Berserk Lost Children Arc Anime Coming

Taiso

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It's also not like the original 97 series was some pinnacle of great animation either, that show was animated for dirt cheap and it shows, I'm almost shocked it was made in 97 and not ten years earlier from some of the stuff in it, I mean especially when you compare it to its contemporary shows like Cowboy Bebop which came out a year later. You don't watch Berserk for top of the line animation techniques at this point. Besides neither anime is nearly as deep as the manga, a lot of the deeper deconstructionist themes get muddled in the adaptation process. I'm perfectly happy with the shows we have and think people who complain about the new series have a stick up their butt

I understand why the '97 is so highly regarded by long time fans. I can only count two other manga series that are as abundant with intrigues, political violence and characters burdened by dark purpose. Those are Vinland Saga and Wolfsmund. Mobile Suit Gundam (UC) is just as complicated and layered as those others, but its heaver themes are a byproduct of its events, not its intentions (excepting the concept of human evolution, which is not a 'dark' theme, although some dark aspects of humanity are juxtaposed against the hope of evolution as a pathway to peace for all mankind).

The point I'm trying to make here is that Berserk, and series like it, are rare in the mediums of anime and manga, so when one comes along that people read or watch, they're astonished at the maturity and intricacy of its happenings. Berserk shifted its audience's perspective in '97 to where they believed they were witnessing a masterwork. They were, but many failed to recognize that it was the source that held all the power, not the adaptation. Berserk '97 lacked a budget and sound direction, but its heart is in the right place because of the source material. What I'm saying is that I agree with you, but I also understand why its illusory bar remains so difficult for the later adaptations to surpass in those fans' eyes. The manga fans are worse about it, however.

As for Berserk deconstructing the genre, I'm not so sure that's its intention. Again, I think those elements are just the natural result of writing an intensely character driven story. That doesn't mean that it DOESN'T have some deconstruction going on, but I'd be hard pressed to embrace the relevance therein.
 
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NeuroticMoose

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I understand why the '97 is so highly regarded by long time fans. I can only count two other manga series that are as abundant with intrigues, political violence and characters burdened by dark purpose. Those are Vinland Saga and Wolfsmund. Mobile Suit Gundam (UC) is just as complicated and layered as those others, but its heaver themes are a byproduct of its events, not its intentions (excepting the concept of human evolution, which is not a 'dark' theme, although some dark aspects of humanity are juxtaposed against the hope of evolution as a pathway to peace for all mankind).

The point I'm trying to make here is that Berserk, and series like it, are rare in the mediums of anime and manga, so when one comes along that people read or watch, they're astonished at the maturity and intricacy of its happenings. Berserk shifted its audience's perspective in '97 to where they believed they were witnessing a masterwork. They were, but many failed to recognize that it was the source that held all the power, not the adaptation. Berserk '97 lacked a budget and sound direction, but its heart is in the right place because of the source material. What I'm saying is that I agree with you, but I also understand why its illusory bar remains so difficult for the later adaptations to surpass in those fans' eyes. The manga fans are worse about it, however.

As for Berserk deconstructing the genre, I'm not so sure that's its intention. Again, I think those elements are just the natural result of writing an intensely character driven story. That doesn't mean that it DOESN'T have some deconstruction going on, but I'd be hard pressed to embrace the relevance therein.

By deconstruction I mean the earlier parts of the manga, Guts himself seems to almost be a rebuttal of the typical manga hero, driven not by optimism or idealism or a drive to save people, but a single minded drive to kill the ever living fuck out of those who wronged him and willing to use every udnerhanded trick he can to give him an edge. That and the Golden Age's talk of dreams and following your dream and stuff like that which is a common trope in manga only to completely throw all that shit out the window once the eclipse happens. I'm not going to say little strokes like that were entirely intentional, but my reading of them is that they were actually saying something about the medium. Berserk stands in my mind as one of the only big action heavy manga that actually has deeper themes about humanity, morality and predestination vs. free will, I want to believe stuff like that is intentional
 

Taiso

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I think the idea that Guts was intentioned as a rebuttal to common manga protagonist tropes is kind of selling the character and the manga-ka short.

I don't believe Miura is concerned with commonalities within the medium of manga, its conventions or breaking them down. As a seinen manga, it puts its characters into situations which demand far more of them than shonen manga does of its players. When you combine that with the themes of causality and Miura's bellicose observation of human nature, I think this is more a case of deconstruction as an effect. It's the result of the story's own causality (heh).

