Episode 316

Rhombaad said:
I think this episode alone should silence them. Besides, they should know better after everything we've read up until now. Miura doesn't do filler. :miura:

Agreed, when combined with the inclusion of the moonlight boy, the importance of Casca being highlighted and Farnese's significant character development, this episode is the most exciting for a long time. I'm excited to see what the next one brings and if we get even more information regarding the moonlight boy and if he sticks around.

Going back to Elfhelm for one second though. What if the moonlight boy stayed with them this time or showed up during Casca's re-awakening? It makes you wonder what effects it would have if Casca somehow knew through instinct that he was their child (since that seems to be whats happening now), while Guts thought otherwise. It would be a very interesting scenario.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Good riddance to anyone who may have stopped reading because of the so called "filler". This whole Island adventure is turning out to be one of my favorites! From the beginning of this chapter, everything from Guts' return on the ship to when they had to dock at the island, meeting Isma and the all events that followed, I feel like this chapter encompasses everything I love about Berserk. Mystery, suspense, action and of course the fact that the moonlight boy has appeared means that something special will no doubt happen (assuming of course it plays out differently this time). It's a very self contained part of the story with an overwhelming sense adventure and fantasy that makes it such a fun and exciting ride.

Anyway, Isidro does seem very focused and serious. He even looks like an action hero in some of shots! It's actually a little sad to think that all the people on the Island have been turned into those creatures, even the children.
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
Fantastic episode. The best of this chapter so far, in my opinion. Everything in terms of excitement is way up.

Berserker Guts is by far my favorite of Guts' forms. Everything about it is just awesome. His movements, his posture... He is just menacing and insane.

I am hoping the Moonlight Boy will be around for a good while. I mean, the Sea God hasn't emerged yet.

What I'm really hoping for is maybe some dialogue between Guts and the Moonlight Boy. Maybe just a "Who the hell are you?"

Now, I know this scenario would be TERRIBLE, but... what if Guts kills the child?

EDIT: I typed that really quick without thinking. First, the boy's real tricky. Second, Guts won't kill him. It would just be a mess plot-wise.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
I don't know if blasting Guts in the face alone is the best way to get across the point that they're not enemies though.

:ganishka:

JezzaX said:
It would silence those who were getting up in arms saying that the ship arriving here was 'filler' and not significant to the story.

They were silenced before they even started to speak as far as I'm concerned. But you know, there'll always be people who are unable to think beyond the present and lack the necessary imagination to fathom middle to long term developments. In general it's better to just ignore them unless they become obnoxious.

JezzaX said:
Agreed, when combined with the inclusion of the moonlight boy, the importance of Casca being highlighted and Farnese's significant character development, this episode is the most exciting for a long time.

There's some good stuff on Isidro and Schierke's sides as well, with respectively his speech to Isma and her various comments on the merrow talisman and the armor.

Oburi said:
Anyway, Isidro does seem very focused and serious. He even looks like an action hero in some of shots!

Yeah, it's a good foreshadowing of the man he'll become. I'm kind of excited to see it happen actually.

Oburi said:
It's actually a little sad to think that all the people on the Island have been turned into those creatures, even the children.

Yeah, see how even during the battle, while Guts butchers everything, Miura brought back the human aspect with Isma's realization that the villagers were all dead. They didn't get along, but she didn't want that to happen either.

Gobolatula said:
Fantastic episode. The best of this chapter so far, in my opinion. Everything in terms of excitement is way up.

It's a logical progression; each of the previous episodes has been setting up the scene for what's happening now. And we've yet to see the culmination (the Sea God)!
 
Great episode; solid all around. Thanks for it! It's always good seeing Isidro dive into danger without a moment's hesitation and be a hero. (Page 4 is begging for color too btw...) Enough emphasis was put on Farnese's strike. It's good to see her evolve. I'm conditioned to her sreaming most time crazy shit is going down or someone saving her in the nick of time. Farnese and Isidro will fuck some shit up in the future...

As for the Moonlight Boy showing up. Well, did anyone see another Zodd silhouette in this ep first off? ;) His appearance is nuts as it is but now it makes me wonder (all over again) what the hell he is.

Again...Miura delivers. :ubik:
 
Got my issue of YA last night, and read the whole episode. I got goosebumps when I saw Guts in a similar stance as we saw him standing in that one panel against the transformed Grunbeld.
 
I couldn't stop laughing at this. The Pirate Captain, biting his first mate. What is this, the third time? lol It's not the most prominent part, but I think it might actually be my favorite. :guts:
 
I loved the biting too! usually when he does its accompanied with funny dialogue, anyone know what the first mate says which leads to the biting?
 
