Plot

A scientific expedition in the Antarctic set in 1930 goes terribly wrong when radio contact from one of the teams is lost due to a violent gale unlike anything ever seen. Prior to the radio silence, the team had made an “astounding discovery”. The rescue team arrive at the campsite, only to find the site destroyed in an unnatural, disturbing manner. Later, their worst fears are realised when they find their dead colleagues, stripped to the bone…

Story

The story is adapted from the original “At the Mountains of Madness” by H.P. Lovecraft in 1931. The original story has a slow pace, detailing the operations from the first person perspective of Professor Dyer. In Gou Tanabe’s adaptation, Dyer narrates at times but the characters interact and speak to each other adding another dimension to the tale. The story is fairly slow paced as it was in the original but much of the wordiness has been stripped out. This is due to character interaction and visual storytelling. The story is, so far, almost faithful to the original with a few details skipped over, I assume, for streamlining the story.

Art

The illustration style is difficult for me to categorize but it reminds me of old adventure comics and engravings/etchings. Fairly realistic with little stylistic choices. It gives off the impression that each panel is an old black and white photograph. There are also plenty of intricate double page spreads. If it weren’t for a few oddly proportioned dogs and weird side eyes here and there, I’d have said the illustrations were pretty solid. There are also a few full page color illustrations.

The design work, as mentioned above, stands out as premium. The design reminds me of classic literature front covers and layouts. Chapters are divided by black pages with titles in a clean, sans-serif, white font. The English translation keeps some of the Japanese characters (Hiragana?) as well for subheadings.

Overall

Gou Tanabe’s “At The Mountains Of Madness” is incredibly intriguing. Not only is it very polished and accurate for an adaptation, it’s origin is all the more odd when spoken aloud. It’s a visual adaptation written in a Japanese manga format and illustrated with a Western comic book artstyle by a Japanese artist of an American author’s novella that told the story from the first person perspective. Phew! It is just as strange as the Elder gods themselves!

The post At The Mountains Of Madness Volume #1 (Manga) Review appeared first on BrutalGamer.

For those already familiar with Berserk who would simply like to know what differences there are between this and the single volumes, please skip to “Comparisons”.

Premise

Set in medieval fantasy, the first arc follows current-day protagonist Guts. He is an experienced veteran of combat, is equipped with a variety of small weapons, a giant sword and numerous scars. His personality presented in this arc is gruff and cynical, and he is hellbent on achieving his goals.

He seeks only to kill his enemies by any means necessary and along the way meets up with Puck, a fairy being tormented by a group of thugs from a nearby castle. Calling himself “The Black Swordsman” he challenges the mysterious and inhumane “Apostles” with only the strength of a human.

The first chapter of the second arc, “The Golden Age”, follows Guts’ childhood. I’d prefer not to say anything more as I’d rather the reader not have this particular arc spoiled at all.

Comparisons

Berserk Deluxe Volume #1 is a hardcover rather than the single softcolor volumes. The sound effects have also been translated, unlike in the single volumes. The page size is also larger than the softcover volumes.

Artwork

Kentaro Miura is well known for his crazily detailed work and it holds true for his first volumes of Berserk. Detailed, complex backgrounds and fight choreography make every battle/scene easy to follow and very entertaining. Poignant scenes are framed, spaced and planned right so the emotions hit home like ninjas are cutting onions somewhere.

Settings with any piece of architecture can sometimes have every brick or tile drawn. In addition, Miura will sometimes add minor decorations to keep the settings engaging. Forests, grassy hills and snow capped mountains show his skills are not isolated to man-made structures. His precise use of screentones is wonderful. It’s truly astonishing the amount of work Miura can put into every panel even if it isn’t that important to the story.

Writing

A lot of Berserk veterans believe the “Black Swordsman” arc is the weakest of all the arcs. Some readers are turned off by the explicit introduction to the story, and Guts’ character being initially uninteresting. However, following this arc in the Deluxe Volume is the first chapter of “The Golden Age”. That is almost universally accepted as one of the best arcs in the entirety of Berserk.

