Berserk: Ougon Jidai-hen II - Doldrey Kouryaku

The story continues where the last movie leaves off. The main focus is Guts reflecting on what Griffith defines an equal and true friend and the decision that Guts comes to and the effects it has on the team. Of course by revealing this, if you have any familiarity with the manga and/or the 1997 series, you have an idea of where it starts and where it ends. However, there will be 3 cameos from manga exclusive characters in this movie which is quite a treat.

The animation feels more uneven in this than it does in the last movie. This is more prevelant in slow ... motion. It feels really choppy like a disc in your game system skipping at times. But it runs much more smoothly at faster speeds. The violence and the gore is very well graphically depicted and makes up for some of the flaws this series has. The violence is just manically massive which is of course the nature of the franchise. I really enjoyed the scene where Guts becomes the 100 man slayer. But to me, the series broody effects would be more immersing if it was more grainy like in the 1980s and 1990s animation styles.

The difference in soundtrack compositions is also more notable. It is more orchestrated and has more acoustic sounds as opposed to the grand chorus style of Hirakawa Susumu. I feel for some fans who have had exposure to the previous series and the games, it will feel unnatural. But to newcomers, I suppose it does work. Other than that, the soundtrack reflects the atmosphere pretty good but of course I'd rather have Hirakawa do everything again.

In this movie, I felt that the performance of Guts' new seiyuu isnt really that great. These are part of the story arcs was where the original seiyuu really captured Guts. Caska's new seiyuu I just don't feel. Sakurai is ok as Griffith, but doesnt have the coldness that Morikawa Toshiyuki has. I really don't feel the voice acting in this one. I thought the last movie was ok, but this movie really made me miss the original voice cast. I suppose newcomers without any exposure to the original series or the games will be fine with the voice acting. Nobutoshi Canna really defined Guts in the original series and in the DC and PS2 games. I feel that this new voice actor just doesn't capture Guts as intimidating or as a bad ass. To me, he comes across way too much as a sarcastic cynic and tries to bring too much humor to the character.

In the end, I feel the only way we can see the true potential of these new Berserk installments is when this trilogy is over. What the fans want to see is the post golden age arc animated. Quite frankly, I am glad we have these new installments, but I want to see the berserker armor animated and all the other bad ass shit. And get the old seiyuus and Hirakawa to do the series again.

The 2nd Berserk movie picks up exactly where the first one left off: watering down the Berserk story and character development, and assaulting our eyes with CGI that would be decent for a late PS2 or early PS3 title, but completely unacceptable for a modern movie that got released in theaters!

SPOILERS!

We get to see the epic battle between the Band of the Hawk and the hilariously named Purple Rhino Heavy Cavalry. As you no doubt already surmised...the battle looks like total crap! Then we get tons of scenes with the Hawks celebrating because there is a very limited amount of time and this movie wants ... to get the important stuff in. Remember the sub-plot revealing how Midland's politics work? The one with the royal hunt, the attempt to assassinate Griffith, and Guts' counter assassination that results in him killing a child? They cut that out. The fact that Guts felt great guilt over that act and it played a huge role in the story for both his character development and his decision to ultimately leave the Hawks...who cares about that? Instead of even alluding to that sub-plot, just have Guts leave for no reason. We need to spend 10 minutes of screen time on a wonderfully Narm, shit CGI sex scene with Griffith, featuring questionable quality violin accompaniment. This movie is meant to introduce Berserk to a new generation and of course THAT was the part of the story they really needed to see. Fuck Guts' character development. Griffith's throbbing CGI, 240p resolution cock is FAR more important. Important characters like the devious minister Foss, and the Queen were axed, because that screen time obviously needed to go to Corbowitz and the goblin dungeon keeper. Corbowitz and the goblin were such critical parts of the story and atmosphere of Berserk. This technique of shitty adaptation has been passed down through the Corbowitz family for 3,000 years!

TLDR:

The film badly waters down the story and characters of Berserk, constantly making horrendous decisions to cut out important parts and leave in pointless parts. The CGI is very slightly improved over the first film, but still looks like absolute SHIT. If you are looking to get into the Berserk franchise, read the manga or watch the original anime. Don't waste your time on the first 2 movies. The 3rd movie actually isn't bad, but that is another review!

It goes without saying that due to the storyline compression, since it is a movie, after all, there will be some changes in opposition towards the anime series. I kept saying( as I always do when people make adaptations of books, for instance): "This is not how it happened in the anime! They omitted this, they omitted that, they added this, he wasn't there at the time..." and so on and so forth. It did affect some things immensely, this compression, and addition, and it amounted mostly to how we see the characters in both movies, especially this one.

Whereas in the anime series we ... get to see Griffith in one light, in the movies he appears more humane, new layers of him are being exposed, or should I say, emphasized. In the anime series, the emphasized themes were gradual character development, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, points of view on all that. In the movie adaptations, we don't get to see that much of character development. The movie mainly reveals more layers to the characters.
What is the most striking is the underlined homoerotic inclinations on Griffith's part towards Guts, I believe. Casca's character is pretty much unchanged. But, you'll see for yourselves.

Sometimes I really didn't like how they packed up the things and events, especially if I find such things crucial for the building of opinions about one character on the part of another (flashbacks instead of storytelling). However, there were really things worth omitting without doing any damage to the storyline. All in all it remains unchanged, and the message is somewhat conveyed. I'm still debating whether the anime series was more profound than this piece.

As for the animation, as one reviewer said, some motions sequences looked like they really needed debugging. Other than that, the new approach to things and new technology used to make this movie and its prequel, still leaves me puzzled. For ones who like battle scenes, I think this will be feast for the eyes. I especially enjoyed them!

Music and sound was okay, I think that the music used in battle scenes added to them being more dramatic and left me really excited. The spirit of the battlefield and the spirit of the Band of the Hawks is very well conveyed!

As for the voice actors, I think Griffith's voice actor managed to convey his overall character and charisma perfectly, thus made me thoroughly enjoy the battle scenes even more.

Overall impression is that I find this movie to be very good (8), especially for ones who haven't watched the 25 episodes of the anime series, this will be candy for the senses. The series will later fill up what is missing. And definitely this one will nicely warm you up to the third movie, which will be released February 2013.

