Why "Cracks in the Blade" is one of the Best Chapters in Berserk

hey guys before we start a video there are two things I want to talk about the first is I want to thank you all for 10,000 subscribers I'm recording this off script so there'll be a lot of mumbling and starring as per usual for me when I'm going off script but I really appreciate it um I couldn't imagine a time when I'd even get hundreds of subscribers see there I'm stuttering my words nevermind ten thousand so thank you guys so much more berserk content incoming and I plan to do more stuff outside of berserk if you guys want to see that so um yeah some Vinland saga stuff I'm gonna do when the anime hits on Sunday so look forward to that and I'll keep making the content you guys like I guess and the next thing is I actually have a sponsor over this video which is very exciting so I'll let that play out I've been after that just enjoy the rest of a video hey guys before we start the actual video I wanted to share a quick update with you I love making berserk videos primarily on this channel but there are a lot of ideas but I can't dedicate full videos to Amino reached out to me about their app which lets people join various communities based on their favorite hobbies and my favorite part posting stories about certain topics these stories don't disappear like cover-ups and are a great way to share some smaller topics regarding anime video games and many more i've partnered with Mino to share some of my very own stories which wouldn't fit into their own videos you can check out this one of my favorite designs in berserk right now I will continue posting berserk stories over there and for the upcoming Vinland saga anime so stay tuned to my amino profile for more click the link in the description or pin comment download me know or search me know apps in the App Store and find my stories by searching spired thanks so much for listening and I hope you enjoy the video again click the link in the description or pin comments download Amino and let's continue on berserk is a series which is strongly defined by the landmark events which usually cap off each arc be it via clips Griffis rebirth or the astral merge I have talked about these events extensively my previous videos but berserkers much more than these key events berserk also exceeds on a chapter per chapter basis say what you will about the hiatuses but I feel that each chapter is rife with key part of a story which helped define berserk be a character moments great action or a bit of both in today's video I'd like to talk about my favorite chapter in verse Ares chapter 129 set in for conviction arc titled cracks in the blade what is the content of this chapter which makes it my favorite does it have cool action major law revelations none of that in fact the meat of this chapter is simply guts having a conversation with an old dying blacksmith I'll be going through this chapter on a page-by-page basis much like the approach I took with the gun belt novel but unlike that pile of shite here I want to talk about how great this chapter is this chapter is set right off a cuff of lost children and got his first interaction with our nosy and the holy iron chain Knights as a quick reminder God's is still in his black swordsman persona fueled by force of revenge on behalf of a fallen Hawks and to satiate his hatred against the Apostles however God has demonstrated some cracks in this persona of his finally accepting Parkers a real companion and his previous actions against Rosine hesitatin de killer for our lost children were such moments and cracking the blade his guts being confronted on his black swordsman behavior and what is actually led to after Gus receives a premonition from the demon child back asko's in some sort of danger he rushes over to go to his cabin where she has been residing for the last two years for her own protection at least that's what gutters internalized this ass the chapter begins with Erica cutting down some wood she captures a dancing puck but just after that she encounters guts for the first time in two years what I love about this panel is the contrast between guts and Erica and how it flips her black Solomon persona on its head Erica flinches before noticing guts and the scale shown between God's merica here is masterfully done if you showed this panel out of context to someone guts would look like the villain hair shrouded in darkness with only his remaining eye illuminated it's consistent with his current persona of the black swordsman but then something different happens gods greet Eriko of a smile and even commenting of how she's grown a bit taller Erica beams a smile back upon seeing an old friend for the first time in two years think about when guts interacted with that young boy and lost children he was a means to an end just to lure out Rosine pseudo apostles owl guts was acting cold and calculating as expected for how his current mental state was even with Jill he didn't share his level of engagement and interest of her if anything he wanted her to stay away from him purely because of the black souls and persona he shrouded himself