Review of Berserk: Volume 4

Introduction

Another month means another batch of anime releases. If nothing else, you can use the regularity to set your clocks by. But for those of us with an interest, each month is like another treasure trove of entertainment, with a little something for all palates. In March`s selection, in the Golden Oldie division is Berserk, a series that has been mightily impressive, and hasn`t yet faltered. Let`s see if volume 4 maintains the high standard.

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

At the end of volume 3, we`d left two of our heroes in dire straits. Caska and Guts were trapped behind enemy lines, and it wasn`t long before they were cornered. Guts tried to buy time for Caska to flee, but odds of a hundred to one weren`t promising, even for a berserker like Guts. It wasn`t long before Caska was the prey in the sights of a lascivious Chuder hunter. Find out what happens next in volume 4: Devil`s Advocate, with the next four episodes of Berserk.

14. Bonfire Of Dreams
It`s an experience that leaves scars, but a timely intervention from fellow Hawk Judeau means that Caska and Guts survive to tell the tale. For the first time, Guts has the chance to sit down and think about his life, mostly because he`s too badly injured to do anything else. Talking with Caska, he get surprisingly philosophical, noting that unlike the others, he fights merely for the thrill of fighting. When Griffith returns, Caska is unusually conflicted, especially as it looks as if Guts` time with the Hawks is coming to an end.

15. The Decisive Battle
The hundred years war is finally turning in Midland`s favour, but there is an annoying sticking point. Doldrey castle was won from Midland early in the war, and has been in Chuder hands ever since. It`s mostly because Doldrey is an impregnable fortress, with 30000 defenders that have decimated any force trying to attack it. Griffith volunteers to take the castle, and do it with only the 5000 men of the Band of the Hawk. Guts is confident in his leader, but Caska is concerned. Griffith has a dark history with Doldrey`s current governor, and he may not be thinking rationally.

16. The Conqueror
The attack at Doldrey continues, and Griffith`s plan appears to be working. The enemy is drawn out into a reckless charge, leaving the castle open for Caska to sneak in with her men. But there is an unpleasant reception waiting for her. On the battlefield, Guts comes up against the enemy general, and he may finally be outmatched when his sword proves itself to be weaker than his indomitable will. But a mysterious figure with an interest in the outcome of the battle watches from above.

17. Moment Of Glory
With the end of the war, Griffith becomes an even bigger threat to the nobles of Midland, especially when the king in his gratitude appoints him leader of Midland`s armies, and ennobles the leaders of the Band Of The Hawk. But the backstabbing plots against Griffith intensify, and it all comes to a head at a reception thrown in his honour.

Video

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

The transfer itself is pretty creaky. There is a slight degree of print damage and grain, but never enough to really stand out. Occasionally obvious are videotape artefacts and an overall softness that simply can`t match up to contemporary efforts.

Audio

You have a simple choice between DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with optional translated English subtitles. I opted for the Japanese as always, and found the audio to be suitable. There isn`t a great degree of separation, but the dialogue is clear. I wasn`t too impressed with the theme tunes, but the incidental music is excellent, suiting the action and the quieter moments well. It`s no surprise when you see Susumu Hirasawa`s name in the credits, the composer who would later go on to collaborate with Satoshi Kon on his films, as well as the Paranoia Agent series.

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

Features

The extra features offer a little more than the average anime disc; beginning of course with the obligatory animated menus and jacket picture. You`ll also find 27 line-art images in a Production Sketches gallery, 6 minutes of English voice actor screw-ups in Outtakes, and most substantial, an Interview with Kentaro Miura, the manga-ka who created Berserk. In it he talks about what inspired him and how he was involved in the anime production. This section is audio only, presented against artwork with subtitles and lasts 20 minutes.

Conclusion

Consistency in a good anime series is something to aspire to. It`s good news for everyone, everyone that is except reviewers, who find it harder and harder to find new ways to say the same things. It`s as dispiriting to write as it is to read, but once again a volume of Berserk hits all the right notes, and once again I`m tempted to write `more of the same` and be done with it. If you have read the reviews for the earlier volumes, you`ll have noticed how I have praised the high standards of storytelling, and the intriguing characterisations, all of which render meaningless any protestations about the low budget look of the animation. Consider all that said yet again, as volume 4 differs not one jot in quality across its four episodes, at a point in the series where most animators would be thinking of taking a breather before the final stretch.

The end of Caska and Guts` little sojourn behind enemy lines comes pretty quickly in the first episode, but it alters the dynamic between Caska and Guts, with her drawn to the swordsman as much as to Griffith. For Guts it`s a chance to take stock, and crystallise his thoughts. It becomes clear that his reasons for joining the Band Of The Hawk don`t exactly tally with Griffith`s ambitions, and the sense that he needs to move on begins to tinge the subsequent episodes. It also coincides with the war turning in Midland`s favour. It falls to the Band Of The Hawk to strike the decisive blow that will end the war, but it`s also a chance for Griffith to come to terms with his past. If you remember where we started four volumes ago, there is also a hint of the supernatural menace to come, with the mysterious figure watching the battle unfold, and taking an interest in Guts` welfare.

We`re back to court politics for the final episode, and the rare opportunity to see Caska in a dress. With Griffith earning the eternal gratitude of the King, as well as the adoration of the public, it soon becomes apparent that the nobles of Midland will not stand for his ascension. There is naturally the question of how much power and influence he wields, but some also question how a man made popular in war, can flourish in peace. It all leads to a whopping great cliffhanger that makes waiting for volume 5 a somewhat painful prospect.

Berserk has storytelling that is deep, thoughtful and intelligent to a level that exceeds many of its peers. It shows how good anime can be given a chance, and despite the rather archaic animation, it`s one of the freshest shows out there. You shouldn`t hesitate to grab hold of this one.