Berserk: The Golden Age Arc

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (Japanese: ベルセルク 黄金時代篇, Hepburn: Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen) is a series of films, an effort to adapt the Golden Age Arc of Kentaro Miura's Berserk manga series.[4] The project was first announced as a new anime project in September 2010 on a wraparound jacket band on volume 35 of the Berserk manga.[5] The first two films, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King and Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey, were released in Japan in February and June 2012, with the third film, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent, released in February 2013. The third film also marks the first time new footage based on the manga has been animated beyond the storyline of the Berserk TV series from 1997. Viz Media has licensed all three films for a home video release.[6] The Golden Age Arc is also available for streaming on Netflix.[7][8]

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc
Poster
ベルセルク 黄金時代篇
(Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen)
Genre
Anime film
I: The Egg of the King
Directed byToshiyuki Kubooka
Written byIchirō Ōkouchi
Music by
StudioStudio 4°C
Licensed by
ReleasedFebruary 4, 2012
Runtime77 minutes
Anime film
II: The Battle for Doldrey
Directed byToshiyuki Kubooka
Written byIchirō Ōkouchi
Music by
  • Shirō Sagisu
  • Susumu Hirasawa
StudioStudio 4°C
Licensed by
Madman Entertainment
Viz Media
Kazé UK
ReleasedJune 23, 2012
Runtime98 minutes
Anime film
III: The Advent
Directed byToshiyuki Kubooka
Written byIchirō Ōkouchi
Music by
  • Shirō Sagisu
  • Susumu Hirasawa
StudioStudio 4°C
Licensed by
Madman Entertainment
Viz Media
Kazé UK
ReleasedFebruary 1, 2013
Runtime113 minutes

The Japanese voice cast features Hiroaki Iwanaga as Guts (replacing Nobutoshi Canna from the original anime), Takahiro Sakurai as Griffith (replacing Toshiyuki Morikawa), and Toa Yukinari as Casca (replacing Yūko Miyamura).[9][10] The English voice cast features Marc Diraison as Guts, Kevin T. Collins as Griffith, and Carrie Keranen as Casca, all reprising their roles from the original anime.[11]

Films

The Egg of the King

Berserk: Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (ベルセルク 黄金時代篇I 覇王の卵, Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen Wan Haō no Tamago) was released on February 4, 2012 in Japan.[12]

Guts, a mercenary, attracts the attention of the Band of the Hawk and is forced into joining the group after being defeated by its leader Griffith twice. Once the Hawks defeated the kingdom of Tudor's Black Ram Iron Lance Cavalry, they are recruited by Midland for its war against its rival kingdom, the Tudor Empire. During one siege, Guts and Griffith encounter the demon Nosferatu Zodd, who notices the Behelit around Griffith's neck and warns Guts that Griffith will be his doom. In time, Griffith's gradual rise in status is ill-received by the noblemen, and a failed assassination attempt by the king's brother Julius results in his murder by Guts, who was also forced to kill the noble's son Adonis to leave no witnesses. Guts, emotionally scarred by what he has done, would later hear Griffith discussing his idea of friendship with the Midland Princess Charlotte and is further unsettled to find he and the other Hawks are a means to their leader's end.

The Battle for Doldrey

Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (ベルセルク 黄金時代篇II ドルドレイ攻略, Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen Tsū Dorudorei Koryaku) was released on June 23, 2012 in Japan.[13]

For three years, Guts believed his mission was to pursue Griffith's dream together with him. But after coming to understand Griffith's outlook as well as fighting 100 men (and winning), Guts realises that he would need to leave the Band of the Hawk to be considered Griffith's equal and truly be called his friend. After forming a bond with Casca while they are separated from the others, Guts and the Hawks take part in a bloody battle to capture the impenetrable Fortress of Doldrey from the Tudor Empire's army of 30,000 strong defenders. A month after capturing the fortress and winning the war, Guts parts ways with Griffith after defeating him in a duel. Griffith does not take his former ally's departure well, and in a lapse of judgment he is caught sleeping with the king's daughter, Charlotte. Charged with treason for his actions, Griffith is imprisoned in the Tower of Rebirth while the members of the Band of the Hawk are branded criminals.

