The Wheel of Time, Episode One, Leavetaking Review: Winter Night, Bloody Night.

After much anticipation, Amazon Prime has finally dropped the first three The Wheel of Time episodes, and I could not have been more excited for them.
I am currently doing my first read through of Robert Jordan’s series and I just finished Towers of Midnight, so I only need to read the final book, A Memory of Light, to know everything.
Knowing that, I think it would be fair of me to separate show spoilers from book spoilers.
So, these reviews will have two sections.
Section one will only be discussing what happens in the episode, and section two will discuss the book changes and what I think of them. 


Episode Review: No Book Spoilers.
I can remember constantly checking the Amazon Prime website every hour on the day of release because I was so eager to see this show.
So, when I saw the episodes were out, I immediately clicked on the first episode, “Leavetaking,” sat back, and enjoyed.
Was “Leavetaking” a perfect episode?
No, there are a lot of issues I have with this first episode, but it certainly was not bad and had a lot of excellent moments.
Directed by Uta Brieswitz, The episode opens with the Aes Sedai Moiraine (Rosamund Pike) and her Warder Lan (Daniel Henney) preparing for their journey to find the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnation of the man who caused the Breaking of the World and is prophesied to face the Dark One.
I, personally, did not really care for this opening because I think it would have been more interesting to slowly figure out why Moiraine is searching for this one person.
Plus, I think there was another scene that should have been the opening, which has not been shown yet, but that’s book spoilers. 

Kind of wish the show had more trust in the audience to slowly figure out things on their own rather than blatantly tell them.

Following this, we get a chase where two men are being pursued by a woman in red (Kate Fleetwood).
This woman in red, who is not named yet, is perfectly cast in my opinion.
Exactly how I imagined her from the book in all her cruelty.
We also get a good display of the madness the man suffers from, since his friend is revealed to have been in his head, before the women do something to him.
This is not shown and will likely be expanded upon later.
We also see that Moiraine and Lan were watching this happen and, unfortunately, this is the worst scene in all three episodes and it’s all because of one line.
Moiraine says they are going to continue their search at the Two Rivers because “there are rumors of four ta’veren there.”
This line makes absolutely no sense and opens a ton of plot holes.
It was just a really sloppy excuse to get them to go to the Two Rivers when the book justification for it was perfectly fine.
I will get into why this line is so bad in the book spoiler section.
The moment following this horrible moment, though, does a great job of respecting the lore, as we get a landscape shot as Moiraine and Lan ride off, showing what looks like remnants of destroyed buildings reclaimed by nature, showing that this is a post apocalyptic earth.
We then get the title, followed by the introduction to two characters, Egwene (Madeleine Madden) and Nynaeve (Zoë Robbins) at a river, where Egwene goes through a ritual to welcome her into the Woman’s Circle.
Following this, we get an introduction to Rand (Josha Stradowski) and his father Tam (Michael McElhatton), and also Perrin (Marcus Rutherford) and Mat (Barney Harris).
And this is the point where I praise the casting.
Even only after three episodes, I can definitely say that the casting directors chose the right actors to play these characters.
All of the performances are fantastic.
If I had to pick a favourite though it would be Barney Harris as Mat.
This sucks because he is being recast for Season Two for as of now unknown reasons.
Still, at least we have an entire season of his performance to look forward to.

I alrady like this Mat more than the one in the first few books.

Anyway, once the introduction to these characters has been done, we get the arrival of Moiraine and Lan.
The people’s reactions to Moiraine shows the fear towards the Aes Sedai in this world. 
A lot of people call this scene clunky but I did not have too much of an issue with it, personally. We then get a showcase of Rand and Egwene’s relationship, with them being romantically involved but there is also tension because of Egwene potentially becoming a Wisdom.
There is also a moment of Moiraine and Lan in a bathtub showing how close the Aes Sedai Warder bond is, with them being close but not in a sexual way.
All is not well, though, because we see the arrival of a mysterious and threatening figure in the night.
This is contrasted by the arrival of the cheery arrival of peddler Padan Fain (Johann Myers), as we get another look at the characters’ day to day lives.
We see Mat having to steal to provide for his sisters, Egwene telling Rand she has decided to become a Wisdom and Rand reluctantly accepting it, along with Moiraine subtly interrogating Nynaeve.
The latter scene involves a lot of great subtext, as we as the viewers can see that Moiraine is trying to gage Nynaeve’s candidacy for being the Dragon Reborn, while Nynaeve hits back with the story of the prior Wisdom who raised her, showing her fierce and stubborn nature.
Then, as Lan discovers symbols of a dragon fang made out of animal carcasses, he deduces that Trollocs are coming soon.
Sure enough, we get Winter’s Night, which is just as bloody as I expected it to be.
The moment Egwene started dancing with some random person and there were focuses on this guy, I was like, well, he’s gonna die.
Sure enough, an axe is thrown through his back, coming out of his chest, and the Trollocs invade.

Trollocs are amazing, some questionable CGI at times excluded.

Chaos ensues with great usage of shaky cam, as Egwene and Nynaeve take cover, Perrin and his wife Laila (Helena Westerman) shelter people at their forge, and Padan Fain leaves as the mysterious rider watches over the chaos.
We then get one of my favourite scenes of the episode, where Mat meets up with his terrible parents, only to learn that have lost his sisters.
After angrily demanding where they are, he runs through the bloody massacre in a thrilling tracking shot, all to find his sisters.
This is why I already like this Mat a lot better than the one in the first few books.
It wasn’t until Book Three that I came to like him but these first three episodes made him my favourite character in the show so far.
We then get a great fight with Rand and Tam being attacked by a Trolloc, with Tam retrieving the heron marked blade, a moment that gave me chills.
Tam’s fight with the Trolloc, short as it is, is enthralling and gives a really good sense of his experience with the weapon.
Unfortunately, the Trolloc wounds him and Rand has to save him before trying to get his father to safety.
Back at the village, the massacre is still ongoing, and a Trolloc runs up to kill Nynaeve and Egwene, Nynaeve meeting its roar with one of her own, which is a great moment for her.
Just as it seems they are done for, Moiraine and Lan arrive, killing many Trollocs, perfectly synchronised as an Aes Sedai and her Warder.

Moiraine and Lan working in tandem to defeat the Trollocs was a sight to behold.

