Episode 355

[Aazealh]

this dream arc

Not an arc.
There are 5 arcs in Berserk: Black Swordsman, Golden Age, Conviction, Millennium Falcon, and Fantasia.
And don't get me started about chapters!
Check out our episode listing to know more.

1) Casca's heart taking the shape of the Idea of Evil.

Haha, what? Casca's heart is shaped... like a heart. Sure, the Idea of Evil is shaped like a monstrous heart, but that doesn't support the connection you're making here.

2) This may be me reading to much into it, but Casca mentioning how her time as Elaine was like a distant dream reminds me of Casca's moment of lucidity in the Berserk Dreamcast game, where she says she was having a bad dream.

Oh I think that's completely deliberate. People underestimate how great the Dreamcast game was!

 

[Lord Leith]

1) Casca's heart taking the shape of the Idea of Evil.

As Aazealh said, the Idea of Evil and Casca's heart are ultimately just both based off a conventional/realistic heart design so I wouldn't think too deeply about it but if the topic interests you, we did discuss the topic a month ago in this thread. http://www.skullknight.net/forum/index.php?topic=15460.msg250732#msg250732

We mostly reached the conclusion that there's a thematic connection between her heart (due to the double helix) and the brand which by proxy means a loose connection to the IoE but key word is loose, nothing definitive (that we know of yet anyways).

 

[NCHaskew]

Not an arc.
There are 5 arcs in Berserk: Black Swordsman, Golden Age, Conviction, Millennium Falcon, and Fantasia.
And don't get me started about chapters!
Check out our episode listing to know more.

Sorry, sorry, I meant arc in the general sense--dream sequence xP

Haha, what? Casca's heart is shaped... like a heart. Sure, the Idea of Evil is shaped like a monstrous heart, but that doesn't support the connection you're making here.

Well, double helix swirls around it specifically xD obviously not saying she's become the IoE or anything, but it seemed like a nod.

Oh I think that's completely deliberate. People underestimate how great the Dreamcast game was!

That game is wonderful!

 

[Truder]

but your actual prediction in SkullKast ep 93, at 1:24:10 was

Spoiler

"She's gonna do [...] one big braid"

.

Someone (cant remember who) also said that it would be weird if Casca had one big braid just like Rickert. Further research is required.

 

[Aazealh]

Someone (cant remember who) also said that it would be weird if Casca had one big braid just like Rickert. Further research is required.

I guess it's someone who doesn't know the difference between a braid and a ponytail.

 

[Kompozinaut]

Loved so much about this episode. This whole run has just been fantastic, and like so many others I was drawn in by the false sense of security. Everything unfolding was just too easy. Having Guts (or perhaps more specifically, Guts as he is now) be Casca's Eclipse trigger is quite compelling. I absolutely love that she remembers so much of her time as "Elaine". I've been hoping this would be the case for years, and it cuts out any necessity for on/off screen catchups for a lot of what has transpired (not that there's anything intrinsically bad about that), and surely her and Farnese can start off the bat with a strong bond, which is something I've been hoping for as well. And now maybe Casca can show Farnese a thing or two about wielding a sword properly, fully realizing Farnese's potential as a spellblade

 

[zelis]

I don't usually post, but this episode is just so, so good, I HAVE to share my happiness with the world

Miura's art is just over the top these days : that panel with Casca smiling conveys so much emotions it felt like a picture to me. And those last panels, just beautiful.

I can't say I didn't see this ending coming... and yet it was very emotional, that's how good this episode is.

I hope Casca will soon overcome her trauma : Guts definitely deserves to see her smile, at last !

I'd not be surprise if we happen to see Skullknight in the very near future now : maybe to keep the group updated about Femto's doing ?

 

[Griffith]

I'd not be surprise if we happen to see Skullknight in the very near future now : maybe to keep the group updated about Femto's doing ?

More like, "I told you so."

Anyway, I'm still not over that gut(s) punch Miura set up so cruelly with that ridiculous dress and everything; this is the most evil shit he's ever drawn!

Love that solo page of Guts coming towards her though, like a poster. The Griffith thing was unexpected and therefore even more effectively nightmarish than any of the Eclipse stuff at this point. Bravo. And also boo because this legitimately hurt my feelings.

 

[Grail]

Well, here we are.

