Something I’ve always wanted to/tried to do is highlight the most awesome moments from anime and manga and talk about what makes them so awesome. I actually did a number of these in early 2009 (1, 2, 3, 4) originally with the intent to do them on a weekly basis (but yeah right). People who blog episodically don’t often tend to get really in-depth on individual moments, and editorial bloggers rarely tackle something so specific unless they’re tying it to an outside idea. I want to just talk about why the moment kicks so much ass, and make it definitively ‘about’ that moment. 

So I’ve had a few of these planned for a while, both from anime and manga, besides the ones I already did. The biggest one for me is To Aru Majutsu no Index episode 3, because the first ten minutes of the ep make up one of my alltime favorite anime scenes. I plan to do that one myself, though. This is one I always wanted to do, but just haven’t found the time/inspiration/gusto to do.

The moment is the end of Berserk vol. 10 when Gatts leaves the Band of the Hawks. It’s an awesome scene both in art and what happens for the story, because it is the definitive turning point that will come to define the two lead characters throughout the rest of the series. 

In this scene, Gatts leaves the Hawks to go on a journey of self-discovery, which he was inspired to do because of Griffith. Ironically, however, Griffith desperately doesn’t want him to leave, considering Gatts to be the embodiment of his power, basically. Griffith challenges Gatts to a duel before he can leave, and Gatts wins. This is a powerful moment, because it symbolizes that Gatts has surpassed Griffith, but Griffith didn’t want that - his ambition is to be number one. Gatts was supposed to be helping him reach that status, not reaching it on his own. 

What makes the scene particularly strong is that both men are blind to what it means for the other. Gatts views it as a very positive step forward with no harsh feelings. Griffith views it as a betrayal that tears his world apart. In the next volume, Griffith becomes desperate to regain his feeling of power, and ravishes the princess (who, for what it’s worth, was consenting), and this ends up being his downfall. After a year of losing everything, Griffith becomes so desperate to return to power that he sells the souls of his entire band in order to become the number one man again. 

All of this is forseen by that one duel in the snow. The reader could never have imagined where it all would lead, but there it goes. 

I dunno, maybe I basically just wrote the post, but I feel like this could be done much more deep and interestingly and that someone can get into it more than I can/care to.