Berserk: Volume 6 (UK) (DVD)

Introduction

Here's the one I've been dreading, the final volume of Berserk. It isn't much of a secret that the story never gets to a conclusion in the anime, after all, the show has been around over ten years, and if there hasn't been a sequel made in that time, it isn't likely now. When I first started reviewing the series, naturally I read a little around it, and knew fully in advance that the series doesn't even scratch the surface of the manga. The thing is, often an ending can make or break an anime; having invested ten hours of your life following a series you can be justified in expecting a worthy conclusion. Only there isn't one in Berserk, or at least those intriguing questions that were asked in the opening episode don't get resolved here. Those who tritely say that it is less the destination as it is the journey have never been travelsick. But, Berserk has taken us on one hell of a trip. I'm just hoping that the inevitable, "to be continued in the manga" won't leave too much of a hollow feeling. Having lowered my expectations accordingly, I put volume 6 of Berserk, God's Hand into my player.

The European mediaeval period has been the setting for countless films and shows, but I have trouble recalling whether I have seen it done in anime before. If uniqueness is a selling point then Berserk gets off to a good start in that respect. Set in the fictional nation of Midland, it follows the story of a young mercenary named Guts, who wields an unfeasibly large sword, one that would have Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy green with envy. After proving his prowess on the battlefield, he is recruited by a powerful mercenary lord named Griffith into his Band Of The Hawk, in the ongoing war between Midland and the neighbouring Chuder Empire.

It had all fallen apart at the end of Volume 5. Guts had left the Band Of The Hawk, and Griffith had taken it badly. Directionless, he acted rashly and got himself imprisoned for his troubles. Led by Caska, The Band Of The Hawk became fugitives, hunted by the forces of Midland, and fleeing from one confrontation to the next. Guts' return came just in time to rescue his former comrades, and learning of Griffith's fate he vowed to help them rescue him. He also found the promise of a future together with Caska. As we begin the final volume, the heroes prepare to storm the castle. The conclusion… sort of…



22. Infiltration
The Band of the Hawk, with the return of Guts is fired up and enthused once more. All it will take will be the return of their leader Griffith to restore their former glory. While the injured stay with Ricket, the rest wait outside the castle for Guts, Caska, Judeau, and Pippin to break in and rescue him. Only after a year at the tender mercy of the king's torturers, this Griffith won't be leading anyone anymore. Meanwhile something strange is happening in Ricket's encampment.

23. Eve of the Feast
It isn't a problem free getaway, but Guts' blood has been raised, and Midland's forces are easy pickings. It becomes obvious that Griffith can never lead the Band of the Hawk again, and they all have to decide what to do next. Caska wishes to stay with Griffith, but Guts is of two minds. When he mentions leaving, he's surprised at how many of the men want to join him. Griffith has spent a year considering his circumstances, and his feelings about Guts are mixed, even more so when he sees the closeness that has developed between him and Caska. He's contemplating life as an invalid, tended to by Caska, when he is struck by a vision. He takes the reins of the wagon and races off, with Guts in pursuit. It heralds the arrival of a solar eclipse, and then the world turns blood red.

24. The Great Eclipse
Griffith's moment of destiny has come to pass. He's always known that he was destined for greatness, that the kingdom was his for the taking, and now he learns just who was doing the destining. He will have to choose his path, and come to terms with the trail of corpses that has marked his ascent. The deal is there for the making, the ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate power, and when he considers what Guts did to him, the choice practically makes itself.

25. Time of Eternity
The sacrifice begins, but Guts can only think of saving his friend. Only at the last does he realise Griffith's betrayal. Then all that is left is for the Band of the Hawk to save itself. It's too late though, and when Griffith's new form awakens, he turns his vengeful attention to the two people that tormented him most, the two most deserving of sacrifice, Caska and Guts.

Picture

Berserk gets a 4:3 transfer that takes us back in time to when CGI was an expensive tool for only the biggest budget productions, and when people still animated with paints, pen and ink on little pieces of acetate. Even when compared with its contemporaries like Trigun, Berserk seems to fade into the background, with a dull and understated feel, an uninspiring palette of colours, and animation that only ever does enough, and nothing more. Having said that, there is a consistency and level of detail that never makes you feel as if you are watching something cheap and rushed.

The transfer itself is pretty creaky. There is a slight degree of print damage and grain, but never enough to really stand out. Occasionally obvious are videotape artefacts and an overall softness that simply can't match up to contemporary efforts.