I’d argue reading the “Black Swordsman” arc is enjoyable nonetheless because the introduction to current Puck and Guts links up to the remainder of the story nicely. It sets a premise of what is to come and provides a hook into discovering more about the world and characters of Berserk.

The illustrations also show how Miura’s art looked initially. As one reads the rest of the manga they will discover how his skill evolves and improves. Character designs also change and morph into more refined versions.

Characters

Guts

Guts is a formidable warrior with years of experience under his belt and carries numerous implements to kill his foes. His signature giant sword and cannon arm are his most powerful tools of destruction. One capable of cleaving armored knights in half and the other able to blow the heads off his enemies.

His dark outlook on life yet twisted passion to defeat his foes and live on is something to behold. The various fights he finds himself in and ways in which he uses everything at his disposal to win is admirable and terrifying. He’ll even hurt himself or use his enemies’ bodies if it means achieving victory.

Puck

Puck is a talkative, comedic-relief type of character. On some occasions he assists Guts despite him never asking or thanking him for it. He often acts as a mirror to Guts’ feelings, reflecting Guts’ emotions for the readers to pick up on. Puck also prys into Guts’ life, asking him questions about his past, much to his annoyance.

Puck wants good to be done. He roots for Guts when he is fighting evil but also chastises Guts for his merciless actions as well. However, Puck himself has to come to terms with situations where he is powerless to change the outcome. Sometimes Guts’ outlook on life holds true.

Conclusion

Berserk Deluxe Volume #1 is a fantastic way to begin from the very start of the Berserk manga. While it is highly contested that the main arc it covers is not the best and could even be skipped entirely, it showcases a lot of Miura’s initial technical and talented prowess and shows off great fight scenes as well as emotional ones. If you are worried about reading this arc before “Golden Age”, you can always start there and return. The classic 1997 anime or trilogy of Berserk movies cover the “Golden Age” nicely.

A review copy was supplied to BrutalGamer by Dark Horse Comics

Berserk Deluxe Volume #1
Release Date: February 27, 2019
Format: B&W, 696 pages; HC; 7″ x 10″
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Kentaro Miura
Artist: Kentaro Miura
Translator:Jason DeAngelis
MSRP ($): $49.99 USD

The post Berserk Deluxe Volume #1 (Manga) Review appeared first on BrutalGamer.

I’ll preface this comparison with a disclaimer that the full anime series has not been released as of yet. I will be basing judgment off the episodes 1-3. I have read most of the Goblin Slayer manga and only the first couple chapters of TenSura. The mangas will also fair a bit into the comparisons but not that much. Without further ado let’s go!

World Building

Goblin Slayer is set in a dark fantasy, RPG-esque world. There are quiet towns, villages and bustling cities. There’s also an Adventurer’s Guild. Adventurers can have classes, skills, spells, and ranks. There are designated classes so a warrior can’t necessarily use spells while a cleric can’t necessarily fight. There are demon kings or lords that are the overall goal for top-ranked adventurers to vanquish. As the ranks move downward so do the quests. The most basic and “entry level” quests are to slay goblins.

However, they are absolutely evil. They rape, pillage, torture, and bludgeon their enemies to death. Their depravity is overly exaggerated to drive home that, “There are no good goblins. If there were, they’d stay in their hole”. The goblins are cunning; they can adapt and learn from past mistakes or events. If a goblin survives an attack, it will figure out how to get back at its attacker. Thus, Goblin Slayer, our protag (protagonist), must be just as cunning and devilish as they are resorting to dark medieval fantasy-based tactics such as smoking them out or killing their babies.

This key point of Goblin Slayer irked me. These goblins are so damned evil and terrible yet the “common occurrences” of goblin killings and rape are somehow not known to new adventurers. The newbies are barely warned about them. I made a joke once about how “Goblin Awareness” boards are needed in the town but alas, no “Beware Goblin Rape!” posters in sight!