The Advent

Berserk: Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (ベルセルク 黄金時代篇III 降臨, Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen Surī Kōrin) was released on February 1, 2013 in Japan.[14]

It has now been a year after Guts' duel with Griffith and his departure from the Band of the Hawk. Upon learning the Hawks have been labeled outlaws in Midland, Guts returns to aid them in freeing Griffith from the Tower of Rebirth. However, they find out that Griffith is a broken man-barely alive and rendered a mute cripple after months of physical and mental torture. When Griffith is reunited with his Behelit while attempting suicide upon realizing what he has been reduced to, a solar eclipse occurs that draws him, Guts, Casca and their comrades into another dimension where they encounter the archdemons known as the God Hand. Told that his tribulations have been leading to this moment, Griffith accepts becoming the final member of the God Hand to achieve his dream while knowing his transition requires his allies being offered as branded sacrifices. In this hopeless battle with the God Hand's monstrous horde of Apostles - former humans like Nosferatu Zodd - Guts's attempt to rescue Griffith fails as with Guts and Casca remaining as Griffith is reborn as Femto. Guts and Casca are spirited back to their world by the mysterious Skull Knight, but not without repercussions: Casca loses her sanity from the nightmarish ordeal she endured of watching her comrades' slaughter and then raped by Femto; and Guts losing his left forearm and right eye in his attempt to force their former leader off her. After leaving Casca under Rickert's care, learning his brand will subject him to nightly attacks by various fell creatures that will seek his life, Guts embarks on his journey to hunt down the Apostles and the God Hand so he can kill Griffith.

Voice cast
Band of the Hawk Character Japanese voice actor[15][16][17] English dubbing actor[15][16][17]
Guts Hiroaki Iwanaga Marc Diraison
Griffith

Griffith (young)

 Takahiro Sakurai Kevin T Collins
Ayako Takeuchi Barbara Goodson
Casca Toa Yukinari Carrie Keranen
Judeau Yuki Kaji Christopher Kromer
Rickert Minako Kotobuki Michelle Newman
Corkus Yoshiro Matsumoto Doug Erholtz
Pippin Takahiro Fujiwara Patrick Seitz
Gaston Kazuki Yao Sean Schemmel
Members of the

Midland Court

 King of Midland Nobuyuki Katsube Christopher Corey Smith
Princess Charlotte Aki Toyosaki Rachel Lillis
Julius Rikiya Koyama Jesse Corti
Adonis Maki Mizuma Colin DePaula
Anna Ayako Takeuchi Lisa Ortiz
Hassan Hiroshi Arikawa Michael Sorich
Raban Hochu Otsuka Marc Thompson
God Hand Void Shinji Ogawa Jon Avner
Slan Miyuki Sawashiro
Ubik Chafurin Liam O'Brien
Conrad Rikiya Koyama Sean Schemmel
Other Adversaries/

Misc.

 Nosferatu Zodd Kenta Miyake J David Brimmer
Skull Knight Akio Otsuka[18] Jamieson Prince
Bazuso Kendo Kobayashi David B Mitchell
General Gien Sean Schemmel
Gennon Kazuki Yao Steve Kramer
Adon Rikiya Koyama Mike Pollock
Boscogn Takayuki Sugo TJ Storm
Torturer Chafurin Liam O'Brien
Silat Yuichi Nakamura[18] JB Blanc
Erica Ayana Kaketatsu[18] Michele O'Medlin
Old Fortuneteller Guin-poon-chaw Barbara Goodson

Music

The soundtracks for the film series are composed and arranged by Shirō Sagisu, with the theme song composed and arranged by Susumu Hirasawa.[19] The insert song of all films, "Aria", is performed by Hirasawa,[20] a live performance (from Phonon 2555 Vision) is included on the home video releases of the second film, another live version is on the Nomonos and Imium DVD; the ending theme of the first film, "Utsukushii Mono" (ウツクシキモノ, "Pretty Thing"), is performed by the R&B singer AI (in an uncharacteristic epic ballad style) and composed by Rykeyz and Redd Styiez;[21][22] lastly, the ending theme of the third film, "Breakthrough", is performed by Kaname Kawabata of CHEMISTRY, written by Kawabata, Hidenori Tanaka and UTA, and arranged by Sagisu, Miho Hazama and CHOKKAKU.[23] A special TV program, narrated by Akio Ōtsuka (the voice actor for the Skull Knight), that summarized the events of the first two movies, used the Hirasawa song "Horde of Thistledown" (冠毛種子の大群, "Kanmō Shushi no Taigun") (from The Secret of the Flowers of Phenomenon) as its ending theme.[24]