To conclude, this movie is a must-watch and I hope it won't leave you disappointed. Enjoy yourselves!

Griffith's words about true friends still resound in Guts' head. They haunt him on the battlefield and in his downtime, making him question his moves and motivation. This doesn't stop him from fighting for Griffith as the Band of the Hawk joins the other forces of the king to take down Doldrey, a nigh impregnable fortress that has never been successfully besieged. In between battles, Guts continues to ponder where his life is headed if he sticks with the Band of the Hawk, strengthens his bond with woman warrior Casca, and ultimately makes a decision that will have a great impact not only on his ... future, but on the rest of the Hawks' as well.


So, if you’re like I and you watched the first movie before the series but you managed to watch the second movie after (or at least the dub version that aired on Neon Alley), the events taken place mostly resembles of episodes 11-19 with a few parts that might have been skipped over, most likely the events that happen in episode 18 but it doesn’t stray too far from its narrative with a few scenes that involve the characterization of Casca, her past, and her dealing with the misogynist warrior she went up against….oh, and the way she deals with him in the end is very satisfying, that is, if you thought what happened in the series wasn’t deserving enough of that guy.



Characterization does exist in here but mainly for the main three characters, that being Guts, Griffith, and Casca and for the other members like Corkus, Rickert, Pippin, Codeau, etc. are merely just side characters doing whatever in the background and there were some slight changes in characterization, especially Griffith in the last 25 minutes of the movie, but if you already know what happens in that runtime, you don’t need me to explain it.


The animation is just about the same as the last movie, as while Studio 4°C continues to struggle with their problems of CG usage in the movie as it still looks like an early computer demo of the movie rather than the finished product and the music is still as epic as the last movie and the series, the theme from last time is still here although the end credit music has a change in instruments for the first half.


The Viz Media/NYAV Post dub is on par with the last film although I thought in the first half, Carolyn Keranen’s performance as Casca felt less energetic than she did in the TV series, but mostly in the scenes where she’s being confronted by Guts. Marc Diraison’s performance was more light-hearted as Guts than the last time and the unimportant characters’ performances, as forgotten as they are, rate from OK to acceptable.

FINAL VERDICT: Well, I don’t have much to say as I already did say it in the last review but if you want to know more about Berserk in under less than 10 hours, the movies are a good deal. This one does have all the action and battles from the series but missing a few important details that can make it incomplete to others. Still, I would give it a watch and then a potential buy.

Art: Same issue as with last movie. Watch Adon's face. It belongs in a fucking video game. Who the fuck thought this was okay to put in a movie? Watch the scene where Griffith rescues Casca from being raped in the forest.

Animation: Ruined by the CG again. Lack of blurring and hand-drawn effects make the animation look choppy and stupid. Watch the animation of Griffith riding up to Gennon at the end of the battle to see what I mean.

Choreography: Guts vs 100 men in the forest is probably the highlight of the movie in choreographic terms. Yet it fails in every way. ... It doesn't look good because the art sucks shit. The movements look awkward. Watch that scene where someone throws a sword at Guts and he literally hits it back like hitting a baseball. Fucking ridiculous. Once again, in the forest surrounded by 100 people, Guts still manages to fight 1 on 1 because the enemies behind him always seem to fuck around doing nothing.

Conclusion: Another soulless 3DCG animation with inexpressive animation and mediocre choreography. I won't be watching the 3rd movie.

The Band of the Hawk have risen through the ranks of Midland's military and have earned great respect along with plenty of jealous scorn. Guts continues to serve Griffith loyally fulfilling his dream yet at the same time experiences a certain uneasiness. He soldiers on for his comrades, and the stakes begin to rise when the enemy make one final stand at their impenetrable fortress. -summary

This new Berserk remake remains somewhat of a chore to get through and it's not completely due to its very own merit. In fact, Berserk has moments of being quite good as it's jam-packed with some explosive action, above average ... animation, and traces of character development focusing on main characters. These three traits alone are usually enough to propel a title to at least "very good" status, especially if it has a story to tell. So what's my beef with this anime then? Well, like a majority of fans whom loved the original series, as a remake this is a very bitter pill to swallow. The various changes and removal of content can make this a rather painful experience for some older fans.

Now in regards to the CG-blended visuals found in the first movie some people love to hate. I have to say that this movie doesn't look as bad as I've been told, it has moments of looking quite good actually. The snow laden backdrops are quite amazing bringing forth a form of innocence to follow up the bloodshed, as well as foreshadow the coming storm. There is at least one moment where this works towards some pretty good build up leading to a story-changing conclusion. This is a plus for me when looking at how poorly at times the previous volume worked on build up. The disturbing visuals on decided conflicts further delivers the horrors of war telling another part to this story, reminding viewers on the ugly face of human conflict. The action scenes themselves have plenty of moments delivering its hack and slash, resulting in the raining of body parts on the battlefield; Berserk can have some good choreography when it wants to. At the same time, the meshing of CG and various camera techniques can give off an awkward feel during some animations.

The plot further follows the battle between the kingdoms, with the Hawks being given permission by the king to take the final confrontation to their enemy. From here things begin to fall into place leading to another arc.

I can imagine plenty of newbies falling for Berserk because it does have the makings of a decent anime. Despite what some may say, there is a good amount of development for Guts to have an understanding on how he feels, and why he takes such drastic action to close things out. I understand the character enough on wanting to follow his own path, and it does have potential to create drama. Griffith's ambition is given some light cover as well, and also viewers will learn what Guts means to him. Unfortunately, some characters whom were badly handled previously just show up with various dialog as if they all of sudden mean so much, and certain encounters feel rushed and lack full believability. I can imagine some folks still walking away satisfied, but as a lover of the original series the omission of key moments and thrown out character development does bother me.

The removal of content and addition of other things really bugs me when looking at what could have made it to the final cut. Griffith's sex scene really didn't need the screen time it got; but I'm sure it was added to please some folks out there. It's a shame that other moments between Guts and Caska didn't see the light of day, as well as what drove and drives other motivations. I haven't seen the next volume yet, but I'm willing to bet right now some things will feel like they're just happening.

