Customer Reviews

Berserk - White Hawk (Episodes 10-13)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The bloody saga between darkness and human will continues with "Berserk 3: White Hawk." While I noted that the second volume lacked a bit in action and intensity (but was still very good and necessary), this third volume comes back with full force containing more story, character development, and outstanding battle scenes.

The series continues with past events in Guts' life that are still adding shape and texture to the person that he has become in the very first episode. A warrior possessed with rage and absolute hatred of himself, Guts craves fighting and is an unstoppable force against his enemies. One of the main storylines of the four episodes is Guts and Caska getting separated from their group after battle. Guts learns how Caska came to met Griffith and why she joined his group. She also reveals why she is envious of Guts. At the same time, the two are being tracked by the enemy. Caska and Guts must learn to fight together side-by-side, or suffer the deadly consequences.

"Berserk" is really shaping up to be one hell of an impressive series. The storytelling is absolutely mesmerizing and the animation suits the characters and the setting. While we still have yet to see what exactly has led Guts to where he was in the very first episode, we are learning more and more about his past which helps us understand where he's coming from. Guts is also showing more emotion in these episodes which leads us to believe that there has to be more to him than being just a violent and raging warrior. We also see Griffith come more and more into power and showing signs of completely devoting himself to his dream. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening between Guts and Griffith, as it's clear that some sort of treachery must've taken place at some point.

This anime series isn't intended for children. These four episodes contain strong and brutal violence, extreme blood and gore, language, nudity, and dark and disturbing themes and imagery. It's crucial to the story that the series be dark and violent as it is painting a horrific picture of warfare and how far some are willing to go to destroy their enemies with hopes of gaining all power over everything. Extras included are outtakes, production sketches, the original TV opening, storyboards and trailers.

"Berserk 3: White Hawk" continues this exciting epic without missing a single beat. The episodes are exciting, heavily involved with the characters, and they do a splendid job of continuing this episodic journey into darkness. If you've made it this far, then you know the power this series holds. For have only seeing 13 episodes, this is already proving to be a remarkable tale.

I watched this entire series all the way to the twisted and very bloody end. The massacres that take place in this anime are just off the scale. The power that Guts wields with his massive sword is amazing to watch. He takes out an entire army all by himself. He surpasses even Griffith in power and in heart. This is one of the best animes around folks. You have to see this one. Sure it's bloody and I mean blood will be spurting all over the place. There is so much blood in one scene until it covers the entire screen. But the story is sooooo good that it's worth it. The medieval violence only enhances the passion, the pain, and the fierce desire for Guts to find his place in the world.

Be warned: The story doesn't end with the ending of the anime. To follow the story further go online to search down the manga. Once you take a bite out of this apple you gonna scream for more. Power struggles, deception, supernatural pacts with the unholy,betrayal,love,immense passion and most of all broken relationships penetrates to the core of this exquisite anime.

Still even with all the wonderful attributes of this powerful, mind-shaking anime it's not for kids under 13. It can be very disturbing at times and may be just plain unbearable for little kids to sit through due to the violence.

I give this anime 4 stars simply because the ending is not really an ending but a beginning of a much deeper story that must be followed-up in the manga. So don't break the dvd because you're outraged at the ending that really isn't an ending but it's still absolutely incredible.

In volume three, Berserk gets much more mature in content without truly changing the choking atmosphere surrounding the dark plot of the story. It deals mostly with a woman's place in war, with the princess of Midland as the weaker side of the the spectrum, and Caska as the warrior side and therefore the side more in danger. It also has a few darker elements, such as the murder of children, which is graphically depicted, attempted rape, and homosexuality. With all of these together, I would have to say that this anime takes a violent lurch from ages 16+ to adult.

The story in volume three, though important, adds little to the series. The first episode is a direct continuation of the last episode of volume two, dealing with Griffith's near assassination and his hunger for vengeance. From there, the Band of the Hawk and Griffith leads the Midland army in what is believed to be the most decisive battle in the war to date. During the battle, however, Caska and Guts end up getting separated from the battle and their comrades. Guts is forced to care for the feverish Caska with limited resources, and finds a cave to spend the night. Once here, Guts repays Caska for keeping him alive earlier in the series in much the same way she did, by keeping her nude body warm during the night. When she awakes, and after a brief scuffle, Caska reveals her history with Griffith, a story cut short because of enemy patrols. They flee the cave at nightfall, but are pursued almost instantly. Outnumbered, wounded, and sick, the two are forced to fight.

Like I said before, the actual story in this volume is of little importance. It adds back story to two characters, and shows the depths at which Griffith will go to achieve his dreams, but this was something that was always clear from the start. Despite that, I can't say it was a bad addition to the series, because it's now officially as dark as the first episode promised. Plus, it shows the beginnings of a rift between Guts and Griffith. If you've already begun collecting the series, then don't miss out on this volume.

At this stage of the series I have to acknowledge that I am totally hooked. After finishing the third disc, I could not wait to watch the next one. In the episodes contained in this installment we see some of the main characters examine their motivations for participating in Griffith's quest. Especially Guts, who will have trouble finding a reason to keep going after what happens in the first episode in the disc (Noble Man).

