did happen like this. Yeah, it sounds sort of lame if Casca only recovered partial memories. But it would allow her to be sane without holding a strong grudge, unlike Guts. Considering she's the only hope for Guts to rein in the Beast of Darkness, maybe she could cure him well without being either hurt by the past or completely getting over it (the best option, obviously). I think having a memory lapse would be the second best option.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
yota821 said:
If Casca is cured ... then everyone else pretty much is at square one (except for Guts) in terms of forging a relationship with her.
Which is actually why I believe she'll retain parts of her memory. There's been quite a bit of time spent in the last few years developing the relationship of Casca and Farnese, and also about the consequences of Guts' actions toward Casca in his weaker moments. I think it'd be more interesting if those actions carried consequences over to the NEW Casca, rather than just have her begin as a blank state.

However, I completely agree that it would make a fascinating, yet painful crossroad for Guts if she retains nothing -- as you say, he would have to choose whether to bring her up to speed or let her be in peace. I tend to think he would bring her into his world and explain it all, because I think he desperately needs a partner in coping with all that's happened in order to tame the Beast, not just an oblivious companion from a different time in his life.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
I tend to think he would bring her into his world and explain it all, because I think he desperately needs a partner in coping with all that's happened in order to tame the Beast, not just an oblivious companion from a different time in his life.

That's my exact line of thoughts, word for word. Great minds Big brains think alike. :void:
 

puella

Berserk forever
Walter said:
However, I completely agree that it would make a fascinating, yet painful crossroad for Guts if she retains nothing -- as you say, he would have to choose whether to bring her up to speed or let her be in peace. I tend to think he would bring her into his world and explain it all, because I think he desperately needs a partner in coping with all that's happened in order to tame the Beast, not just an oblivious companion from a different time in his life.

Yeah, it would be another hardship for Guts. However, we can't overlook the fact that it would also be painful for him to see his lover suffer and be full of fury or agony (basically like himself) everyday. That's unless she fully gets over the tragedy, which is almost impossible because it'd mean she would be mentally stronger than Guts. Anyway, personally I don't think Guts will fully get what he wants with Casca in Elfhelm.
 

Lithrael

Remember, always hold your apple tight
The version I'd most like to see would be a continuing blackout for Casca as far as the eclipse, but a retention of memory of all her brainless wandering around afterwards, and a sane mind to reflect on those memories. That way she'd 'know' Farnese et al but would only now be evaluating all the experiences she's had with the new team. She'd remember things like the Hill of Swords, and Guts would have to figure out how to react to her confusion about such memories. And of course then you'd have the rather messy situation that she would not remember Femto raping her but she would remember what Guts did in volume 23. Eesh.
 

zurusuru

My entrails bring all the boys to the yard.
Hello, all! Long time lurker, first time poster here. (Please be gentle, good sirs and ladies.)

I've thought a lot about this topic and am waiting with bated breath to see what Miura inevitably does. There are several things I could see come to pass (I lean towards some more than others, obviously):

1) Casca retains her memories of everything, including her journey. Once Mr. Fairy King (his official title; Puck would agree with me) does his voodoo, her ego is restored, and she is back to the "Casca" we know (like waking up from a bad dream). If this happened, I could see her needing some time alone for a very long time in order to not only process these events but to come to terms with everything she's experienced and seen. Who she finds comfort in during this period is another thing that could be crucial to her character development as well - a third party outside of Guts and Griffith's entourage, perhaps? A neutral shoulder to lean on. I'm not sure what Guts would do with himself while she tries to find herself again, but I'm sure he'd want to be there for her when she decides (IF she decides) to stay alongside him.

2) She gains her sense of self, but doesn't remember anything after the Eclipse - basically, from the time she was traumatized until the present is all forgotten. Personally, I think I like this idea best, though there are some factors I dislike (I think it's really sad that Casca might never be able to fully appreciate the lengths Guts went to in order to protect her, but in the same breath, she wouldn't remember him being possessed, losing control to the Beast, etc). She wouldn't remember Farnese, Serpico, Schierke, etc, which I think might be better for her than remembering. Sure, she'd have to start over, but it'd be embarrassing recalling all those foolish things she did when she wasn't in control of herself in front of them. Having a general idea and remembering them all firsthand are two very different things. For someone as proud as Casca, it'd be a huge blow and definitely affect her ability to form relationships with them, at least at first.