In closing, my overall feelings haven't changed in the slightest. I still think this remake shouldn't have been done at all; if anime companies really want to introduce Berserk to a newer audience then they simply should just re-release the original, out of print series again, and begin picking it up from the manga right there. I can see this anime getting over with newer anime fans but it won't be anything memorable, yet in the case of older fans this is something that will continue to be met with anger and will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I'm just in the middle of this choosing to give it a fair shake, and even with that I'm sure this is a series I'll be forgetting about.

Pros: Improved visuals, main characters seem some growth

Cons: Many characters are just faces, older fans will likely be mad

First episode sets things up nicely for part 2 of this ova. It opens with the legendary 100 man vs guts battle in a true gorefest. Disturbingly violent and brutal, but lacks the proper set up to build up Guts to that point. Making the battle anti-climatic when compared to the TV series in which they took time to show Guts progression as a warrior and his character. His relationship and romance seems natural but not as impactful, the viewer doesn't care for the characters despite the long running time of these ova's. Episode 2 has fantastic battle scenes but lacks the humanity of the ... manga and tv series. The OVA spends most of it's time with epic battle scenes and blood splattering be-headings. As a result the viewer feels more detached rather than connected to this story's main leads. The CG additions amidst the beautiful artwork feels out of place in the medieval setting as well. Overall the OVA feels like a modern remake of a classic, and proves you can't recreate the magic of the original. Still the overall story is solid enough to make this superior to most modern animes and worth revisiting for fans of the series.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II Review


Story (7/10) Good

This story adapts episode 11-19 of the 90s anime and of the Golden Age Arc in the manga. Just like the previous movie adaptation of this trilogy a couple of things where change to fit the time that they have and some of the things they decided to remove urked me a bit because these scenes are debatable (to the least if they were important to the overall story). Now the first scene was the flash back of Casca showing how she met Griffith, this seen just like the flash back of Gut's childhood was quickly rushed ... over, not as back as the Gut's flashback but it was indeed rushed over but this one can be forgiven since the assumptions that could a person who has only watched the movies can come to aren't incorrect on exactly what all went down unlike the Guts when where I mentioned before you still wouldn't know about the scar on his nose. The second scene the was removed that I felt could lead someone who hasn't read the manga or watch the 90s anime confused is the scene with Griffith leaving the castle of Charlotte. As far as I've seen in this adaptation is isn't shown how Griffith gets caught on his way out of the castle all the soldiers just show up out of know where and the reason is unexplained in this adaptation which really shouldn't have been because it's a scene that would have taken a couple of seconds to throw in there and it was the scene where the mistress of Charlotte saw them having sex and notifies the people higher up to take action. This scene was omitted and could cause confusion to a person who's only watched this movie. A couple of scenes where changed which I'm not sure which one is adapted more true to the manga and it was the scene where Griffith is getting tortured back the little crazy dude who grab's his necklace and get's startled that it glance at him thus dropping down the drain. In the 90s version the torturer isn't some little crazy guy it was an old man who ripped off the necklace and threw it down the drain himself. This isn't really a nitpick since at this moment I have no clue which version is more accurate, I'm assuming this one since it's later but I'll know soon enough when I read the manga. Other than that everything else from a story standpoint seemed ok. The inside thoughts of Griffith when he was fighting Guts was also removed which I thought was a good part in the 90s anime because it show us what Griffith was thinking and how he was going to deflect and take down Guts in their final duel. Not inner thoughts in this version and I was rather disappointed but oh well. Lastly the last scene that I remember that was changed during Guts and Boscogne where in the 90s version as far as I remember Gut's weapon gets damaged and an unknown character up on a hill tosses down another new more vicious looking Buster Sword for him to use. This unknown character obviously is going to be seen in future arcs but the point is none of that happen in this adaptation as far I remember. Gut's weapon never got damaged and he beats Boscogne with it also, now I'm not sure if the manga had this scene included or not but so I'll let it slide but it does bother me.

*If there's one new scene that I like it was the scene during Griffith punishment where it shows Guts begining his solo journey as he passes by a carriage that has the little elf for the a completely different arc (technically a future arc when speaking chronologically but if you read the manga you would know that the arc that this elf appears in takes places first before this Golden Age Arc and even though at this point I've only read 2 chapters of the manga which I did before watching this movie I caught the easter egg and I appreciate it)



Art and Animation (7/10) Good

Unlike the first movie which I thought was about 70% hand drawn and 30% CGI. This one had more fights thus more scenes was CG. It felt as for this movie it was about 50-50. And obviously the more CGI the less appealing the over movie is, but like I said before I doesn't bother me enough to not watch about it but it is indeed something that caught my eye. Just like the previous movie more nudity and sexual scenes seemed to me enough more engrossing this time around vs the 90s version which I can't know it because I'm sure the manga went even more in depth. But for the lone fact that CGI indeed pushes it's way even further into this movie I have to drop some points off because the fact that the hand drawn looks so good and for CGI to just be included more does indeed make be feel that this could have been a great adaptation from an animation standpoint if they just stuck to hand drawn for everything because it was done so well.


Sound (9/10) Great

The sound is great, nothing really out of place no memorable BGMs but definitely nothing out of place. English Dub is what I listened too and everyone sounds great once again.


Characters (8/10) Very Good

Like I said earlier with the whole rushing through the certain inner thoughts of characters and flashbacks this takes away from characterization in my opinion it didn't get the same feeling as I did when it came to empathy with the characters and their mindset with certain scenes, inside thoughts and flashbacks either omitted or rushed. I've named a couple back in the story section be here's another, another scene which was omitted was the scene with Griffith, Lord Gennon and Casca where in the 90s anime it was shown that Casca saw them together which causes a scene where Griffith expresses his desperation when it came to making sure that his dreams come with to least amount of casualties to his men as possible. This I felt was an important scene for an in depth look on Griffith's character as a whole because it shows what lengths we would go to in order to make sure his dreams were achieved. This adaptation just shows he after-math of him and Lord Gennon after the battle and Griffith stating to him "he was just a pebble in his way". I just felt the missing scenes could leave a half-ass look on Griffith overall ambition and I can't forgive this adaptation for removing it so points had to be deducted.


Enjoyment (7/10) Good

My enjoyment for this adaptation was good but that's about it. I wasn't as pulled as I was with the previous movie with the amount of scenes I felt were pulled out of this adaptation movie in comparison to the last but I guess that's what happens when you do this. Nonetheless it is what it is.