It was truly a joy (and also sort of bizarre) seeing Casca making all these lucid expressions in this episode! I wasn't sure how much that aspect of her interactions with Farnese and Schierke would affect me, but suffice to say it was an emotional experience. I think that having Casca's memories remaining fuzzy is a good choice on Miura's part. It not only makes sense, but allows him to have the best of both worlds in terms of establishing narrative tension, where most of us were thinking further on either end of the spectrum. She still seems to remember many things, but still has a lot about herself to re-discover, including her relationship with her child. Well played!

The lead-up to the big ending was done so well that, hours after reading it, I'm still shaken. Reading it through the first time, I think I was all over the place: elated to have Casca back, but when Danan swooped in with that dress, I was kind of dismayed and confused on Casca's behalf. Give the poor woman a moment to breathe! Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but it almost felt like Miura was commenting on the whole idea of having Casca back, and how, as readers, we're simultaneously wanting her to be reunited with Guts and "normal" again, when really, she needs time to process what's happened to her. In some ways, maybe we're like Danan, poofing poor Casca into a wedding dress in our minds!

Anyway, that was my quick take on the episode. I'm really enjoying reading everyone's impressions!

 

[MockingEntropy]

My mind is in ashes. It feels like I'm instinctively called in to listening Guts theme(Bonfire of dreams), while getting a glance to that cathartic panel with Guts and Casca facing each other, then looking just what fucking comes after.

What an overwhelming story. Did you figured out the literary prowess? The chapter could have the following title, equally suiting to the chant : Bear a Past on our Shoulders.

 

[NCHaskew]

My mind is in ashes. It feels like I'm instinctively called in to listening Guts theme(Bonfire of dreams), while getting a glance to that cathartic panel with Guts and Casca facing each other, then looking just what fucking comes after.

I made that joke with my friend (to hide the pain)
Panel of Casca tearing up: Guts' theme starts
Panel of Casca's eye turning into Eclipse: Guts' theme abruptly cute off.

 

[Griffith]

It was truly a joy (and also sort of bizarre) seeing Casca making all these lucid expressions in this episode! I wasn't sure how much that aspect of her interactions with Farnese and Schierke would affect me, but suffice to say it was an emotional experience.

The lead-up to the big ending was done so well that, hours after reading it, I'm still shaken. Reading it through the first time, I think I was all over the place: elated to have Casca back, but when Danan swooped in with that dress, I was kind of dismayed and confused on Casca's behalf. Give the poor woman a moment to breathe! Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but it almost felt like Miura was commenting on the whole idea of having Casca back, and how, as readers, we're simultaneously wanting her to be reunited with Guts and "normal" again, when really, she needs time to process what's happened to her. In some ways, maybe we're like Danan, poofing poor Casca into a wedding dress in our minds!

But it was Miura that put that in our minds! Not even Aaz predicted Danan would wiggle her nose and betwitch Casca a magic gown. It was already naturally bizzare as you said, but Miura turned it up a notch with that. In retrospect that should have been a big red flag, but it was so deliberately over-the-top (I was actually concerned it was going to be too twee =), and on top of our own wave of good vibrations seeing Casca like that, and not a hint of negativity where Guts was concerned, it just seemed like it was really happening and crescendoing to that moment as they walked towards one another. It was a brilliant fakeout because, one, Miura doesn't usually do them, and two, we already KNEW it wasn't going to be that easy; we've literally been talking about it for years! Yet, he somehow managed to subvert our long established expectations by rolling out the red carpet for us, to consider and to some degree anticipate this perfect reunion, before completely pulling it out from under our feet!

 

[Cyrus Jong]

The lead-up to the big ending was done so well that, hours after reading it, I'm still shaken. Reading it through the first time, I think I was all over the place: elated to have Casca back, but when Danan swooped in with that dress, I was kind of dismayed and confused on Casca's behalf. Give the poor woman a moment to breathe! Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but it almost felt like Miura was commenting on the whole idea of having Casca back, and how, as readers, we're simultaneously wanting her to be reunited with Guts and "normal" again, when really, she needs time to process what's happened to her. In some ways, maybe we're like Danan, poofing poor Casca into a wedding dress in our minds!

Danan may be one of the most powerful individuals in the world of Berserk, but at the end of the day, she's an Elf. Cut from the same cloth as Ivalera, Puck, and his brothers, with all that implies.

