Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III-The Advent

• Directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka
• June 23, 2012 (Japan)
• Based on Kentaro Miura’s Berserk manga series

Voice Cast

Band of the Hawk

• Guts-Marc Diraison
• Griffith-Kevin T. Collins
• Casca-Carrie Keranen
• Judeau-Christopher Kromer
• Rickert-Michelle Newman
• Corkus-Doug Erholtz
• Pippin-Patrick Seitz
• Gaston-Sean Schemmel

Members of the Midland Court

• King of Midland-Christopher Corey Smith
• Princess Charlotte-GK Bowes
• Julius-Jesse Corti
• Adonis-Colin DePaula
• Anna-Lisa Ortiz
• Hassan-Michael Sorich
• Raban-Marc Thompson

God Hand

• Void-Jon Avner
• Slan-Cindy Robinson
• Ubik-Liam O’Brien
• Conrad-Sean Schemmel

Other Adversaries/Miscellaneous

• Skull Knight-Jamieson Prince
• Bazuso-David B. Mitchell
• General Given-Sean Schemmel
• Gennon-Steve Kramer
• Adon-Mike Pollock
• Boscogn-TJ Storm
• Torturer-Liam O’Brien
• Silat-JB Blanc
• Erica-Michele O’Medlin

The Band of the Hawk plans a rescue mission to save the imprisoned Griffith, but things take an unexpected turn.

This installment of the Berserk Trilogy is replete with nudity, violence, gore, and disturbing images. And it is most certainly not for children. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III-The Advent is barely acceptable for adults at many points.

A year has passed since the events of the last film and Guts breezes back into things in time to help rescue the imprisoned Griffith. I do not understand how Guts has built a bond with ANYBODY in the Band of the Hawk with his inability to stick around. Casca has love for him and he inspires strong feelings as needed for purposes of the story in the members of the Band of the Hawk. What exactly is the basis for all this?

The purpose of this story is to fulfill Griffith’s destiny and that is revealed to be not ascending to some throne. Towards that end much of this movie takes place in a demonic other world since his destiny is connected to that weird ass pendant of his. And it is some of the most unnerving imagery I have seen in quite some time. This would match up very well with Dante’s Inferno (book and animated film).

The Golden Age Arc III-The Advent goes all in on the sexual imagery. It is very sex focused and very graphic. More so than the last film. We have a demonic rape scene and a rather detailed tender scene between Guts and Casca after Guts breezes back in. And let’s not forget that moment when the nude demon woman rises from the ground. Boobies galore!

In the first film there were some implications of homosexuality between Guts and Griffith. I’m not busting on the movie for that. Here it appears that Griffith indeed did lust for Guts and Guts had at some point developed a physical desire for Griffith. While neither character was distinctly gay, they were certainly bisexual. There is even what amounts to a romantic love triangle with both men desiring Casca. It all pops out of thin air with little explanation.

This takes matters seriously with events having believable impacts on the characters. The rape of Casca leaves her mentally shattered and little more than a child. From my perspective though this movie ended on what amounts to a cliffhanger or even a we lost ending with the forces of darkness win and the world is left circling the drain. I am not a fan of either.

That whole bit with Griffith being tortured was rather disturbing. He was tormented in a way that’s demented for even live action. He was burned and his tendons were cut so he couldn’t escape. Who thinks of stuff like that?! He was disfigured by his jailer and the wise move is done to NOT show his face which I understand is something done in all versions of the story. It lets your mind do a great deal of work and is much more effective than handing this all to the viewer.

The animation is beautiful. It is very detailed. There are just so many little things that make close attention to the details presented a good idea. Insects and reflections and the glint of light off something. It is just something generally missing from more traditional animation. But there is not much story here. Rather what we get is a lot of padding for what amounts to a moment in a story.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III-The Advent visually is absolutely stunning. But as a story, it resolves very little in this trilogy rather leaving elements for another story. I will say that you should check them out only because it’s more mature beautiful to look at and offers something different in the world of anime from what I’ve experienced.