Overall (7/10) Good
More Specifically (7.60/10) Good+

I have no clue how this one is rated higher than the previous one because I felt this one was a bit worse that the first movie. A little bit too many scenes was either changed or removed to fit their movie time limit which is why I don't really like quick movie adaptations of certain series because this is the sacrifice that will have to be made when it's being made.

Berserk is one of my all time favorite series in anime or manga but i so far am generally displeased with the movies. The characters and Story are the same but its the way its all presented to me that really brings down the quality of the series. So though i may praise characters and story it lacks in other ways.

The art is one of the biggest sufferings for the movie,instead of traditional anime they use a incredible amounts of CGI and 3d models. Other than looking like a poorly rendered video game with clunky models and primitive move cycles the show doesn't feel like ... berserk at all. They took away all the grit and grime of the original, everything's clean and polished with flat smooth images and CG. They kept the blood but that doesn't keep the show true to itself enough, there was a whole level of earthy natural colors and textures that went along with berserk that made it DARK. The worst part is this animation style looks pretty bad with any series but on berserk it feels so unnatural and gross. The one good thing about the art is the backgrounds that don't fit the characters in anyway, the background quality is extremely high but the characters are just CG body's with animated heads, it clashes horribly.

The story in the movies is so compressed and it just speeds along important events as if they had nearly no impact on the story. You kinda get lost with whats happening just cause it feels too fast paced to have happened in the span of a minute. Though with any movie a series has to be really streamlined and quick this just is not a series to be shortened. Part of the charm of berserk is the steady pace and the building of characters and plot.

The characters of berserk have always been great to a series fan but anyone who has not been part of the series so far will probably find the characters very shallow in this interpretation. The movie moves to fast to really showcase a characters personality too well and it down right makes some look irrational and paranoid. Movies should really make you understand your characters a great deal but this one just kinda leaves them out in this odd dead zone of personality.

The one good thing about the show is the sound, all the effects work correctly and the voices are perfect. Its too bad the rest of the movie makes that amount to nothing in the big picture. Even the score and music is perfectly suited for the situations happening but it still does not redeem this.

I used to enjoy Berserk A LOT but this is a boring and unexciting mess of style blending. They should have kept this animated traditionally with all the effort of keeping the show feeling dark and dirty without the clean pressed smoothness that comes with computer generated characters. The presentation of this movie is awful, i know it was trying to be different but they just shouldn't have bothered. Berserk is great in the traditional medium and would have looked even greater if they had kept everything up to par with the backgrounds and made it feel more natural looking. Watching the clumsy CG models just doesn't give the excitement you want in a battlefield it distracts you from whats happening cause you sit there and question why they made them move like robots with wobbly joints.

Overall i consider the Berserk Movie Set a flop, it feels bad to watch it. It makes me as a fan just regret watching it. It lacks all the charm the actual series had or even the manga. It just feels clean and polished like they had never looked at the manga before. I cant say this movie wouldnt entertain people but as a fan i just feel let down. I cant say i look forward to the next movie but i hope after another decade they revisit the idea of a better movie.

The second movie of the Berserk Golden Age series. Well, what to say? Actually the film was quite good if you ask me. This is coming from someone who read the manga (up to chapter 337 anyways, for it has yet to be updated), and have seen the anime.. For long time fans of Berserk, the movie will be disappointing only in terms of the blatant overuse of CG. But in the sound and art (hand-drawn scenes) department it will certainly be a guaranteed feast for the eyes and ears. Especially for someone who has been craving for more of Berserk (okay, maybe I'm being ... a little biased here but who cares).
Now, for those only getting started with Berserk and have not read the manga, well, you guys are up for a thrilling yet confusing ride. Since a lot of scenes from the manga are shown in the film but are not explained at all, some only slightly hinted at I guess, so I'm assuming that the creators assumed that ALL viewers would at this point in the trilogy be well-acquainted with the manga and have a grasp on the story and all those juicy little details.
Anyway, all in all anything Berserk is bound to be great (in my greatly biased, but justly so opinion). The only difference is the degree to which its greatness is decreased by budget constraints or poor execution where in the case of Berserk: Ougon Jidaihen II - Doldrey Kouryaku, it was a bit distracting but nothing anyone can't handle, earning it an overall score of 7/10. :)

[Contains mild spoilers]

What I intend to do here is to review the three films as a whole, considering that they have all been out for a while now and therefore can be viewed together, rather than look at them as individual works. Treating them this way allows a better experience for the audience than if they were seen as separate. This is especially the case considering that the first film, being the weakest, has the hardest task of them all as it acts as an introduction to the world of Berserk and its characters.

This is essentially the same review as the one I left ... for the first film, so if you have already read that, there's no need to read this one as well.

Story: 8/10

There are two issues here, 1. how well does it hold up against the other adaptations of Berserk (anime and manga) and 2. how well do the films do on their own.

The first film does struggle to find the right pace and construct a good plot at times, so if you are a first-timer to the world of Berserk, it can affect your enjoyment somewhat as you won't really get where this is all going. The introduction of Zodd is completely out of left-field and ends far too quickly, although they do try and address it afterwards.

Those who have some experience with Berserk, however, might find it easier to overlook its flaws and see the first film for what it is, an introduction.

The second film is much more focused - it centres around the storming of a fortress, and we are given some excellent character development. The main weakness in the storytelling here, however, is the fact that this is very much Casca's arc - the main female protagonist - and yet, it is easily noticeable that despite how much everyone seems to revere her (she is portrayed as the best soldier of the Hawks, except for Griffith and Guts), we are rarely shown her battle prowess. We see more boob than fight. But this is not necessarily a flaw unique to the films, although the anime does offer us more of a chance to see her at her fighting best than the films do. We are told how great Guts is, and we get to see why as well. We mostly have to take the word of the other characters and just assume that Casca is as good as everyone says.


The third film ends the story well. The pacing is just right and the transition from what happens in the first half of the film to the second half done very well, you get sucked into a very different atmosphere, but it feels natural. It also does an excellent job of showing the evolution of our three main characters.

