Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey

The second film of an animated trilogy adapted from a comic. The narrative is set in a world resembling the middle ages. A mercenary company called the Band of the Hawk works in a king's service and the war has gone on for years. At the centre of this part is a siege. The fortress of Doldrey is in enemy hands and counted impossible to take. The company takes the job. The siege is the best passage in the film. The numbers are on the other side; the plan is built on a deception, and there is a long section advancing across the battlefield. The second line is Casca. She is the company's only woman commander; she has to keep proving her position to her own soldiers and to the enemy, and she is the most developed character here. The third line is the bond between three people: Guts, Griffith and Casca. Guts is good at war but does not know what he is fighting for; Griffith wants a kingdom; Casca is caught between them. What the narrative is interested in is not victory but loyalty: right after the battle is won, the company begins to come apart. Drawing and computer imagery are used together; the choice is noticeable in the crowded battle scenes. Toshiyuki Kubooka directed. Who it is for: anyone who likes dark fantasy and animated warfare. Who it is not for: anyone sensitive to violence; the series is bloody and this part has several hard scenes.