Berserk – Volume 5: Another Excellent Volume

The most wholesome volume and my favorite yet. Personally, I wish the art would’ve shown more range, but I am nitpicking here. Berserk volume five promises from here on out to be an experience, and one that takes every spot where Berserk works and hones in on it. What made the Black Swordsman arc so middling by comparison was that nothing was focused in on. Guts just went from here, there, to everywhere with no reason provided. He was a struggler, but of what?

Here, we find out everything. And it is so satisfying. Not just as an answer to a fascinating question, but as an experience. Anyone who skipped the first arc and jumped in here would enjoy it as much as the next person since this arc has something for everyone. It’s a strong coming-of-age story, but also an impressive way to explain why Guts is the way he is, and an entertaining viewing experience. The paneling is un-bloated and mesmerizing; I mean, I could go all day.

Related:

• Berserk Volume 1: I’ll Never Forget You, Volume One
• Berserk Volume 2: To Read but Not of Note
• Berserk Volume 3: A Reasonable End and Intense Beginning
• Berserk Volume 4: The Golden Age of Berserk Begins

But what about volume five? What makes it stand out? Guts befriending the Band of the Hawk. In volume four, we only got Guts sort of finding himself in the Hawk after fighting Griffith. But here he is, willingly fighting for his friends and understanding friendship. While it may sound cheesy, it’s surprisingly not. Why? Judeau. In chapter eight of Golden Age, he speaks of Griffith, and it’s easy to see why so many follow him. He’s not just a voice; he’s a person. He’s the God sent from above and that friend you can have drinks with. He’s ethereal, he’s unreal, he’s too real.

Additionally, in moments like these, you don’t just get time to appreciate how mesmerizing everyone is in Berserk, but how fantastic Judeau is. He’s the silent watcher of the group, knowing every fiber of someone yet never saying a word for their happiness. He’s a great contrast to Casca, being the helpful friend to the more honest one. And he’s a great friend to her, as you will see later, being the one who is able to keep her together as she does for him, yet neither really knows how much they do till the end.

Furthermore, this interaction brings forth one of my favorite panels of Berserk. It’s not particularly notable, but it warms my heart.

After this touching moment, we arrive at a Griffith and Guts interaction, which mostly serves to show Griffith’s weird necklace. Probably has no relevance for later.

We then arrive at more wholesome scenes of Guts fitting in the Hawk, and if it ended here, it would be perfect. But ‘perfecter’ is a word commonly attached to Miura, and we somehow find ourselves with the Zodd scene. It’s made very clear Griffith will betray Guts if the earlier volumes didn’t already accomplish this point, and it’s a serviceable scene. I found the action more interesting than the foreshadowing since Zodd has an ingenious design. Aside from that, this could’ve been reworked.

Casca saves this section by working into Guts insecurities, saying he caused this. This brings more interesting drama into the room, as you can understand, Casca. In her view, the person she has dedicated her life to has moved on. From her, her friends, their purpose. How Miura shows her emotions and her care for the group is one of the strongest parts of the volume. Usually, mangaka would hone in on our protagonist and let the audience assume how everyone else feels in relation to them. But here, Miura allows raw and open conversation. Rickert and Casca feel as important as Guts in every panel as they are written just as human.

By the end, we see the love triangle align: Casca is admiring and wishing more from Griffith, Guts is thinking about Casca, channeling his hurt at her words and possibly more, and Griffith is asking Guts why he needs reason to defend him. It all seems underwhelming, but as Miura leads you on, these minor happenings make you reconsider so much.