TenSura is more “game-ified” and far lighter than Goblin Slayer. The fantasy, RPG-esque world has more “video game” rules and so far not a single human has been raped or bludgeoned to death! Only the protag in another world was stabbed and died so that doesn’t count. The world is brighter and more colorful with strange creatures all over the place. It’s more exploratory than Goblin Slayer so far i.e. our character is traversing and finding new people and locations as he goes. The monsters you’d think were completely evil aren’t either, at least those who can converse. Goblins in this world are far friendlier and maybe slightly more pathetic (except from episode 3 that is) than Goblin Slayer’s counterparts.

Both worlds are shallow at best. They are the pretty much the stereotypical representations we’ve seen in just about any “Isekai” show. Goblin Slayer ticks the following tropes: adventurer’s guild, party of different classed people, classes typical to any basic RPG, naive entry level adventurers taking on an area they can’t handle, a dwarf hating an elf hating a dwarf. TenSura ticks: game elements in a fantasy world (for some reason), an overpowered main character, the main character not aware how the “game mechanics” work but having a decent understanding of games he can just about fake it till he makes it. Both tick: generic forested areas and caves (so far). Although to Goblin Slayer’s credit the goblin nests are tricksy little places that aren’t usually represented in fantasy.

Characters

In TenSura our protag, Satoru, was a working salaryman before he died in a random stabbing incident. As he is being reincarnated, his feelings and thoughts are inferred by some “game engine” and given to his new form (which also inferred) as skills or resistances. Thus, he appears in a fantasy (yet heavily game influenced) world as a lowly yet OP (overpowered) slime. As a slime (with OP skills) he learns new skills and abilities to allow him to become even stronger. A predator skill allows him to consume/store just about anything and then also analyze thing he just ate. He makes friends and is renamed Rimuru by a dragon.

Rimuru is a funny guy and brings common sense and human feelings (in a slime body) to the table. He wants to find out about another otherworld human besides himself. He is interested in this new world and tries to be friendly and helpful. His ignorance of the world leads him to funny misunderstandings or situations he didn’t expect. A fairly decent character with a smidge of pizazz.

In Goblin Slayer, our protag is Goblin Slayer (name pending). He has a dark backstory where goblins raped and killed pretty much everyone in his village. He wants to kill every goblin he can and so he has trained and equipped himself for only killing goblins. He is a silver ranked adventurer – the third highest rank. He saves a porcelain (noob) priestess after her first quest with an overconfident party goes to absolute crap. Goblins annihilate the party, poisoning the mage, bludgeoning the warrior and raping the martial artist. Much to the internets’ dismay.

Rimuru is a light-hearted guy and the monsters he meets are fluffy balls of fluff – there’s not much substance but it’s a kind-hearted, slightly risque, show. Goblin Slayer is an altogether different kind of risque. His toughened heart leads him to be short with everyone; only the bare minimum is said. He is methodical and lacks social etiquitte. He is polite to the receptionist and kind to his childhood friend. A opposite to the talkative, inquisitive Rimuru.

The side characters of both shows are pretty boring. TenSura is simple and funny so there’s not much depth needed there. Goblin Slayer doesn’t even have names for them! They are based on their classes for now: Dwarf, Elf, Priestess and, Lizardman. Oh and the childhood friend sounds incredibly dumb, like the most annoying dimwitted voice and dialogue ever. Worst character of the show in my opinion. Read the manga!

Goblin Slayer himself is a straightforward guy, he kills goblins and is independent. He learns to trust his party members but also wants to protect them if possible (the melting ice-guy trope – cold initially but warming up over time to f-f-friends). Rimuru is just a funny man learning to live in a slime body learning to live in a new world.

Animation

Oh boy. The biggest upset in Goblin Slayer is not the rape but the animation. CGI makes its return as Goblin Slayer switches dimensions from 2D to 3D often in episodes. His character model is so special it’s the only one made into CGI while his party members walk behind him in stupid 2D fashion. Goblins are also interdimensional beings. It’s super cheap.

TenSura by comparison, has some very well animated scenes, especially in its opening sequence. There are some pretty 3D filters and effects that are used quite effectively. Also, unlike the cheesy filters used in Goblin Slayer to make it edgy, TenSura uses its filters very appropriately. Above-average I’d say.