I made that joke with my friend (to hide the pain)
Panel of Casca tearing up: Guts' theme starts
Panel of Casca's eye turning into Eclipse: Guts' theme abruptly cute off.

And Monster starts playing.

 

[Sareth]

Initially I didn’t like this episode when I first glanced it over before going to bed. Now that I’ve had time to look at it again with Puella’s summary in mind and fuck that got me good. At first when when Casca was all calm and relieved, got her magical elven makeover and started out to see Guts I had this growing feeling of disappointment and was thinking, “No... no this is too cheesy and contrived.” and then BAM. I actually gasped when it snapped to Eclipse and tortured Griffith. Damn, Miura.

 

[BiQ_]

I made that joke with my friend (to hide the pain)
Panel of Casca tearing up: Guts' theme starts
Panel of Casca's eye turning into Eclipse: Guts' theme abruptly cute off.

And Monster starts playing.

...I literally started hearing Ghosts at that moment, no joke.

 

[Aazealh]

I think that having Casca's memories remaining fuzzy is a good choice on Miura's part. It not only makes sense, but allows him to have the best of both worlds in terms of establishing narrative tension, where most of us were thinking further on either end of the spectrum. She still seems to remember many things, but still has a lot about herself to re-discover, including her relationship with her child. Well played!

I wonder how that will work though. She seems to remember almost everything within the span of this episode, down to the bad stuff at the end. I'm curious whether Miura will leave some things fuzzy so they can be addressed later or if we'll just deal with most of it at once (in the following episodes)... It feels like we're going with the latter for now, but that does feel like a lot to handle narratively.

The lead-up to the big ending was done so well that, hours after reading it, I'm still shaken. Reading it through the first time, I think I was all over the place: elated to have Casca back, but when Danan swooped in with that dress, I was kind of dismayed and confused on Casca's behalf. Give the poor woman a moment to breathe! Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but it almost felt like Miura was commenting on the whole idea of having Casca back, and how, as readers, we're simultaneously wanting her to be reunited with Guts and "normal" again, when really, she needs time to process what's happened to her. In some ways, maybe we're like Danan, poofing poor Casca into a wedding dress in our minds!

But it was Miura that put that in our minds! Not even Aaz predicted Danan would wiggle her nose and betwitch Casca a magic gown. It was already naturally bizzare as you said, but Miura turned it up a notch with that. In retrospect that should have been a big red flag, but it was so deliberately over-the-top (I was actually concerned it was going to be too twee =), and on top of our own wave of good vibrations seeing Casca like that, and not a hint of negativity where Guts was concerned, it just seemed like it was really happening and crescendoing to that moment as they walked towards one another.

Haha, you guys are so harsh with the dress! I actually really like it! And it does feel like a very elfish thing to do, too. Remember on the podcast when I said it could be kind of hellish for Casca if she had to go through the party where the elves would be like "you are going to have fun whether you want to or not"? Same kind of thing. Imposed romance. And yeah I have to agree with you guys, it seems clear Miura intentionally went for the most perfect reunion setting ever only to better subvert it.

But I have to reiterate how much I actually like that perfect setting, with the dream dress and below the blossoming cherry tree. For one, because it's appropriately epic for what might be argued is the biggest event in the series so far. I mean I have to agree with Danan here on principle: travel clothes won't do. And I guess that setting alone also satisfied me to some extent. It gave me a taste of the happy reunion I yearned for... and it somehow softened the blow of having her trauma resurface like it did. The other aspect is of course that the idyllic setting makes the somber arrival of the Black Swordsman stick out even more...

Now, what I'm truly curious about, beyond this moment, is what the long term implications will be for Guts & Casca's relationship. Basically why Miura went for this and not one of the many other possibilities he had. Because I'm sure it wasn't just for the twist itself.

 

[Griffith]

I have to agree with you guys, it seems clear Miura intentionally went for the most perfect reunion setting ever only to better subvert it. But what I'm curious about, beyond this moment, is what the long term implications will be for Guts & Casca's relationship. Basically why Miura went for this and not one of the many other possibilities he had. Because I'm sure it wasn't just for the twist itself.