Home media

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (Viz Pictures - November 27, 2012)[25]

  • Video: 2.35:1 [MPEG-4 AVC] (1080p)
  • Audio: English and Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Extras: Art Gallery and Trailer (Viz Releases)
  • Case type: Keep Case
  • Note: The film suffers from banding issues.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (Viz Pictures - August 6, 2013)[26]

  • Video: 2.35:1 [MPEG-4 AVC] (1080p)
  • Audio: English and Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Extras:
  • Production Art Gallery
  • International Trailers for the First Film
  • Live Concert of Susumu Hirasawa "Aria" (4 min)
  • Interview (in Japanese) with Aki Toyosaki and Minako Kotobuki (12 min)
  • Outtakes of the English Dubbing (15 min)
  • Case type: Keep Case
  • Note: The film suffers from banding issues.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (Viz Pictures - April 15, 2014)[27]

  • Video: 2.35:1 [MPEG-4 AVC] (1080p)
  • Audio: English and Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English

Reception

In Japan, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 - The Egg of the King brought in $594,707 with a gross of $1,348,352,[28] and the last film in the trilogy brought in less, with an opening weekend of $280,248 and grossing $399,445.[29]

Kotaku's Richard Eisenbeis panned the first two installments of the trilogy, but describing the third installment, Berserk: Golden Age Arc III: Descent, as supreme and delivering an experience surpassing the original manga both in emotional turmoil and brutal violence.[30]

References
  1. Osmond, Andrew (February 6, 2017). "Berserk Movies and First TV Series Released Monday". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. Ransom, Ko (April 9, 2012). "Berserk Films to be Distributed in 16 Countries Globally". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  3. "The Official Website for Berserk: The Golden Age Arc". Viz Media. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  4. "Berserk's Golden Age Arc to Be Made Into 3 Anime Films". Anime News Network. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  5. "New Berserk Anime Project Launching (Updated)". Anime News Network. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  6. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (7 April 2012). "Viz Media Licenses Berserk Film Trilogy". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  7. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012) - Watch on Netflix or Streaming Online | Reelgood, retrieved 2020-03-31
  8. "5 Anime Movies to Watch from Home". Michigan Theater. 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  9. "Berserk Film Slated for Next January". Anime News Network. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. "2012 Berserk Film Trilogy's Main Cast, Staff Listed". Anime News Network. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  11. "Viz Media Debuts Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I on DVD & Blu-ray". Anime News Network. November 27, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  12. Loo, Egan (November 1, 2011). "1st Berserk Film's Newest Trailer Streamed (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  13. Ransom, Ko (20 February 2012). "Berserk's 2nd Film Slated for June 23". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  14. Loo, Egan (November 16, 2012). "3rd Berserk Film's Full Trailer, Poster Unveiled". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  15. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Behind the Voice Actors.
  16. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  17. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  18. Green, Scott. ""Berserk Golden Age Arc III: Descent" Cast Revealed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  19. Loo, Egan (September 15, 2011). "TV Berserk's Hirasawa, Eva's Sagisu Compose Berserk Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  20. Loo, Egan (January 29, 2013). "Hear Berserk Films' Theme With Made-Up Lyrics in Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  21. Loo, Egan (October 28, 2011). "Japanese-American Singer Ai Performs Berserk Ending Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  22. "ウツクシキモノの歌詞". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  23. Loo, Egan (November 13, 2012). "Chemistry's Kawabata Sings 3rd Berserk Film's Ending". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  24. "ベルセルク特番でストーリーおさらい、EDは平沢進の新曲". Natalie (in Japanese). December 17, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  25. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  26. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  27. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  28. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  29. "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  30. Elsenbels, Richard. "The Third Berserk Movie is by Far the Most Violent Thing I Have Ever Watched". Kotaku.
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