Berserk Manga Review: Conviction (Part 4)

Alright, let’s pick up the pace again. Today, we’re covering:

• To Holy Ground 1-2
• Kushan Scouts 1-2
• Tower of Shadow 1-2
• Children of Shadow
• Fierce Believer

With his gear tuned up thanks to Rickert and Godo, Guts departs to find Casca. His destination: the Tower of Conviction, home to a veritable swarm of refugees and the new abode of the Holy Iron Chain Knights. With the church, the Kushans, and the evil spirits brought by the Brand standing in his way, can even Guts make his way through? Meanwhile, Casca makes some new friends, and Farnese meets an inquisitor of the Holy See.

Right off the bat, we get yet another great scene with Godo. Dude is such a chad that he gets up from being old and near death to work on his ultimate weapon one last time. Talking to Rickert, he reveals an interesting snippet of his backstory with Erica, and delivers one of the most ominous and mysterious lines in the manga.

I love how little this is expanded upon. There is no flashback or lengthy monologue or exposition dump. Our favorite blacksmith’s backstory is left entirely up to our imagination. It’s far more interesting and memorable that way.

Also, tiny detail: I like the idea that the Dragonslayer is now properly sharp again after Godo cares for it. Before, you can very clearly see the knicks and rough line of the edge. After the master blacksmith’s treatment, it looks far smoother and sharper. At least, that’s how I interpret it.

This section introduces us to a ton of new important characters. Isidro, the young rascal who aims to be a great swordsman and thief, who gets swept along in Guts’ life. Lucca and her whores, who protect Casca from the horrors of the camp and wax poetic about the human condition while… how do I put this… practicing their trade. Nina, the only Berserk character people hate half as much as Griffith.

Finally, we have our main antagonist for this arc: Father Mozgus.

This dude is one of the best villains in the series, without a doubt. You’d think he’s another Apostle, given the history and his… expressive features. But no. He’s completely human. Yet he’s even more twisted and cruel than many of the monsters we’ve met up to now. He’s legitimately terrifying.

Yet he’s not a one-dimensional piece of cardboard. His immediate subordinates are all legitimately loyal to him. And for good reason; when no one else accepted them because of their disabilities, Mozgus embraced them with open arms. Man may be twisted and brutal, but he does have a heart.

I love what Miura does with Casca Elaine for this section. Seeing her wander around like a child while dark horrors stir just out of sight is genuinely unsettling. Tense, too; we’ve seen how bad the effects of the Brand are through Guts, and he was always armed to face it. Seeing it draw closer and closer to the defenseless Casca is legitimately nerve-racking!

Especially when the eyes show up. And fuck me, they’re creepy! Luckily, Casca has a protector. Albeit an equally disturbing one.

Beyond that, there’s not much to say about this section. It’s a whole lot of groundwork, getting all the right characters into the right place for the arc to begin. Our mysteries are set and the cast have their marks.

Let the nightmare begin.