List of Location and Perspective Shifts in Berserk

[berserk_prime]

Location and Perspective Shifts in Berserk
================================

Description: Episode list of major shifts in location and perspective in the story. This includes only times when both the location and the perspective is changed. This does not include Battle of Doldrey when we switch between Guts' and Casca's perspectives, since the location is unchanged. It does not include Snake Baron and The Count stories, since both are told from Guts' perspective. It also does not include small flashbacks like Ganishka's backry.


Episode | Character | Length

0A     |   Guts            |    53
38     |   Griffith         |    3
41     |   Guts            |    11
52     |   Rickert         |    1
53     |   Guts            |    73
126   |   Other           |    2
128   |   Guts             |    4
132   |   Casca           |    1
133   |   Guts             |    2
135   |   Casca           |    6
141   |   Guts             |    41
182   |   Griffith          |    3
185   |   Serpico         |    2
187   |   Guts             |    5
192   |   Griffith          |    4
196   |   Guts             |    34
230   |   Griffith          |    6
236   |   Guts             |    14
250   |   Griffith         |    1
251   |   Guts            |    28
279   |   Griffith         |    7
286   |   Guts            |    5
291   |   Griffith         |    17
308   |   Guts            |    21
329   |   Young Guts  |    3
332   |   Rickert         |    10
342   |   Guts            |    14
356   |   Griffith         |    1+


Total By Character
------------------------

Guts           ->  308
Griffith        ->  41+
Rickert        ->  11
Casca          ->  7
Young Guts  ->  3
Serpico        ->  2
Other          ->  2


Total By Character per Story Arc
--------------------------------------

Black Swordsman Arc
  Guts            ->  8
Golden Age Arc
  Guts            ->  98
  Griffith         ->  3
  Rickert         ->  1
Conviction Arc
  Guts            ->  73
  Casca          ->  7
  Other          ->  2
Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc
  Guts            ->  91
  Griffith         ->  38
  Serpico        ->  2
Fantasia Arc
  Guts            ->  35
  Rickert         ->  10
  Young Guts  ->  3
  Griffith         ->  1+


P.S. This is my first post

[Walter]

  funny enough I did a similar exercise today:

Major location and perspective switches from Millennium Falcon to current

Vol 22: Guts (Hill of Swords)-> Griffith (Shet/victory) -> Guts (snow)
Vol 23: Guts (new companions) -> Mule (battlefield/pledge) -> Guts (undead battle)
Vol 27: Guts (Flora's mansion conclusion) -> Ganishka (Wyndham battle / Charlotte rescued)  -> Guts (Vritannis beach)
Vol 32: Guts (setting sail) -> Holy See Alliance (front lines/Griffith's victory) -> Guts (Sea Horse)
Vol 33: Guts (sea battle) -> Ganishka (Wyndham) -> Raban (Wyndham) -> Daiba (Wyndham) -> Guts (Sea Horse) -> Holy See Alliance (outside Wyndham)
Vol 34: Holy See Alliance (outside Wyndham) -> Guts (Sea Horse) -> Holy See Alliance (outside Wyndham)
Vol 35: Holy See Alliance (outside Falconia) -> Guts (Solitary Island)
Vol 37: Guts (sea horse) -> Rickert (outside Falconia)
Vol 38: Rickert (Falconia) -> Guts (near Skellig)
Vol 39: Guts (Elfhelm) -> Schierke/Farnese (Casca's dreamworld) -> Guts (Elfhelm) -> Schierke/Farnese (Casca's dreamworld)
Vol 40: Guts (Elfhelm) -> Griffith (Fantasia wilderness)

I made this mostly from memory, checked for a few things, but if I missed any of the major POV switches, please let me know and I'll add! 

[berserk_prime]

I did this because I was interested in how often this happens and how long it usually lasts before getting back to Guts.

I was wandering if this shift would last for 10+ episodes or not. From the numbers I got, which are not necessarily perfect, sadly, it's inconclusive . It really depends on what Miura is trying to do. It's hard to say what it really is from a singe episode that we got. I think it's basically a guessing game for now.

Another thing that was interesting is that shifts in the story are not uncommon. Especially since the beginning of the Millennium Empire Arc.

[Walter]

I was wandering if this shift would last for 10+ episodes or not. From the numbers I got, which are not necessarily perfect, sadly, it's inconclusive

There's no pattern. Miura shifts the story's perspective for a variety of reasons. The length of time he spends on each perspective has much more to do with the nature of the events playing out, and that they build and come to a climax, than with some formula.

I wrote up my list mostly as an exercise so I could visualize the context of each perspective switch, and identify how many occur during a cliffhanger instead of a natural ending point, which as it turns out isn't very often. The closest example I found to the current scenario is Vol 33: 293 - as Ganishka transforms, we switch to Raban and his escape from Wyndham. The payoff for that cliffhanger (Ganishka's final form) isn't delivered until 2 eps later.

It really depends on what Miura is trying to do. It's hard to say what it really is from a singe episode that we got. I think it's basically a guessing game for now.

Well the title of this episode is Jötunn (1), so all bets are off for the title and content of the next ep. 

Another thing that was interesting is that shifts in the story are not uncommon. Especially since the beginning of the Millennium Empire Arc.

Absolutely, sometimes several times in a volume, and in a few instances, the shift lasts less than an episode. I also found it interesting to try and pin down the focal point of each perspective. It's common to think of it as "Guts side & Griffith's side" of the story, but in terms of the POV, it's usually much more granular. We don't see behind-the-scenes in the new Falcons' camp from Griffith's eyes, but Mule's. Falconia is shown from Rickert's perspective. Wyndham's exodus is Raban's story. And of course often it's semi-omniscient as well.

[Fancypantaloons]

Nothing more to add to what Walter posted, but I love this kind of info, so thanks!

[Aazealh]

Haha, I was actually thinking of doing that this week-end too! Good job.

[NCHaskew]

We don't see behind-the-scenes in the new Falcons' camp from Griffith's eyes, but Mule's. Falconia is shown from Rickert's perspective. Wyndham's exodus is Raban's story. And of course often it's semi-omniscient as well.

I'm curious, have we really had a episode from Griffith's perspective since the Golden Age? It seems most are other people around him or semi-omniscient.

[Aazealh]

I'm curious, have we really had a episode from Griffith's perspective since the Golden Age? It seems most are other people around him or semi-omniscient.

Episodes 181 and 183, in volume 22, feature panels where Griffith reflects internally on the Demon Child's feelings for his parents and how they affect him. Very brief moments, but they're there.