Rating: Summary: The Fate of a Leader's Ultimate Dream... Review: "Berserk" has quickly become an addicting anime series for me. I find myself wanting to watch every single episode all at once, but do my best to wait and savor the series as much as I can without rushing through it. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is the continuing story of a tortured soul's past--a warrior who knows nothing but rage and anger.These 4 episodes pick up where the last volume left off, with Guts and Caska being separated from their group, The Hawks. When they are victorious against the enemy, they return to their group; battered, but not beaten. The end result of their journey in the woods leads to Guts starting to doubt his purpose. He speaks of leaving The Hawks as soon as the final war is over--a war that will determine the fate of a kingdom and the fate of The Hawks. The war will also serve as either the beginning or the end of Griffith's dream. There never seems to be a wasted moment in "Berserk," as every episode proves to be highly entertaining and involving. These four episodes are fully-loaded with action, thrills, and heart. It is a journey to witness Guts go through a change the way he does. He appears to have more feelings than ever before, but at the same time he is still as brutally violent in warfare as in the past. It is still unclear of how the relationship between Guts and Griffith will come to an end, but from seeing the very first episode in the series it is imminent that such an end will come. Please be aware that this is no "cutesy" cartoon show on a Saturday morning for children. "Berserk" is a dark and violent saga that is intended for mature audiences. These four episodes contain strong and brutal violence, extreme blood and gore, language, and dark and disturbing themes and imagery. Extras included within this volume are production sketches, outtakes, trailers, and an audio interview with Kentaro Miura; the original creator. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is an exciting and thrilling chapter in the "Berserk" saga. After seeing the very last episode on this disc, it's easy to tell that things are about to become much more darker and deadly. What will be the fate of Guts? Will Griffith be victorious in accomplishing his vision? Episodes 14-17 will give you an idea and give you a hint of the things to come. You've made it this far; now, there's no turning back.
Rating: Summary: The Fate of a Leader's Ultimate Dream... Review: "Berserk" has quickly become an addicting anime series for me. I find myself wanting to watch every single episode all at once, but do my best to wait and savor the series as much as I can without rushing through it. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is the continuing story of a tortured soul's past--a warrior who knows nothing but rage and anger. These 4 episodes pick up where the last volume left off, with Guts and Caska being separated from their group, The Hawks. When they are victorious against the enemy, they return to their group; battered, but not beaten. The end result of their journey in the woods leads to Guts starting to doubt his purpose. He speaks of leaving The Hawks as soon as the final war is over--a war that will determine the fate of a kingdom and the fate of The Hawks. The war will also serve as either the beginning or the end of Griffith's dream. There never seems to be a wasted moment in "Berserk," as every episode proves to be highly entertaining and involving. These four episodes are fully-loaded with action, thrills, and heart. It is a journey to witness Guts go through a change the way he does. He appears to have more feelings than ever before, but at the same time he is still as brutally violent in warfare as in the past. It is still unclear of how the relationship between Guts and Griffith will come to an end, but from seeing the very first episode in the series it is imminent that such an end will come. Please be aware that this is no "cutesy" cartoon show on a Saturday morning for children. "Berserk" is a dark and violent saga that is intended for mature audiences. These four episodes contain strong and brutal violence, extreme blood and gore, language, and dark and disturbing themes and imagery. Extras included within this volume are production sketches, outtakes, trailers, and an audio interview with Kentaro Miura; the original creator. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is an exciting and thrilling chapter in the "Berserk" saga. After seeing the very last episode on this disc, it's easy to tell that things are about to become much more darker and deadly. What will be the fate of Guts? Will Griffith be victorious in accomplishing his vision? Episodes 14-17 will give you an idea and give you a hint of the things to come. You've made it this far; now, there's no turning back.