It’s not just the action and choreography that are excellent here, but the music as well, especially with how it’s in the old tongue.
It’s not just Moiraine and Lan taking care of things, though, because we also see the Emonds’ Fielders fighting back, with a group of women taking down a Trolloc, showing just how tough Two Rivers folk can be.
All is not well, however, because Nynaeve is captured by a Trolloc and, in a brutal scene, Perrin gets so lost in rage as he kills a Trolloc that he accidentally kills Laila.
Is this a moment of fridging?
Yes, but it is sure to influence Perrin’s character arc in the future of the story.
Moiraine is also injured but pulls through in the face of a hoard of Trollocs, using much of her strength to throw chunks of buildings at them, eventually killing every last one.
Although, it is kind of weird how the Trollocs just walk towards Moiraine instead of rushing to kill her as they’re being slaughtered.
Another minor issue I had is that the Trolloc CGI could be a little off at times during the massacre.
It was mostly good CGI though.
Most of Winter’s Night was pretty on point, being a horrifying display, as it should be.
Then we get the last scene of the episode, as Rand arrives with Tam who Moiraine heals, before revealing that the Trollocs are after Rand, Egwene, Mat and Perrin because of them is the Dragon Reborn and they need to leave if they want to protect their families.
This moment is a little quick for my liking but it is serviceable.

I feel like we could have used a bit more time to see the characters leaving the Two Rivers.

Although I do like the episode overall, it does rush in quite a few places, so I wish this episode had either been extended or divided into two.
At least it ends with the iconic narration “The Wheel of Time turns and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth. And even myth is long forgotten, when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one age, called the Third Age by some, a wind rose in the mountains of mist. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”
All in all, “Leavetaking” was a good beginning to The Wheel of Time show.
It does have its issues, and does not quite live up to some of the story’s version of events, which I will get into in the book spoiler section below, but it is still a good start that had me excited to watch the other two episodes. 


Book Spoiler Section:
So, first I will get into why that scene where Moiraine says “there are rumors of four ta’veren” is such a terrible moment.
As I said, it raises many questions and plot holes, one of the biggest of which is just who in the light started these rumors and how they knew about Rand, Egwene, Perrin and Mat being ta’veren?
Ta’veren are extremely rare so it would take someone with a large amount of knowledge about them to recognise that Rand and the others were ones.
Not only this but why would someone so knowledgable spread rumors about the ta’veren?
Ta’veren are people who the Wheel of Time weaves into changing the world, so wouldn’t this hypothetical person who spread the rumors tell someone important about them rather than just telling random people?
Most baffling of all, how would this person even recognise Rand, Egwene, Perrin and Mat as being ta’veren in the first place?
Even if they were knowledgable about them, Rand and the others are showing no signs of being ta’veren at this point.
Look at Mat, for example.
Him being a ta’veren makes him extremely lucky, and yet in the episode he is shown to have terrible luck at this point, losing a gambling match.
What knowledgable person would look at Mat in that scene and go, “yep, that’s a ta’veren if I ever saw one!”
See what I mean?
They should have just used the book explanation that Moiraine and Lan tracked them all down after years of hard work, rather than a rumor that makes zero sense when you consider what being a ta’veren is.

Amazing how one line of dialogue can create so many plot holes.

As for other changes, I was a bit disappointed that the prologue which introduced Lews Therin, the original Dragon, and showed his death creating Dragon Mount was not the opening to the show.
That would have been a lot better than the opening we got where Moiraine just says exposition about what their mission is.
There are other things I wanted to see, like Rand and Tam’s discussion, Rand learning he’s not Tam’s son, Moiraine posing as a noble lady rather than an Aes Sedai to get more information.
I do get why some of these were not included though, most of all Rand learning he was adopted because they’re clearly trying to keep the Dragon Reborn identity a mystery.
It’s also pretty clear they’re using Egwene as a red herring before they reveal Rand is the Dragon Reborn, as can be seen when they cut to Egwene after Moiraine talks about who it could be.
As for Rand and Tam’s discussion, although I did miss it, I can’t deny that it’s replacement was fantastic, with it feeling so much like a reference to the ending of The Gathering Storm, a beautiful piece of foreshadowing whether intentional or not.
Other changes include Rand and Egwene being romantically involved, rather than just interested in each other, Mat’s parents being jerks and Perrin having a wife and then killing her.
When it comes to Rand and Egwene’s relationship, I think this works because it could make what comes after for them in the future of the story more meaningful and impactful.
For the Mat change, I actually like this because it gives Mat much more depth than in the books at this point, which he really needed.
As for Perrin having a wife and killing her, I think they added this to make his aversion towards his eventual wolf powers make more sense and feel fleshed out.
There is also am interesting theory about Laila being a Dark Friend, since she had her weapon raised when Perrin accidentally killed her.

It will be interesting how this massive change to Perrin’s character influences him in the show.

Another thing I wanted to mention in the spoiler free section but could not was Padan Fain.
They did a great job of hinting at his menacing nature.
I absolutely loved how we got the introduction to the Mydraal with the sinister music, only to cut to Fain whistling that tune as he enters Emond’s Field.
I’ve found Fain to be a bit of an annoying gimmick villain after Book Two, so I hope the show improves on him, like they are so far doing with Mat.
Overall, I like some of the changes and I dislike some of the changes.
“Leavetaking” is still a good episode and the next two are even better.          

 

Talentless Nana Chapter 67, Beginning of the Revolution Review: It Finally Happens.