Sound Design

Oh boy. The second biggest upset in Goblin Slayer should be the sound design. The music wavers from really fitting to really edgelord and then really boring. Some tracks are actually good. Some are really, really bad. The goblin sound effects are really dumb! Goblins have this dumb screechy heavily distorted speech and they used pig squeals for the goblin babies. It’s a shame – the rest of the sounds are fine but the goblins suck to hear.

TenSura has good sound effects and has some really cool retro-video game 16-bit music. However the rest of the soundtrack is forgettable – generic, samey music, nothing really stood out.

Overall

TenSura eeks out a win over Goblin Slayer. It’s animation, sound and direction are better than Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer relies on shock-factor and violence to create interest which is not a bad thing if animated properly. Goblin Slayer is just too full of corny edge that while present in the manga in fairly tolerable amounts reaches new heights in animation form. Ametuar video filters, animation, and bad sound design took a fairly well-illustrated manga and turned it into a hot mess. Feelings range from enjoyment to annoyance as the quality fluctuates from scene to scene. My advice: read the Goblin Slayer manga and watch TenSura. This Goblin Slayer is no match for a well-endowed slimeball!

The post Goblin Slayer Versus That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (Anime) Review (First Impressions) appeared first on BrutalGamer.

Interpretation

All’s fair in love and war

The title of the chapter itself alludes that there is no going back. This is the turning point between the Marleyans (Gabi, Falco etc.) and Paradis Islanders (Eren, Mikasa etc.) in terms of warfare and morality.

Eren has committed heinous war crimes, killing possiby hundreds of innocent civilians (including children), that Mikasa dubs “irredeemable” with tears in her eyes. Jean reprimands Floch for setting a building (internment zone), with civilians possibly inside, ablaze. Jean wants to minimize damage to civilians. Sasha hesitates killing Gabi as Sasha probably thinks Gabi is an innocent child and similar to the child she saved long ago from a titan using her bow and arrows.

Judging from the Islanders reactions to the battle one could say that they were not uniform in their opinions of how to deal with the Marleyans. Most of the Islanders refrain from killing anyone besides Marleyan soldiers, except Floch and Eren. From a strategic standpoint, Floch argues that this is the enemy’s residences. From what we can infer, removing the enemy’s footholds is a good strategy in gaining territory, destroying moral, destroying weapons etc.

Morally it’s terrible. These are the homes of mostly ignorant people, who know only what they’ve been brought up to believe like Eren said when he understood Reiner’s motivations. Despite that, to move forward, some Islanders believe that such conflict and collateral damage is necessary (and possibly unavoidable). Floch seems more emotionally motivated than strategically while Eren seems cold-blooded and calculating (while we know he understands the basis for why the Marleyans did what they did). Eren seems to only want what will give them an advantage in the war seeing how he admires the War Hammer Titan’s utility.

Diamonds aren’t forever

In this chapter we also see how some titans can transform without their bodies situated in the nape of their transformations. The War Hammer Titan appears from the crystallized body of Miss Tybur similar to Annie’s “cocoon” via a “conduit”. One thing we can hypothesize from Eren saying he will eat the War Hammer Titan is that perhaps Annie has already been eaten. If Eren attempted to eat the War Hammer Titan in its crystal he must have known that it could successfully be done. How could they know that?

Annie was imprisoned underground and could have been experimented on over the years. They could have had some titan (Eren or Armin) attempt to eat the crystal to empower their military might. If it succeeded they knew such a form was no match when consumed by a titan. This would be quite a reveal later. If this wasn’t the case then perhaps Eren knew that, at the very least, the crystal material was “edible” or by “eat” he meant after transporting the crystal via his mouth to some location.

Lights will guide the way

The survey corps are seen planting lights along the buildings for some mysterious reason. My thoughts are it’s a signal to confirm either their location and/or the streets they’ve cleared for some other military maneuver or force. I’m thinking it’s for something from above to spot such as planes, balloons or perhaps even a titan? Maybe long range artillery?

