Berserk: The Golden Age Arc
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc | |
![]() Theatrical release poster of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King | |
ベルセルク 黄金時代篇 (Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen) | |
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Genre | |
Anime film | |
I: The Egg of the King | |
Directed by | Toshiyuki Kubooka |
Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
Music by | |
Studio | Studio 4°C |
Licensed by | |
Released | February 4, 2012 |
Runtime | 77 minutes |
Anime film | |
II: The Battle for Doldrey | |
Directed by | Toshiyuki Kubooka |
Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
Music by |
|
Studio | Studio 4°C |
Licensed by | |
Released | June 23, 2012 |
Runtime | 98 minutes |
Anime film | |
III: The Advent | |
Directed by | Toshiyuki Kubooka |
Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
Music by |
|
Studio | Studio 4°C |
Licensed by | |
Released | February 1, 2013 |
Runtime | 113 minutes |
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (Japanese: ベルセルク 黄金時代篇, Hepburn: Beruseruku Ōgon Jidai-hen) is a Japanese anime film trilogy, which adapts Kentaro Miura's Berserk manga series, specifically its Golden Age arc, and was produced by Studio 4°C. The first two films, The Egg of the King and The Battle for Doldrey, were released in Japan in February and June 2012, and the third film, The Advent, was released in February 2013. In North America, Viz Media has licensed the trilogy for English home video release.
Plot summary
The Egg of the King
A soldier named Guts attracts the attention of a mercenary group, The Band of the Hawk, when he kills an enemy champion during a siege. He is forced into joining the group after being defeated in single combat by its leader, Griffith. The Band of the Hawk are employed by the Kingdom of Midland for its Hundred Year War against the Tudor Empire, and Griffith rises in the kingdom's hierarchy after a successful battle. During another siege, Guts and Griffith encounter the demon Nosferatu Zodd, who notices the pendant around Griffith's neck and warns Guts that Griffith will be his doom. Griffith's rise in status is ill-received by Midland's noblemen, and there is a failed assassination attempt on Griffith by the king's brother, Julius. Griffith charges Guts with murdering Julius, and Guts also kills the noble's young son. Guts, emotionally scarred by his actions, overhears Griffith discussing his views on friendship with Midland's princess Charlotte and is unsettled to learn he and the other Hawks are a means to Griffith's end.
The Battle for Doldrey
Guts and Casca are separated from The Band of the Hawk, and fend off attacks by the Tudor's cruel commander Adon and his men. Guts defeats most of Adon's men while covering Casca's escape, but begins to lament his life's path and decides he will eventually leave the Band of the Hawk so that he can become an equal and true friend to Griffith. Later, the Band of the Hawk participates in the battle to capture the impenetrable Fortress of Doldrey and end the Hundred Years War, wherein Casca kills Adon. A month after the war's end, Guts parts ways with Griffith after defeating him in a duel. Griffith is distraught at Guts' departure, and in a lapse of judgment he is caught sleeping with the king's daughter, Charlotte. Griffith is charged with treason and imprisoned in the Tower of Rebirth while the members of the Band of the Hawk are branded outlaws.
The Advent
A year after Guts' departure from the Band of the Hawk, Guts returns to aid them in freeing Griffith from the Tower of Rebirth. However, when they find Griffith he is barely alive, rendered mute, and physically withered after months of torture. Griffith attempts suicide, and his necklace reacts to his despair: A solar eclipse occurs that draws him and The Band of the Hawk into another dimension where they encounter the archdemons known as the God Hand. Griffith is told that his tribulations have been leading to this moment, and Griffith agrees to sacrifice his allies in exchange for bring reborn as Femto, a member of the God Hand. The Band of the Hawk are slaughtered by the God Hand's monstrous Apostles (former humans like Nosferatu Zodd) and Femto rapes Casca. Guts loses his left arm and right eye trying to save Casca, but Casca loses her sanity from the nightmarish ordeal. Guts and Casca are spirited back to their world by the mysterious Skull Knight, who tells Guts he has been branded by the God Hand and will be subjected to nightly attacks by evil creatures. Guts leaves Casca under the care of former comrade Rickert and embarks on a journey to hunt down Apostles and the God Hand.