Sound

You have a simple choice between DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with optional translated English subtitles. I opted for the Japanese as always, and found the audio to be suitable. There isn't a great degree of separation, but the dialogue is clear. I wasn't too impressed with the theme tunes, but the incidental music is excellent, suiting the action and the quieter moments well. It's no surprise when you see Susumu Hirasawa's name in the credits, the composer who would later go on to collaborate with Satoshi Kon on his films, as well as the Paranoia Agent series.

I had forgotten what older dubs sounded like. I always opt for the original language track, and while I can nitpick modern dubs, they are a world away from what dubs used to be like ten or so years ago. Berserk's dub sounds as if it overlays the action, instead of being part of it. It's of the type where voices are chosen for the look of the character. And none of it is really all that good.

Extras

The usual basics for an anime disc include the animated menus and the jacket picture. On the disc you'll find a brief TV Spot, the textless opening, and the 3-minute Forces full alternate opening. Once more there are outtakes, with 10 minutes of the English voice actors goofing off and flubbing lines. Finally there is the Paint it Berserk featurette. It lasts 3 minutes, the length of the full opening theme, and shows some graffiti art in Tokyo, Berserk style

Conclusion

"… to be continued in the manga." Unsurprisingly the end of Berserk the anime leaves a whole lot of loose ends hanging and an almighty cliffhanger, to which the only resolution is in print form. On the other hand it does comprehensively resolve a narrative arc, and if you have been following the story from the second episode, you'll see all those loose ends tied up here. I say second episode, because the Berserk anime has in effect been one giant prologue. We got a hint of the main story with the first episode, set in a ravaged land haunted by demons, where the weak are preyed on by the strong, and where a one armed and one eyed swordsman seeks revenge. The following 24 episodes served as the background for that beginning, and by the end of this volume, we've finally caught up with that moment.

If you want something approaching the full Berserk experience in anime, you can try Gungrave, which is ostensibly an updated remake of the Berserk story. My brief acquaintance with that series has parallels with how I feel about Berserk. With Gungrave, I was less than taken with the zombie gunman opening, but as soon as the action switched to flashback I was more interested. The same thing with Berserk, whose opening episode hinted at some tacky swords and sorcery, but then switched to flashback mode for a well written story, excellent characters and some intriguing political machinations. Berserk's flashback turned out to be delicious entertainment, the difference being that the good stuff lasted for the duration of the series. It's only at the last that we catch up with the supernatural shenanigans, at which point my heart sinks.



We continue where we left off with volume 5, with the Band of the Hawk off to rescue their fearless leader. Only a year of torture has left Griffith incapable of standing, let alone leading anything. His final confrontation with Guts left his confidence shattered, a man with a destiny suddenly adrift, and his subsequent actions landed him in a dungeon. With all the torment he has endured, he has had plenty of time to reflect on what has led him to this point, and the answer inevitably is his trust in Guts, a trust he now believes betrayed. When Guts and Caska rescue what is effectively an invalid, the dynamic of the Band of the Hawk irrevocably alters. The glory days are over, and people are talking of moving on. With Caska now in love with Guts, and with the warriors willing to follow him, Griffith sees everything he once had, now in the hands of his friend. Yet when Caska determines to stay with Griffith, he can only see himself as a victim of pity, or reduced to her idealised husband, on whom she can wait hand and foot. It's plenty of warning of what is to come when the eclipse occurs, as all that resentment and built up hatred has to go somewhere. The skies turn red for the final two episodes, and the orgiastic writhing of demons commences, with the Band of the Hawk being invited to dinner, as the main course. At this point we're heading breakneck into Urotsukidoji territory, and it's really only the rounded characters, and their complex motivations that made it possible for me to watch the climax with any semblance of interest. For a series that was so complex and shaded, the gathering of demon-kind holds a disappointing simplicity. The backstabbing and shifting allegiances of the Midland court are replaced with the moustache twirling evil of the darker denizens of hell, and I find it hard to care.



But if Berserk has been more about the journey than the destination, then three episodes of supernatural nonsense are hardly sufficient to diminish the excellence of the main storyline. For twenty-two episodes, it has been a gripping tale of a fictional mediaeval Europe, with swordplay and intrigue at its heart. The characters have been excellent and the story addictive. The quality of the writing has completely transcended the creaky animation, and it's turned out to be an anime ride well worth going on.