More like a twist of a knife. Yeah, it's the broader implications that make it so terrible; namely the prospect that she'll involuntarily find Guts repulsive by association with all she's endured. Happiness, theirs and ours, deferred indefinitely. I mean, we knew she'd have issues and Guts would be tied to some of it, but making him like the catalyst that triggers her... oof, that'd be rough, like worse than we imagined. We'll see though, maybe this is just everything hitting her at once and while it's going to be bad now it can at least hopefully get better from here instead of being a chronic thing going forward (but like Grail said, what WE want, not necessarily what's good for Casca =). Considering Casca's flashing back to the Eclipse and Griffith, presumably from the wagon, physical contact might not be the best idea right now (if so, I hope Guts can restrain himself). In any case, I'm not going to enjoy Casca's and Guts' pained expressions in the next episode.

 

[Death May Die]

Episode 355 marks my first preorder ever! Yay! I'll keep up with them from this point on!

 

[Truder]

I have question about the last page. Is that a sound effect in the black bubble? what does it translate to?

 

[Aazealh]

More like a twist of a knife. Yeah, it's the broader implications that make it so terrible; namely the prospect that she'll involuntarily find Guts repulsive by association with all she's endured. Happiness, theirs and ours, deferred indefinitely. I mean, we knew she'd have issues and Guts would be tied to some of it, but making him like the catalyst that triggers her... oof, that'd be rough, like worse than we imagined. We'll see though, maybe this is just everything hitting her at once and while it's going to be bad now it can at least hopefully get better from here instead of being a chronic thing going forward (but like Grail said, what WE want, not necessarily what's good for Casca =). Considering Casca's flashing back to the Eclipse and Griffith, presumably from the wagon, physical contact might not be the best idea right now (if so, I hope Guts can restrain himself). In any case, I'm not going to enjoy Casca's and Guts' pained expressions in the next episode.

You know, personally I remain hopeful. I'm not crestfallen over this. I have never doubted that Guts and Casca will be able to enjoy their love eventually, and I'm not starting now. The way I see it, they are simply on a path towards that goal, and this is just another step along the way. And while we don't know what the next episode has in store for us, I think it has the potential for some touching moments and not just painful ones.

Episode 355 marks my first preorder ever! Yay! I'll keep up with them from this point on!

I have question about the last page. Is that a sound effect in the black bubble? what does it translate to?

It's a scream...

 

[CherryBlossoms]

Everything about this episode was fantastic, but those last two double page spreads in particular blew me away. They kind of encapsulate the whole of Berserk for me - Guts and Griffith, dark and light, damaged and broken. I've never been so excited to see where the series is going!

(Also, this might be a stretch, but I recently watched Twin Peaks Season 3 and (Spoilers for the end of Twin Peaks incoming)

Spoiler

the end of this episode really reminded me of the end of the show - a slow build to a climax that is released via the catharsis of a scream. Not saying they're all that similar really, but they both gave me a similar kind of feeling.

)

 

[Beast of Darkness]

Fantastic episode. And yes, her dress is (well, she is) beautiful.
Damn.... Those double-pages with Guts and Casca, pure beauty.
As usual, I'll fully enjoy this episode when I'll receive my YA magazine.

(Also, this might be a stretch, but I recently watched Twin Peaks Season 3 and (Spoilers for the end of Twin Peaks incoming)

Spoiler

the end of this episode really reminded me of the end of the show - a slow build to a climax that is released via the catharsis of a scream. Not saying they're all that similar really, but they both gave me a similar kind of feeling.

)

It's exactly what it reminded me when I saw the last panels of this episode.
Same feeling too.

 

[Truder]

It's a scream...

Thanks Aaz. This might feel like the longest hiatus yet.

 

[therevverend]

Nice of the elf to magically remove all the burrs and gum from Casca's hair.
I take the dress as a sign that Guts may not be sleeping on the couch tonight?
I really have trouble with the verification tests. It takes me ten tries. I swear they put in blobs to make it harder.

 

[CatBrains]

And while we don't know what the next episode has in store for us, I think it has the potential for some touching moments and not just painful ones.

As many people have commented, Guts strikes quite the ominous image in full armor and armaments (obviously played up by Muira as well). I wouldn't be surprised to see a scene where Guts removes all of this before approaching Casca again. It could be quite powerful, seeing the Black Swordsman strip away the elements of his darkness, piece by piece. It would work in a metaphorical sense as well. Guts needs to make himself literally vulnerable in order to regain the intimacy he once had with Casca.