Reread of the Hawk: Berserk, Volume 22

Tuesday's...kinda like Monday, right? Eh, here it is. Volume 23 is still on track for next weekend.

What Happens

The Rent World

Guts and Casca return to Godo’s home and find Erica at his grave. She suggests that everyone stay and Guts, whom Casca is now less uneasy around, seemingly agrees. But he’s also disturbed that he felt no urge to kill when he saw Griffith at St. Albion’s.

Erica tells him Rickert has a visitor, who says he’s an old friend. Long white hair, looks like a girl, all Prince Charming-like, maybe someone Guts knows too…

Reunion on the Hill of Swords

At the grave of the Hawks, Guts tries to do exactly what you’d expect but Rickert stops him, shocked that he’s so angry; Griffith remarks that he never changes. Guts demands to know why he’s here, and Griffith says it’s to see if he feels anything seeing Guts again; he doesn’t. Guts throws Rickert aside and lunges at him, but is parried by Zodd.

Beast Swordsman vs. the Black Swordsman

Guts and Zodd fight. Rickert is astounded by their skill. Griffith feels some faint stirrings and ascribes them to the homunculus, who became his vessel.

Unchanged

Zodd decides to get serious and switches to his Apostle form, but Guts evades and sends him crashing into Godo’s ore cave. Drawn to the scene by the Brand, Casca is almost crushed when he bursts from the cave but is saved by Griffith, who calls off Zodd and climbs onto his back.

Anime Quick Thoughts: Bodacious Space Pirates Episode 3

The way this is going, I predict Captain Marika by Episode 6

Episode 3 – The Odette II Leaves Port

Summary

Marika and Chiaki successfully stop the hacker, but afterwards Kane and Misa wonder who it was and what they were trying to do. At the café, Chiaki tells Marika there’s a non-aggression pact in force, so no one is allowed to do anything to her until after the deadline for renewal on the Bentenmaru’s Letter of Marque. She insists she still hasn’t made up her mind about that, but Chiaki and reminds her how eager she was to do electronic warfare.

With final exams behind them, the yacht club prepares to head out for their practice cruise on the Odette II. In addition to Kane, Misa, who’s been working as the school nurse (I think) comes along as ship’s doctor. After the ship leaves port the masts jam when they try to deploy. Kane and the freshmen, including Marika, are sent out on a spacewalk to fix it, which is accomplished using Marika’s suggestion. As she stares out into space Kane asks her if she’s scared, and she says she is, but also excited.

Thoughts

Hmm, I guess I was wrong about who the hackers were. Not sure what the deal is concerning the Bentenmaru, but it’s clearly serious business if a non-aggression pact is necessary. I wonder who the Bentenmaru’s license allows them to go up against – presumably the Stellar Alliance, but is there anyone else?

Apparently I was also wrong about Marika and Chiaki’s ability to handle electronic warfare, given that it was mostly a case of boosting power to the ship’s automated defenses. But still, whoever was trying to hack the ship must’ve not been trying particularly hard, because that still seemed a bit too easy.

It’s obvious by now that the series wants to start out by giving Marika character development and show that she has the qualities to be a captain, and it’s doing a good job of that. She may be a bit naïve and impulsive and doesn’t take herself too seriously (in her own words, flighty), but she’s able to make sound decisions, willing to take responsibility in a tight spot, has a taste for adventure and excitement, and is both scared and fascinated by space. I think we can guess how she’s going to spend her summer…

Reread of the Hawk: Berserk, Volume 21

This is last week's. This week's should be up either tomorrow or Monday (and since I just need to finish the commentary, that's probably for reals)

What Happens

Leaping Fish

Using a wooden beam and some rope from the rubble, Isidro, Nina, and Jerome are able to free Casca, dropping the former down to cut her bonds and using a stone tied to the other end to pull them back up. This prompts some dive-bombing by Mozgus, which they barely avoid. Guts fights his way through the spirits atop the tower and jumps down, his sword piercing Mozgus’s chest.

Bestial Priest, Chapters 1-2

Mozgus smashes into the battlements but quickly rises to his feet with his new form fully revealed. His wings end in two massive fists, and his body is covered in feather-like scales and harder than steel. He reveals that the copy of the scriptures he wears against his chest is what saved him and vows to punish Guts in Heaven’s name and avenge the deaths of his men.