It also introduces an important character from the manga, one which was ignored by the anime because it open up the world of Berserk, whereas the anime sought very much to contain itself to the Golden Arc and nothing beyond. And Puck had a cameo. It's tiny, but it's there. (Which desperately makes me hope that it's not just fanservice, but that they'll adapt one of the other manga arcs).

Overall, in terms of storytelling, all three films do hold certain advantages over the anime. Whereas the anime had 25 episodes in which to tell a story, the films needed to streamline what was being told, and while that did leave some very disappointing gaps (it cuts out the beautiful 'bonfire of dreams' discussion, Guts childhood backstory with Gambino is only hinted at, Griffith's emotive response to his dealings with the Baron and the reason why he did it in the first place are only implied and never clearly explained, the hundred-men battle should have been given a bit more time etc.) the films do make great use of flashbacks and dream sequences. In this context, it actually does better than the anime, as it removes a lot of the clunky exposition (see Casca's cave speech in episode 11 of the anime as an example), showing the audience rather than telling us and doing so in a way which keeps the story flowing naturally and maintains pace and interest. This applies not only to plot, but to character development. In the movies, we are told less by Casca how she feels about Griffith, instead it's more evident through her actions, and the same applies (even more so) to her evolving relationship with Guts. The only pity for the loss of all the anime's character narration, as I stated before, is that a lot of excellent (and sometimes useful material) is also cut out.

As a result of the time limit, there are also cuts to some of the humour which is found, sparingly, in the anime (and much more often in the manga), however, this doesn't mean that there aren't parts which are mildly amusing and light - though they are few and far between.

The films also, I think, do a much better job than the anime ever was able to (considering its limitations) in terms of sexual interactions. ALL of them (for those who have read the manga/seen the anime, you'll know what I mean). The tenderness, brutality and motivations behind each of the three pivotal sexual acts in the Golden Arc are clearly dealt with in appropriate fashion, each incredibly moving and allowing the right amount of exposure to the audience for us to understand the deeper consequences of each.

Overall, in terms of the plot, while it misses out parts which the anime included (and certainly misses out a lot from the manga), the spirit of what Berserk is about is still very present. Almost all of the major plot points are there, and it adheres well to the Chekov's gun principle, so for someone coming into to Berserk for the first time through the films, they'll have a relatively easy time of understanding what is going on.

Art: 7/10

There is no doubt that the second and third films are better than the first. The first does suffer a tad too much for the CGI it uses. At one point Griffith looks like a boxy character from the gameplay of some PS2 RPG, but it only lasts for a few seconds.

Other than this, the art is actually really good. It's a whole different ball game compared to the *very* 90s anime, but I actually enjoy the difference. I would never say that one style is superior to the other, as there was plenty that was beautiful and horrific in the anime, but the films do do an excellent job with the battles, which are suitably sweeping.

The characters also have *really* good facial expressions in the films, with Guts' reactions in particular being just completely on point. It was also something that the anime did very well, and the films are no exception. Almost all of the main characters have such visceral expressions that there are points where the films don't even bother to use dialogue and the message is plainly clear.

Also, the films don't have the same limitations that the anime did, so, no doll-parts in the swimsuit area. There is an excessive amount of Casca's boobs, but overall, where there there is a need to show the naked human form, it's there. Sometimes to aesthetically please (it is a seinen, of course), but also to maintain realism. [One small point that I really appreciated in the films was in the cave scene, there was actual blood, and not the weird purple blob (I won't go into more detail because spoilers).] Please don't get me wrong, I am not trying to imply that there's peen and vag everywhere, but rather, I mean that the films maintain the right level of modesty when required, even in the sex scenes, but they don't hide the body away, which makes for a much more natural fluidity to the story and the art.

The blood gushing is also pretty entertaining too. Lots of blood, everywhere, just like the manga and the anime. No complaints to be had on that front!

Overall, I'd say that in certain aspects, especially in the first movie, there are points which suffer from CGI, but it does have its advantages, and the films make up for those flaws in other ways.

Sound: 6/10

In all honesty there's not much to say about the music. The introductory credits and the end credits have better soundtracks than the anime, but there is really nothing which can rival Guts' theme and Forces from the original anime. The background music in the films are suitable, but nothing particularly special. I almost wish they had recycled the anime music for the films.

Character: 8/10

Much of the characters have been discussed in the 'story' section, so I will keep it brief here. Because of the time limit for the films, it made sense that they would focus on fewer characters. As a result, I feel that while Griffith, Guts and Casca got an excellent amount of time to develop and change as characters (a job well done in the films), there was little room for anyone else. The rest of the characters are somewhat two dimensional, never really changing from their first appearance. The one little exception is Juteau - something which I am eternally grateful for because I absolutely adore him. He is seen much less in the films than in the anime (which wasn't a lot to begin with), but when we do get the odd scene from him, he has clearly been given some thought by the writers. We don't learn much about him, but we do learn. He's given SOME depth at least - unlike Corkus, Rickert, Pippin, the king of Midland, the princess etc.

Enjoyment: 9/10

This is an entirely biased mark, because, frankly I just love anything to do with Berserk. Sure it has its flaws, but to be honest, the films make up for its weaknesses in other ways. The storytelling is fluid, the characters express themselves better, both verbally and physically, the art is good (when it's not too obviously CGI) and the plot maintains the excellent standard that can be found in the anime.

I think I also enjoyed these films so much because rather than seeking to compare them to the anime and manga, I watched them already knowing about Berserk, so I felt my enjoyment was enhanced because anything the films missed, I didn't feel I lacked, because I could imply it into the films, if that makes sense? For example, I wish they had explained Griffith's history with the Baron, but I didn't miss it too much because I already knew anyway.

I would recommend that you at least watch the anime first before the movies, but if this is your first introduction to Berserk, then it's not a terrible one. They're still good enough to get you interested enough to delve further into the Berserk world.

This movie had about the same quality as the last one. The first movie crippled this one, though, with its lack of important founding character development.

All of the minor characters in the Band of the Hawk have no importance or weight in the story. Guts argues with Casca about how he's not a mad dog anymore and that he cares about his comrades, but how can he care about them we haven't even been introduced to any of them? Disposable characters die now and then and we feel no attachment to them. In this movie, it seems like I'd feel the same way even ... if Judeau and Pippin died. They seem completely disposable.