3) Mr. Fairy King can't "restore" Casca back to her "old self" in the typical sense - he can erase everything, or he can't erase anything at all. It'd be almost like amnesia; she'd regain her sense of self, but her memories of her friends, her past, and everything that happened to her are simply gone. Maybe this would open it up for her regain them again over time, or maybe this would begin a new quest for her to try and find them; who knows?

Regardless what happens, I don't think Guts will leave Casca in order to pursue revenge against Griffith unless she explicitly tells him they need to part separate ways, and even then, he wouldn't do it unless he was sure she'd be safe. Depending on "how" restored she is, that might happen - but in the end, I'd really like to see her gradually open up to him again and realize the magnitude of the sacrifices he's made to stick by the woman he loves.

Ahhh, it's rather late so I'm not sure if I stated this as clearly as I'd like to, but cheers!
 

Lithrael

Remember, always hold your apple tight
Those ideas sound about right to me. I seriously doubt Miura is going for a completely blank slate for her though; it seems to me that would nullify Skullknight's warning to Guts on the beach, and Miura doesn't waste Skully's words.

Oh yeah and welcome to the forum!
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
zurusuru said:
Hello, all! Long time lurker, first time poster here. (Please be gentle, good sirs and ladies.)

Hey there, welcome! :serpico:

zurusuru said:
Mr. Fairy King (his official title; Puck would agree with me)

Nuh-huh. :mozgus:

zurusuru said:
there are some factors I dislike (I think it's really sad that Casca might never be able to fully appreciate the lengths Guts went to in order to protect her, but in the same breath, she wouldn't remember him being possessed, losing control to the Beast, etc).

Well keep in mind there's always a way, even if it's indirect. Their companions could tell her, and Schierke might even be able to share with her what she saw inside Guts' mind, that sort of things. In a way, it could be more interesting than for her to just remember everything.

zurusuru said:
Regardless what happens, I don't think Guts will leave Casca in order to pursue revenge against Griffith unless she explicitly tells him they need to part separate ways, and even then, he wouldn't do it unless he was sure she'd be safe.

Never.jpg

:slan:
 

zurusuru

My entrails bring all the boys to the yard.
Aww, come on, Aaz. You know you love 'Mr. Fairy King.' You just have a badass rep to maintain; I get it. :griffnotevil:

Aazealh said:
Well keep in mind there's always a way, even if it's indirect. Their companions could tell her, and Schierke might even be able to share with her what she saw inside Guts' mind, that sort of things. In a way, it could be more interesting than for her to just remember everything.

I think having them tell her wouldn't be as powerful as her remembering it firsthand, especially considering the time they spent traveling alone together. Those episodes are some of the saddest, to me. Guts goes through hell for her, and she's too oblivious to so much as begin to appreciate it. I do think it would be very cool to have Schierke show her bits and pieces, though. (I can see Casca now, falling to her knees and saying something about him getting even more scarred up for her all over again.)

Like I said, I tend to favor #2. But Miura is an extremely creative and intuitive writer - that's why he still has me hooked so many years after developing my first affections for Berserk. I have a feeling he'll do something I won't expect, and I'll love him all the more for it, even if it isn't exactly what I was hoping for. (Let's face it - Guts needs a break. Having Casca at his back would give him some peace of mind he badly, badly deserves.)

P.S. - Thank you for the welcomes! :guts:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
zurusuru said:
Aww, come on, Aaz. You know you love 'Mr. Fairy King.' You just have a badass rep to maintain; I get it. :griffnotevil:

Nein, I just always stick to proper denominations. The king has been given a name (an interesting one at that), why not use it? Besides, Puck and his ilk are explicitly called elves, not fairies. It might not make much of a difference to you, but that's still how they should be referred to. The king of Elfhelm is an elf. Sorry, I know I'm not much fun.

zurusuru said:
I think having them tell her wouldn't be as powerful as her remembering it firsthand

Maybe not as powerful, but like I said, it could be more interesting to see (think of a slower realisation of what happened over the years, with more interactions needed between all the characters). :slan:
 

zurusuru

My entrails bring all the boys to the yard.
I agree with you - being serious, I would never refer to him like that. It's just a moderate (and apparently unfunny) joke. :puck: I saw some fan translations that referred to him as the Fairy King, and it just sort of stuck for its humor. (Aaaagh, fan translations, how I love and loathe you. At least Berserk's don't tend to be as bad a majority of Hellsing's were.)

