Hey Multiversity Readers, how’s it going? In this week’s article we will watch the bromance of Guts and Griffith continue to grow and finally get a better understanding of Casca. Oh, we also spend what feels like about a third of these episodes watching flashbacks to the previous episode, so there’s that. Anyway, let’s dive in.
1. The Bromance Never Dies
If you thought that a demonic prophecy that foretells Guts’ doom at the hands of Griffith would somehow pour cold water on their budding bromance, you would be mistaken. Somehow that experience has drawn the two of them closer together. We hear in “The Sword Master” that the Hawks are worried that Griffith is drawing further away from them; that he is leaving them behind for his path toward nobility. But the further we see him get from the rest of the Hawks, the closer he seems to get to Guts. When Guts questions why he would risk his life for him, Griffith seems to almost be wounded by the question. For the first time, Guts feels truly accepted, truly wanted, by anyone. We see Guts swear his life to Griffith and tie their fates together, at least temporarily. It’s not really made clear why Griffith is so attached to Guts. It clearly goes past his usefulness on the battlefield or his loyalty, both of which he has in any number of his men. Regardless of why, it’s clear that the two of them are growing closer.
2. “It’s All Your Fault”
To say that Casca is a complicated character would be an understatement. Berserk as a whole has an issue with female characters, well females in general, and Casca is surely no exception to that. Even the strongest female characters in the manga are constantly struggling to overcome their inherent weakness. Casca’s story has her bouncing back and forth between being the most capable warriors of the Band of the Hawk and being a cry baby on the battlefield. Despite her clearly having the best head on her shoulders of anyone in the group, Corkus constantly questions her authority and reminds her of her role as a woman. Even Griffith, who is far more feminine than she is, has Casca lay naked with the wounded Guts to keep him alive because that is her role as woman. Despite this lack of respect, Casca is desperately in love with Griffith, craving nothing more than his attention. She is more than happy to feast on the scraps he gives her, a kind word here or there, but she never gets the respect she deserves. Griffith constantly passes her over, pouring his attention on others such as Guts and in “Conspiracy” we see his attention drawn to Princess Charlotte. While she blames Guts for ruining her dynamic with Griffith, that relationship was never more than one-sided infatuation.
3. Exposition With a Flat Top
Sometimes in a visual adaptation of a written work, you find yourself in a situation where you need to provide some context or background for a character or location in a creative way. Maybe you have text on screen, or a flashback, or a narrator or some other device that meshes with the specific style you’re shooting for. Another option is to have your hands-down most annoying character, who looks like a rejected M.U.S.C.L.E. wrestler and has issues with translation, explain the strategic importance of a fort that is going to be taken over in fifteen minutes in a three-minute-long monologue. Adon tells us about the local foliage, the long history of the fort, and the specifics of how it is guarded, none of which is important to the episode. I get that he is intended to be an amalgam of all the Chuder generals, so we don’t need to be introduced to a new one each episode, but my heart dies every time I see that blonde flat-top pop up on screen.
4. Just a Suggestion
It feels like we are getting introduced to a number of characters’ rapid fire in the past few episodes. By far the most interesting is our new friend, Minister Foss. With looks like the Dungeon Master from the 80s Dungeon and Dragon cartoon and morals like Varis from Game of Thrones (and come to think of it, also the looks), Foss enters the story as the only seeming threat to Griffith’s rise to power. It’s unclear what his role in the Midland Court is, or even what his motivations are, but he knows exactly the strings to pull to get the king’s brother, General Julius, to do the dirty work of putting together an assassination plot. Even though Foss walk Julius thought the plan a few times before he really gets it. It’s clear that Griffith cannot be taken head-on, Foss’s plan to King Robert (man, did George R.R. Martin watch this show?!) is honestly the first threat we have seen that may actually be able to stop Griffith. The best part is that Foss just passes it off as a suggestion, an assassination plot for Julius to think over. After all, why should he get his hands dirty if he doesn’t have to?
5. That Look
Griffith’s stunning blue eyes are a constant throughout the series. Even in his demon form of Femto, which we see in the very first episode, Griffith’s stunning gaze remains his most notable feature. In these episodes both Guts and Princess Charlotte comforted by Griffith’s doe-eyed look, his disarming stare is enough to draw them close to him. Even the women of the court are even jealous of his grace and gentle persona. However, we also see another look in Griffith’s eyes, one that we have seen before. We saw it when he ordered Casca to help Corkus in the second episode of the series: an intense stare that shook her into action. A look that is filled with intensity and steely resolve, leaving no room for question as to what Griffith wants. For someone so often light hearted and jovial, it is unsettlingly devoid of emotion. We see this look in Griffith’s eyes on the battlefield throughout the series, and in “Conspiracy” as he waits to charge the fort’s front gates. In that moment, Griffith’s only thought is the sacking of the fort, a singular focus. It’s the same look he gives General Julius on the staircase. Both the fort and Julius are merely obstacles to him, and he views both with the same focused gaze. Maybe not gazing on them at all, in fact, but beyond them. For Griffith, his ambition is his drive and his purpose. Will it be enough to overcome the challenges that he faces not only from the Chuder army but also the Midland Court? Or will it crumble like Zodd foretold?