I have been keeping up with the Talentless Nana manga, created by Looseboy and illustrated by Iori Furuya, ever since I finished the anime. 
While I have been enjoying the story, for the most part, I did feel that the plot was beginning to get a bit dragged out. 
Nana was constantly being framed for crimes she did not commit, followed by her innevitably proving her innocence, and there was even a cliffhanger where she promised to tell Kyoya everything… only to not tell him everything.
With moments like these, it made me wonder how much more story we would have to go through before Nana finally admitted to her crimes and we got to see some substantial fallout from that.
Well, turns out, we did not have to wait long.
I knew I was in for a treat as soon as I saw the title of this chapter, “Beginning of the Revolution”, an on the nose title that perfectly represents the events of the chapter both in reagards to Nana’s beginning revolution against Tsuruouka and Tsuruoka’s fake one to justify taking out the Talented. 
Chapter 67 begins with Moe having a dream about her grandmother, finally coming to terms with her death, saying she now has a vague sense of what life is about. 
Nana’s efforts to keep Moe from killing and to protect her have really paid off and this is further confirmed when Moe wakes up in the hostpital and Nana affirms their friendship. 
However, despite this happy start, “Beginning of the Revolution” quickly follows this up with an event that will clearly shape the story for some time. 
The cliffhanger from the last chapter was Nanao arriving to free Soma, and we get the payoff for that here, in gruesome fashion for Soma. 
After questioning Soma on his “friendship” with Saijo and the nature of his Talent, Soma admits that it would be dangerous to use his electricity talent in this room because it could cause a “phreatic explosion.”
Nanao says he wants Soma to do it and Soma calls him an idiot because that would kill them both. 
Unfortunately for Soma, this is exactly what Nanao wants, minus the killing himself part, just Soma. 
Using his Talent, Nanao orders Soma to create this phreatic explosion and cause a major incident to frame the Talented, which is Tsuruoka’s plan, before he leaves Soma to die. 
Soma can do nothing but scream for help as he activates his Talent, sealing his fate.
Before we see the result of this act, however, we get the moment Talentless Nana fans have been waiting for forever: Nana’s confession. 
Kyouya, Fuko, and Sachiko are wondering why no police invesitgation has been opened up for the numerous murders, including Saijo’s, and Kyouya speculates that the military actually approves of them killing each other. 
Nana then marches in and announces that he is right stating, “Talented individuals are the ‘Enemies of Humanity.’ They should be killed off secretly.”
I got chills when I read this moment. 
For so long, I and many others had waited for the moment when Nana would confess her to murders and how the military wants to kill all of the Talented and she finally did it. 
She leads them all outside and gives a full confession, even taking the blame for Ryuji’s death by creating the environment where was killed, which I never thought of. 
Fuko and Sachiko are stunned by this, but Kyouya is as level-headed as ever, taking control of the situation by deducing that Tsuruoka put Nana up to murdering the Talented. 
Nana, relieved that Kyouya believes her, offers to tell everyone else about her crimes to get them to evacuate, however, Kyouya points out that they are more likely to swarm her and order her execution for everything she did. 
With a panel above showing all the people she murdered and whose deaths she indirectly caused, Nana says she knows this but still looks determined to risk it to protect the other Talented students, showing just how far she has come since the beginning of the story. 
Kyouya considers this and then agrees to work with Nana, not because he is on her side, but for the good of all. 
They will not have to work alone though because who should show up but none other than Jin, who followed them as a cat before revealing himself. 
He tells Kyouya and the others that he can testify about the military’s crimes because of what he went through five years ago. 
Kyouya and the others are naturally shocked to see Jin appear as if from nowhere, but what I find most interesting is the actual first interaction between Kyouya and Jin… well, their first interaction where Jin isn’t disguised as a cat.
The reason I was excited to see these two meet is because I am a firm believer in the theory that Jin is secretly Kyouya’s sister. 
We know that Jin is not who he appears to be, due to him keeping the real Jin safe because he is in a coma.
So, since Jin’s identity has been built up as a mystery, he is most likely someone important, like Kyouya’s sister.  
There have even been some signs that Jin is actually a girl, like when he jokingly asked Tsuruoka if he was inviting him on a date in their first interaction, and he refrences religion a lot, just like the girl in his story who killed people for religious reasons. 
Ignoring this, the only other person Jin could be that would have a significant impact on the reader is Nana’s brother but Jin actually mentions him in this chapter, telling Nana he found out some information about him, so that would seem to eliminate that theory. 
Speaking of Nana’s brother, though, we will have to wait to find out exactly what it is that Jin discovered about him because, before he can say, he is interrupted by the massive explosion caused by Soma.
The blast is so huge that it looks to have taken out some of the city as well. 
So Nanao has graduated from killing Talented people, to apparently innocent civilians as well, which is way worse than anything Nana did, so it will be interesting to see how Nana reacts to have causing Nanao’s descent. 
Just as Nana realises that the explosion came from the warehouse Soma was kept in, Tsuruoka arrives, declaring Nana a suspect in this terroist act and placing her under arrest, ending the chapter. 
This was a great cliffhanger, unveiling Tsuruoka’s plan to frame the Talented for a terrorist attack to get the public on the side of executing them all so they won’t have to do it covertly anymore. 
Sure, this is yet another instance of Nana being framed for something she did not do, but at least it has the variety of coming with her confession to the crimes she did commit and this being the biggest framing of all, considering its for a terrorist attack not just murder.
I wonder if this will end in a fight with Nana and the Talented against the soldiers, or if Nana will go quietly, giving her allies the chance to escape? 
Either way, it really feels like we are approaching the final arc of this story, if we’re not in it already.
Nana has confessed to her crimes, Jin has also introduced himself, and Tsurukoa and Nanao have initiated their master plan to frame the Talented for a terrorist attack. 
I am eagerly anticipating the next chapter after all of this,  

Parasyte: The Maxim, Review: Are You Really Izumi Shinichi?

I remember when I first got into anime years ago and one of the shows I considered watching because of the praise it recieved was Parasyte: The Maxim.
I intended to watch it but I got so caught up watching other anime that I eventually forgot all about it, until it was chosen at the anime club I go to.
It was not long ago that we finished the final episode and I have a lot of thoughts about the whole series.
Parasyte: The Maxim is directed by Kenichi Shimizu, and is a modern adaptation of the manga Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwakka, which ran from 1988 to 1995.
The story follows high school student Izumi Shinichi (Nobunaga Shimazaki), who wakes up one night to discover a strange alien-like worm burrowing its way into his arm and moving towards his head.
In a panic, he cuts off the circulation in his arm, causing the worm to settle there and eat it, taking its place as the Parasite Shinichi names Migi (Arya Hirano).
However, Shinichi has very little time to deal with the new guest in his body before Migi makes him aware of other Parasites, ones who successfully took over their hosts’ brains and are now regularly feasting on humans.
Viewing the two as a threat, the Parasites go on the attack, forcing Shinichi and Migi to work togethor in a tense partnership that draws many of the people Shinichi cares about into the bloody crossfire.

Shinichi and Migi battle multiple Parasites across the series, each more dangerous than the last.

This reluctant alliance between the human and Parasite grows magnificently across the story, with both Shinichi and Migi getting some excellent development, as Migi becomes more human and Shinichi less so, much of which ties into the themes of the story about what being human is and the effect we have as a species on the planet.
It is not just Shinichi and Migi who are interesting though, because there are also a plethora of interesting supporting characters, like the Parasite Reiko Tamura (Atsuko Tanaka) who’s growing humanity was engaging to see progress.
Of course, with quite a few characters in such a bloody series, it is inevitable that many of them do end up meeting tragic ends, creating numerous emotional and gut wrenching scenes… unless the character is being stupid.
I say this because Parasite is a show where a few of its supporting cast make excellent candidates for receiving the Darwin Award.
Seriously, the decisions some of these characters make are the most idiotic I have seen in a show. 

Yes, I agree Shinichi. Yuko really is an idiot.

