Episode 248

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darkbane

Guest
"Griffith No More!" said:
So, you fail, read it again starting with the introduction of Azan into the series and tell me his re-introduction in 248 wasn't perfectly fitting for him.

Ok, part of it was a 'that sucked' kind of statement. So, sorry. I'm new here, please be lenient ^_^. But there was more to it in my mind, let me put it down properly so that it won't become a worthless statement. As for getting my mind changed, well, I'll be happy to, if there's a good reason. :)

As you say, starting with Azan's introduction. Azan appeared first I think when the HICK just chased down Guts. He was upholding his chivalry ideals back then, and he was serious about it. Kind of like Grunbeld commenting on how Zodd has a good opponent to fight, that tone. Then at the mock eclipse, we see Azan fighting again. Afterwards, as a sole survivor, full of shame for that fact, he choses to go back to the Holy See, because 'someone has to take responsibility'. Serious mood here too, even gloomy. And then the reintroduction. It's not that every character has to be serious, I'm quite happy with the puck/evarella/isidro slapstick and find it apropriate most of the time. Azan's reintroduction however, while working fine in the framework of that episode, didn't work for me in the context of the work as a whole, because a character who I perceived as serious before (maybe erroneously?) was brought back as a bag of cheap thrills. (Aside: the fact that he's sleeping on a boat out in the open though is by itself somewhat tragic; it shows that not all has been well for him, he must have been forced to resign from the HICK or some other such thing happened. Of course this impression is mitigated by his comedy sideshow act right afterwards.) Does that pass as analysis? Anyway, hopefully in the next episode Azan will be a bit more serious, and reveal to Guts' band what happened to him.

Also as a sidenote I'd like to say that Berserk is a great manga and small things like this couldn't possibly ruin my enjoyment of it - so even if I find this reentry pathetic that doesn't signify that it ruins my enjoyment or anything. ;D

"Griffith No More!" said:
I think that's if she gets too deep into the spiritual realm near him; since he reigns supreme there I guess he might absorb her some bullshit. ;D

Like what happened to her when she went inside Guts. Griff being a God and all probably has much more aura to worry about.

So then, it would be possible for her to go meet him. Schierke now has strong feelings against Griffith, but it would probably be unreasonable for her to go off on a private revenge trip. Damn Miura, this is one moment where I really don't know what to expect next, lol.

darkbane counts the hours untill the next weekend
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
darkbane said:
As you say, starting with Azan's introduction. Azan appeared first I think when the HICK just chased down Guts. He was upholding his chivalry ideals back then, and he was serious about it. Kind of like Grunbeld commenting on how Zodd has a good opponent to fight, that tone. Then at the mock eclipse, we see Azan fighting again. Afterwards, as a sole survivor, full of shame for that fact, he choses to go back to the Vatican (or wherever their church is based), because 'someone has to take responsibility'. Serious mood here too, even gloomy. And then the reintroduction. It's not that every character has to be serious, I'm quite happy with the puck/evarella/isidro slapstick and find it apropriate most of the time. Azan's reintroduction however, while working fine in the framework of that episode, didn't work for me in the context of the work as a whole, because a character who I perceived as serious before (maybe erroneously?) was brought back as a bag of cheap thrills. (Aside: the fact that he's sleeping on a boat out in the open though is by itself somewhat tragic; it shows that not all has been well for him, he must have been forced to resign from the HICK or some other such thing happened. Of course this impression is mitigated by his comedy sideshow act right afterwards.) Does that pass as analysis? Anyway, hopefully in the next episode Azan will be a bit more serious, and reveal to Guts' band what happened to him.

Much better. :)

I disagree though, Azan is serious himself (and I think he still was in the last chapter), but his nature has been the butt of a few jokes before. Comic moments when he and Serpico didn't see eye to eye on honor and the meaning of being a Knight, and he looked quite silly when he first challenged Guts (Puck sure didn't think much of him). But, he proved to be a force to be reckoned with, and a man who believes in his convictions (which sometimes makes him seem stuffy in the eyes of others ). I don't think that was lost in his re-introduction. Azan wasn't anymore silly than before, the situation was silly. Silly because Azan wasn't fighting Guts or Monsters, he was fighting a bunch of filthy pirates, just taking out the trash; routine good deed for a Knight such as him. Look at how he's portrayed again, he looks like a demon. But he's a demon among vermin, that's why it's funny. This doesn't slight Azan, it shows just how formidable he is.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
darkbane said:
Also, in vol 22 Schierke says that getting close to a source of such power (referring to the hawk of light) in her body would be dangerous. Wouldn't it be a problem for her to approach Griffith? Or am i misinterpreting her statement there.

