Berserk

Episode 7

Look, I know this sounds insincere coming from me, but I think LIDEN FILMS is finally getting the hang of this! It's still not remotely ideal, but this week's production work was several steps above the standard put forth in this show's first few episodes. The storyboarding was good, indulging Itagaki's frantic camera flourishes just enough without going overboard. The animation was better, blending the 2-D and 3-D elements slightly better than usual with a refreshing smattering of squash n' stretch in the eternally rigid character models (mostly for Isidoro and Puck). And then there's the cherry on top, when all the plot elements laid out by previous weeks came crashing together in a beautiful (sometimes literal) orgy of cataclysm. That "second eclipse" hasn't arrived yet by any means, but we're definitely on the fast track to something big.

In fact, this whole episode feels just plain inevitable, as Guts's search for Casca, Farnese's hunt for the heretics, Nina's desire to escape her cruel world, and Isidoro's desire to prove his mettle all converge perfectly into the next burst of demon attacks summoned by the call of the God Hand's brand. Relative to all the careful setup that's come before, episode 7 is a joy that's over in a whiplash flash, so I'm kind of at a loss for what to even discuss. What do you even say about a climax (or pre-climax since the battle isn't over yet) that already speaks for itself so well? Everyone's karma is coming back to bite or reward them in all the right ways (or at least the ways Miura makes you feel are right), and this episode's brisk pacing and smart cross-cutting keep your head firmly in the action at all times without ever forcing you to turn your brain off.

Guts is so desperately determined not to lose Casca again that he inadvertently draws her fated tormentors even closer. He's truly found himself in yet another hopeless situation, since Casca does need to be rescued from the heretic cult trying to make her their queen by forcing her to mate with some dumbass wearing a goat's head. (Is he the Midland equivalent of "drunkest guy at the party with a lampshade on his head"?) At the same time, the act of saving Casca from one horrible fate actually increases the likelihood of his original nightmare coming true, because Farnese's men might not have found the heretic camp and their newly adopted witch queen if they hadn't chased Guts there for killing their men in his blind rush! Fate really does have it in for this guy, and sometimes I can't help but agree with that Mad Dog in his head that believes he should just lose himself to blind chaos, for all the good trying to do the right thing has ever done him. (Sometimes. The less nihilistic part of my brain still wants to think Guts's futile moments of happiness and short-lived rewards for the ones he loves are enough to make the harder life worth living.)

While our hero's choices reveal the most obvious irony in the story, there are other little twists of fate reflected across the cast in this climactic moment. Nina finds her inferiority complex and resentment of Luca tragically reflected back on the heretic cult's adoption of Casca over her, turning the lonely girl into a sacrifice to bring their new queen glory. No matter which side she chooses or she serves, trying to run away from her fears only seems to teach Nina that she can never run faster than the people she tries to drag down with her. On that note, her beau Joachim is still alive and remarkably unpossessed by demons right now, so good for him, I guess. When he tattles on the heretic cult to the Holy Knights, Farnese directs her forces to raid them not for any noble reasons, but out of a desire to bury her own closet skeletons by killing Guts, the only man who's seen the darkness in her heart and lived. In the process, she loses even more of her forces, weakening her tenuous position and putting herself in potential danger from the heretics' madness on one side and Mozgus's judgment on the other. And of course, while the fear of failure sneaks back into her mind, she becomes surrounded by the same demonic imagery that originally blemished her record. In trying to destroy the memory of that horrible night, she only recreated it as she gapes in horror at Casca in that haunting position. Will she want to bury this new memory by immolating it on a pyre?

The only person whose fate seems to pay off in a positive way is Isidoro, who actually shows Guts up by putting his bravery to the test and pelting some demons with rocks. Even if Guts had arrived in time to save Casca, Nina probably wouldn't have survived without the Black Swordsman's unwanted sidekicks. He and Puck give this episode some much-needed levity, and I'm liking both of them more and more every week. (Of course, the best joke in this week's episode was the next episode preview, which dramatically subtitles a shot of the goat-man demon with a big bold "Baeeeeeh!")

Even if it still doesn't do its source manga justice, this was easily the best episode of Berserk 2016 yet. I hope this show doesn't improve enough to where I'm going to start wanting more when it ends in five more episodes. Seriously, are they just completely yanking the plug on this effort, or are they gonna re-circle the wagons and try for a better Berserk continuation in a different style? After the bulk of story we've already gotten that hasn't even scratched the surface of Midland post-Golden Age, one cour isn't nearly enough to feed our mighty need.

Rating: B

Berserk is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Jake has been an anime fan since childhood, and likes to chat about cartoons, pop culture, and visual novel dev on Twitter.