Thankfully, these instances of stupidity, although extreme when they do happen, are few and far between and it do not come from Shinichi or Migi.
No, these two remain consistent in their intelligence and development, as they take on their opposing Parasites in many well done fight scenes, accompanied by a good score and animation.
This quality extends to the OP as well, Let Me Hear by Fear, And Loathing in Las Vegas, which was such a great choice because the lyrics coincide perfectly with the events and themes of the show all the way to the end.
Speaking of that ending, there is one aspect of it I am still a bit unsure of and this is the resolution to Shinichi and Migi’s relationship.
It just felt a little abrupt to me and I think it could have used a bit more time.
Otherwise, I actually loved this ending.
The final conflict Shinichi has was one I did not expect but I think it made perfect sense with the story’s themes about human nature.

I don’t think the final conflict of the story could have been done better to be honest.

Overall, all of this adds up to anime which does live up to the hype behind it.
There are some issues, like characters occasionally making absurdly stupid decisions and part of the ending feeling a bit rushed. 
However, the rest of it more than makes up for these minor problems, presenting an anime that has intriguing themes and a compelling dynamic between its two main characters.

To Your Eternity Review: A Bleak, Beautiful Masterpiece.

I had heard how emotional of a ride To Your Eternity was before watching it, but I only became aware of what I was getting into when I heard that the manga which the anime is based off was written by Yoshitoki Ōima, the writer of A Silent Voice.
I still find myself rewatching the anime adaptation of A Silent Voice from time to time and I always cry at certain points, whether its tears of joy or happiness.
So, I knew coming into To Your Eternity that I was probably going to end up crying… I was still not prepared.
Directed by Masahiko Murata, To Your Eternity begins with a seemingly cosmic being (Kenjiro Tsuda) releasing an orb which can take the forms of those it encounters to earth.
At first, the orb takes the form of a mere rock, until a dying wolf stumbles across it, and the orb takes the wolf’s form, then coming across the young man who the wolf belonged to.
And so begins the orb’s journey to learning what being human means in all of its beauty and suffering. 

The meeting between the orb and the boy begins this emotional, tragic adventure.

Eventually being given the name Fushi (Reji Kawashima), the orb encounters many different people over the years, from the young March (Rei Hikisaka) and her sister-figure Parona (Aya Uchida), to the masked Gugu (Ryoko Shiraishi), to the elderly Pioran (Rikako Aikawa).
Each of these characters leave an impact on Fushi’s immortal life, leading to many tear inducing moments when some of these characters meet tragic fates.
What makes it hurt all the more is how excellent these characters are.
Even the ones I was sure I was going to hate, like Pioran and Tonari (Eri Ingawa), I came to love.
Except for Hayase (Mitsuki Saiga), that crazy witch can burn in the pits of hell and you will certainly agree with me on that when you see the horrific things she does.
Although, we are supposed to despise her so she makes for a great villain.
The characters whose stories affected me the most emotionally would definitely be Gugu and Pioran.
Their stories are beautiful and tragic, resonating greatly with me.

Gugu’s story made me tear up multiple times. His was by far the most hard hitting story for me.

In fact, every storyline resonated with me, that is how great To Your Eternity is.
I already consider it to be a masterpiece because of that and how it gave me so many feelings.
The only criticism I even have is that the OP, “Pink Blood” by Hiraki Utada, does spoil some big events that happen, especially later on.
This does nothing to affect the show’s quality, though, and the OP itself is great.

Although the OP does have spoilers, it also has many fantastic subtle hints at what will happen, creating a much bigger gut punch when you realise the context.

Along with this, the score and animation are also quite good and there was never a moment where I was brought out of a scene.
No, I was gripped from beginning to end through all twenty emotional, gut punching episodes.
I cannot recommend To Your Eternity enough.
Just be prepared to cry until you’re all out of tissues when you watch this masterpiece of an anime. 
Season Two cannot come soon enough.

The Wheel of Time Second Trailer Reaction: Terrifying Trollocs!

It will not be long until the Amazon Prime adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time begins airing and I could not be more excited for it.
I recently finished Book Nine, Winter’s Heart, and am planning to rank the books when I actually finish the rest of them.
Until then, I will be reviewing every episode of the adaptation when it comes out on November 19.
In anticipation of this date, a new trailer was recently released and it is interesting to say the least.
By that I mean there is a lot to love about this trailer but also a few things book readers are concerned about.
Before I talk about it, though, just in case any people happen to read this who have not read the books, I will keep most of this post spoiler free.
I will have a spoiler section at the bottom where I talk about certain things from the books but, until then, this will remain spoiler free except for what we see in the trailer, character names and place names.
The trailer begins with Moirainne swearing the oaths of the Aes Sedai, “to speak no word that is not true, to make no weapon with which one person may kill another, and to never use the one power as a weapon.”
From here, the trailer cuts to her containing the captive named Logain as a Warder tells someone that Aes Sedai means “servants of all,” setting up the role they are supposed to serve in the world to the viewer.
Then we see exactly what Moiraine’s goal is, with her and her Warder, Lan, heading to the Two Rivers in search of someone, followed by brief shots of our five Emond’s Fielders, Nynaeve, Egwene, Rand, Perrin and Mat.
Speaking of Mat, unfortunately news has come out that Barney Harris will not be returning for Season Two and Donal Finn will be replacing him.
The reasons for why this recasting happened is not currently known.
Nonetheless, it is a shame considering that, from the trailers, Harris looks to be a pretty good pick for Mat. 
Let’s just hope he does a great job in this season and that Finn also follows up his performance well in subsequent seasons.

Hopefully the transition between Mats from seasons one to two works well.

Back to the trailer, we get a brief shot of one of the monsters hunting our characters, A Mydraal, and Moiraine says that the reason such monsters are appearing is because “the Dark One is waking, but there will be one who can stand against him and it’s one of the five of you.”
This is definitely the most controversial part of the trailer for book fans but I will get into the reason why in the spoiler section down below.
After this controversial moment, however, came a part of the trailer that I think most book readers can agree looks perfect: the Trollocs.
I said they looked great in the few glimpses we got from the first trailer and I felt validated watching this new trailer for the first time.
It looks like they’re mostly practical as well, giving the Trollocs an especially dangerous feeling.
I cannot wait to see the moment when the Trolloc (maybe Narg?) breaks into Rand and Tam’s home, causing a fight to ensue.

The Tollocs look terrifying.