It's not a good translation. It should be more (roughly) like: "It was dangerous to approach that field of power in the form of my astral body (body of light), I almost was killed."

Just being near Griffith (Hawk of Light), physically, shouldn't be a problem, but in the astral realm his power is overwhelming, especially for an apprentice witch. Note the "light" reference.

"Griffith No More!" said:
"Griffith no More!" understands what Azan and this episode are about.

Yes, you summed it up perfectly. I think I'll keep this post as a reference and quote it next time.
 
darkbane said:
Also, about a cigar sometimes being a cigar. People are reading too much into Sonia's behavior. She's most likely just inviting Schierke for friendship's sake, or to help her clear her mind in turn or something, that's all there is to it really. Anyone who thinks Sonia has sinister intentions here is probably reading too much Mi Ri Whang.  ;D

She was promising an apostle a human corpse to feed, the one that was about to eat her, and through this still in that joyfull and innocence friendiship mood...I am not saying sinister necessarily but somehow twisted, she is to me
Only the fact that she follows Griffith and his demons all that happy and unwary while also being telepathetic puts her in my black list ;D
 
D

darkbane

Guest
"Griffith No More!" said:
...I disagree though,...

Ok, I've changed my mind. Also I dug up the old volumes, and just now noticed that the very first thing he says, to Serpico, is pretty funny. Something like 'thanks for this piece of wisdom' with a smile and a popped vein, lol. And then they get into a catfight ^_^.
 
The thing with Miura is that you can NEVER know beforehand what he is planning. For instance, I nearly got a heart attack when I first heard that Pippin had been killed in the eclipse.
 

typhonblue

Feminism--making the world safe for bigotry
Here's my speculation.

Schierke will follow Sonya and Mule with Isidoro because she has her suspicions... not of Sonya but of the falcon Sonya talks about. Guts will trail them, get to the New Hawks encampment, see Griffith. The Kushnans will attack. The town will be engulfed in flame and Guts will have to decide between fighting Griffith or fleeing during the ensuing battle on a ship with Caska to Puck's Homeland. He'll choose to flee. Caska will be cured. She'll decide not to seek vengence on Griffith and Guts will be torn between staying with her and continuing his quest. He'll decide to stay... until something happens to change his mind.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
QUeeN typhonblue said:
Here's my speculation.

Schierke will follow Sonya and Mule with Isidro because she has her suspicions... not of Sonya but of the falcon Sonya talks about. Guts will trail them, get to the New Hawks encampment, see Griffith. The Kushnans will attack. The town will be engulfed in flame and Guts will have to decide between fighting Griffith or fleeing during the ensuing battle on a ship with Caska to Puck's Homeland. He'll choose to flee. Caska will be cured. She'll decide not to seek vengence on Griffith and Guts will be torn between staying with her and continuing his quest. He'll decide to stay... until something happens to change his mind.

249's going to be a BIG chapter.
 

Bloody Needle

I'm a llama!
Azan is the single character who seems to take chivalric ideals (European or Asian, your choice) seriously as a model for living, in comparison to the sort of realpolitik we see in the other knights and nobles of Berserk. I'd say see we've seen him used in a parodic fashion, but there's a hint a tragedy inherent in the way his values come into conflict with the rest of the world...by the end of Rebirth, he seemed less shaken by the supernatural events than by the excessive demonstrations of human faults and wickedness. I'm glad to see him back, have no problem with his entrance [I can totally see him sneaking off to nap unobserved by his troops/colleagues], and hope he'll stay awhile. Furthermore, hopefully he'll crank out some exposition for what everyone is doing in Vritannis. Weirdly enough, I could see him getting along really well with Locus...they both have that over-courteous thing going.

As for Sonya--who knows? So far she's been consistently presented as a kind of preternatural naif, but that doesn't rule out her being manipulative if she had a sense that Schierke was a threat to Griffith.
 
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