Episode 154: Solitary Island (Vol 35-2)

Guts and Schierke traverse the Sea God's body, encountering nightmare-sized bugs that even make Guts sweat. In this episode, the crew talks about Isma's transformation, the introduction of mana (true name), and the implications that would likely have had on the rest of the series.

We finally reveal the mystery at the heart of the solitary island—the sea god that's been gobbling up the inhabitants of the village and the surrounding sea. Quite a mouth on this guy...

Okay, okay, FINE! We're doing a review of the Berserk Continuation, bringing us all up to speed on all the latest happenings in the made-up, nameless Kushan Capital.

The band arrives on the Solitary Island, where they meet Isma, along with the tentacle emissaries of the Sea God. We spend a lot of time on the Sea God and its power, how it manifests, and why it's such a cool hybrid creation by Miura. And of course, the introduction of Isma, one of the final secondary characters Miura created.

The world-spiral tree and Falconia have appeared, setting the stage for a new world. Then out at sea, Guts and company (re)encounter pirates, now transformed by a menacing new enemy. But this first battle is over soon after the noise Guts wakes up.

Atop Ganishka, Femto opens a rift that changes the world. This is it, the biggest moment of the series. Hear the impressions of Walter, Aazealh, Gobolatula, and Grail now and what we thought at the time.

The showdown between Ganishka and Griffith reaches its climax. Humans are forced to grapple with the reveal of their allies' monstrous forms. Daiba and the Pontiff each have startling realizations. All in this skyscraper sized podcast!

Ganishka is transformed, and the Berserk world will never be the same. Hear our current thoughts as well as what we felt at the time of seeing this massive monster pulverize poor Wyndham.

Exodus! The Wyndham resistance makes a daring, Biblical escape from the city as the fog of death passes over them. And they escape right into the arms of the Bakiraka, leading to one of Walter's favorite scenes in the series. We're just moments away from one of the most momentous moments of the millennium!

It's Easter! That means it's time for us to talk about Halloween in France (or lack thereof). Walter and Aazealh go solo on this podcast, giving Grail and Gobs some much deserved new parent time with their kiddo. We discuss the Guts half of Volume 33, as the group settles in to life on their sea journey, re-engage the pirates, and reflect on the group dynamics.