Nina panics and tries to slip away. The twins catch her between their giant saw-blades, but before they can cut her in two she stumbles and falls over the side of the battlements. Puck blinds the twins with a flash and Isidro hits them with stones, knocking them to the battlement. Jerome cuts their heads off.

Those Who Cling, Those Who Struggle

It’s near impossible for Guts to dodge Mozgus, who seems to have no weak spot. Below, the masses desperately call out to him for salvation, urging him to burn the witch. He asks if Guts is deaf to so many pleas, but Guts says they shouldn’t put all their hopes in one thing. He spots a wound where the scriptures stopped his sword before, and during Mozgus’s next attack he tosses some of Puck’s bombs into it. The explosion injures and distracts Mozgus, and Guts’s sword pierces his throat.

Anime Quick Thoughts: Bodacious Space Pirates and Another, Episode 2

Wherein piracy remains lacking and new theories are spontaneously devised:

Bodacious Space Pirates

Episode 2 - My Power, the Power of a Pirate

Summary

Chiaki warns Marika that many groups are taking an interest in her now that she’s heir to the Bentenmaru and that she’ll be in danger if she isn’t careful.

Ririka explains that she’d planned to tell Marika the truth after her graduation and takes her to a scrapyard to teach her how to shoot a gun. She impresses on her the responsibility of using power wisely, whether it’s the power of a gun or of having a crew at your command. Marika still isn’t sure what she wants to do about the situation, but Ririka assures her that she has the resolve and decisiveness to make the right decision.

With Kane (it’s a coincidence, really…) as their new advisor, the yacht club prepares to go on a practice cruise on their private ship, the Odette II. Checking up the data on the ship they’ll be using, Kane and the other pirate, Misa, discover that it’s the Hakuchou, an old ship that was retrofitted as one of the Original Seven pirate ships used in the war of independence (yes Kane, a girl’s school has a pirate ship for some reason).

On the bridge, Marika and Chiaki have been paired, and the latter speculates that Kane did that to find out her motives. She’s busy dealing with cyber-attacks, but since the ship is connected to the station’s network it’s mostly just spam. Then she realizes there’s a genuine hacker, and together they’re able to identify the source as a transport ship, and Marika resolves to try and stop them even though neither has much experience in electronic warfare.

Thoughts

There is a distinct lack of piracy in this show so far, but at least they might actually get into space next episode.

Marika does get some more character development, which is nice. Her naiveté is still apparent, but we also get to see her decisive side, albeit paired with the former when she decides to take on the hacker despite having no experience with security countermeasures. Good thing the attack is clearly a test by her future crew to see how she’ll handle it (Chiaki wonders why the ship is making such a poorly concealed attempt; I’m sure if it was one of the other groups who were after Marika, they’d try to hide it better). Her mother does know her well – she makes quick decisions and steps up to the plate to do things herself. Not bad traits for a captain to have, although I foresee her naiveté causing them to get in the way in the future at a time where careful thought or delegation is the better option. There’s also her developing friendship with Chiaki, which I’m sure not won’t become strained once Marika finds out who she really is. And she’s got a real sweet tooth – apparently escaping from the police, military intelligence, the Stellar Alliance Special Forces, and the Space Mafia isn’t grounds for not finishing a parfait (to be fair, it did look really good).

Oh look, a boob shot. I guess there’s some fanservice after all, albeit well within tolerable levels.

 
Another

Episode 2 - Blueprint

Summary

Kouichi continues to try and talk to Mei, who keeps warning him to be careful around her. Once he sees her in the library and asks about her eyepatch, but the librarian politely but firmly shoos him out just as the bell rings.

Since he saw Mei go to the morgue in the hospital basement when they first met, Kouichi asks one of the nurses if anyone died while he was there. She remembers that someone, a girl, did, and agrees to find out her name for him.

After school the next day, Akazawa continues to question Kouichi and he admits that he was born at Yomiyama Hospital; Akazawa insists she has a feeling she’s seen him before. Kouichi spots Mei and tries to follow her. He loses sight of her but stumbles onto a strange doll shop. When he does the nurse calls him to say she learned the dead girl was in middle school, and her last name was Misaki or something…

Going into the shop, Kouichi meets the creepy old lady who runs it and agrees to take a look around. In the basement he finds a doll who looks very similar to Mei, and Mei herself (the owner said there were no other customers), who takes of her eyepatch and – cliffhanger!

Thoughts

More adults acting weird, more shots of ‘creepy’ dolls, more ‘everyone obviously knows exactly what’s going on but won’t just tell Kouichi’, and can’t anyone afford decent light fixtures in this town?

