This is what we’ve been waiting for. Some payoff. Now, let’s fight. For the glory of… Oh, excuse me. *Clears throat.* I SEE THERE’S SOME WOMEN ON THE BATTLEFIELD. PLEASE, ESCORT THE WOMEN FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, SO THAT THEY MAY BE MENACED BY SOMETHING ELSE. THANK YOU. … More Berserk (2016): “Reunion in the Den of Evil”
I’ve known about Berserk for years, that it was a violent, violent work of anime/manga, and that it had Casca. The intrigue of the former had always been crowded by the latter, and so I put it off for an extended period I now look back on with some melancholic nostalgia. … More Berserk (2016): “The Black Witch”
For an episode with a title like “Burning at the Stake,” you wouldn’t be crazy for imagining such an event might actually occur. No, not crazy at all. And yet, Berserk (2016) simply looks back at you, with its bleach-blonde hair and colored sunglasses, cocks its head and says, “What’s wrong with YOU, bro?” … More Berserk (2016): “A Nighttime Feast: Burning at the Stake”
We’re inching ever closer to the shiny object, to Guts squaring off against the new bad guy, rescuing Casca, and finally forming his party. But this inching is made difficult when still we stumble. You’d imagine that this Slowbro pace would leave the appropriate breathing room for the creative team to ensure quality, now that we aren’t zooming through events as if they have no meaning. But the reason this episode goes nowhere is because we’re starting out on a journey, the way we were in Episode 1, and that means introducing more characters. … More Berserk (2016): “Tower of Conviction”
The credits roll, and I think, “Wow. Two scenes, huh?” But in truth, we’ve gotten a lot accomplished with such little material. It’s a breather episode, likely sandwiched between two more action-packed episodes, including the dismal “Night of Miracles” from last week. Guts is on track to St. Albion to find Casca, we’re introduced to a heavy and his fighting tournament roster of torturers, and we catch up with our old friend Lady Farnese. … More Berserk (2016): “Epiphany”
On occasion, Berserk asks too much of me. I’m looking for a show that depicts a badass hero and a Plucky sidekick, tearing through demons with blistering, well-documented rage. In the prior two episodes, we’re getting our bearings, beginning to build the supporting cast after the last one was obliterated all at once. … More Berserk (2016): “The Night of Miracles”
Berserk’s story begins to develop this week, with an awkward introduction out of the way and a sense of momentum building between characters who promise to recur. … More Berserk (2016): “The Holy Iron Chain Knights”
The original Berserk anime famously ended on one of the most infuriating cliffhangers in television history, where we realize that all these dramas and heartbreaks were setup to the actual story, and fifteen years later, we get this setup reiterated. … More Berserk (2016): “The Branded Swordsman”
The application of ‘necessary’ to a film’s existence almost always comes off as impulsive, excited criticism, which might actually be a welcome tonal shift… … More Return to Brokeback: Reclassifying a Classic
Lara Croft and Faith are part of an interesting trend… … More The Strong Female Character: Double or Nothing
