By Robert Ramos
Why hello, everyone! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten my ass into gear and reviewed anything and what better way to kick off my return to reviewing with something that I hold near and dear to me…Berserk. Yup, the second season is in full force and I am one happy camper!
Before I dive into anything, let me just start off by saying this episode is gory and bloody as fuck. Decapitations with the heads flying in every direction, impalements, and tons of blood gushing all in the mix. It’s fucking beautiful and I could not get enough of it.
Ok, whew. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into why you’re really reading this review: substance. Violence aside, this episode serves as an introduction of sorts to Griffith and his new followers. Each is a complete badass in their own way and has no problem whatsoever laying their life on the line for their new leader. We also get a first-hand look at how the villagers still view Griffith as god-like and as a savior. It’s pretty frightening as these villagers are completely oblivious to the kind of horror he’s capable of, all the while Griffith is pretending to save them but is really out to fulfill his desire for an ideal world. If you ask me, that right there is the very definition of a true villian.
The animation, while having improved drastically, is still somewhat of an issue. Both the CGI and 2D are a shit ton better from the previous season, but they still suffer from some of the same flaws, namely the goddamn sketchiness. I get it: you want to emphasize shadow and depth, but please do a better job. The CGI fights and the character fluidity are so much better and makes for a very enjoyable watching experience. Thank fucking god. Whether it was budget issues or taking note from fans (highly doubtful), I am glad the production studio is keeping up the trend of pumping out solid animation.
Overall, I’m beyond stoked that this series is back. As I mentioned on the latest episode of Super S, the fact that series got “progressively better” lead me wanting more. Now that it is finally here, I’m still left with that very same feeling and cannot wait to further indulge in the upcoming episodes. The story is progressing nicely and starting to get into why it's a Fantasy juggernaut in the manga world. Please don’t let me down now!
Quick side note: the new OP is once again awesome.
Score: 4/5
Berserk (2017) E.03