I suppose I haven't thought of the long-term like that. There is the chance she'd be able to grasp how much he's done for her through little pieces gathered here or there... and I definitely think that'd make for some very interesting conversations with her companions. I like that idea. (Though I can't say that I wouldn't like someone waving a magic wand and her seeing it all firsthand, so to speak, obviously I'm not being literal here. There are so many things he did Guts' new family doesn't even know about, and I think we know he isn't going to be forthcoming about it. If anything, Guts will just consider it water under the bridge and be endlessly thankful to have her back to her senses.)

One possibility I'm sort of afraid of is that once she regains herself, she may hate Guts for it. She's regressed into herself due to the trauma - that isn't the sort of thing one's mind does lightly. She was too fragile to handle the events that transpired in any normal way - and who could blame her, of course? Even so, if her memories of the Eclipse are left intact, do you think she'll blame Guts for it? (It being the restoration, not the Eclipse.) I could see her doing this, as a knee-jerk reaction, upon getting "back." This would stand with the Skull Knight's prediction.

If she does, do you think she'll forgive him over time? Maybe this is where some of Schierke's mind-magic could come into play. :schierke:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
zurusuru said:
I saw some fan translations that referred to him as the Fairy King, and it just sort of stuck for its humor.

Yeah only like you said, there's no actual humor in it. It's just a bad translation. That's not the kind of stuff we encourage around here, because people are quick to pick up wrong habits and slow to lose them.

zurusuru said:
One possibility I'm sort of afraid of is that once she regains herself, she may hate Guts for it. She's regressed into herself due to the trauma - that isn't the sort of thing one's mind does lightly. She was too fragile to handle the events that transpired in any normal way - and who could blame her, of course? Even so, if her memories of the Eclipse are left intact, do you think she'll blame Guts for it? (It being the restoration, not the Eclipse.) I could see her doing this, as a knee-jerk reaction, upon getting "back." This would stand with the Skull Knight's prediction.

Well there's more than one way to interpret what the Skull Knight said. I know I definitely wouldn't like her to hold a grudge on Guts anyway (who would?). Rather I think Guts might have to venture inside her inner self (kind of like what Schierke did for him in volume 27) and appease her, in a way convincing her to return to the world. There are many possibilities...
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
zurusuru said:
(I think it's really sad that Casca might never be able to fully appreciate the lengths Guts went to in order to protect her, but in the same breath, she wouldn't remember him being possessed, losing control to the Beast, etc).
You know, Casca is just going to have to deal with what happened in that one weak moment. Worse couples have gotten through more traumatic things. And the countless hundreds of times Guts has saved her from certain death infinitely balances out the meager moment of weakness he had. I sincerely doubt that scene will create a wedge between them once Casca is restored. It's really served more to make Guts paranoid of what he's capable of (and rightly so).

Aazealh said:
I think Guts might have to venture inside her inner self (kind of like what Schierke did for him in volume 27) and appease her, in a way convincing her to return to the world. There are many possibilities...
Indeed, and I really like this possibility. However, it could also open the door for something very uncomfortable for Guts -- Casca's manic attachment to Griffith, pre-Eclipse. Now, I'm fully aware that Casca was raped by him, and if/when she is fully restored, I have no doubts she would be against Griffith for all the evil things he's done. But she may not associate all that with him in her current state. If Guts enters her mind, he may see her clinging to the one sure thing in her life, her savior Griffith. It'd be no surprise how Guts would react.
 

zurusuru

My entrails bring all the boys to the yard.
Alright, I won't use my silly title. ;( I get it. My apologies if anyone misunderstood or got the wrong idea. :slan:

Well there's more than one way to interpret what the Skull Knight said. I know I definitely wouldn't like her to hold a grudge on Guts anyway (who would?). Rather I think Guts might have to venture inside her inner self (kind of like what Schierke did for him in volume 27) and appease her, in a way convincing her to return to the world. There are many possibilities...

