Lithrael said:What is it that we see happening to Griffith's body during his transformation to Femto? A diffusion of a physical body, replaced by an incorporeal one?
Sure, something of the sort. It's a supernatural process where he is transformed at his very core, and we actually see it happen in two times (Griffith's body as seen through the closed fist, and his ego falling down towards the bottom of the abyss).
Lithrael said:And presumably he's able to interfere with Casca et al cause the Eclipse is an example of an exception to the rule, where the generally incorporeal GH both appear and act as though their forms were physical. Hence SK making his bid for an attack inside the Eclipse.
Well the occultation ceremony takes place in a special location, somewhere deep enough in the astral world that the God Hand can appear there. That's how it's all possible. And so in a way, as Guts, Casca and the others were brought in the astral world, it could be said that interactions occurred as much with their astral bodies as their physical ones. The same goes for when an apostle ceremony takes place: the apostle-to-be and the future sacrifice are taken to the God Hand's lair, at the bottom of the astral world. The God Hand's limitations aren't about not being able to interact with corporeal beings, since said beings will always have an astral body anyway. It's to manifest themselves under a physical form that is (was?) beyond their capacity.
Lithrael said:So though it looks like Griff is only changing physical forms, that's a misunderstanding of the exceptional nature of physical reality inside the Eclipse.
Yup. Although I never thought the change happening there looked purely physical.
Lithrael said:I do not believe for a moment that he feels any warmth towards, for example, the people he comforts by showing them phantoms of their departed loved ones.
Actually, when you know the meaning behind what he tells Mule about the afterlife during that scene (and as readers, we do), it's both quite factual and sinister. "A place where they all become one."