The man behind the curtain

One thing I’m hoping for is that most of this was planned by Armin. I’m waiting for some grand explanation of Armin’s strategies and motivations. Humanity inside the walls has had quite some time to prepare for the attack on Marley. Considering Armin’s intelligence and actual dream to explore the world I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a large part in planning the attack on Marley (maybe even the world). I also have a suspicion that it was Armin who led Pieck and Galliard into the pit trap. Which begged the question at the time as to why they didn’t kill them outright? The acquisition of their titan powers must be more important than their removal but I always see such strategies backfiring.

Final thoughts

All in all I’m hyped as ever for the next chapters which will no doubt be a smashing definitive fight between the 2 sides: Marley versus Paradis Island. The build up to this fight was well worth the wait. The new titan power, the new Survey Corps and perhaps new revelations await us. If you liked this discussion please leave your own opinions below. If you think I missed something or would like to point out a different theory I definitely welcome that and could add it in the article for others’ benefit. Hope you all are enjoying Attack On Titan as much as I am!

The post Attack On Titan (Manga) Chapter 102 Discussion appeared first on BrutalGamer.

I had heard the manga briefly mentioned in comments sections along with another, Vagabond, which I have yet to read. The second time was when it featured in an appropriately titled YouTube video by Gigguk. Vinland Saga seems criminally underrated and deserves more attention! So, here I am giving it the scrutiny and appreciation it deserves.

Plot

In the space of 2 weeks I have consumed 86 chapters of this manga. One of the great things about finding an old manga (relatively, it started in 2005) is that there’s tons of chapters to read and its completed. Well, it isn’t completed but the plot doesn’t slag around too much and developments progress at an extremely satisfying pace.

The Premise

Thorfinn was a young boy living in a peaceful Icelandic village with his father (Thors), mother (Helga) and older sister (Ylva). He had listened with wonder to tales told by Leif Erikson, who had journeyed across a perilous Western sea.

Leif had landed on unfamiliar shores and had seen a luscious, untouched land inhabited by a strange people. Having listened to these tales, Thorfinn was eager to travel and live the life of a viking.

One day, Thors and the village are requested to fight for the Danish king once again. Thorfinn, wanting to fight alongside his father, stowed away on his father’s ship. The request was a trap and a mercenary band led by Askeladd, an experienced warrior, kill Thors.

Thorfinn is devastated by the death of his father in front of his very eyes and vows revenge against Askeladd. He follows the mercs in vengeance and becomes part of their band in order to kill Askeladd.

Main Characters

Thorfinn

Thorfinn’s situation resembles Guts’, creating a parallel between the 2 mangas. He has a childhood of violence belonging to an unforgiving mercenary band and through sheer recklessness proves his worth on the battlefield. Thorfinn is unsociable, rough and at times impulsive.

He follows Askeladd’s orders only with the reward being a duel between him and Askeladd. Thorfinn refuses to kill Askeladd by any other means, believing in the honor code of a warrior. This dynamic between the 2 is refreshing and creates a twisted mentor/father and pupil/son relationship.

Askeladd

Askeladd is on my list of love-hate characters. He is ruthless, confident and cunning. He uses Thorfinn as a tool but continually sharpens Thorfinn’s skills. His soldiers follow his orders to the tee since they never fail and they are experienced warriors themselves. Askeladd is a mysterious man however, and while his soldiers trust his ability to lead they barely know him.

There are things that Askeladd hides beneath the surface which keeps you wanting to know more about this man.

Story

If you’re wondering why there’s only 2 MCs it’s because to include the rest of the cast would be a bit of a spoiler. I’d rather you meet the rest organically than I spoil their entrances. The great thing about this story is how it evolves and progresses in real time. Years pass, wars are fought, characters die.

The story becomes more intricate as the mercenary band become involved in the politics of the Danish royalty and their war with the English. They cover real-life territories and, while I’m not sure about historical accuracy, the portrayal of their lives in this time frame is extremely convincing.

Askeladd must use his wit to outmaneuver his opponents. Thorfinn learns more details about his father’s past. Characters are given time to reflect their motivations, feelings and desires. Vinland Saga is so well-rounded it might as well be a circle.