I think she might blame him initially - not in her heart, but in order to put fault on someone for her pain. But that depends entirely on the way she's restored. However, I have to say I'm pretty much in love with the idea you had here; I hadn't even thought of that. I really hope this happens, and if it does, I absolutely agree she won't blame him - she'd have no reason to. I think it really has everything to do with how her "healing" comes about.

You know, Casca is just going to have to deal with what happened in that one weak moment. Worse couples have gotten through more traumatic things. And the countless hundreds of times Guts has saved her from certain death infinitely balances out the meager moment of weakness he had. I sincerely doubt that scene will create a wedge between them once Casca is restored. It's really served more to make Guts paranoid of what he's capable of (and rightly so).

I completely agree regarding Casca having to deal. But, she's a very emotional person, and I imagine once she's restored, it'll be overwhelming. It's a possibility (to me) that she might lash out in anger at having all these memories she didn't want given back to her, though I feel like she won't TRULY mean it if she does. (It's just somewhere to place the anger/frustration/pain in a misguided way.) I certainly HOPE this isn't what happens, but I think there might be a chance depending on how things play out. I have no idea how this "healing" will work.
 

puella

Berserk forever
Walter said:
if/when she is fully restored, I have no doubts she would be against Griffith for all the evil things he's done.

I think there's also a possibility she will stop Guts from going on his revenge against Griffith, not because of her crazy affection for him but because she wants her lover to remain safe. It's easy to expect her to be shocked when she sees Guts' face. What would be a better choice for her: to join his group to fight against their ex-friend, the evil overlord, risking all their lives and letting Guts losing his mind more and more or to cure Guts by giving him a normal and happy life like Rickert and Erica? It's not simple to make a decision between the two. It might sounds wimpy to you guys, but I'm thinking about that possibility in relation to Casca's reaction when Guts was fighting Wyald. She said "Why should he always fight? Can't he just avoid it (run away)?"
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
However, it could also open the door for something very uncomfortable for Guts -- Casca's manic attachment to Griffith, pre-Eclipse.

I don't know about that. She was ready to leave the Band of the Falcon with Guts before they saw the state Griffith was in. Then she wanted to stay with him out of pity. My point is that her "manic attachment" was already severely damaged by the time the Occultation ceremony happened.

Walter said:
But she may not associate all that with him in her current state. If Guts enters her mind, he may see her clinging to the one sure thing in her life, her savior Griffith. It'd be no surprise how Guts would react.

That's a very good point. But then again, Schierke saw mixed feelings in Guts' own mind when it came to Griffith. That's why that whole ordeal has been so painful: because it was a betrayal. It could be the same for Casca. No doubt Guts would be deeply hurt regardless, though. But maybe not beyond repair. I wonder if she would remember her child, too. Despite her mental state her motherly instincts were always overwhelming towards him. Ah well, no matter what, it's going to be extremely interesting.

zurusuru said:
I think she might blame him initially - not in her heart, but in order to put fault on someone for her pain. But that depends entirely on the way she's restored. However, I have to say I'm pretty much in love with the idea you had here; I hadn't even thought of that. I really hope this happens, and if it does, I absolutely agree she won't blame him - she'd have no reason to.

Well thanks, it's one of the possibilities I've been thinking of over the years. If you're interested in reading more, you might want to search for older discussions on the subject.

zurusuru said:
I completely agree regarding Casca having to deal. But, she's a very emotional person, and I imagine once she's restored, it'll be overwhelming. It's a possibility (to me) that she might lash out in anger at having all these memories she didn't want given back to her, though I feel like she won't TRULY mean it if she does. (It's just somewhere to place the anger/frustration/pain in a misguided way.) I certainly HOPE this isn't what happens, but I think there might be a chance depending on how things play out. I have no idea how this "healing" will work.