Rating: Summary: The Fate of a Leader's Ultimate Dream... Review: "Berserk" has quickly become an addicting anime series for me. I find myself wanting to watch every single episode all at once, but do my best to wait and savor the series as much as I can without rushing through it. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is the continuing story of a tortured soul's past--a warrior who knows nothing but rage and anger. These 4 episodes pick up where the last volume left off, with Guts and Caska being separated from their group, The Hawks. When they are victorious against the enemy, they return to their group; battered, but not beaten. The end result of their journey in the woods leads to Guts starting to doubt his purpose. He speaks of leaving The Hawks as soon as the final war is over--a war that will determine the fate of a kingdom and the fate of The Hawks. The war will also serve as either the beginning or the end of Griffith's dream. There never seems to be a wasted moment in "Berserk," as every episode proves to be highly entertaining and involving. These four episodes are fully-loaded with action, thrills, and heart. It is a journey to witness Guts go through a change the way he does. He appears to have more feelings than ever before, but at the same time he is still as brutally violent in warfare as in the past. It is still unclear of how the relationship between Guts and Griffith will come to an end, but from seeing the very first episode in the series it is imminent that such an end will come. Please be aware that this is no "cutesy" cartoon show on a Saturday morning for children. "Berserk" is a dark and violent saga that is intended for mature audiences. These four episodes contain strong and brutal violence, extreme blood and gore, language, and dark and disturbing themes and imagery. Extras included within this volume are production sketches, outtakes, trailers, and an audio interview with Kentaro Miura; the original creator. "Berserk 4: Devil's Advocate" is an exciting and thrilling chapter in the "Berserk" saga. After seeing the very last episode on this disc, it's easy to tell that things are about to become much more darker and deadly. What will be the fate of Guts? Will Griffith be victorious in accomplishing his vision? Episodes 14-17 will give you an idea and give you a hint of the things to come. You've made it this far; now, there's no turning back.
Rating: Summary: This is where things really pick up -- best of the 4 discs Review: (warning: this review may contain spoilers of previous Berserk discs, but excluding disc 4) Also note, this is a review by someone who has seen only one other full anime (Cowboy Bebop, which is god),and the first discs of a handful of other animes, as well as a few movies. So I'm no "anime expert", but I know what's good, and Berserk is good. In terms of interest, Berserk, a terrific anime, is one that picks up rather slowly. It wasn't really until the third disc that I became truly absorbed in the goings-on of the plot and the characters. In fact, if it weren't for all the praise I've heard of the anime (and the really interesting turn it took at the very end of the second disc involving the assassinations), I may not have even bothered with the last two discs. Episodes 8 and beyond, however, certainly made up for the lack of interesting plot developments before. Not only do we get some very exciting battles, but also insight into each character's past, what each of them wants from life, interesting and surprising relationship developments between them, and political intrigue and deception between The Hawks and the royalty. Episodes 14-17 (disc 4) builds upon this with The Hawks' most triumphant battle yet, another peak at the demon from an earlier episode and a hint of his involvement in things to come, watching as Guts comes to terms with his lack of a 'dream' and his subsequent decision regarding his involvement with The Hawks (which doesn't entirely flesh out in these episodes), seeing whether or not Griffith attains what he'd been dreaming of all these years, and a cliffhanger at the very end of the disc that will leave you breathless and absolutely craving the fifth DVD (which won't be out for a while......darnit). Basically, this is the disc where things really start to get interesting, and after viewing it I can finally understand how all the praise that got me to watch this anime in the first place is justified. It is a real downer that the disc ends on such a cliffhanger with no following disc available, but I try not to hold that against these episodes themselves, which are truly outstanding in their plot and character developments. I also feel the need to mention the rather unforgivably cheap and mediocre animation used much of the time, which in my opinion does damage most during battle scenes. But it's certainly not terrible and is something that can be forgiven, and perhaps forgotten, once you're immersed into the rich plot. The art direction is also pretty cool. In summary, you have no excuse not to get this DVD if you have a morsel of interest in the previous episodes. It is certainly the highpoint of the show thus far, and will leave you hungry for more. p.s. If you happen to get this DVD, do not miss out on the outtakes located in the 'extras' section. It lasts about five to ten minutes and some of them are just hilarious.
