Berserk
(Outdated as hell I’ll write something more about this show/manga but just be aware my thoughts have evolved a lot)
I don't think I've seen anything nearly as cruel as Berserk.
In most media director's way of showing the cruelty of the world is gore like martyrs, rape like a Serbian film, or torture like Salo. While Berserk isn't nearly as disgusting or gory there's something so personal about it that stands out. It's like I'm staring at myself in a mirror while watching. Past present future, Guts, Griffth, will vs fate all looped together into one hellscape.
Guts for me is where most people start in life, with no purpose at all only to exist for themselves. These people wander the world always searching but never finding anything. He has dreams yet he can never grasp onto anything because he has cast his own life into someone else who has “everything”.
Griffth
A man who will stop at nothing for his dream, body, soul, and mind. On the outside, he is everything yet inside he is nothing but a scared lonely child who hungers for value yet fears his failure.
Sitting at home with a regular life and wife. Slowly chipping away his dream as it disappears is everything that he fears.
What's so terrifying about this world the most is the hope it gives us through a dream.Where they huddle together next to each other in a bonfire of dreams.Hoping one day the light that burns inside will warm their hearts. We get so close to everything
And then berserk smashes it to pieces
It's cruel, it's unfair and you can't do anything to stop what happens, and what happens is betrayal on a whole different level. Every time you think it can't get worse it does. All of the characters are torn apart by their flaws from small to large; they are burnt to a crisp by their dream. Some give up and accept their fate yet some don't.
they were destined to die a horrible death yet they keep living even in death.
If we're all fated to die, why don't we curl up and wait for death?
It's because of dreams
The dreams that stop you from giving up
Through all of the harshness in life, there is a pearl of beauty. Whether its 2 friends smiling in victory, or 2 lovers warming each other in the forest. Those tiny moments are what keep the fire going but it's not the achievements that make us alive it's our suffering.
And what berserk teaches us is to keep suffering. Don't give in to this cruel world and keep your fire going by not giving up. We’ll all rest forever soon enough so while you're alive keep pushing and
You'll be all right
I have a lot more spoiler stuff to say but that’s for another day