Inspired. Everyone are talking about the return of moonlight boy, but the two kids at the beginning of the episode stole the show as far as I'm concerned. Halloween is right around the corner and if a couple of children show up on my doorstep dressed up like that they'll get all the candy they want (but they have to perform the tentacle-transformation first).
 
One thing I've always liked about Isidro is that, despite not being an experiencied warrior, he has charged towards any monstruous enemy the group has faced, even if he failed, like in Enoch's church, man that child sure has courage.
 
I've missed the last few episodes (the last one I read was ep. 312), but I'm glad this episode wasn't too hard to catch up with. Very interesting stuff, I find it very concerning that Guts keeps going into Berserk mode at almost every sign of trouble. :beast: Also, glad to see the Moonlight Boy again, maybe we'll get more exposition/dialogue from him this time?
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
yota821 said:
I've missed the last few episodes (the last one I read was ep. 312), but I'm glad this episode wasn't too hard to catch up with. I find it very concerning that Guts keeps going into Berserk mode at almost every sign of trouble. :beast:
You should definitely read the previous eps. It was pretty well established in Ep 314 that it was an overwhelming battle. Guts wouldn't have been able to protect everyone at the rate he was going, using his cannon what, twice in quick succession? And that was before the pirate ship arrived.

And how quickly the tables were turned. The sea creatures ceased to be the threat within the first few pages of this episode, only to be replaced by Guts.

Also, glad to see the Moonlight Boy again, maybe we'll get more exposition/dialogue from him this time?
One can always dream! :griffnotevil:
 
X

Xem

Guest
There's a good possibility Zodd is around somewhere also, right? Chances of total epicness are all around ! :zodd:
 

Aphasia

ALL MYSTERIES MUST BE SOLVED
Deci said:
There's a good possibility Zodd is around somewhere also, right? Chances of total epicness are all around ! :zodd:

If we are right that the Moonlight Boy is a form of Griffith, which seems likely to me, then maybe he will show up!

I would love to see a fight scene with Zodd vs. Berserker armor. Oh boy oh boy!!!

I just love the pirate captain and his goofy antics.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Aphasia said:
If we are right that the Moonlight Boy is a form of Griffith, which seems likely to me, then maybe he will show up!

Let's make this clear, the consensus you speak of is the probability that the Moonlight Boy could be connected to Griffith's host body and power, not that he's "a form of Griffith."

If anything, the Moonlight Boy's appearance here should have us questioning his potential relation to Griffith.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Deci said:
There's a good possibility Zodd is around somewhere also, right?
Not necessarily. I think you may have overlooked one of the most surprising elements of the child's appearance here, on this solitary island.

The distance from mainland to this island is vast. When the child appeared on the shores near Vritannis and we got a glimpse of Zodd's horn, it made sense to assume he was there as transportation. Afterall, we knew the Falcons were gathering near Vritannis too. But now that the child has showed up pretty much instantly after Guts transforms, it implies he's able to cross huge distances very quickly. Perhaps he's using the same kind of teleportation that the demon child used when he appeared in front of Casca in vol 18, and other instances. In fact, that actually makes far more sense than Zodd...

If anything, the child's sudden appearance here in the heat of the moment leads me to question why Zodd was on the beach in vol 28.
 

Truder

"I frown at Griffith's nipples" -Aazealh
Walter said:
If anything, the child's sudden appearance here in the heat of the moment leads me to question why Zodd was on the beach in vol 28.
I still think he was sent to deal with the Kushan's invading forces on that beach :zodd:
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Perhaps since the merging the connection between the moonlight boy and Griffith has changed? Maybe they can both exist independently from each other now.
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
The Moonlight Boy's "light" form that appears in Guts' mind has always fascinated me. It reminds me of the time the transformed Ganishka's vision was hazy and warbled. In the distance, he caught sight of Griffith, and to him, it appeared as an orb of light with giant bright wings stretching over the horizon.

Griffith's appearances in people's dreams as The Falcon of Light has always seemed to "soothe" those who see him.

And this may be a small detail, but I'm pretty sure the screen tone used on the Child's "light" form is the same as the "Falcon of Light" imagery and the giant wave of light after Ganishka exploded.

There's some connection between Griffith and The Moonlight Boy, that's for sure. What it is, exactly, I hope to find out soon!