The art, as I said in my review for the last movie, isn't that bad. I see a lot of complaints regarding the CG, but I thought it looked decent. My only complaint about it is that the characters' faces looked really flat and expressionless half the time. Hand drawn animation would've looked better, in any case, but I found the CG parts to be easily tolerable.

This movie loses some points from me due to its sexual content. Or uh, I suppose I should say rape content. I know the original is full of rape and attempted rape right about here, but they could've toned it down. To me, it just makes no sense at all to exclude important character development, then make sure to include a very graphic rape scene. That time could've been spent in a much more effective manner.
I don't give a flying fuck about the explicit details on how Griffith performs in bed - it contributes nothing at all to the story. It's completely retarded. Porn is one of the many cancers that ruins the anime industry. If you wanna watch porn, go do it on your own time, don't try to insert it into a serious story that otherwise contains no fan service. The fact that Griffith did what he did DOES have an impact on the story, but watching him feel her up, watching him thrust, watching the girl sweat and moan... it's completely irrelevant.

Anyway, I have one more complaint about the sexually explicit content. Since this part wasn't included in the movie at all, I'm not spoiling anything; I'm just enlightening viewers who may have been confused as hell here. So, let me tell you all about it. You know that dirty old man who causes Doldrey to be overtaken because of his unexplained lust for Griffith? Why do he and Griffith already know each other? Why does he long for Griffith so passionately? When did they meet before?
In the original story, Griffith approached the Doldrey fortress' king. Griffith sold his body for war funds and for another hidden reason. Griffith would do anything to achieve his goal, though he felt very dirty afterwards. Anyhow, this is why the king was so obsessed with Griffith - he's a woman's and a gay man's dream. The king experienced that sexual pleasure firsthand and craved having it again, which is why he jeopardized Doldrey's defenses and formation. That is why Doldrey fell to the meager Band of the Hawk forces. This is why Griffith was so confident he could win - this was the very essence of his strategy.

Don't you think that's a kinda important detail to leave out? Why the fuck did they have such a long and detailed sex scene later in the movie and leave out such a crucial part of the story? Fucking idiots.


The movie was decent overall, but you'd do much better to see/read the original story. This isn't really meant for first timers.

Picking up directly from The Egg of the King, the second part of the Golden Age Arc, The Battle of Doldrey notably ramps up the combat as compared to the first film, and also a serious amount of character development for the main three characters, most notably Guts and Casca. The CGI, however, still remains a mixed bag.

On the topic of the CGI, there isn't much more to be said as compared to my last review - the CGI is still a very much mixed bag. However, it seems to have improved compared to the last film - it looks much better compared to the ... Egg of the King, as the CGI is very suited to the large-scaled, individual-heavy Battle of Doldrey. It, however, does not look as good for scenes such as Guts vs the 100 Swordsmen. The 2D animation, however, is still at a very, very high standard.

Moving on to story, the film feels very much like the middle chapter of a trilogy. When it comes to the main story, not a huge amount happens. For the world of Berserk, a couple of important events happen, but what really shines is the development of the characters, namely of the main three.

Casca, whilst still a major character in the first film, gets her background and mentality explored within the second film. We find out early on that she tries no matter what odds are against her to be Griffith's sword - despite her own femine aspects that hold her back. She falls to her own physiology early on, and it is clear, from her own mouth, that she detests the fact that she was born a woman. It's clear not only from her inability to be constantly at the peak of her power, but due to her backstory, where she was the almost-victim of a sexual assault.

Guts, on the other hand, simply gets more development to continue the development from the first film - Griffith's words on 'true friends' continue to ring in his ears, and it's wonderful how the film potrays Guts' reaction to this. We constantly see Guts distracted, thinking of simply -why- he is fighting for the Band of the Hawk, and for Griffith, even during his battle against 100 enemy swordsman. His 'duel' in the final act of the film is a fantastic scene of the film, as Guts decision is made clear, and how resolute Griffith is in 'keeping' Guts is - but what Griffith's intentions are, is not clear.

Finally, we come to Griffith. At this point (I am yet to view the third film, The Advent) we really do not know what goes on in Griffith's mind. However, we see several scenes that provide us an insight to his mind; his discussion with the enemy General at the Battle of Doldrey shows that he is prepared to do anything to help the Band of the Hawk, and to further his own ambition. But we also gain some idea of his view of Guts. His reaction to Guts decision at the end of the film is extremely interesting, and leads us to wonder, why? Why does Griffith do something (trying to avoid spoilers) like he did, even though he has ambition on the line?

Finally, it should be noted that the producers and writers upped the ante when it came to the brutality of not only the combat, but the explicit nature of the world of Berserk - scores of men die during the film, and Guts himself takes on around a hundred men by himself - limbs and heads and (hehe) guts line the forest after his battle. One man shreds four other men and their horses at the same time. Pretty crazy stuff. It's also surprising how the sexual content has been upped as well, but not in a titillating way. Casca is almost the victim of sexual assault several times, and there is an somewhat explicit sex scene at the end of the film.

Of course, I know this is only the very tip of Berserk's mature content.

Berserk, Golden Age Arc: The Battle for Doldrey is very much a better film then then it's predecessor; the CGI is better utilized, the characters are explored more, and the story is going in a very interesting direction. It is admitted that the CGI is not fantastic, and the core story did not have a lot going for it, but there is still one more film to go, and judging by the chilling preview, I've very much got something to look forward to.

What can I say about this movie….well simple, it’s probably one of the best anime movies I have ever seen! My mind was blown away by the stunning animation and art style which is very reminiscent to me of Kingdom, a historical piece about the creation of what we know of as modern day China during the Quin dynasty.

I loved the realism to characters. That they weren’t sparkly and pretty but they were true to actual people. Different colours, sizes and shapes. They weren’t manufactured dolls, the next just as pretty as the last. I found that very refreshing.

Now, I will state off ... the bat, I have never seen anything Berserk related at all. This was my first glimpse into this dark, medieval fantasy. If Kingdom is about ancient China, then Berserk is about the ages of great wars with knights between great European countries like the 100 Year War between France and Britain. *Cough* The Battle of for Doldrey Castle took 100 Years.

