Where is Berserk heading now?

[Iemander]

Just read the last chapter, I'm getting a bit confused. I don't really see where all of it is going, I must say, the story is getting extremely chaotic.

For starters, is it just me or is just about everyone falling in love with Guts/Griffith? Next to that, what does Guts really want now, does he want to save his woman and stay with her or does he want to take revenge? The story seems to constantely switch between the two, as if Guts is somehow going to do both at the same time.

So what's Berserk about really, the only "real" plot element left that we can be sure of are the prophecies. We don't even really know if Griffith is purely evil now (Keeping Guts alive and all).

Anyhow, anyone else bothered by the chaotic nature the plot has taken since volume 13?

Edit: Not a bad question, just needs a snazzier topic that doesn't provoke the flamer in me. ^_^;; -- psi29a

[MrFelony]

The chaotic theme to berserk fits well into thedevelopement of the story and characters. life isnt all nice and planned out and neither is berserk. shit (life) happens and berserk represents that pretty well.

oh and good luck, atlest it wasnt your first post

EDIT: i agree with psi, worth some discussion, though it could have gone into the newest chapter discussion thread

[Iemander]

Well I think my biggest gripe is how the story just doesn't feel cohesive anymore.

For example, the knights of the holy chain were slaughtered, a great massacre, that tower in ruins. Yet when you get to the city, the event doesn't even get mentioned. Isn't that like.. slightly odd?

But next to that, the story just doesn't seem to "focus" right now. Sure everyone wants to go to elf land, but that whole travel thing feels more like an afterthought next to all the heavy slaughtering demon killing / love stuff and all of that in between.

[Artezul]

The main reason no word or news of that event (tower falling) reaching this town is because almost everyone related to that event died. Gutts and friends, Azan, and the remaining prostitutes are the only ones who saw first hand what happened, even that is just off the top of my head.

Edit: Hmm, after proofreading, I realize that this is all speculation on my part.

[MrFelony]

okay here we go...the cycles of berserk. Im seriously thinking of just writing a paper on berserk for fun. this is such a rich manga that i would put it up to the works of hemingway any day and i think it would hold its own. (though i wont start a hemingway vs miura thread haha )

"The Beginning"
-When Guts was firs born, he should have died. However, Shiso saved him because she wanted him.
-Shiso is then “stolen” from Gambino and Guts is blamed for it.
-After Shiso’s death, Gambino fights guts and proves his mastery over him as well as leaving him a clip along his nose, a physical reminder.
-Donovan then rapes Guts, which scars him for life. Donovan tells him that Gambino sold him but Guts denies it.
-Guts fights for Gambino, but then Gambino becomes crippled.
-Gambino blames Guts for him being crippled (v04c04pg149) along with the death/loss of his beloved Shiso.
-Gambino turns on his beloved dog, which is a replacement for Shiso, but never the true thing (v04c04pg150). He also publicly denies guts (in a way on v04c01pg35)
-Gambino then shows his betrayal of guts (to Donovan) and attempts to kill him
-Guts kills/defeats Gambino and flees from camp
-Guts has to fight adult guards and wolves for freedom
-Guts should have died after fight with wolves, rescue by mercenary group
-Spends the next several years fighting aimlessly as a mercenary

"A new life"
-Guts “should have been killed” by Griffith in their duel after he kills dan (v04c04pg161)
-Casca spends some physical time keeping him warm through the night: Guts dreams of Gambino and Donovan raping him
-Guts steals Griffith away from Casca
-Griffith defeats guts in combat, dislocates his shoulder, and makes him his
(side note, as I see it, in the beginning of this cycle, Casca and Griffith play both roles of Shiso and Gambino)
-Guts fights for Griffith along side of Casca who is cold and petty with him
-Casca is “crippled” by PMS and Guts saves her
-Guts “almost” dies during slaughter of 100 men

this is where I see Griffith and Casca leaving the role of Gambino and Griffith assuming it

"Learn thy self"
-Love starts to blossom between casca and Guts
-Guts makes love to casca (a very memorable moment )
-Guts steals Casca’s full loyalty and love away from Griffith
-Guts overhears Griffith’s “true friend” speech
-Guts decides to leave, thus “stealing” himself away from Griffith.
-Griffith challenges Guts and loses.
-Griffith proceeds to become crippled, the cause being Guts
-Griffith "dies"
-Guts spends next year fighting and learning himself

"Eclipse"

-Guts rescues Griffith, should have been killed by apostle that chased them down
-Femto rapes casca in front of Guts, he loses eye and hand
-Guts is betrayed by Griffith as he and BotH is chosen as sacrifice (Griffith also commits suicide)
-Guts should have died in eclipse, but he fights and survives until Griffith is reborn as femto
-Guts and Casca are saved by SK
-guts spends the next several years mindlessly killing apostles and shit and just surviving


Most of my ideas are still in the process of bubbling, i simply dont have the time left in the night to finish, hopefully sometime tomorrow. plus i just finished dling berserk again so what can i say . however here is my shit. i really still have to sift through all the chapters and improve it while im rereading it again, but lemme know what you guys think.

