Warning: This article contains spoilers for Chapter 372 of Berserk, which is a Mature series After a few months hiatus, madness returned with glee, with former students of mangaka Kentaro Miura at Studio Gaga once again paying tribute to their old teacher with a stunning opening chapter to their latest installment. Following Casca’s story after she was kidnapped by Griffith, who used her transformation into a Moon Boy to infiltrate and destroy Elfhelm, Berserk Ch. 372 is the team’s best to date, embodying full control over the series’ psychological horror background that has made it a landmark export under Miura.
This chapter tragically vividly deals with Casca’s spiritual captivity, forced to endure a harrowing image of her being Griffith’s prisoner in a gilded cage. Through this strangely unsettling episode into Casca’s psyche, she must confront the seemingly luxuries of femininity she’s missed due to her life as a mercenary (and then is a mindless wanderer), all of which feels amazingly empty. Particularly interesting, Casca doesn’t seem to show any emotion as she makes wreaths for children, which becomes quite noticeable when placed next to her having just been betrayed by her own son. supposedly hers, Berserk’s Mysterious Moon Boy.
Berserk’s Return delves into Casca’s psyche
Aside from the obvious horror of not being able to deny the dry, comfortable world she’s been thrust into, what emerges rather quickly is the unfortunate circumstances of her existence, due to her femininity. During that time, Casca was constantly pushed into positions where she was simply the one in distress for her male rescuers, especially Guts. This is even more fitting as a reflection of her own rather formidable combat prowess, which requires increasingly powerful and debilitating methods of controlling her, in this case the Missionary. Demon Irvine uses her superpowers to create a terrible illusion to enslave her. according to Griffith’s will.
Glimpses of Casca’s thoughts are scattered throughout the story, including a rather conspicuous episode in which Farnese and Schierke enter her dark dreams to free her from her mental state. prolonged wisdom. In this dream, Casca is revealed to see herself as a broken porcelain-like doll, lying in a coffin being dragged along by a Guts-like three-legged dog. When compared to her more conscious self-assessment in the current chapter, what begins to take shape is a sad commentary on Casca’s feelings of self-loathing and worthlessness, combining with Griffith continuing to pursue her.
How Griffith destroys her victim mentality
Casca is a long-suffering character throughout the series that is, in a way, the product of Miura’s commentary on the sexist jokes he finds in contemporary manga culture in Japan. throughout the ’90s. In the case of her journey, it’s ironic that she recently regained her mental abilities, only to then be forced to use them to aid in the realization of her quest. her own compliance in a spiritual prison. What could be worse, however, is the model shown that Casca is unhappy with the position she is taking, as it makes her feel like a burden to others. In putting her in this position, Griffith is attacking Casca’s sense of identity by removing her right to self-determination.
Berserk has long been a showcase for the subtle psychological horror inherent in the dark fantasy subgenre, and while they may still be trying to measure, Studio Gaga has knocked it out of the park. for their long-awaited return in madness Ch. 372.