This anime is not about being pretty or holding back on the guts and gore. It makes Tokyo Ghoul, look a little pathetic especially with all its censorship. It captures the horrors of war and battle. As, well as the consequences of being a women, be you a warrior or a civilian, the likelihood is, you might end up getting raped. There is also the hired guns of battle. The mercenaries whose sole job is being paid to kill people.

When soldiers come home from war people like to ask them about their adventures and watching Berserk, I thought how ludicrous is that? This isn’t an adventure, it’s a blood bath. It’s traumatic seeing friends get murdered before your very eyes. Something out of a nightmare. That’s what I felt like when I saw pieces of bodies being thrown around in the air. How hard does a person have to press their sword too decapitate the rider, the horse and disarm the solder in one swing? How much force is needed with one swing of a sword to cause the air around you to move violently? It’s a bloodbath. It’s both fascinating and horrify. You know you should look away but you can’t. Reminds me of the first 20 minutes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’, during the D-Day battle. With its river of blood and collection of butchered bodies.

Not only is it very action packed, it also has complex characters. Being the only female soldier in the ‘Band of the Hawks’ or anywhere for that matter, Casca is a great inspiration to women and to the men she fights with. It is something filled with both great pride and difficulty as much of the world sees women’s only purpose in life is to pleasure men and have children. However, Casca proves to have both great strength and vulnerability. I don’t know her much, but I have fallen in love with the dark haired beauty who in my humble opinion as a shipper of many ships, deserves to be with a guy who truly loves her. *Cough* NOT GRIFFITH!!!!!

My long years as an anime fan, I have noticed two things, first is that white, silver, light blond haired characters are either my favorites or I hate them. No in between about it. In this case, I don’t really trust Griffith. Why? I have only experienced one Berserk movie and haven’t read the manga at least when I first wrote this review (but I am now reading the manga) or watched the anime. It’s just some characters you get a feel for. That’s why I think for many people, they will like Griffith because he is so complex. He seems like a decent guy but when one wants to have a kingdom of their own, one must think, how do you accomplish that without trickery and deceit? You have to be quite amoral. Not necessarily good or bad. No clear line of good and evil. You just do what you want, even at the cost of others’ lives.

Reminds me of another character named Su-won from an anime and manga series called ‘Akatsuki no Yona’. Another blond haired mystery man. This story is set in a medieval fantasy world in Asia. It’s a lot lighter in content compared to ‘Berserk’ but it still deals with series issues like slavery, drugs, assassinations, etc. I personally like the more honest sort of fellow.

Part of the reason I enjoyed this series so much is the relationship between Griffith and Guts. You don’t really get why a guy like Guts is with Griffith, he seems more of the solo kind of man, much like the character Hak in ‘Akatsuki no Yona’ or Sasuke from ‘Naruto’, the differences between characters, is actually what makes their bonds to each other so strong and in Gut’s case he wants to be an equal, not a follower. To me it was reminiscent of the two main characters in Kingdom. One a young emperor, another, an orphan boy who dreams of becoming a Great General. Together they wish to unite all of China, one as the head of a country, the other, his sword and shield.

Now another really realistic aspect to this series is that it’s not afraid to showcase sex and rape. It doesn’t chicken out on nudity either. A perfect series for HBO lovers. Gives off a very Game of Thrones kind of atmosphere. It’s important to show more than just great battles but intimate moments between characters as well.

This was very true between Casca and Guts as well as Griffith and Charlotte. Soldiers are more than just about war and battle. They are about their human relationships too. Great actions and adventure stories also need great romances. It’s not always about the battle, you need intimate moments between characters to really feel for a story.

Overall, I was quite impressed with this movie. It certainly doesn’t dye down on the violence and sex. It’s true to its content.

My review of the first movie of this trilogy could feel a little bit harsh, but it couldn't be helped. The story was just rushed too much, and relations between certain characters were either omitted or compressed to the point of losing their substance. This review, however, won't be as much harsh, even though there were also many moments known from the manga that were not adapted at all, despite their importance. Why such change in approach? I will answer this question later.

First of all I need to commend visuals. While the first movie did not look bad and it looked actually fine, its sequel ... is more visually pleasing (especially during battle scenes or sword duels). Same goes with direction. It was already alright in "The Egg of the King", but we could see it clearly improving (sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly) in "the Battle for Doldrey" movie. This can be perceived as indication of gradually rising quality that is to be expected with each next movie. Good sign before watching the final movie, eh?

As for music, I felt that it was also slightly better than in "The Egg of the King". Maybe it was because of what was happening on the screen? I can't really tell, so let's say that music was just as equally good or even better than in the first movie. Same goes with voice acting, with that difference that it was basically on the same very high level, which was to be expected.

Moving onto this movie as adaptation of the source material, many of things known from the manga were either rushed or omitted at all. That's what I mentioned in the beginning of this review and I maintain my opinion on this issue. However, unlike in my review of the first movie, I won't be that much critical about it. Second movie has proven this trilogy's character and assured viewers like me, who were still unsure about the direction where the project was going at in terms of adapting Kentarou Miura's manga, about what was considered by Studio 4°C as important elements to be adapted, and what was not.

But still, it's a shame that one detailed scene showing two characters copulating took away several minutes of this movie's length, while this time could've been spent to adapt other types of scenes, but oh well. I guess it's no use in complaining about it and just accept the fact that the movie trilogy chose its own way to adapt Berserk's Golden Age arc.

Do I recommend it? Sure. It is a very nice and entertaining movie, and an interesting take in adapting the source material.

[WARNING: SPOILERS ARE GIVEN IN THIS REVIEW]

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka
Original Creator: Kentarou Miura

Story (10/10): The story of the film pick up right where the last one left off. Guts and the Band of the Hawks are now winning even more and becoming stronger than ever. They get into a battle and Casca falls off a cliff. Guts falls off the cliff with her but he saves both of their lives and neither of them die. They end up bonding and their character development is increased and further executed in this scene. The battle continues ... and Guts ends up slaughtering 100 men. They win the battle, mainly because of Guts. They then rest and recover from their epic fight. There is a Doldrey Castle, the likes of which has never been conquered by an outsider, ignited the 100 Years War, and has taken the lives of thousands. Guts, Griffith, Casca, and the Band of the Hawks fight the army for the Doldrey Castle. This battle started due to Griffith having a conversation with the King. The battle is very bloody, and many die. However, Guts and the Band of the Hawks win. The King is overjoyed in their victory and he ends up crowning all of them Nobles. Griffith ruins everything by assaulting Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the King. Griffith discovers the real reason why the King never arranged a marriage for her, and he is brutally tortured by the King's men for his act against the Princess and for discovering the truth that the King is a hypocrite for having him tortured. The film ends with Griffith's Crimson Beherit being dropped.