in guts showing respect and kindness for an old friend is a huge step in the right direction for the character post eclipsed this same attitude is applied in the next pages when guts meets rickover first time after two years commenting on how much stronger akat looks gods is displaying a level of care for his old friends that doesn't seem natural based on ways being proof of her past two years as the black swordsman as much as he loves his friends Envy hawks his revenge quest was really the only thing on his mind as Rika is asking guts where he's been freeze past two years gods cuts recur off to ask one major question if Casca is safe Luca got his facial expression here and compared to the panel's whilst he was in his black swordsman persona instead of a face of twisted hatred it is one of the sense of duty and responsibility cementing the idea of a Casca is the most important person in gots his life and is for Kiev pulling him out of such hatred even when record tells guard spat casco has gone missing got his reaction and composure it's a lot different compared to before he's not so much filled with anger but genuine worry sure he pins recur upon hearing this news but look of his panel here he's sweating grinding his teeth and filled with a genuine panic more emotions are overflowing rather than hatred what really sells was scene for me his Erica's reaction she burst into tears and explains that she couldn't bear to see casket wrapped in the Elven cave so when to take her to go fruit-picking in which she somehow escaped from Erica's line of sight God snaps at Ricker saying why isn't he looking for Casco right now Erica rightfully calls him out on this what about guts and what he did for her past two years God went off on a quest with seemingly no end chasing an impossible goal for God hand are most importantly Griffith who didn't even recite him for physical realm at this time instead of grieving with the people who were still better support him he cast aside what he loved for a twisted gold revenge wrecker did the complete opposite and the right course of action her her explains he looked the Casca eye again and again but the most important thing is he returned home to Erica and goda his new family Richert wasn't barren via clips but the Hawks meant just as much to him as they did to guts instead of casting himself aside in hatred and despair he surrounded himself with people to help his heart he'll I don't want to repeat myself too much about Ricker so I suggest watching my important of record video if you want to know deeper thoughts about the character haruka explains to guts there's a reason he can't leave and that's where we get to the meat of this chapter God goes into the attic and sees a dying when God asks for cause Girdler simply replies it is due to old age he asked as he got his equipment I notice is all for battle damage that has been done to it which shouldn't be this way even after 10 years never mind to go doe begins to relate got his own equipment damage to his mental state it's a really good analogy which works on two levels the first is fat godo as a blacksmith so of course he's going to make these sort of observations for his work it's not life a grunt Beldon overall whether were dragon is said without no rhyme or reason godo has been characterized of living vicariously through his work and that is all he's ever known the second is fat because of this go to acts as a way for both reader and got himself to analyze Gus's behavior up to this point godo notices cut his facial expression of how much more tense it is event the last time that they met these two years as a black swordsman have left a heavy toll on guts so much so but even go toka knows this from got his demeanor alone godo makes her educated guess by Coty's waging war against demons based on their previous experience with a bore apostle two years prior what I love about this is what godo says next he comments fire he doesn't even know for waging war against apostles it's even for right thing to do and gives a one suggestion which marks the beginning of guts reassessing himself and his actions listen why not run away from war from hatred the next panel of guts reactant of a statement is masterful simply staring at godo with her vacant but almost inquisitive stare is not that God is angry that goda made the statement but he's confused because to guts right now running away from war was never an option he created a narrative in his head but going on a hatred fuel quest to kill or apostles would somehow avenge for Hawkes it's not that guts didn't consider any options but he was so caught up in hunting for demons to get to the good hand but he himself didn't believe that there were any other options godo then goes on to explain his interpretation of hatred he equates that hatred is for place about people who can't look sorrow and VI run off to God was unable to face the distress of losing four Hawks and work through the pain with those who were left he was too afraid to face the truth of the actions and more importantly mourn them Gerudo then goes on to equate this with another blacksmith