You said that you thought some of the plotting 'says something about the medium', but I'm not sold on the idea that Miura is acting with such lofty intentions. Guts desires companionship and friendship from the first, which are shonen tropes that Miura never really dismisses at any point during Berserk's entirety. He trips up a lot along the way, but I don't believe scenes like the one where he is compelled by the Beast to assault Casca are making any larger statement about the medium of visual storytelling in Japan. They're just natural progressions of the initial concepts he set forth from the start.

I don't get the sense that Miura is really concerned with shining a light on manga's status quo stagnation. I just think he has his own ideas and is telling his own story, and the reason it seems refreshing is because it's not conforming to any marketing or publishing demands. That's why we find it to be an authentic work worthy of being called an opus for the entire medium. This is why i say that the deconstruction elements aren't intentional. In my opinion, they're a byproduct of his artistic dedication to his vision.
 
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LoneSage

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Reddit is another dumpster fire that needs a few more scandals. It has its uses, but it's become such a well known gathering point for keyboard warriors that it's developed a mystique for being an informative location despite its mountain of flaws, just like NeoGAF.

reddit is full of people who think they know everything but don't really. The voting system also reinforces posting lowest common denominator shit that gets reposted. It's strange what people will do for karma. But check out /r/asoiaf sometime. Interesting theories and discussions about the book series mainly.
 

Taiso

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reddit is full of people who think they know everything but don't really. The voting system also reinforces posting lowest common denominator shit that gets reposted. It's strange what people will do for karma. But check out /r/asoiaf sometime. Interesting theories and discussions about the book series mainly.

You know, I think my problem with the big sites is the inherent corruption in the administration that always comes up. Reddit had their issues with authoritarianism, NeoGAF has suffered a near crippling blow after the harassment allegations against the site's owner, Facebook and Twitter have routinely been shown to be dishonest and pernicious, hell even SNOPES is no longer a trustworthy source.

I guess I am just naturally suspicious of large sites because once you have that many people tending to them at once, they're bound to unravel eventually.

I don't know, maybe this all really means I don't like big government, lol

Really, I just need to get better at finding the silver linings on the internet.
 

evil wasabi

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Miura has the next installment ready for delivery by 12/22, so expect the fanslation a week later.
 

Taiso

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I don't know what my life will be like if Casca is restored.

Her damaged mental state has been one of the series' defining staples.

Brave new world.
 

evil wasabi

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What are the chances that Casca joins Griffiths? Kind of like Silk Spector secretly loving The Comedian because he gave her a daughter.
 

greedostick

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Also, preorders are open for the first 12 episodes of Berserk 2016 on BD. It's a little pricey but for those of you out there that want to support the franchise, here you go:

Berserk Season 1 Blu-Ray/DVD Combo

Berserk Season 1 Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo

Wait, is this a remaster of the first series of the Berserk anime? I just picked up the whole damn series on DVD from rightstuff a few months back. This is one series that is definitely in need of a remaster.

I've been reading through the manga for the last month or so. pounding out a book or two every week. On number 8 now.

Book 3 was intense. That part where Gambino sold him to that dude who raped him in the ass when he was a kid.

Such a great series, maybe my favorite ever already.
 

NeuroticMoose

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Wait, is this a remaster of the first series of the Berserk anime? I just picked up the whole damn series on DVD from rightstuff a few months back. This is one series that is definitely in need of a remaster.

I've been reading through the manga for the last month or so. pounding out a book or two every week. On number 8 now.

Book 3 was intense. That part where Gambino sold him to that dude who raped him in the ass when he was a kid.

Such a great series, maybe my favorite ever already.
The Blurays are for the 2016 series, so far as I know the '97 series has yet to be properly remastered in any English speaking regions for bluray

What are the chances that Casca joins Griffiths? Kind of like Silk Spector secretly loving The Comedian because he gave her a daughter.

Well, except Griffith raping her caused her to miscarry Guts' child
 
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Taiso

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What are the chances that Casca joins Griffiths? Kind of like Silk Spector secretly loving The Comedian because he gave her a daughter.

I don't think they're very big. I can't say for certain, but Casca isn't going to truly realize what Griffith did until her reconstructed psyche witnesses it again. It seems like a deeply suppressed experience that, once she's mended, I'd wager she won't take to very well.

If Casca forgives Griffith, or sees any value in what he did, it will ruin the story in my opinion. No matter how much she submits to his dream, I can't buy her saying 'It's all right that you fed all of our friends to the monsters and then raped me to try and break Guts and also impregnate me with a future body for yourself. I know you just wanted to be a king.'