Art (8/10): This is the aspect of the film that people hate on the most because of the 25% CGI that Studio 4C used whn it's not even that bad and the 75% hand-drawn animation is stunning and some of the best animation I have seen of this decade.

Sound (10/10): The music for the first Berserk film is truly no surprise of how good it is coming from marvelous composer Susumu Hirasawa (Berserk '97, Paprika, Paranoia Agent). It fits the dark, grity, bloody, sad European style tone that Berserk gives. It is truly music to my ears. Some of the best ever.

Characters (10/10): Guts is such a heart-driven protagonist that everyone feels bad for. He is truly one of the greatest main characters in any series, ever. While Griffith on the other land, you'll love to hate because of how badly he betrays Guts and the Band of the Hawk. Casca is a great female main character and contrasts with Guts excellently. The cast of Berserk is just next to flawless.

Enjoyment (8/10): I enjoyed the second Berserk film very much while not being as good as the first one.

Overall (8/10): Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey by Toshiyuki Kubooka is a fantastic revamp of the masterpiece that is the 1987 Manga by Kentarou Miura. Don't listen to all the haters. Just go watch this movie and I promise if you loved the Manga, you will love this movie just as much as I did and if not that, you will at the very least will appreciate what the film has tried to accomplish in the Berserk franchise.

I am writing this review for all three movie parts. I watched them back to back.

The first two movie parts are fine, but the third.. just god aweful. Apparently you REALLY need to watch the other shows and read the manga to understand this movie.

This second movie though was very good. I enjoyed the progression it had from the first one. I loved the fighting scene, as it seemed to be almost like LOTR.

Music:
The music was like... all over the place. The intro music is weird....Not a fan of the music in the last episode.

Characters:
The characters weren't bad. They were all pretty well defined ... and had specific characteristics.

Story:
The story of this show, was just garbage. The first two points in the score are for the first two episodes. Both of those 1 hour episodes were good, and had a great back story that connected with each other well. The problem was the third episode, or the third movie. It was two hours long, and had barely any connection to the first two episodes. Honestly, myself and @Serenity Frost lost interest in the third episode because of hard of a plot line turn that just was so sudden that we felt like it was a different show entirely. Apparently the manga is better and explains a lot more.

Final thoughts:
While I am thankful for the recommendation from a friend, I sadly would have to say that this show was garbage. I lost complete interest in the third episode and hated it so much, that I nearly stopped watching. I am glad you like it, but I would not recommend this for anyone.

The CGI is decent compared to the other CGI berserk ones.

They handled the ballroom scene beautifully. Love how well done the characters were brought to life animated from the manga.

The pacing isn't difficult to follow.

It's interesting watching Gutts, Casca & Griffith's relationship as well as their takes on achieving their dreams.

Before watching this make sure to watch Kenpuu Denki Berserk or read the manga.

Berserk is one of the best adult anime that addresses things such as rags to riches, how the 1% typically thinks compared to the masses & how being charming with the power of speech sometimes overpowers worth ethic.

The movie continues from where the previous one left off. It centers around Guts pondering the concept of genuine friendship, as defined by Griffith, and how it affects the team. Those who are familiar with the manga and the 1997 series will recognize the starting and ending points. However, there are also three appearances from manga-exclusive characters.

While the animation quality in this movie is not as consistent as that of the previous one, the faster scenes are smoother. The slow-motion scenes can be choppy and uneven, but the graphic violence and gore are depicted in great detail. This makes up for some of the animation ... flaws. The franchise's typical massive violence is suitably portrayed. However, the atmosphere of the series could be more immersive if it had a grainy look, as seen in the 80s and 90s animation styles.

The soundtrack compositions in this movie are different from those in the previous works. They are more orchestrated and feature acoustic sounds instead of the grand chorus style of Hirakawa Susumu. Although fans of the previous series and games may find it unnatural, newcomers will appreciate it. The soundtrack does an excellent job of reflecting the atmosphere, but fans may prefer Hirakawa to compose everything again.

In this movie, the voice acting does not match the original series. The new voice actor for Guts does not capture the character's intimidating, bad-ass nature as well as the previous one did. Furthermore, Caska's new voice actor is not convincing. Although Sakurai's portrayal of Griffith is okay, it is not as cold as Morikawa Toshiyuki's. Overall, the voice acting is not as good as in the previous movie. This may be disappointing for fans of the original series and games.

If you have limited time to learn about Berserk, the movies can be a suitable choice as they feature all the action and battles from the series. However, some important details might be omitted which could be significant for some viewers.

Reviews if you don't have time.
*SPOILER-FREE*

“Berserk” despite not needing introduction is a manga adaptation with Studio 4oC at the front of animation and what an expectation did they were expected to meet by animating one of if not the best manga ever drawn. And comparing to the 3D animation disaster that is “Berserk (2016)” it did a decent job.

As far as animation goes, despite not being absolutely appalling, I can comfortably say that it was far from the quality that a manga like “Berserk” deserved. Some actions were clunky and not very detailed, the art-style was a ... lot less impactful or terrifying. The fights were mediocre and not that overwhelming as it was supposed plus, the emotions and terrifying moments that exist don’t flow or express themselves as well.

The plot is really good, or at least where it follows the source material, and the characters are unique and very detailed in a physical and emotional level. The music is actually one of the best things in the animes adaptations and is something that complements the show. Plus, in my opinion was a decent attempt to make an adaptation on a budget of “Berserk” and still did a lot better than its predecessor.

The big problem with this adaptation is that it could never reach the level of intensity or storytelling that the manga has. Each and every scene is just a reminder of how amazing a perfect adaptation could be. It is not a bad show if it was original (not saying that it would be a good one either) but the bad aspects get that more aggravated by how good the source material is.