analogy PAP engines is something that you so can sharpen in blood by singing for blade called your heart in blood to fix for next called sorrow but the more you sharpen it more it rusts so you keep repeating this action until that's left is a pile of scraps Gus wanted to get rid of a sorrowful feeling by concealing himself in hatred but what did / actually accomplish that feeling of sorrow never went away he spent two years killing countless apostles as a form of coping mechanism for what happened if he eclipsed this isn't gonna bring the Hawks back and got his mental state and what he was doing as a black swordsman isn't a good tribute for their memory / but those feelings never went away so instead of evaluating his actions he just did it again and again and again as godo says the more you sharpen the more it rusts and all that is left for guts is a pile of scrubs who have cracks called fear running or crowing look at God his reaction to one go to equates guts his current state to fear it's almost as if guts is playing right into Goda's analogy Gunners for stoic inquisitive look of a hardened warrior and now we are looking at a terrified of young man who for the first time in two years is really evaluating his actions guts responds back to go to his words saying about no one understands what he's going through and I absolutely love this panel of guts his facial expression here a crazed look on his face sweating profusely and gnashing his teeth together got is facing a sorrow head or not to go to his exchange and the body language fat Mira demonstrates in this panel is reflective of that guts in a cray state says to go Dover the Hawks just died suddenly and bats ear none of it made sense and the people who he cared for most in the world died like insects without understanding anything which was going on guts has a terrible case of survivor's guilt here saying that they could have done something with their lives if they lived and to him well they were irreplaceable for the last two pages of this chapter or what cements visitors my favorite chapter in berserk godo picks up on guts saying the Hulk's were irreplaceable and rightfully points out that guts abandoned these irreplaceable things guts in his suffering went alone and left for last irreplaceable thing he had Casca the horrors of the eclipse affected guts so much but he thought he had lost everything but hunting apostles alone would somehow honor his fellow Hawks memories because he had nothing left of his point his irreplaceable friends were gone but they won Casco was still alive Rooker to even go to point Salva he was right beside those or replaceable things but instead of immersing himself in sorrow with Casca he ran away from tackling these emotions so that his own malice could burn godo continues by saying disgust even have any place criticizing Ricker who he left alone does got to have any place talking about for revenge for his friends when he was the one who abandoned Casca one of the few he cared for who was left no matter how you slice it God's chose what he did for those two years for selfish desires he chose himself and to rely on fighting to fulfill some sick mission of hunting the Apostles to find the God hunt and it was all for nothing instead of looking inwards and immersing himself in healing his heart with those who are left he continued to form the cracks of fear in his heart again and again godo finishes for chapter of his haunting message you're like a drawn sword on the battlefield one with countless Nick's soaked in blood and rusting with a lethal crack in it a sword that's begun to break notice kodos wording here begun although got his actions for these past two years have been a sad and twisted tale he's not completely far gone yet we've seen this for his hums with black swordsman but there is still some humanity inside him and to equate a blacksmith analogy in honor of goda he just needs to be reforged cracks in the blade demonstrates a turning point in berserk it was a much-needed wake-up call for guts to evaluate himself in his actions and using godo as a proxy to highlight this was very well played by Mira it's a much needed character shift for guts he could remain a revenge fuelled maniac forever and the somber but effective way of how Mira showed guts to actually internalized this change for himself with a conversation with a dying blacksmith and that is what cements vus as my favorite chapter in berserk thank you so much for watching and I'll catch you on the next video [Music]

Channel: Spired

Views: 357,446

Keywords: berserk, grunbeld, book, griffith, casca, anime, manga, The Flame Dragon Knight, Fukami, Miura, Analysis, Farnese, Schierke, Golden Age, Black Swordsman, Puck, Guts, Anime Review, Berserk 2016, Berserk 2017, Review, Video Review, Casca Restore, Skull Knight, Fantasia, Lost Children, Conviction, Femto, Berserk 1997, Godo, Erica, Rickert, Falcon of the Millenium Empire, Void, Ubik, Conrad, Slan, Zodd, Godhand, Silat, Video Essay, Berserker Armor, Band of the Hawk, Eclipse

Id: xF6qRKvqw6c

Length: 16min 7sec (967 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 08 2019