2016 Berserk TV series: Episode 2

What did you think of the second episode of the 2016 TV series?

  • It was great.

    Votes: 5 5.7%
  • Some problems, but enjoyable.

    Votes: 29 33.3%
  • It was bad, but had some redeeming features.

    Votes: 37 42.5%
  • I hated it.

    Votes: 16 18.4%

  • Total voters
    87
  • Poll closed .

residentgrigo

Excitement and Enjoyment!
@Roderick That is a complicated to answer question but home media sales (midnight anime need these) have been going down, streaming isn´t all that profitable and the amount of anime per season now reached a historical high. Animators are also being payed downright crushing wages and leaving the industry (video-games pay better) but that is another topic.
Japanese animation market sustains 2-year consecutive decline:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-03-21/japanese-bd-dvd-sales-down-5.1-percent-from-2014-anime-bd-dvd-sales-down-6.9-percent/.100044
I myself fully expect (another) industry crash within this decade and at least Hideaki Anno is on my side. Just look at what happened to Studio Ghibli, the one name in anime outsiders know. This anime season turned out to be pretty well though, with the puppet "animated" Thunderbolt Fantasy being the highlight. Live on the Titanic has it´s moments :ganishka: and next year will have IG´s LOGH remake.
 
Stumbled upon this. A panel / shot comparison between ep 2 and the manga: http://imgur.com/a/REJg0

Also, in regards to the ep, I was pretty pleased with ep 2! Farnese/Serpico/Azan were so fun to watch. Farnese and Serpico pretty much act and sound how I imagine they would early on in the series. I enjoyed the flashback integration too, though turned off by Casca's whitening. Hopefully it's just a flashback stylistic choice and maybe when they show her in present time it'll be different... we'll see. I liked most of the music cues this time around, except for the one where it was a bunch of whispers. Of course, hearing Susumu's song was super awesome! He's the best! Pacing felt good, and yeah, definitely had more of a focus over the first episode. I'm realllly pumped for ep 3 especially after hearing about Miura's involvement. Overall, just getting pretty excited to see how this series pans out!
 
DirectDK said:
Stumbled upon this. A panel / shot comparison between ep 2 and the manga: http://imgur.com/a/REJg0

The effort is definitely there, it just feel like they have a super low budget to achieve it. And no one handling sound or music. :judo:
 
For as many issues as the 97 series had, at least it had leagues better pacing than this (among other things...). I would also rather they use the 97 series' cost saving tactic of using decent looking stills instead of this tripe, already dated looking CGI.
 

nomad

"Bring the light of day"
So I finally caught up with this new series, and well... Can't say my bar was high. I'm glad that they decided to continue regardless of how good or bad the Golden Arc films were. But like most people here, I'd say this episode felt much better as far as pacing than the previous one. The use of music however is starting to bother me. Like mentioned in the cast, they added the heroic theme WITH lyrics in the most inappropriate times. Don't they have access to raw recordings and keep it instrumental? Unleash the Hirasawa voice at a time of real triumph? And oh how I missed the Blood and Guts theme... :schierke:

Perhaps I am nit-picking, but it also seems that there's a lot of miss use of their budget (also brought up by Aaz). Instead of giving us a 13 second 180 degree pan of Guts walking around, use it at a time of confrontation or battle. Isn't that one of the few strengths of watching an animated feature? Motion?

Regardless of all this, I already know a few people that got into it and are now going back to both 97 anime and the recent films as well. So on that matter, I guess their project is getting an audience.
 
Walter said:
This is an important critique that every Berserk fan needs to watch and form an opinion of.
Was that joke? please tell me that was a joke. i can hardly take this guy seriously during his video because he's (trying to be funny?) annoying.
what i heard is "its supposed to be different from the manga and all of you people are whiny babies but i get the CGI deal" 1, the anime is supposed to represent the manga, and most of us who have read it are part of the general consensus that this does not represent the manga in a positive way. We are upset for that reason. 2, he said that the conversations were too fast paced. I disagree. they spend quite a bit of time on dialogue and while i am disappointed with this series i was pleased that the dialogue more or less represented the source material. 3,you never said why azan is "stupid" or "silly" 4, You cant just say the episode is Good. You cant. Its just too concise. You should sum up your reasons why the episode is good.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Gamehowitzer said:
Was that joke? please tell me that was a joke. i can hardly take this guy seriously during his video because he's (trying to be funny?) annoying.
No. I was not serious. I was actually hoping that more people would watch it and tear it to pieces, because I couldn't find the energy at the time.
 
Walter said:
No. I was not serious. I was actually hoping that more people would watch it and tear it to pieces, because I couldn't find the energy at the time.

I think it tore itself to pieces.
 
Walter said:
No. I was not serious. I was actually hoping that more people would watch it and tear it to pieces, because I couldn't find the energy at the time.