If the Moonlight Boy is indeed some manifestation of Casca & Guts' child, the biggest thing to consider (to me) is that the kid was able to make Griffith feel things and do things he had no intention of feeling/doing. :femto:
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Gobolatula said:
And this may be a small detail, but I'm pretty sure the screen tone used on the Child's "light" form is the same as the "Falcon of Light" imagery and the giant wave of light after Ganishka exploded.
Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the screen tone used for "the light" was used much earlier in the manga not unrelated to the moonlight child or Griffith. I'll try to find it but I can't remember.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Oburi said:
Perhaps since the merging the connection between the moonlight boy and Griffith has changed? Maybe they can both exist separately now.
That's a pretty big leap considering we didn't even know exactly how that relationship worked to begin with.

Gobolatula said:
The Moonlight Boy's "light" form that appears in Guts' mind has always fascinated me. It reminds me of the time the transformed Ganishka's vision was hazy and warbled. In the distance, he caught sight of Griffith, and to him, it appeared as an orb of light with giant bright wings stretching over the horizon.
Yep. It's no secret that both Griffith and the boy have associations with light. Miura's been putting the Falcon of Light imagery in front of us since vol 17. Most recently, that light has been described by the Beast as "that which burns us" in ep 290, it's the falcon that brings "the true dawn", and it's also light that blinds Ganishka just before Femto appears. Even more cool stuff, both the boy and Femto are/were once also associated with darkness. It was Femto that turned the fetus toward darkness, and also, apparently, his incarnation that turned him toward light.

If the Moonlight Boy is indeed some manifestation of Casca & Guts' child, the biggest thing to consider (to me) is that the kid was able to make Griffith feel things and do things he had no intention of feeling/doing. :femto:
Yeah, but we've all been considering the implications of that possibility since vol 22.

Oburi said:
Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the screen tone used for "the light" was used much earlier in the manga not unrelated to the moonlight child or Griffith. I'll try to find it but I can't remember.
I don't think there's any reason to get hung up on anchoring all these associations on a screen tone. That tone is indeed used for a variety of things -- Ganishka's fog for example. But the key point to walk away from this is what I and Gobs have already said: both the child and Griffith have been associated with light.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Deci said:
There's a good possibility Zodd is around somewhere also, right?

I wouldn't say that. That Zodd witnessed the events on the beach in volume 28 will certainly come into play at some point, however it doesn't have to be soon, and his presence doesn't have to be systematic every time the boy shows up. Not to mention that the group is now very far away from Falconia, as Walter pointed out.

Griffith said:
Let's make this clear, the consensus you speak of is the probability that the Moonlight Boy could be connected to Griffith's host body and power, not that he's "a form of Griffith."

That bears repeating.

Oburi said:
Perhaps since the merging the connection between the moonlight boy and Griffith has changed? Maybe they can both exist independently from each other now.

Nothing hints at this possibility for now, and it wouldn't explain the previous occurrence convincingly.

Gobolatula said:
The Moonlight Boy's "light" form that appears in Guts' mind has always fascinated me. It reminds me of the time the transformed Ganishka's vision was hazy and warbled. In the distance, he caught sight of Griffith, and to him, it appeared as an orb of light with giant bright wings stretching over the horizon.

Every time Schierke leaves her body, we can see her "body of light". Same with Farnese. And that's an official term, just so you know. The boy's appearance is not all that different, if only that it's more stylized and less defined, maybe brighter (related to his superior power?)? We saw his hand in detail this time, maybe we'll see more of him in the next episode. Actually, what would prove to be extremely interesting would be to know how Schierke sees him (remember that Guts sees things differently when the armor fully takes over). Last time she was in a trance, so she couldn't notice what happened. This time she has a chance to catch the boy red-handed.

Anyway, like I told Walter before, the body of light aspect is not a conclusive hint for a possible relation to Griffith at all.

Walter said:
It's no secret that both Griffith and the boy have associations with light.

As do a lot of other things. Like everybody's astral bodies. And I don't think the boy has an "association with light" either. When he intervenes Guts sees him through the armor's special vision as a being made of light. That's all.

Walter said:
Even more cool stuff, both the boy and Femto are/were once also associated with darkness. It was Femto that turned the fetus toward darkness, and also, apparently, his incarnation that turned him toward light.

There's a critical oversight in what you're saying though: the Falcon of Light is a sham. We don't know the specifics, but in the end, Femto is still evil. Yet the Moonlight Boy isn't. That Femto's incarnation could have cleansed the boy somehow is a cool idea, but not really supported by (or supporting) a comparison between the way Guts sees him through the armor and the Falcon of Light.
 
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