Kouichi is still pretty bland. We know he…likes art, supposedly (it’s not very convincing), and that he’s curious, but the latter seems more like an excuse to keep the plot moving. No one else really stands out either; they’re either a stock character or seem weird because things in this anime are supposed to be weird. At least Mei has the excuse that she’s supposed to be mysterious, being dead and the key to what’s going on and everything.

Kouichi obviously has been to Yokiyama before and has amnesia due to whatever horrible thing happened. There is also totally a freaky doll-cult of some kind, and I predict that the Class 3 homeroom teacher, the librarian, and the shop owner are part of it. And possibly Mei’s the villain and this curse everyone keeps talking about is her revenge. But since this show at least seems like it’s going the subtle route, I’m betting on whatever’s under her eyepatch being a missing eye or some mundane condition rather than something more ‘eldritch horror’.

On a completely random note, something about the whole ‘cute girl with an eyepatch’ thing makes me wish Mei would be transplanted into a different show where she has an actual personality (and is alive).

And waitaminute *checks*, the intro to episode one only said that ‘Misaki’ died 26 years ago, and that’s actually Mei’s surname. Guess this is also a family curse or something.

Anime Quick Thoughts: Bodacious Space Pirates and Another

So, for fun I started doing some 'quick thoughts' diaries of some of the anime series from this season that I've been watching. Then I remembered that I have a blog that needs more content.

This series of  posts will basically be exactly what the title says - short episode-by-episode reactions to the series I'm watching. I've already seen the first two episodes for both series so those will each be posted together, but after that it'll be as I finish them. And since there's much less content to digest than a Berserk volume, they should be pretty regular each week.

So without further ado, the second official series on this blog begins:

Bodacious Space Pirates

Episode 1 - Pirates Coming Through

Summary

When the colony planet Sea of the Morningstar attempted to break away from the Stellar Alliance it supplemented its outnumbered fleet by issuing Letters of Marque, giving rise to pirates who helped them win the war by plundering enemy ships.

A hundred years later, teenager Marika Kato is living an ordinary life with her mother, Ririka, on Morningstar, her time divided between school, the yacht club, and her job at a maid café. One night, two strangers show up at her house and she discovers that not only was her father, Gonzaemon, alive until recently (he died of food poisoning), he was also a pirate, as was her mother, and, more importantly, as his only child and heir, she stands to inherit his ship, the Bentenmaru, as its new captain.

Marika thought pirates were a thing of the past and isn’t sure what to do. The next day, one of the visitors, Kane McDougal, is now her new homeroom teacher, and a girl named Chiaki has transferred in unexpectedly. At work that afternoon the café has a number of strange customers, and Chiaki, who seems to know something about Marika, also shows up. When a man claiming to be from airport security asks Marika to come with him, claiming her mother requested she have emergency protection, Chiaki unexpectedly calls his bluff and helps Marika escape.

Thoughts

Not a lot of piracy going on here, and the whole episode was rather slow-paced. Good thing this is a 26er because it’s too slow for a shorter series, and it doesn’t really give us any idea of what’s gonna happen beyond that Mariko will become captain of her father’s spaceship, and we can only tell that because of the opening and ending themes.

There isn’t much to the characters yet either, and Mariko’s reaction to pirates still being around is a bit strange. Are they really so low profile most people don’t think they still exist, because a news release and her mother’s picture showing up immediately in the internet search seems to suggest otherwise, not to mention Ririka assumed her husband’s death would have made the news. Does Marika just not watch the news or something? Not that that’s implausible. Or maybe they just aren’t too active in that part of the galaxy and so don’t register on most peoples’ radar? And it’s only been a hundred years since the war started according to the intro, which, even by teenage hyperbole standards, is hardly “ancient history.” Her piloting skills learned from the yacht club will certainly prove useful, though. Chiaki, meanwhile, is obviously an agent of some group or other, what with her obviously knowing a good deal about Marika already, and as far as I know there aren’t too many teenagers who just happen to carry a flare gun around.

The animation is clean and colorful, and, despite what the title would suggest, there wasn’t a hint of fanservice. Not a lot to go on story or character-wise so far, but there’s nothing particularly wrong with it (apart from the title; I hope it doesn’t prove to be less misleading than it sounds). I was still sold on it when I heard the term “space pirates”, so I’ll just hope it gets better.

