(2012)
Dir - Toshiyuki Kubooka
Overall: GOOD
Adapted into a novel and television show before, Toshiyuki Kubooka's extravagant Berserk: The Golden Age Arc is a to-date three part retelling of the said section of manga artist Kentaro Miura's celebrated series. Depicting often unflinching violence and sex, it is adult dark fantasy through and through. The first entry The Egg and The King introduces us to the Band of the Hawk mercenary company led by the enigmatic, strikingly angelic and feminine looking Griffith and his heavily-leaning, homoerotic obsession over the impossibly difficult to put down tank Guts. The horror elements are kept mostly at bay here, only truly emerging with some curious dream sequences and a memorable battle against the demon lord Nosferatu Zod, (which is a funnier name than the ridiculously powerful character ends up actually being). Things are set into motion captivatingly enough here in the first act and the animation is beautiful throughout, though for those who stick around, the truly striking stuff occurs later on.
(2012)
Dir - Toshiyuki Kubooka
Overall: GOOD
A proper, mostly indistinguishable companion piece to The Egg and the King, part two of the Berserk: The Golden Age Arc film series The Battle of Doldrey ushers in some more character depth and ultimately climaxes with what one would presume to be a rock bottom moment for the Band of the Hawk or more specifically, its charismatic and cryptic leader Griffith. Of course things get considerably darker later on, (spoilers). Taken as its own film, some of the plot points may seem a bit arbitrary and the ending might not add up from a logical perspective, but this is not a problem when viewing the trilogy as a whole, which in all honestly was its precise intention anyway. Similar to the previous installment, this one is rooted firmly in medieval dark fantasy and actually sticks the most out of the three to the earthbound, war-torn European elements of the arc's story. Thankfully, the lack of demons and monsters is not a problem as the battle sequences are superbly dramatic and enticing. In that regard, this is an excellent in-part "finale" before shit truly goes off the rails in the next chapter.
(2013)
Dir - Toshiyuki Kubooka
Overall: GREAT
After two top-notch acts where badass mercenaries slaughter badass knights during badass war sequences one after the other, the last segment to Toshiyuki Kubooka's film adaptation of The Golden Age Arc to Kentaro Miura's Berserk manga finally brings us into actual hell. The results in The Advent really could not be more impressive. There are a good amount of "nick of time" comic book level saves and plot conveniences plus the story brings itself to such an epic conclusion that it seems unwilling to wrap itself up a handful of times. Yet all of this is not only forgiven, but also understandable due to the demonic spectacle on display. Visually, this is as thrilling as over the top horror anime gets with gigantic demon monsters emerging in a dimension where every walk-able surface is made of screaming heads, all the while bloody limbs are thrown everywhere and munched on. The hardcore sex is as disturbing as the profound violence, but the series has built itself up to this moment so meticulously that it is a highly appropriate amount of bizarre nastiness in every positive way. Whether or not future volumes are in store as the end credit scene clearly sets up, this is very much a solid trilogy as is.
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