Fuck that. She doesn't have to want revenge. Her feelings can be more complicated than that. But if she approves, in any way, of what he did, I may fly to Japan and stomp a mudhole in Miura's ass myself.

Greedostick said:
Wait, is this a remaster of the first series of the Berserk anime? I just picked up the whole damn series on DVD from rightstuff a few months back. This is one series that is definitely in need of a remaster.

No, this is a BD release of the first twelve episodes of the 2016 anime. The BD touches up a bunch of scenes, makes them look better and adds in some content that had to be censored for the Japanese television broadcast.
 

Montatez

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I couldn't agree more taiso. Having casca join the fold of Griffith sounds like a bad creative direction.

I am still very excited to see casca back, if she comes back.
 

Taiso

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Been a few months, so I thought I'd just share this (from Evil Genius' scanlation):

Berserk_v40c354p22.png
 

evil wasabi

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The last chapter was kind of sad. Felt like nightmare Femto ruined a chance at a happy ending.
 

Taiso

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In case you didn't know, the second coer of Berserk 2016 (2017?) was released on Blu-ray earlier this month.

Like the first coer, they took some time to clean up some of the poor animation and give us uncensored versions of some of the racier parts.

Especially of note is the famous GIF of Guts walking away from his companions in the forest after his encounter with the aspect of Slaan. It actually looks consistent with the earlier episodes now. The scene where Zodd crushes his minion's head is still pretty bad, but in different ways.

I think the problem with this episode's technical shortcomings is that trying too hard to clean it up might have been too costly, given its many visual shortcomings. It probably couldn't be salvaged and it would have been too costly to do a '2.0' of that episode.

Having watched it all again over a year later, I find myself still compelled by this series even though it fell WELL short of mark as an adaptation of this masterwork. I still like this series and wouldn't mind seeing more of it. I think, maybe, they need to look at how other studios, more adept at CGI, work their magic. I'd even welcome a Studio 4C effort but I think I'd prefer Wit and Production I.G. to take a shot at it. They did Attack on Titan, which isn't that great of a show but that has to do more with the ultimately unsatisfying story and less with the anime's technical pedigree, which is rock solid.
 

Taiso

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Worth it?

If you liked the series the first time you watched it, I believe there's value in watching the remastered versions. But as with the first coer, this will not win over anyone that wasn't on board for the TV edits.
 

evil wasabi

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If you liked the series the first time you watched it, I believe there's value in watching the remastered versions. But as with the first coer, this will not win over anyone that wasn't on board for the TV edits.

Which is most of the reddit group thinkers.
 

Taiso

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Which is most of the reddit group thinkers.

I don't think this anime adaptation is a strong enough interpretation of the series that it should be championed on the internet. Sun Tzu would probably advise against trying to take that particular hill.

I can only tell you, anecdotally, that I have yet to meet or speak with an individual, in person, that didn't enjoy the series. Even those that had an issue with the uneven CGI and sometimes questionable direction were very moderate about their criticisms. Most of them felt, as I do, that the story is arresting enough to overcome the flaws in its visual presentation.

Most of these internet Berserk experts believe the Dragonslayer is a sword but still want us to accept that their analysis of the series is supreme.
 
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evil wasabi

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I don't think this anime adaptation is a strong enough interpretation of the series that it should be championed on the internet. Sun Tzu would probably advise against trying to take that particular hill.

I can only tell you, anecdotally, that I have yet to meet or speak with an individual, in person, that didn't enjoy the series. Even those that had an issue with the uneven CGI and sometimes questionable direction were very moderate about their criticisms. Most of them felt, as I do, that the story is arresting enough to overcome the flaws in its visual presentation.

Most of these internet Berserk experts believe the Dragonslayer is a sword but still want us to accept that their analysis of the series is supreme.

These same guys upvote each other for getting brand tattoos or drawing awkward moments between Guts and Shierke.
 

Taiso

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Endgame and Game of Thrones were both trash this weekend but at least we have a new chapter of Berserk to save us from their ilk. Chapter 358 is out and scanlated and it's exactly what I needed.

Also, the Grunbeld light novel, Berserk: The Flame Dragon Knight, was translated into English and is out in the US, courtesy of Dark Horse. I haven't read it yet but just wanted to let you know it's out there. I believe it's written by the same guy that wrote the PS2 game's scenario.
 
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