We then see Lan riding off, carrying someone who appears to be an unconscious Moiraine, before the scene cuts to them arriving at the borderland city of Fal Dara and possibly meeting Lord Agelmar.     
This is followed up by the much more gruesome sight of an Aes Sedai from the Yellow Ajah, bening burned alive at the stake by a White Cloak, Aemon Valda, who has a bunch of Aes Sedai rings, and drinks smugly at the sight of the burning woman, the reflection of this clear in his cup.
Next, we have the unusual sight of Lan crying, beating his chest, and Moiraine crying with him, with Egwene.
Rand then says he can’t lose Egwene, followed by a shot of her and Perrin being surrounded by White Cloaks, raising the intensity of the trailer since we just saw one burn a woman alive.
Egwene insists that Rand won’t lose her, and then we get brief glimpses of two other characters, Loial at a Waygate with the main group, and Thom fighting off what appears to be a Mydraal.
We then see more action shots of Moiraine fighting Trollocs with the One Power, Logain’s prison melting, Logain holding off an attack, Alanna fighting with her Warders ducking, and Rand preparing to let loose an arrow.
Most iconic of all, though, are the shots of an Aeil fighting a knight in the blood snow. 

Cannot wait to see what the context of this particular fight is because, if it’s in the books, I haven’t reached this part yet.

The title is then brought in with the just as iconic line from Moiraine, “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.”
The trailer then finally ends with Perrin asking Egwene if she thinks they will ever go back home, followed by more action shots, and Egwene saying no.
This trailer was great.
I liked it even more than the first because it really gave an idea of what to expect from the show and got me excited for many scenes, like the Trolloc attack.
Also, if you watched the special version of the trailer and moved the screen around, you will see various old tongue words and a face with fire eyes, which got me even more hyped for it.
Explanation for the face down below.
As for the rest of the trailer, it was fantastic and I cannot wait for this show to come out so I can review each episode as I watch them. 

 

Spoiler Section:

That face was definitely Ba’alzamon and it has me quite intrigued to see how he will be implemented in the show.
Now, for the rest of the book moments I wanted to discuss but could not because of spoilers.
For starters, I find it interesting how the White Cloaks are looking to be much more vicious in the show than they were in the books.
The White Cloaks in the novels are kind of a bunch of bumbling idiot fanatics.
The show looks to be changing that by having Valda burn the Aes Sedai at the stake.

The White Cloaks really do look like smug villains in this and I am all for it.

Although, numerous people have raised concerns over how this would even be feasible and allowed in the world of The Wheel of Time.
Another thing people have raised issues about is Lan being so emotional in that one scene where he is beating his chest.
Lan is usually such a stoic character so this scene struck most book readers as an odd misunderstanding of the character.
Showrunner Rafe Judkins has said this is because of Moiraine’s Warder bond with him, which could explain it in context, so we will have to wait and see how it is portrayed.
Now for the most controversial part of the trailer, Egwene and Nynaeve being added to potential candidates for the Dragon Reborn.
In the novels, Rand, Mat and Perrin were the only ta’veren and Dragon Reborn candidates.
However, the show looks to be adding Egwene and Nynaeve and, in another teaser, Moiraine even states that the prophecies of the Dragon do not state whether the Dragon Reborn is a man or a woman.
This changes a huge part of the lore because in the novels the Dragon Rebrorn is stated in the prophecies to be a man, which is a big deal because all male channelers eventually go insane because of the taint of Saidin, which we see when Logain channels in the trailer.

You can see the taint of Saidan (or corruption as it will be called in the show) when Logain channels to protect himself from this knife attack.

The possibility of a woman being the Dragon Reborn would remove a lot of the stigma and fear around them because they could be much less dangerous than a male one would be, potenitally causing some plot holes.
Still, this possible contradiction in lore could be worked around, and I expect the writers did this to create more of a mystery for who the Dragon Reborn is.
Maybe they’ll set up Egwene to be it, creating hope through the Dragon Reborn being a woman, only to rip that hope away when it is eventually revealed to be Rand, causing panic to spread because the saviour of the world is doomed to go insane and could destroy them all.
So, let’s try not to judge this or any of the other changes until we see them in the show with context because they could be implemented well.
For example, I am quite interested to see how Logain’s show original storyline could play out.
It could serve to hype up his character more for his storyline, which I am still waiting to pay off in the books but it looks to be getting there eventually.
Overall, I find many of these changes to be intriguing, even if some of them are a little worrying.
Either way, it does not decrease my excitement for this show.
As Moiraine said, “The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills,” and it will either weave this show to be good or it won’t.
Time will tell.    

Overlord Anime Review: How to Take Over the World… Unintentionally.

After watching and loving Tanya the Evil, I decided to be more open to watching isekai’s and my first stop was Overlord.
I had actually tried watching this anime about a year or so ago but, for whatever reason, only got to episode three before I gave up.
This time, I actually committed to watching all three seasons and I enjoyed each one.
Adapted from the Light Novel by Kugane Maruyama, and directed by Naoyuki Itō, Overlord follows the story of Satoru Suzuki (Satoshi Hino), a salaryman in the future who is playing his favourite video game YGGDRASIL on its dying day.
Role playing as the skeletal overlord Momonga, Satoru decides to stay logged in until the game shuts down for good, only for him and the game’s NPCs from his tomb of Nazarick to be transported to another world.
Trapped in the body of his player character, Satoru takes on the name of his guild, Ainz Ooal Gown, and seeks to spread his name throughout this new world in the hopes of discovering other players trapped with him.
It’s just too bad that the NPCs, now very real monsters, see this as an attempt at world domination and now Ainz has to act like he is this all knowing overlord to keep their trust.
This makes Overlord different from many other anime out there because our main characters are quite literally evil.
And by “quite literally evil” I don’t mean, “oh, they’re just morally grey characters.”
No, what I actually mean is, “Jesus Christ, Ainz! Did you really have to go THAT far?”

That said, I am surprised that many people were surprised by the terrible things Ainz does in the third season, when he had been doing terrible things in the first two as well.

It’s a good thing that many of our central characters are so entertaining because, if they weren’t, then we would hardly be able to stomach their evil acts.
There’s Demiurge’s (Masayuki Katō) constant and humurous overestimating of Ainz’s abilities, Albedo (Yumi Hara) and Shalltear Bloodfallen (Sumire Uesaka) fighting over Ainz, Cocytus’ (Kenta Miyake) warrior code, and Sebas (Shigeru Chiba) the butler who is the one good guy of the bunch.
All of these characters are incredibly overpowered, which could have been a big problem because, in most shows with characters like this, their power makes it obvious that they will win any fight they have, resulting in zero tension.
However, because of the characters’ evil status, this is not the case with Overlord, though, as the ones our main characters face off against actually are good people and likeable.
Thus, the tension of these fights come not from us wondering if our main characters will win, but through us wondering if the likeable side characters will survive.

Every time a relatable character goes to fight Ainz, you will find yourself hoping that someone or something can come along to save them.