I watched it when he posted it... I can't wait to hear his thoughts on episode 3.
 
ok, I have been holding off on actually watching this because I have just not been all that interested in checking this out, but I finally caved. Episode 2 is the first episode that I have seen. At some point I will get around to watching the first one but this one was one I was able see sooner.

let me just say I am very butt hurt that the anime (among other thing) decided to skip over the Black Sword's Man and lost children arc with Jill and Roshine. They are by far my most favorite and enjoyable stories in the series and are the only areas of Berserk manga I have read more than once. So the fact they just skip right over to Farnese, Serpico and the H.I.C.KS was disappointing. That being said, even though I like the BSM and LC storylines the best, I really like this portion of Berserk as well with the H.I.C.Ks. This was a time where Farnese was at a very interesting place emotionally. Farnese was someone I did not like intially just like Casca and she grew on me eventually in the manga. :farnese: So hearing her animated and speaking in all her posturing glory was...ok. I feel like if they had taken their time with Farnese and the H.I.C.KSs that the dynamics of Farnese's over the top posturing and her arrogant treatment of those around her could have been better fleshed out. Instead I feel she and the other H.I.C.Ks fall flat. the fact the H.I.C.Ks are a bunch of pampered noble heirs that mostly just look and act the part of a knight is mostly just talked about in exposition by Serpico. I know it is somewhat the same in the manga (since Serpico does bring this up) but you see it shown more in the manga than you do here.

I also really like the interrogation scene between Farnese and Guts in the manga and was dreading how this will come off in this anime. I was disappointed mostly, they some what hit some of it. Farnese was alright here but some how I feel they toned down her overly full of herself arrogance and stern posturing that she is depicted having in this scene in the manga. Yes, Farnese is trying hard to be authrotive in the manga, but here in the anime it seems like she is trying too hard. I'm not sure if it is the voice acting but I feel she is not as convincing. The whipping scene seemed both exaggerated and toned down. The sexual tension Farnese is feeling is there but nothing else that makes this out burst so nuanced. it's not just that Guts makes her hot that makes this good in the manga.

Guts is actually the biggest offender here. My God, put some fucking emotion in it will you? Guts's voice actor is the same from the trilogy and he still can not put any inflection in his voice. Why did they keep him? I know in this stage of Guts's life he is emotionally dead but it comes out in him being an epic (sometimes subtle) asshole, not a monotoned voiced robot. Boy does Guts asshole it up in Farnese's face during the interrogation scene in the manga. The way he mocks her and pushes her buttons and the shit eating smirks he makes while she questions him was gold. I loved it! Here you would think Guts was being asked what size shoe he wears...the point is, even while Guts was in his dark phase he never came across to me as being totally emotionless like he is here. Then again when he escapes and confronts Farnese in her tent or when he is kidnapping Farnese and threatening to burn her butt. No emotion except generic agression. Guts's personality and general disposition come off very flat here.

And then there is Farnese's deduction work of who Guts really is and his connection to the bad of the hawk. At first I was pleasantly surprised it surely makes Farnese more intelligent and capable than she is shown to be at this stage. But the more I thought about it the more I disliked it. It just felt cheap and now I wonder how this will play out later in the story. What,have her second guess her original deduction so she can look more stupid than she is and also keep the mystery of Guts's past present like in the manga? Or change the storyline around all together?

Serpico comes off way more creepy and stalker-ish than he should be.

Azan is the only one I feel came off rather well. When I first came across him I thought he was going to be another Adon clone, but he is much more than that and I like that he is the only member besides Serpico who is worth a damn in the H.I.C.Ks.

There is something that happens in this that I wonder if it came off the same in the manga. When Guts is taking off with Farnese on the horse Farnese almost hits the ground. Did she throw herself off or did Guts deliberately dangle her head above the stones on purpose. Thats not how played out in the manga?
 
Vixen Comics said:
There is something that happens in this that I wonder if it came off the same in the manga. When Guts is taking off with Farnese on the horse Farnese almost hits the ground. Did she throw herself off or did Guts deliberately dangle her head above the stones on purpose. Thats not how played out in the manga?
Considering Puck's horrified reactions directed at Guts, as well as the look of surprise on Farnese's face when she started to fall in this scene, it's pretty clear Guts deliberately dangled her off the horse in the manga. So the anime didn't really change anything on this front.
 
Walter said:
No. I was not serious. I was actually hoping that more people would watch it and tear it to pieces, because I couldn't find the energy at the time.
Oh good. I was seriously confused at the time whether you were serious XD I hope that i Didnt let you down in tearing his review to pieces.
 
Vixen Comics said:
ok, I have been holding off on actually watching this because I have just not been all that interested in checking this out, but I finally caved. Episode 2 is the first episode that I have seen. At some point I will get around to watching the first one but this one was one I was able see sooner.

let me just say I am very butt hurt that the anime (among other thing) decided to skip over the Black Sword's Man and lost children arc with Jill and Roshine. They are by far my most favorite and enjoyable stories in the series and are the only areas of Berserk manga I have read more than once. So the fact they just skip right over to Farnese, Serpico and the H.I.C.KS was disappointing. That being said, even though I like the BSM and LC storylines the best, I really like this portion of Berserk as well with the H.I.C.Ks. This was a time where Farnese was at a very interesting place emotionally. Farnese was someone I did not like intially just like Casca and she grew on me eventually in the manga. :farnese: So hearing her animated and speaking in all her posturing glory was...ok. I feel like if they had taken their time with Farnese and the H.I.C.KSs that the dynamics of Farnese's over the top posturing and her arrogant treatment of those around her could have been better fleshed out. Instead I feel she and the other H.I.C.Ks fall flat. the fact the H.I.C.Ks are a bunch of pampered noble heirs that mostly just look and act the part of a knight is mostly just talked about in exposition by Serpico. I know it is somewhat the same in the manga (since Serpico does bring this up) but you see it shown more in the manga than you do here.