Another

Episode 1 - Rough Sketch

Summary

In 1972, there was a girl named Mei Misaki in the third class of the ninth grade at Yokiyama North Middle School. She was pretty, popular, and excelled in her studies, but when she suddenly died the class continued on until graduation as if she was still the alive. But it was just an act; or was it…*

In 1998, Kouichi Sakakibara moves to Yokiyama to live with his grandparents and attended North Middle School, where his mother and aunt also went, after his widowed father moves to India for his work. He suffers a collapsed lung shortly afterwards and is visited in the hospital by classmates who act strangely and ask him if he’s ever lived in Yokiyama before; he says he only visited when he was young and doesn’t remember the details. That night in the elevator he meets a girl with an eyepatch who calls herself Mei Misaki…*

At school, Kouichi is in grade nine, Class 3. Everyone is friendly but he seems to be the only who sees Mei sitting at the (suspiciously worn) desk in the corner. During gym class he sees her on the roof, and when he goes to talk to her she doesn’t remember meeting him, warns him that his classmates associate his name with death – specifically a horrible one that occurred at the school, and says he shouldn’t get close to her.

Thoughts

Apart from when they were talking to Kouichi at lunch, everyone in the school seemed very subdued. It’s weird, but everyone’s so bland character-wise that nobody’s very interesting or threatening; even Kouichi has no personality so far.

Whatever happened to Mei, a Sakakibara was definitely involved (her hints about his name and death, Akazawa was reluctant to use it, and the questions on whether he’d been there before). Also, that shot of a dam at the beginning, and some feet floating in the water? Yeah, totally an accident. I also suspect the reason why Akazawa was absent, whatever it is, probably doesn’t bode well for Kouichi (the class rep signaled another student to change the subject awful quick…).

The lighting in the animation is suitably dim for that ‘small town with a dark secret’ feel, and it throws in glimpses of creepy dolls imagery. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be creepy because it isn’t very.

Overall, not particularly scary, but right now I feel compelled to keep watching to find out if there’s going to be a ‘dead all along’ twist (not Mei; she’s obviously a ghost – I mean Kouichi or the rest of the school or something like that), or if everyone’s part of some weird cult – either way. The ending theme is oddly cheerful-looking, though; I wonder what’s up with that?

*I'd put that 'dun dun duuunnn!' sound effect here, but I've abused it a bit too much already.

Reread of the Hawk: Berserk, Volume 20

What Happens

The Spider’s Thread

As the spirits burst through the chapel door, the spider-thing stings Mozgus and his men. Isidro, Nina, Luca, and Jerome flee up the stairs towards the chapel but become trapped between the spirits at the door and those behind them. Then a pillar of flame bursts through the door, burning away the spirits and exposing an unconscious Casca. She falls into the arms of the fire’s source – Mozgus, who vows to complete his holy mission by burning the “witch” at the stake. One of his men, the midget, recognizes Nina as Casca’s companion. The cone-headed one attacks them, using his weapon, a four-pronged grip attached to a chain, to tear a chunk from a pillar and launch it at the four. It misses but leaves a large hole in the wall, which causes part of the floor to give way, sending Nina and Luca over the edge, the former caught by Isidro and Jerome while she holds Luca tenuously by the hand.

Those Who Dance at the Summit, Those Who Creep in the Depths

Luca lets go of Nina’s hands, but as she falls the Skull Knight catches her. Behind the others cone-head throws another chunk of pillar, but before it can hit them Guts, guided to the top of the tower by Puck’s sensing of Casca’s presence, smashes through it He narrowly misses Mozgus, who realizes Guts is the renowned Black Swordsman. He refuses to relinquish Casca as he and his men unfurl their wings.

The Skull Knight lands in what he tells Luca are the burial grounds at the base of the tower. He senses something else there, and an egg-shaped shadow slowly approaches.

Hell’s Angels

Guts fights the torturers and they smash up the chapel between them. The others and a newly-arrived Farnese look on in astonishment (except Puck; he’s seen more impressive).

Reread of the Hawk: Berserk, Volume 19

What Happens

The Black Swordsman on Holy Ground

The heretics insist on bringing Casca clothing and jewels (where’d they get those?) as tribute, and both Luca and Nina are worried about being found out. Some of the Knights have arrested one of the other prostitutes, whom Luca tries to help by interposing herself between her and the leader’s whip. Then Guts shows up and demands to know if they’ve apprehended a woman with a brand on her chest. The leader insists he doesn’t know, and Guts kills the two who charge him after he tosses the former aside.