There's another thing to be taken into account here that people usually ignore: the fact she might not have the exact same temperament she used to. Casca as a character is virtually identical in volume 34 to what she was in volume 14. Only now she has longer hair. But it would be surprising if she came back to exactly what she was before the Eclipse. Too much has happened, too much has changed.

puella said:
I think there's also a possibility she will stop Guts from going on his revenge against Griffith, not because of her crazy affection for him but because she wants her lover to remain safe. It's easy to expect her to be shocked when she sees Guts' face. What would be a better choice for her: to join his group to fight against their ex-friend, the evil overlord, risking all their lives and letting Guts losing his mind more and more or to cure Guts by giving him a normal and happy life like Rickert and Erica? It's not simple to make a decision between the two. It might sounds wimpy to you guys, but I'm thinking about that possibility in relation to Casca's reaction when Guts was fighting Wyald. She said "Why should he always fight? Can't he just avoid it (run away)?"

That's a good point, and really, I wouldn't expect Casca to ask Guts not to go after Griffith for Griffith's sake. That'd be ridiculous and it would personally piss me off as a reader. However, regardless of everyone's wishes, they might have to go after him. It's really the kind of happening we can't plan because Miura could invent a thousand good reasons for it to happen.
 
Immediately pre-eclipse, Casca and Guts had just saved Griffith, and were in the process of fleeing, and etc.

Putting it forth as an idea I haven't seen raised yet, do you think that Casca, on awakening and having the situation explained to her as best as it can be, might want to 'save' Griffith, again? That sort of urge, on her part, might be enough to allow her to reasonably travel with Guts, towards Griffith, allowing Griffith to be their common goal, though for different reasons.
 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
Personally I don't see Casca holding a grudge against Guts for what he did the one time. Not that she'd remember, and if she did remember it'd be hazy.

Bekul said:
Immediately pre-eclipse, Casca and Guts had just saved Griffith, and were in the process of fleeing, and etc.

Putting it forth as an idea I haven't seen raised yet, do you think that Casca, on awakening and having the situation explained to her as best as it can be, might want to 'save' Griffith, again? That sort of urge, on her part, might be enough to allow her to reasonably travel with Guts, towards Griffith, allowing Griffith to be their common goal, though for different reasons.

That's an interesting idea. It'd add a pretty good twist, instead of Guts and Casca seeking revenge for what Griffith did they would be more interested in turning him away from the God Hand.
 
Well, I'll still say that Guts will seek revenge, or at least vengance. I personally don't think, from what we've seen, that it would be /possible/ to 'turn him away' from the God Hand. He /is/ part of the God Hand, now, inseperably, though not (if theories about the Moonlight Child prove true) entirely.

That is, my idea is that while Guts retains his drive for vengence, Casca's drive would be wanting to 'save' him, whatever that may end up meaning.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Bekul said:
do you think that Casca, on awakening and having the situation explained to her as best as it can be, might want to 'save' Griffith, again?

No.

Bekul said:
That sort of urge, on her part, might be enough to allow her to reasonably travel with Guts, towards Griffith, allowing Griffith to be their common goal, though for different reasons.

I think that would be extremely stupid on her part, which is also why I don't think it will happen. She would have to be really seriously mistaken about the situation to try to do that. And I don't think Guts would take it very well either.

Vampire_Hunter_Bob said:
That's an interesting idea. It'd add a pretty good twist, instead of Guts and Casca seeking revenge for what Griffith did they would be more interested in turning him away from the God Hand.

That's actually pretty silly I think. He's not going to "turn away" from the God Hand. They're not a street gang.

Bekul said:
He /is/ part of the God Hand, now, inseperably, though not (if theories about the Moonlight Child prove true) entirely.

Hmm, either you're not wording this correctly or I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. Not entirely part of the God Hand? What? He's one of them, just like you said. That's all. Not a "partial" member. The fact he still has at least some of Guts and Casca's son in him doesn't mean he's less part of the group.
 

zurusuru

My entrails bring all the boys to the yard.
Thanks for the tip off - I'm going to read some more into what you pointed out, Aaz.

Also, I was wondering something... since Guts doesn't seem to know that the Moonlight Boy is his son (speculating here that he definitely is, and that he's attached to Griffith / shares a body, whatever the case may be), what do you think him and Casca would do in regards to that situation? What if destroying one means destroying the other? I always figured the Moonlight Boy would play a pivotal role in the end - either to save one or both of them, or open up some sort of possibility to defeating Griffith, but I wonder how they'd feel about it. Do you think they might find something out about him in Elfhelm? (Not sure if that's even possible, but I guess it depends if the King is the "all knowing" type, or can see something like that in them.)
 
Top Bottom