Berserk Volume 32: Zodd and Guts Meet Again

Sonia and Zodd are who begin this volume, with an interesting discussion between the pair. Ominousness and heavy foreshadowing seems to be the mojo on Griffith’s team, which is what makes them so insipid yet engrossing. Sonia tells Zodd he has a choice to make, and it seemingly relates to prophecy and to Guts and him in the present. Even though I wasn’t entirely hooked by this opening chapter, it did give us this panel.

Any volume that gives you this, has to be somewhat fantastic. And it kind of becomes fantastic as Serpico stops a fight between Zodd and Guts, cleverly using Guts own words. But if this didn’t hook you, we get another blood-curdling moment as Guts is being cleaned up by the crew. Griffith appears, to only his gaze, and seemingly evaporates like a shadow. It was probably him, given the fact that he is apart of the God Hand. I am left curiouser and curiouser to if Griffith was affected by Guts having a new family.

After this, Griffith appears again, this time to eliminate another foe of his, ensuring his dominance in the public eye and favor. He is a man of steel, the greatest threat to civilization and their favorite ‘underdog’. To the world, Griffith is the rags to riches story, and they’re kind of right. Most people who start a the bottom take everyone down to get to the top. It’s usually not the privileged ones as they never had to pull someone down to prop themselves up, someone does that for them. But the real ‘underdog’, is the Guts of the world. Those who chose to live not by selfishness, but by love. Yet they are the ones forgotten and written-off in the history books.

Meanwhile, the boat arc takes over Berserk. It’s starts off quite well as Farnese is learning from Schierke, something we have waited a while for and it’s satisfying to see Farnese grow further. Meanwhile, Guts watches over Casca, quietly. Even if this volume was a slightly monotonous experience, the ending promises something better. Who can’t be spellbound by Farnese learning magic?