Art

It is not a far cry to say that Vinland Saga’s art, at least in the first 80 or so chapters, are on par with Berserk. Yukimura Makoto, the creator, did his research. Every person is drawn realistically and with their own unique appearance with clothing, weaponry and accessories pulled right from historic objects.

Even side or background characters are made so identifiable that you can follow them throughout the manga. The fight scenes are well choreographed and drawn with violent action and momentum.

Panels where emotional weight is a must are setup and illustrated so well that I teared up at one point. This manga is one of the great ones where fine art can be found everywhere.

Themes

If the following are what you need in a manga then I highly suggest this one:

• Historic
• Medieval
• Viking
• Brutal
• Gory
• War
• Philosophy
• Morally Ambiguous
• Revenge
• Repentance
• Politics
• Slavery
• Explicit Sexual Content
• No Fanservice
• Religion
• Detailed Depictions

Conclusion

Vinland Saga is a hidden gem that I’m hoping gets more attention as time goes on. Besides from some minor critiques concerning a drop in quality a tiny bit at some points and maybe dangling, slightly slogging plots (I haven’t finished it so I’m not entirely sure at this point), I really can’t find much at fault.

It’s beautifully illustrated, written and has been such an entertaining read. As such I’ll leave you with this question: what does it mean to be a true warrior?

Vinland Saga
Release date: April 2005 – present (ongoing)
Format: Manga
Publisher: Kodansha
Written by: Makoto Yukimura
Illustrated by: Makoto Yukimura, Haito Kumagai, Kazuoki Suzuki, Tomoyuki Takami, and Daiju Watanabe

The post Vinland Saga – The Manga About Vikings! (Manga) Review appeared first on BrutalGamer.

Disembarking on new adventures

Yes, after what seemed like many years in the series – and was for those who kept up with the manga’s english releases – Guts’ party is finally off the boat and to the Fairy Kingdom. Upon their arrival though, not all is as it seems on this ancient island. There are no fairies to be found, and the party is soon set upon by ghastly figures who seek to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, Rickert and Erica have successfully reached the capitol of Falconia, Griffith’s new kingdom. The citizens enjoy a peace the rest of the world can only dream of, with the human and spirit world coexisting peacefully. Citizens can see their departed loved ones through Griffith’s powers, and the apostles who serve him act as an indomitable military force for the kingdom. Seeing all this, Rickert begins to question whether Griffith was right in the choices he made and if he should rebuild his friendship with his former commander.

Rickert’s moral struggles in Flaconia easily steal the spotlight, doing a fantastic job of toying with readers’ perception of Griffith and his actions. It paints a picture of the benefits of his rule for the people of the world, while simultaneously presenting the cost this took on Rickert, Guts and their friends. These dilemmas set up some much needed character development for Rickert leading into the next arc, establishing him as a character worth taking part in the longer narrative.

A supernatural spectacle

As always, Kentaro Miura’s art is some of the best around. Falconia and Skellig Island come alive with sweeping backdrops that spring right out of the page. Everything from the shadows cast by soldiers to the individual petals of a flower in the castle garden to waves lapping against a shore are drawn in painstaking detail, lending life to the world around each scene that plays out. Likewise, clothing and armor gleam and rustle thanks to impeccable shading, giving each interaction a sense of motion which carries scenes forward with an impressive flow.

Character designs live up to this same standard, with facial details drawing readers further in with each panel. The way Rickerts’ eyes and face widen with horror when he sees apostles; the ear to ear smile on Isidro’s face when the party disembarks onto land; and the intense anger from Griffith’s subordinate Sir Locus toward Rickert all bring the interactions between the characters to life, making the story that much more engrossing and engaging.

Final Verdict

After a long wait, “Berserk” volume 38 doesn’t disappoint with some stellar writing, character development and top of the line art. Here’s hoping it isn’t too long until the next volume is released.

Berserk Volume 38
Release Date: July 5, 2017
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Written and Illustrated by: Kentaro Miura

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