Despite the overpowered characters not being an issue because of how their fights are handled, I do hope that in the future of this story there is a point where Ainz has to actually struggle in a fight, without secretly having it all in the bag.
Maybe he could finally come across another YGGDRASIL player trapped in the world with him and they could offer him a real challenge?
Well, even if that does not happen, at least there will still be the entertaining characters with great humor accompanying Ainz’s continued unplanned takeover of the world.
These elements really do hold the show together though because the animation is nothing special.
It’s usually pretty good but there are some atrocious instances of CGI, especially in the third season.

Please. No more CGI goblins in the fourth season.

One thing that stays consistently great about Overlord, though, is its openings.
“Clattanoia,” ‘Go Cry Go,” and “Voracity” are all top notch openings that do a great job of showing what you can expect from their respective seasons.
I’m glad I picked up Overlord again.
I may have given up on it the first time after episode three, and I also felt like the first season did not grab me very well, but from season two onwards it’s been an enjoyable time.
Fingers crossed that Season Four can be just as good when that arrives, maybe with some improved CGI too.

Squid Game Review: Most Intense Show I’ve Seen in a While.

I doubt there’s anyone who has not at least heard of Squid Game yet.
The South Korean series, distributed by Netflix, has become a worldwide phenomenon, in the short time since its release.
This review is probably not going to be any different from the numerous other ones you may have heard, heaping praise upon the show.
However, like many other viewers, I was so enthralled by Squid Game that I couldn’t just not talk about it.
Created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series begins with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a gambling addict, who is in debt to loan sharks, desperately trying to salvage his relationship with his daughter who lives with his ex-wife.
After a strange encounter with a salesman (Gong Yoo) at a train station, Gi-hun is invited to take part in a series of children’s games where the winner will win a substantial amount of prize money.
Joining him in the games is Gi-hun’s childhood friend Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), an elderly man with a terminal illness (O Yeong-su), the good nautred Pakistani Ali (Anupam Tripathi), North Korean refugee Sae-byeok (first time actress Jung Ho-yeon) , murderous gangster Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae), and 450 others, who also all have crippling debt.
However, the supposed kids games take a turn for the horrifying when the players learn the hard way that this is a death game, where most of them will probably be “eliminated” by the guards for losing before all six challenges are completed. 

Gi-hun and the 450 players will have to survive first if they want a chance to win the prize money.

And so begins the desperate struggle of the players to survive and win, with numerous instances of heartbreak and betrayal.
Squid Game is, without a doubt, one of the most intense experiences I have had with a show.
Almost every single episode had moments that left me shaking with anxiety out of fear for what could happen to these characters.
Speaking of, the characters are another thing this show excels at.
I came to care about so many of them, including some of the ones who are only around for a few episodes.
Even the characters you are supposed to hate are well written, with me literally screaming at the TV in disgust at their actions a few times.
They are all just so well crafted.
Squid Game may be centered around the death game, but it is the character drama that is the heart of the show.
This brings us to episode six, “Gganbu,” which I am sure we can all agree is the best episode of the entire series.
It is an absolute masterpiece that left me an emotional wreck after it was all over.

Be prepared to cry when you get to episode six of Squid Game.

It’s not just episode six, though, because all nine episodes are incredibly well crafted, with numerous excellent examples of foreshadowing and symbolism that make it great for a rewatch.
Apparently, Hwang had been trying for well over a decade to get approval to make Squid Game and, in my opinion, this was a good thing because it allowed him to plan out his story expertly.
The end result is various reveals that recontextualize a lot of moments as the story goes on, which left me feeling shocked and sometimes even betrayed (in a good way).
Accompanying this is the excellent commentary on capitalism, which South Korea just seems to be the best at, considering how well this commentary has been handled in other shows and films from the country, like the Best Picture winning Parasite.
Then there’s the score by Jung Jae-il, which is also great and helps improve on the already emotional and intense scenes.
It’s not all perfect though because there are a few hiccups here and there.
The most obvious issue, which is something everyone else has criticized, is the acting of the VIP characters.
I’m not sure if it’s the actors or the direction they got but their parts were mostly atrocious, with awful acting and dialogue.

The VIPs are easily the worst part of Squid Game.

Although, I’m sure our reactions to the VIPs are how most foreign viewers react whenever an English speaking film has someone acting in their language terribly.
Another thing I have seen people criticizing is the final episode, Episode Nine, “One Lucky Day.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this ending at first either, however, after thinking about it and hearing other interpretations of the ending, I actually came to enjoy it quite a bit.
There’s plenty of foreshadowing for what happens and it stays consistent with the characters and their progression, while leaving the story open for a season two.

The ending of Squid Game is certainly not a happy one, although concerning the subject matter it is rather fitting.

Some are already eagerly anticipating this potential second season, while others are afraid they might ruin it if they continue.
Personally, I will be okay if they decide to leave it at one season but I do also want another one just to see where they will take it all from here.
A second season is almost guaranteed at this point, though, because of how high the viewership for this has been.
Squid Game is a fantastic show, despite a few issues, and it made me experience so many emotions throughout.    

Five Ongoing Webtoons I Recommend.

Over the past few months, I have got into reading webtoons and found plenty of which I believe to be interesting. 
From horrors, to comedies, to adventures, to dramas, there’s plenty of great stories that you can find on Webtoon.
So, I decided to post a brief discussion about the five ongoing ones which I have found the most enjoyment in reading.
It must be noted though that this list may not be encapsulating the best webtoon stories out there because I might not have found those ones yet.
These are just the ones I have read so far and find to be the most entertaining. 

5. The Wendybird by WmW. Illustrated by Thabfu. 

We all know the story of Peter Pan.
A young girl named Wendy wishes for adventures, and then the magical Peter Pan shows up looking for his missing shadow and takes Wendy and her siblings to Neverland, where they go on adventures with the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell, and fight Captain Hook.
Well, what separates The Wendybird from the other Peter Pan stories out there is how it not only focuses on Wendy more as a character and her growth, but also goes into the darker aspects of Peter and the Lost Boys’ characters.
If you take the time to think about Peter as a character, his actions can be pretty messed up, so it was a nice change of pace to start reading this story and see Peter and the Lost Boys’ less than heroic actions being called out.
This does not mean that Peter is completley bad, though, because the webtoon also focuses on his insecurities, which cause these negative traits, really well.
Then there’s Wendy, who is a very active character in this story rather than just being along for the ride in the adventures.
It is interesting to see her slow growth from an inexperienced girl, naively excited for Neverland, to slowly becoming disillusioned with both Neverland and Peter.
It looks like things are going to become even messier between her and Peter as the story goes on and I am all for it.
The other characters are also pretty good, with Tiger Lily being a much more active character, like Wendy, and also a genderbent Captain Hook, who looks to have an actual interesting motivation for being so villanous.
Overall, The Wendybird is an intriguing new take on the Peter Pan story and I am interested to see how both Wendy and Peter’s characters will move forward in this story. 