Straying

Guts kills two more of the Knights. Emboldened, someone in the crowd throws a stone at the leader. Intimidated by their glares, he backs off and the Knights leave. Luca takes Guts to their tent, but Casca and Nina are gone. The latter, who’d argued for turning Casca out, has taken her to the heretics. Isidro and Puck see them and follow them, the former planning to use rescuing Casca as leverage to get Guts to train him.

Ambition Boy

Joachim is brought to Farnese and agrees to lead the Knights to the heretics’ hideout. She is also informed that Guts is here but refuses to try and capture him.

At the hideout, the heretics plan to cut out Nina’s heart as an offering to the “witch” Casca, who will then “mingle” with the man who takes on the role of the Great Goat. Before they can kill Nina Isidro starts throwing rocks, telling Puck to fetch Guts. The heretics try to catch Isidro, but Interstice spirits emerge from the cauldron smoke, drawn by Casca’s Brand. The Knights arrive to find not only heretics, but possessed ones.

Goals for 2012

It was a close thing at points (at least, Reread of the Hawk was), but this blog here is back in business and likely to stay that way. That being said, it definitely needs some work, and I have a few goals in mind to get things moving around here:

- Get the Reread of the Hawk posts out in a timely manner. At first I actually thought I’d be able to do two a week; obviously that didn’t work, but I haven’t been that good at even doing once a week, and for the second half I’m hoping to change that. The goal as of now is once a week on Saturdays or Sundays.

 -  Actually write about other stuff. This isn’t supposed to be the Berserk version of A Blog of Ice and Fire; that was just something I intended to start off with because I wanted to try my hand at blogging about a reread and so that I’d have something to post consistently at first (see above) while I thought of other things to write about (see below). Reread of the Hawk isn’t going anywhere, if only because the other reason for doing it was to prove to myself that I could see a personal project through, but it’s also been over four months since I wrote about anything else. I intend to change that.

 -  Develop more focus. I jumped into blogging with the intent on improving my writing and work ethic, but with little real idea of a particular focus. Fantasy fiction will definitely be part of it, and probably writing too, but about what topics in either field? What do I have to say that’s worth saying and others wouldn’t cover better? Those are the questions that need to be answered going forward.

 -  Comment more on other blogs and join some forums. Won’t be able to build much of an audience if I don’t put myself out there more, and interaction with others is a great way to get inspiration and topics. I know I’ve wanted to at least comment on blogs I follow, but I’m rarely sure of anything meaningful to add and don’t want to comment just for the sake of doing so.

And that’s it for now. Step 1: get the post for Volume 19 finished by the end of the week. We’ll see how it goes from there.

Reread of the Hawk: Berserk, Volume 18

It's alive!

I'd give an explanation for the long absence, but it'd just be excuses. I'm also not sure this one is as good as it theoretically could be given the time I've had, but I've let things slide enough and giving it 'just a bit more time' probably isn't going to change much at this point.

So without further ado, let's get back into this:

What Happens

Kushan Scouts, Chapters 1-2

In an abandoned village a boy named Isidro watches from hiding as a group of Kushan scouts easily dispatch a band of mercenaries. Then Guts walks through town and kills them just as easily. On a nearby hilltop Silat reminds his men they’re here to scout, not intervene – yet, and warns them not to underestimate Guts.

Tower of Shadow, Chapters 1-2

At St. Albion’s, some of the refugees are so desperate they try to steal food from a wagon bringing tribute to the monastery. They are quickly surrounded by Farnese and her men, but one woman pleads for her child, who’s too sick to even nurse. Mozgus overhears and commends the woman for her concern, promising to show mercy.

The would-be thieves are taken into the monastery. The woman’s baby is brought to a physician, and Mozgus promises her he will receive proper care. Then he takes her to the torture chamber to pay for her crime with her fellow refugees. Farnese is horrified by the hellish spectacle unfolding within, but Mozgus tells her she must not look away – God is not only benevolent but a judge as well.

Jerome, one of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, takes his leave of Luca. He gives her food as the usual payment but also a necklace as a sign of his favor, promising to make her his mistress when he returns home. But Luca makes a point of not believing everything johns tell her and shares the beads with her fellow prostitutes. She has them share half the food among their neighbours to maintain goodwill. They keep Casca, whom they call Elaine because she can’t tell them her real name, swathed in bandages, claiming she has syphilis; they’re worried some of the men in the camp won’t be able to resist a pretty girl who can’t say ‘no.’