[Joeki]

I think your chronology is a bit fucked up in "Learn thy self " .

Other than that , interesting .

[Paeschke]

One thought that crossed my mind was that the Knights of the Holy Chain were searching for the spot that the elcipse occurred that we saw the end to most of the Band of Hawk. They knew of it by prophecy and that it would precede an extremely great conflict. Maybe they are not mentioning it because the people in power don't want others to panic.

[Skullkracker]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Holy Iron Chain Knight sponsoring commitee wouldn't want everyone to know how they screwed up in a single night...and Azan was probably pensioned...or for not diing with honor and inventing ridiculous stories.

[Sandman]

Where is Berserk Heading now....... who knows only Miura can decide. but these chapters are like the boiling pot of water, hopefully the pot boils over soon

[MrFelony]

havent reread that section yet so couldnt remember when exactly what happened, but its more about each "cycle" having a certain aspect to it, though usually in some sort of order, and remember this is rough draft equivalent

[Iemander]

One thought that crossed my mind was that the Knights of the Holy Chain were searching for the spot that the elcipse occurred that we saw the end to most of the Band of Hawk. They knew of it by prophecy and that it would precede an extremely great conflict. Maybe they are not mentioning it because the people in power don't want others to panic.

I don't think it's the common man that's really afraid.

Well, as I understood it, alot of those knights were sons of nobles. 1000 troops means 1000 sad nobles. Shouldn't that have some effect on the morale?

okay here we go...the cycles of berserk. Im seriously thinking of just writing a paper on berserk for fun. this is such a rich manga that i would put it up to the works of hemingway any day and i think it would hold its own. (though i wont start a hemingway vs miura thread haha )

Yeah man, why don't you do that. I'm sure it'll be an interesting read.

And while you're at it, why don't you make a Story faq about past discussions? Would be interesting.

The main reason no word or news of that event (tower falling) reaching this town is because almost everyone related to that event died. Gutts and friends, Azan, and the remaining prostitutes are the only ones who saw first hand what happened, even that is just off the top of my head.

Well the slaughter does get mentioned by Farnese's father. But not the "OH MY GOD" reaction you'd expect however, seems like something like this is a daily occurance . Makes you wonder how many people are still left alive down there however.

[Libaax]

About the slaughter it has been a while since it happened and its not like the time they live in is a peaceful one,so they are use to losing men.

[Skullkracker]

That's true, but losing the whole buttfucking vatican holy army IS quite uncool...but they might have more problems than to start yapping about oh, an entire army was annihilated boohoo...

[Libaax]

Yeah but mostly these nobles seem to care only about themselves so i don't think they give a shit about how many men they lost except if there were family members of them were involved.

[Skullkracker]

That is how it has always been...usually...I wonder what happened to those two noble guys who always supported Gr. at the Midland court...

[Joeki]

I think we see one of them in the scene were We first see griffiths new army fighting some Kushans ?

Not sure about this though.

[Skullkracker]

Yeah, that knight with the mile-long-spear saves them from an elaphant. But they are still not mentioned anywhere agin.

[Libaax]

I wonder what happened to the Lord that was supposed to become the new king of Midland. I dont remeber his name.

[Skullkracker]

Ohhhh,

...maybe he ended up as an apostle feast...

[Libaax]

He seemed too important to end like that without we seeing it happen. I wont be surprised if Griffith send some apostles after him so that his road to the throne is wide open.

[Loeviz]

Speaking about if Griffith is bad or good.

One reason that he can´t kill Guts might be that cause he used his "son´s" body when he got reborn, he might have gotten some off his feelings along the way.
Just a thought

[Iemander]

I can't remember for sure anymore, but was it definately Guts' son's body? I seem to remember that Guts' son shows up somewhere else, and Griffith reborn doesn't look like Guts in the slightest.

[psi29a]

I can't remember for sure anymore, but was it definately Guts' son's body? I seem to remember that Guts' son shows up somewhere else, and Griffith reborn doesn't look like Guts in the slightest.

Re-read the manga. It was more meta-physical (read magic).

[Brainpiercing]

Well, some of these concerns are valid:

The Holy Iron Chain knights are made up of pampered sons of nobles, there SHOULD have been a repercussion. However, possibly that just didn't happen in this town. Second however: everyone knows it's war, those nobles aren't too emotional people. Their sons die, so what, they'll have others.

Concerning the question about the noble who was set up as the successor to the king: If you mean Raban/Laban, the way I read it he is either lying low waiting to meet griffith or has met him already and is stayin in his retinue. Probably the first, though, although I'm assuming they will be joined soon. The way he has been set up looks like he will be another of Griffith's supporters, like Mule, just a little more influential, and a little less innocent.

[Libaax]

Yeah i'm talking about Raban/laban if he joins Griffith he will most likely see what he is about since he seemed like a smart guy.