I also really like the interrogation scene between Farnese and Guts in the manga and was dreading how this will come off in this anime. I was disappointed mostly, they some what hit some of it. Farnese was alright here but some how I feel they toned down her overly full of herself arrogance and stern posturing that she is depicted having in this scene in the manga. Yes, Farnese is trying hard to be authrotive in the manga, but here in the anime it seems like she is trying too hard. I'm not sure if it is the voice acting but I feel she is not as convincing. The whipping scene seemed both exaggerated and toned down. The sexual tension Farnese is feeling is there but nothing else that makes this out burst so nuanced. it's not just that Guts makes her hot that makes this good in the manga.

Guts is actually the biggest offender here. My God, put some fucking emotion in it will you? Guts's voice actor is the same from the trilogy and he still can not put any inflection in his voice. Why did they keep him? I know in this stage of Guts's life he is emotionally dead but it comes out in him being an epic (sometimes subtle) asshole, not a monotoned voiced robot. Boy does Guts asshole it up in Farnese's face during the interrogation scene in the manga. The way he mocks her and pushes her buttons and the shit eating smirks he makes while she questions him was gold. I loved it! Here you would think Guts was being asked what size shoe he wears...the point is, even while Guts was in his dark phase he never came across to me as being totally emotionless like he is here. Then again when he escapes and confronts Farnese in her tent or when he is kidnapping Farnese and threatening to burn her butt. No emotion except generic agression. Guts's personality and general disposition come off very flat here.

And then there is Farnese's deduction work of who Guts really is and his connection to the bad of the hawk. At first I was pleasantly surprised it surely makes Farnese more intelligent and capable than she is shown to be at this stage. But the more I thought about it the more I disliked it. It just felt cheap and now I wonder how this will play out later in the story. What,have her second guess her original deduction so she can look more stupid than she is and also keep the mystery of Guts's past present like in the manga? Or change the storyline around all together?

Serpico comes off way more creepy and stalker-ish than he should be.

Azan is the only one I feel came off rather well. When I first came across him I thought he was going to be another Adon clone, but he is much more than that and I like that he is the only member besides Serpico who is worth a damn in the H.I.C.Ks.

There is something that happens in this that I wonder if it came off the same in the manga. When Guts is taking off with Farnese on the horse Farnese almost hits the ground. Did she throw herself off or did Guts deliberately dangle her head above the stones on purpose. Thats not how played out in the manga?

Some of the best pieces of this episode were the moments where Guts outright brought up the trauma that farnese witnessed that led to her religious ways when she gave her answer.

I think the rearrangement and flashbacks worked better because it felt highly referential in sequence. I felt the deja vu to the one hundred men battle looking at it through the perspective the anime set up of this battle. It's taking me deeper into the questions Guts might be asking about his past. Questions that are still unanswered in my viewing of Berserk. This referential backwards viewing also helped with the mention of fire and Gut's question to farnese.

This is the second faithful practicioner Guts has seen in this series. And he didn't keep himself as removed from Farnese as it initially appeared, to my then younger eyes at least, in the manga.

Sometimes it gets lost that during this whole time Guts is a person who holds knowledge of the true "spirtual" forces that are fucking with the world. Or the causality of it. It seems like when he asked if Farnese saw any difference between God and the devil he was potentially opening up to her as a highly intelligent subject.

I wouldn't have guessed after her treatment of him and how i view farnese that she was someone you could trust to understand what is going on in the less midland intrapolitical reality of berserk, even Puck is shocked that farnese cannot see him. But Guts chose to broach the subject of letting someone know what the hell is actually happened in the red eclipse. It echoes back to the conversation he had with Griffith after facing zod, and it's interesting that Farnese is someone that even though not by skill is also someone who has "defeated" Guts. This is the first encounter i can remember of that made me think Guts perhaps wanted to tell the world of the existence of the supernatural that is haunting him. Or it could be as it was in the last episode that he often does reference it but is rarely understood as he mentioned he was haunted to the covered wagon driver with puck and the child. This makes the reality of Guts being a loner by choice juxtaposed by him being alone even when he sees potential in another. I certainly wouldn't have been brave enough to trust farnese to understand it.

On the other foot his insight brings up the problem of making farnese's insecurities seem right, even though at this point we are unaware of thim and she is close minded.

I also agree the azan is a bad ass in this episode. A romantic who is in an order filled with people avoiding his code, in a cause that is misguided that generates respect.

the world of berserk usually doesn't treat idealists too kindly but azan seems to subsist by his strength, so it's that he achieves his code by that strength inner and outer. A code that he does see as his strength.
 
Top Bottom