A HARROWING ESCAPE! ~BERSERK UNCENSORED~

I hold the opposite opinion, as someone who started with the anime, it wasn’t until I explored the manga that I actually started to appreciate the depth of the story.

Alex

Just realized there might be a few reasons for some criticisms you pointed out which will become clear later on. It’s subtle, and I didn’t notice until now while following along as a reread. It’s been ages since I read these chapters! Been loving the review series! Thanks for all you do!

Having watched only the animation, I feel like, I haven't missed much because they cut out all of this arch.

There was definitely a reason why all adaptations of Berserk has cut out the Wyald section and his character. It really does drag the pacing of the story to a halt. Also, the stuff with Casca during this section has never sat well with me and is pretty distasteful and needless.

thegirladventurer

You might say the storm coming is a bloodstain hurricane

BasilTheLovable

Indeed, the black dog sequence is quite bad. Plenty of people in the comment have mention it. Still, there is a moment I love before the pursuit: It’s when Caska wipe the blood from Guts face. It has stuck with me since the first time I saw it. Guts, a man who would never let people touch him in any ways, is completely welcoming of Caska gesture even closing his eyes. It’s enough to get Griffith to understand what is going on between those two.

Niel

I think you have to take into consideration the original release of Berserk was in serial form in Shonen manga. The narratively irritating assassin band were visually interesting to use as a cover or double page spread etc. And the gratuitous Casca nudity was blatant "fan service", something I don't like but it's part of manga culture. I'm really enjoying your journey and comments but you sometimes divorce Berserk from its manga orgins. The story sometimes has beats that are there because of issue lengths or publishing schedules. Just an observation.

Just a small detail but when Guys first goes to hug Griffith in the cell, Griffith actually tries to strangle Guts but is so weak that no one notices. Also Judeau is a guy. And the Black Dogs and assassins are definitely the weakest stretch of Berserk and I’m glad they were skipped in the golden age movies

TexasTaterSalad

Yeah, there's a reason this sequence was cut out of both major anime adaptations. It doesn't really do much but foreshadow some stuff that either doesn't need foreshadowing or is established just as well elsewhere, and it breaks up the pacing in an unfortunate way. It's one reason why when people ask me where to start with Berserk, I tell them to start with the '97 anime and then pick up the manga where it leaves off. There are plenty more high points to reach and very few more lows quite this low, not to worry. Minor pronunciation / word usage note: you say "full gambit of torture" a couple times, the phrase is "full gamut of torture." Looking forward to next week!

Judeau's a dude

Both the assassins and the Black dogs(Wyald) were super weak writing and even the fandom say's they are skippable/forgettable. The newer versions of Berserk has cut lots of this martial because it is bloated. In a pervious video you have a critique of how Casca and the Band got into a fortress, but in the movie they fixed this by using Adon Coborlwitz as a means to get inside the fortress while the battle for Doldrey takes place. It's hard to tell what is the best version of this story since it was started in the 80s and 90s, but sometimes the medium is improved when thought is put into it. However other parts are missing because of pacing and time restraint like lost Childern ark being totally missing.