Voice cast
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).[4][5] 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.[6]
Band of the Hawk | Character | Japanese voice actor[7][8][9] | English dub actor[7][8][9] |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Cindy Robinson | |
Ubik | Chafurin | Liam O'Brien | |
Conrad | Rikiya Koyama | Sean Schemmel | |
Other Adversaries/
Misc. |
Nosferatu Zodd | Kenta Miyake | J David Brimmer |
Skull Knight | Akio Otsuka[10] | 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[10] | JB Blanc | |
Erica | Ayana Kaketatsu[10] | Michele O'Medlin | |
Old Fortuneteller | Guin-poon-chaw | Barbara Goodson |
Release
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.[11] 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][13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
In North America, Viz Media has licensed all three films for a home video release.[16] The Egg of the King was released on November 27, 2012.[17] The Battle for Doldrey was released on August 6, 2013.[18] The Advent was released on April 15, 2014.[19] The Golden Age Arc has also been available for streaming on Netflix.[20]
Music
The soundtracks for the film series are composed and arranged by Shirō Sagisu, with the theme song composed and arranged by Susumu Hirasawa.[21] The insert song of all films, "Aria", is performed by Hirasawa,[22] 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, "Beautiful Things" (ウツクシキモノ, Utsukushii Mono), is performed by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai (in an uncharacteristic epic ballad style) and composed by Rykeyz and Redd Styiez;[23][24] 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.[25] 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.[26]
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,[27] and the last film in the trilogy brought in less, with an opening weekend of $280,248 and grossing $399,445.[28]
Kotaku's Richard Eisenbeis panned the first two installments of the trilogy, but described 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.[29]
References
- ^ Osmond, Andrew (February 6, 2017). "Berserk Movies and First TV Series Released Monday". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Ransom, Ko (April 9, 2012). "Berserk Films to be Distributed in 16 Countries Globally". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- ^ Marshall, Dallas (July 9, 2012). "Berserk: The Golden Arc - The Egg of the King". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "Berserk Film Slated for Next January". Anime News Network. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "2012 Berserk Film Trilogy's Main Cast, Staff Listed". Anime News Network. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "Viz Media Debuts Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I on DVD & Blu-ray". Anime News Network. November 27, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ a b "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Behind the Voice Actors.
- ^ a b "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
- ^ a b "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
- ^ a b c Green, Scott. ""Berserk Golden Age Arc III: Descent" Cast Revealed". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "New Berserk Anime Project Launching (Updated)". Anime News Network. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "Berserk's Golden Age Arc to Be Made Into 3 Anime Films". Anime News Network. July 12, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ Loo, Egan (November 1, 2011). "1st Berserk Film's Newest Trailer Streamed (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Ransom, Ko (February 20, 2012). "Berserk's 2nd Film Slated for June 23". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ^ Loo, Egan (November 16, 2012). "3rd Berserk Film's Full Trailer, Poster Unveiled". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 7, 2012). "Viz Media Licenses Berserk Film Trilogy". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Viz Media. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Griffith, Jonathan (March 24, 2020). "5 Anime Movies to Watch from Home". Michigan Theater Foundation. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Loo, Egan (September 15, 2011). "TV Berserk's Hirasawa, Eva's Sagisu Compose Berserk Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Loo, Egan (January 29, 2013). "Hear Berserk Films' Theme With Made-Up Lyrics in Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Loo, Egan (October 28, 2011). "Japanese-American Singer Ai Performs Berserk Ending Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ "ウツクシキモノの歌詞". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Loo, Egan (November 13, 2012). "Chemistry's Kawabata Sings 3rd Berserk Film's Ending". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ "Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
- ^ Elsenbels, Richard. "The Third Berserk Movie is by Far the Most Violent Thing I Have Ever Watched". Kotaku.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Viz Media's Berserk: The Golden Age Arc site at the Wayback Machine (archived 2021-10-29)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of the King at IMDb
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey at IMDb
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III: The Advent at IMDb
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of the King (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III: The Advent (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 2012 anime films
- 2013 anime films
- Berserk (manga)
- 2010s fantasy films
- 2012 horror films
- 2013 horror films
- Animated films based on manga
- Anime films composed by Shirō Sagisu
- Computer-animated films
- Dark fantasy anime and manga
- Films about rape
- Films with screenplays by Ichirō Ōkouchi
- High fantasy anime and manga
- Japanese dark fantasy films
- Japanese film series
- Japanese horror films
- Studio 4°C
- Viz Media anime
- Warner Bros. films