When Griffith, the leader of the Band of Hawks, discovered that Yuruis was the mastermind behind his assassination attempt, he decided to send Guts to kill the king's brother. Guts mission was supposed to be carried out with secrecy, but things did not go as flawlessly as planned. As a result, Guts becomes considerably distraught by the events that developed during his mission, and to make matters worse he overhears a conversation between Griffith and the princess that adds more doubts to his mind. From this point on, Guts is chased in dreams by memories of his childhood with Gambino and by Zodd the Immortal, the monster he faced previously.

Also, Caska finds herself having trouble coping with the relationship that is developing between Griffith and Princess Charlotte. Griffith is rising in court and the political games continue, but his attention focuses on the war and the princess. As a result of this, Caska opens up a little in his attitude towards Guts, and shares some astonishing revelations about Griffith's past!

What I found most satisfying in this set of episodes was the profound view we get of the emotions and thoughts of the characters. Although I enjoy the action packed episodes, and the ones here have their fare share, I was marveled by the deeper aspects of the story. At this point I can say without fear of making a mistake that this series is truly amazing.

The 3rd volume of BERSERK is off the hook. It's the best I've seen yet!

We see our hero Gutts in attempt to assasinate the(I won't spoil it) man Griffith wants dead, we also see Caska sharing her past with Gutts about when she first met Griffith. There's more to it but I don't wanna spoil it.

This volume is also very violent. And a bit of nudity. But that can't stop you from watching this show! It's simply AMAZING! I love this volume!

I give it 100000000/of 5 stars!!!

Berserk rules! It's the best anime I've seen! But of course there's still more than just this series.

Overall this is the best volume yet.

GET IT!....NOW!!!!

Later...........

By this point in the series, Caska begins to take an even bigger role, and we get to see more of what makes Guts tick.

On the series as a whole, I can best compare this series to Record of Lodoss War, but with much more violence and adult themes than Lodoss War had. This series is definately not for children. The story is of a mercenary named Guts and set in a world similar to Lodoss War, but with fewer fantastic creatures and different odd races (most all of the characters are human, with a few exceptions). Do not expect to see a bunch of elves and dwarves and dragons, the non-human characters are few and far between through the first 5 episodes.

One hilarious bonus feature on all of the Berserk DVDs is the Outtakes. Basically, it is a series of line reading errors placed over the same scene in the original anime scenes. Watch them after viewing all of the episodes on the DVD so that you understand the context, but they are truly hilarious. It's very different than those "outtakes" on other animated DVDs, which are actual added scenes.

Volume 3, White Hawk, reveals some of Griffith's and Casca's dark past and deals with some disturbing stuff. Volume 3 has the most character development so far. This series is proving to be one of my favorites (can't forget Lain). If you dont like your story's sugar coated, I highly recomend Berserk!

All I can say is Wow , this series represents the title Manga to it's most truthful meaning , nothing comes close to this , and to think I was inlove with The Record Lodoss War series once upon a time , how much i have missed until now . Berzerk is and will forever be known as a break through in animation and creative story telling. Berzerk shows us all how far anime can take us once it's reached it's full potential. Given this it not the best animated manga it centainly is one of the best told. You can keep all your futuristic Sci -Fi anime's but the genre of Fantasy best represents Japanimation (oh poor Disney how much you still have to learn) i.e. Ninja Scrool, Lodoss War, Vampire Hunter D, Fist of the North Star , Dagger of Kamui , Evangelion ,and Escaflowne. Be fair warned berzerk is not for the faint of heart , it is the cold hard truth about the ambitions of men. That being Griffith in this case . I cannot stop mentioning how brilliant the writting is in this Wonderfuly told Epic. This truly is Manga at it's Best.

I love berserk i am forever branded a fan cant wait till they continue it from episode 25

While this DVD has the traditional four episodes, it actually tells only two stories. And one of those only incompletely. The first, 'Noble Man,' is the story of the assassination of General Yurius by Guts. This turns into a debacle resulting in the death of Yurius, his son and a large number of his household. Guts has no sense of when to kill and when to run, and nearly manages to be exposed in carrying out his mission.

At the same time this is happening, Griffith is at a ball intent on enchanting Lady Charlotte. This reveals a side to the commander that may leave the viewer feeling increasingly ambivalent about Griffith, his motives, and his methods. The expressions on his face are telling, and in the light of some past actions, uncomfortably revealing.

The remaining three episodes focus on the next battle against the nefariously boorish Lord Adon of Chuda. Not so much on the battle itself, but on the misadventures of Caska, Griffith's female lieutenant. Suffering a slight illness, she is cornered by Adon and subjected to some grim taunting about her place on the battlefield. Guts comes to her rescue, but in the melee, both are forced off a cliff and into the river. They survive, but Caska is in no shape to head back into battle right away. While the wait for her to regain her strength she opens up for the first time about her history with Griffith.

They finally manage to begin their return to Griffith when they run right into Adon's search parties. Guts is hampered by Caska's weakened state, has to force her to flee, and then sets about killing over a hundred men, one at a time. Caska is pursued, and by the end of the last episode, the viewer will be wondering if they will actually get out of this situation and return to the next day's battle. It is interesting to note that, although he is much more sympathetic to Caska than Adon, Guts shares at least some of the same prejudices against women in battle. Or, at least, so he seems. At the end of this episode disk there is considerable unfinished business for the next DVD to cover.