Rating: Summary: Be warned, after this one there is no going back Review: As this series progresses we dive deeper and deeper into the motivations, fears and inner demons of the main characters. The episodes in this disc show two opposing pictures. On one side the happiness and joy from the ascent of Griffith and the Band of Hawks as heroes of Midland due to their success in the challenges they have faced so far. On the other hand, the pain and despair Guts and Caska show because they do not see their path as clearly as before. The reasons behind this uncertainty are different. Guts is bothered by not having a personal goal, but just the one he borrowed from Griffith instead. Caska suffers because she has mixed loyalties between Guts and Griffith, something that had never happened before. In the first episode of this installment we find Guts fighting by himself against one hundred men of the Chuder army trying to give Caska time to run away to safety. However, Caska has been reached by her pursuers and is facing a tough situation. The rest of the action has mostly to do with the decisive battle between Chuder and Midland. The White Knights, Midland's leading battalion has been defeated, and the only hope left is for the Band of Hawks to beat the Purple Rhino Knights in a battle for the control of Doldrey, a key fortification. The Hawks are facing their toughest challenge yet, fighting against a well-armed opponent, going against a fort that is impeccably placed in terms of war strategy. As an added attraction, the governor of Chuder in Doldrey is the man that had a relationship with Griffith a few years back. I am very pleased with Berserk, not only because I like the storyline and the action, but also because the characters are completely mesmerizing. I thought it would be extremely hard, even almost impossible, to develop three-dimensional characters in the anime genre, but the creators of Berserk have succeeded. Finally, a warning for those of you who are getting one DVD at a time, the end of the last episode in this set will leave you biting your fingernails, so make sure that you will be able to keep going soon!
Rating: Summary: This series just keeps getting better and better! Review: Berserk hasn't let me down yet and these set of episodes are a great. Gutts is thinking about leaving the Hawks!!! Yikes! Also the violence has gotten a bit stronger lately. Caska is getting mixed feelings towards the two and the Band of Hawk are soon to meet there fate. I don't want to spoil anything for the people who haven't seen these episodes But I will tell you that they are great. This is why I love this series. It has everything. Drama, Violence and lots of it, the story it self is great, though these are pretty much flash backs. Still it is a must have for any fan that likes sword and sorcer with lots of violence and a really good story. I can't wait for DVD 5. This series is getting better by the minute! Later...
Rating: Summary: This series just keeps getting better and better! Review: Berserk hasn't let me down yet and these set of episodes are a great. Gutts is thinking about leaving the Hawks!!! Yikes! Also the violence has gotten a bit stronger lately. Caska is getting mixed feelings towards the two and the Band of Hawk are soon to meet there fate. I don't want to spoil anything for the people who haven't seen these episodes But I will tell you that they are great. This is why I love this series. It has everything. Drama, Violence and lots of it, the story it self is great, though these are pretty much flash backs. Still it is a must have for any fan that likes sword and sorcer with lots of violence and a really good story. I can't wait for DVD 5. This series is getting better by the minute! Later...
Rating: Summary: Excellent Movie Review: I greatly enjoyed these episodes. First off though, I am a bit biaset towards the whole series, but I feel this was one of the best DVD of the series yet. There is not to much action in this one, only one major war and a "boss" guy so to say. However do not that fool you to think it was boring. There was more plot twists and "what is going to happen next!?!" questions in this one than all of the previous combined in my opinion. I highly highly recommend this to those who are familar with the show. If you have not watched previous ones, this is a bad one to start out on, for there is no character introductions or backgrounds, you might be left in the dark.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Movie Review: I greatly enjoyed these episodes. First off though, I am a bit biaset towards the whole series, but I feel this was one of the best DVD of the series yet. There is not to much action in this one, only one major war and a "boss" guy so to say. However do not that fool you to think it was boring. There was more plot twists and "what is going to happen next!?!" questions in this one than all of the previous combined in my opinion. I highly highly recommend this to those who are familar with the show. If you have not watched previous ones, this is a bad one to start out on, for there is no character introductions or backgrounds, you might be left in the dark.
Rating: Summary: Better than I expected Review: I was half expecting this video to be yet another horrible anime, but it surprised me. It was quite actually fairly well done. The animation isn't all that great and consists of a lot of comic book style freeze frames. A lot of the blood spatter effects look really stupid too. The fact that it has subtitles allows for better dialogue and takes away the chance of some American "dubber" to ruin the film. Plot wise, the story begins in the "present day" I guess and then goes back into a long series of flashbacks, which will explain everything up to said present day. Aside from the frist episode, which appears to make little sense, the plot for Berserk is very well crafted and fast paced. It is the story of an orphan boy who is raised a mercenary and becomes a reknown warrior fighting for an army called the Band of the Hawk, led by the white hawk, Griffin. This first video basically shows Guts' (the main character's) first few years and battles with the Band of the Hawk, but ends before anything else can happen. This isn't the best anime I've ever seen, but it's enjoyable and worth seeing.
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