4. Finding Wonderland by WmW. Art by roousuu.

The second and last story by WmW on this list, Finding Wonderland is one of their more recent works but it is the one I found the soonest and became the most invested in.
I was drawn into the story pretty quickly, what with its numerous quirky characters and interesting take on Wonderland itself.
Finding Wonderland follows Alex, a soldier and executioner for the Red Queen in Wonderland.
However, this changes when a rabbit by the name of Lucky infiltriates the castle.
Lucky works for the Black Knave, a supposedly evil prince who can create and control monsters known as Nightmares.
Realizing Lucky’s trust in Alex, the Red Queen sends Alex on a quest to find Lucky and take down the Black Nave once and for all.
As Alex meets up with Lucky and begins their journey, she encounters a number of eccentric characters and starts to realize the situation in their world may not be as clear cut as she first thought.
This is in regards to a certain reveal that happens early on, which makes the story much more interesting for it being there and has me curious about how it will continue to play into the narrative.
I won’t spoil what this reveal is though because I think it’s better if you see it for yourself.
There is a lot of mystery in this story and I have my fingers crossed that WmW can wrap the questions to these mysteries nicely.
As for Alex herself, her journey is similar to Wendy’s in finding out the dark truth about the world she inhabits, and I have been quite enjoying her growing bond with Lucky as the story has gone on.
Pair this up with the interesting twist to the story and I often find myself having quite a lot of fun with Finding Wonderland, which is why it is ranked as the fourth most interesting webtoon I have come across. 

3. Shotgun Boy by Carnaby Kim. Illustrated by Hongpil. 

With the webtoon ranked at number three on my list, we go from fun to terrifying.
Carnaby Kim is definitely the most accomplished writer on this list, because their stories have been pretty popular and one of them, Sweet Home, even got a Netflix adaptation.
Shotgun Boy is the prequel to Sweet Home but so far you do not have to had read Sweet Home to understand it, although some characters from that also great webtoon do show up. 
The story follows Gyuhwan, a teenage boy who has been facing some pretty reprehensible bullying for years now.
Everything comes to a head during a school trip when, chased into the woods by his main attacker, Seongbin, Gyuhwan comes across a shotgun and makes a spur of the moment decision to use it to kill his bullies and everyone who ignored his suffering.
However, upon returning, he finds his fellow classmates under attack from brain eating monsters and now he has to defend the very people he originally sought to kill.
So, yeah, not gonna mince words, the main character of this story does plan to commit a mass shooting.
This is naturally a very disturbing topic to cover and could even be seriously problematic.
Even after reading up to where the story is at, I’m not sure how I feel about it, considering the city I live in also suffered a mass shooting, when a guman attacked two mosques, tragically ending 51 innocent lives.
At least I can say that the circumstances surrounding this fictional planned attack and some of the real life attacks that have sadly happened in the real world are very different, and Gyuhwan is learning how terribly wrong he was to plan such an evil act.
As for the rest of the story, it is very well written, and quite horrifying, with various likeable characters you want to get out of this situation, and a few, like Seongbin, who you would not mind seeing getting their brains eaten.
Even some of the brain eating monsters are interesting, with a recently introduced one named Samshik having an fun yet creepy personality that has me wanting to see more of them.
I’m also quite curious to see how this ties in with Sweet Home, which I have also begun to read and am having a great time with so far.
If you like horror action stories, then I would definitely recommend Shotgun Boy.
Just know that it does deal with heavy subject matter, especially in regards to its main character’s intentions. 

2. Hero Killer by Kkulbeol. Illustrated by Beolkkul.

There are so many superhero stories out there nowadays that it’s hard to find one that is not influenced by another.
This is the case with Kkulbeol’s Hero Killer, which wears its inspirations on its sleeve, obviously being heavily inspired by My Hero Academia.
Not only are the character designs of Rachel Sinclair and John Nash dead ringers for Himiko Toga and Dabi, but the main character’s villain name is Hero Killer, the exact same title that the villain Stain is given in Kohei Horikoshi’s story.
This is not a criticism though because Hero Killer owns its status as a work clearly influenced by other superhero media, as it uses its influences create something new and interesting.
If I could describe it through other works, it would be as a mixture between the My Villain Academia Arc and The Boys. 
The story follows Ihwa, a young woman out for revenge against the Hero Clan for the murder of her sister.
As she uses her Gift (this story’s version of Quirks) to kill multiple corrupt heroes, she is eventually recrutied by the villain organization known as the Nameless, lead by the ruthless and mysterious Engen, the Smiling Man.
What follows is, so far, an entertaining story with some great action and character exploration.
We still need to go a bit more in depth with Ihwa’s backstory but she’s still interesting, as are the rest of her villainous compatriots and the “heroes” who they fight.
Whatever side they fall on, the characters the story chooses to focus on are all fun with their own unique personalities, which should make for even more interesting conflict between them in the future, wherever this story decides to go.
Hero Killer may have numerous similarities with other super hero stories but it uses those similarities to create something that feels fresh and unique, and I would suggest it to anyone who likes this genre. 

1. I’m the Grim Reaper by GRAVEWEAVER.

The number one webtoon I have read that I would suggest you should is I’m the Grim Reaper by GRAVEWEAVER.
It is a story that I binged rather quickly up until where it left off because of how great I found it to be. 
Since then, I have been consistently reading the following chapters, everytime it updates.
I’m the Grim Reaper tells the story of Scarlet, a woman who recently died and finds herself in hell with no memory of who she is, only to be met by Satan, who says that she is his favourite sinner and offers her a deal.
Either she can be sentenced to the ninth level of hell, where she will suffer for all eternity, or she can become a Grim Repear for him, returning to earth to kill one sinner a day.
Faced with eternal damnation, Scarlet makes the obvious choice of taking Satan’s offer.
Teaming up with a former detective named Chase, who is extremely dissatisfied with the unjust reality of their world, Scarlet eventually finds herself trying to discover who she was, why she died, and why what she did was bad enough for her to be sentenced to hell’s ninth level. 
All of this while she has to deal with Satan’s demands, other Grim Repears, and even angels.
I am The Grim Repear is by far the longest webtoon in this recommendation list, yet I finished it in just a few days because of how much I was enjoying the story, the characters, and mystery surrounding Scarlet.
Speaking of these characters, many of them are likeable and their interactions are great.
Scarlet and Chase have a great bond and I like how the feelings they have slowly been getting towards one another has been built up.
There is even some tragedy involved with many of the characters whose lives Scarlet interferes with.
Hell, even Satan himself is an interesting character with a tragic backstory, making him a great antagonist.
It’s also cool to look back on some of the earlier chapters and then look at the more recent ones to see how the quality of GRAVEWEAVER’s art has become even better over the years.
I’m the Grim Reaper is definitely my favourite webtoon that I have come across so far, with its great story, characters and mystery, all of which I am eager to see how they will be wrapped up in the future, which made it a sure pick for number one on this list. 

So, there you have it, the five webtoons that I would recommend, although there are many more that I have started reading, which I am enjoying quite a bit.
There are so many great stories on Webtoon and whatever kind you like I bet they will have the one for you.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song Review: What it Means to Sing With Your Heart.

The past year has sadly not been kind to the great WIT Studio.
Apparently they have lost 501 million yen, or 4.5 million dollars, in the fiscal year.
This is extremely unfortunate when you consider not only what they have put out before, like Attack on Titan for example, but also what they put out after such a loss.
One of these anime was Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s song, probably one of the year’s best anime.
Created by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara, the story is set in a world where AI technology has progressed to the point that many of them appear human.
One of the most advanced AI is Diva, called Vivy (Atsumi Tanezaki) by one of her young fans, and her reason for existing, or her “mission” as the AIs call it, is to make people happy with her singing.
However, this may not be so simple because she suddenly finds herself being recruited by an AI named Matsumoto (Jun Fukuyama), who was sent from the future to stop an AI takeover where all of humanity was slaughtered.

Preventing rogue AI from killing all of humanity is hardly an original concept, but Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song tells it extraordinarily well.

Reluctantly joining Matsumoto, Vivy goes on a series of missions to prevent the AI uprising and learn what it means to sing with your heart, all in the span of 13 amazing and emotional episodes.
What makes these episodes so great is how they not only build upon Vivy’s character, and her growing partnership with Matsumoto, but also develop the many different side characters in their own side narratives, whether they be human or AI.
The emotion produced from these scenes is helped by the excellent animation and soundtrack.
This standard of animation also extends to the action sequences, which are nothing short of spectacular, with their constant fluid movement.

If you pause at any point in an action scene of Vivy, you will most likely find plenty of detail, showing how much effort was put into animating all of this.

As for the soundtrack, there are many amazing songs that I have found myself constantly listening to ever since I finished the show.
From the OP “Sing My Pleasure,” to its counterpart track by Grace, to the titular “Fluorite Eye’s Song,” which got me tearing up when I finally heard it.  
All of this combines to create a spectacular anime that I would highly recommend.
I cannot think of a single weak episode among the lot.
They all either bring an emotional moment or an interesting twist to the story, with fantastic development for Vivy, Matsumoto and the side characters, alongside an excellent soundtrack and vibrant animation.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song is a complete package anime. I’d call it a masterpiece.

I hope that Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song can help get WIT Studio’s profits up, along with whatever anime they go on to produce in the future.
Check out this emotional rollercoaster ride of an anime if you have not already.   

 

Berserk Chapter 364, A Tear Like Morning Dew Review: The Final Chapter(?).

When I first read Kentaro Miura’s Berserk and reached Chapter 363, I remember excitedly going to read the next chapter, only to realise it was the last one released before Miura’s tragic passing.
I was sad to see that I and many other fans would not know how Miura intended to continue the story, especially after the cliffhanger of the Moonlight Boy meeting Guts again.
This is why I was very excited to hear that there was one final chapter Miura completed that would be released, Chapter 364, “A Tear Like Morning Dew.”
After eagerly anticipating the chapter for a while, I finally read it and am pleased to say that what may be the final chapter of Berserk we ever get did not disappoint.
Picking up from the end of the previous chapter, “A Tear Like Morning Dew” begins with the first of many father and son antics, with the Moonlight Boy instantly climbing atop Guts’ Berserker Armour to rest on his head.
Guts brings him inside so he can be with Casca and what follows is a humorous sequence where Schierke mistakes the child for a disguised Danann.
The face she pulls when she realises she was wrong is so comically out of place with the rest of Miura’s artwork that it heightens the comedy of the moment.
After this scene, we get our reunion between Casca and the Moonlight Boy, only now Casca has all of her memories.
The connection between the two is obvious and Danann quickly picks up on it, along with the boy’s connection to Guts.
The following panel of Guts sitting outside while everyone reunites with the Moonlight Boy is both beautifully drawn and also highlights his purposeful distance from Casca, due to her trauma, as illustrated by the bottom panel of Casca lying in bed with the Moonlight Boy, seperated from Guts.
Once this distance is illustrated, we get many more wholesome moments between the seperate parents and their child, as Casca continues to bond with him while Guts trains.
This training does not last though because the Moonlight Boy quickly interrupts, sneaking into Guts’ Berserker Armour in a downright adorable moment.
After helping the boy out of the armour, Guts then leads him back to Casca, telling him to go be with them, once again keeping a respectful distance from Casca.
Their relationship is truly tragic and it is a sad thing we may never know how it ends for them.
Even sadder is the scene that follows, the final scene of this potential final chapter, which serves to punch us all in the gut.
This is Berserk after all, so we all knew there just had to be a catch to the numerous wholesome scenes with the Moonlight Boy in this chapter.
Turns out that catch is the brutal confirmation of the theory that the Moonlight Boy and Griffith are connected.
As Casca has a dream remembering her connection with her mutilated ghost baby and how this saved her during the Conviction Arc, she seems to awaken with a realization and runs outside to see Guts standing before the Moonlight Boy.
The child begins to speak, however, as he does so, their body begins to change.
“I had a dream. Under the fool moon, I was a child embraced by a nostalgic warmth. But when I wake from the dream, only a vague sense of longing remains… that too, will soon disappear… with a single tear like morning dew.”
With these fittingly poetic lines, the speaker turns, revealing the Moonlight Boy to have transformed into a Griffith, tears spilling from his eyes, bringing the chapter and potentially the story of Berserk to a close.
This was a fantastic chapter, full of both wholesome moments and gut punches.
If it really is the final chapter of Berserk, then I think it is a fitting one.
Is it frustrating for it to end on such a massive cliffhanger?
Certainly, however, it is important to take into account whether this story should continue without Miura’s guidance.
What were his wishes concerning the future of the story in case of his passing, if he had any, and will anyone be able to take over the story until its conclusion?
It is not unheard of.
For example, Brandon Sanderson took over the Wheel of Time after Robert Jordan’s unfortunate passing due to a terminal illness.
Maybe there is someone who could take over Berserk and end it for Muira.
Again, though, Muira’s wishes do need to be considered here first and foremost.
He is the creator of Berserk and his wishes for his series should be respected.
Whether this magnificent story ends here or continues, “A Tear Like Morning Dew,” is yet another brilliant Berserk chapter and Muira deserves all the thanks for gifting this great story that has influenced so many other creators.