Casca’s moment finally comes in Berserk Volume 7
Romance doesn’t often come into the world of Berserk; it is a dark, unforgiving world which has taught Guts that those closest to him will inevitably be his undoing. Casca’s explanation that she, too, has been betrayed by the terrible adults in her life only to be rescued by Griffith seems to have touched a nerve with our favourite rage monster.
As always, Berserk is a tough read, full of painful and upsetting subject matter, including child sexual assault. While Volume 7 isn’t quite as heavy going as others have been, it is worth going in with the right mindset.
Berserk Volume 7 finally lets Casca shine
The story of Casca’s early days in the Band of the Hawk continues in the early section of Berserk Volume 7. Through her eyes, we see the lengths that Griffith went to keep his mercenary band together and growing. To keep his losses to a minimum, he prostituted himself to an old nobleman in exchange for funding, effectively jumpstarting his ascent into the upper ranks of the military.
The nobleman was Lord Gennon, who had an appetite for beautiful young boys like Griffith. It is made absolutely clear that Griffith is underage in this section of the story because Berserk is about terrible people doing terrible things. Despite his desire to play off the encounter as purely transactional, Griffith is clearly traumatised. Judging by the way he claws at his skin the following morning, he is repressing a huge amount of anger. Something else he has in common with Guts.
Following this revelation, Casca’s devotion to Griffith is much clearer, as is her frustration with Guts’ reckless behaviour. Not only is she annoyed that Guts nearly got their leader killed but she can’t figure out why he favours Guts so much. There is a touch of jealousy toward him that fuels her actions just as much as anger.
Before the two can talk their way to a sense of understanding, Adon’s men approach their hiding spot, looking to get the reward for their dead bodies. Though they’re currently safe, it is clear that they will have to set off soon to avoid being killed. There is a fun sequence here where Casca, still slowed down by – I can’t believe I still have to say this – her period, looks to be falling behind. Guts motivates her in the only way he knows how; by being a jerk. I love the small change in his behaviour when it comes to Casca.
It feels organic and natural, which means it is going to be that much worse when it all inevitably comes crashing down.
As they march through the forest at night, they’re ambushed by the giant bundle of misogyny and entitlement known as Lord Adon. What follows is a 100 versus 2 fight that clearly shows Kentaro Miura’s incredible attention to detail.
This volume of Berserk features some of the best artwork the series has had yet. There aren’t always the intricately detailed images that it is known for; instead, we get some of the most well-laid-out and designed fight scenes in manga history. Small details, such as the way characters hold their weapons and how they move through their strikes, are presented beautifully.
I am going to go full sword nerd for a moment because, in a previous life, I studied medieval martial arts and even taught other people how to use a sword without looking like an idiot. I have more experience with how to wield a longsword than the average person, so it was a joy to see how Miura drew Casca in her guards and moving through her attacks.
For example, the above page clearly shows Casca in what is called “middle iron door” before she deflects the incoming spear attack with the false edge and cuts downward, finishing once again in the same guard.
We see something similar in this panel. Casca uses a high guard to deflect the blow and slides her sword along the blade’s length before cutting his head off with a downward swing. Her grip and stance give us a sense of both direction and motion.
Not only is this a textbook example of using historical references to bring your combat to life, but it also gives us some insight into how Casca fights. After being pushed aside in favour of other characters throughout Berserk, we see her in all her glory here. She is a highly-skilled, technically proficient fighter in ways that beautifully contrast with Guts’ barbarian rage style of fighting.
Being outnumbered so heavily comes at a cost, though. Guts tells Casca to retreat while he holds off the remaining men by himself. We get to see more of his sword-fighting in action, with massive swings and heavy blows. We get a touch more time with Casca as she fights off a couple of men, but the main focus is on Guts’ battle. He proves to be entirely too tough to die, which is something of a trademark for him.
By the time Casca returns with reinforcements from the Band of the Hawk, Guts is sitting on top of a pile of close to a hundred bodies. He’s badly wounded and it is assumed he’ll have to sit out the rest of the campaign, though a bit of magical medicine sees him back on his feet in just a few days. He reveals to Casca that he’s planning to leave the Band of the Hawk after the current campaign to find his own reason to fight.
That’s the only way he’ll be able to be Griffith’s true friend.
This volume of Berserk ends by setting up the Battle for Doldrey. It is a fortress that is a tactical necessity for both sides. After much back and forth about how impossible it will be to take, Griffith states that his Band of the Hawk will take Doldrey by themselves. It is seen as madness by everyone in the King’s war council, but there is a reason for Griffith’s rashness. Aside from having absolute faith in his schemes and plans, he has a personal score to settle in the fortress.
The current lord of Doldrey is Gennon.
The plan, it seems, is to lure out the main forces protecting Doldry, including Lord Gennon himself, so that Casca and a small band of fighters can sneak in and cause chaos. It’s a solid plan, especially now that she isn’t running a period-related fever. This volume of Berserk ends just as she is getting to take on Adon once more, this time while she is at full strength. Which is a shame because she absolutely dismantles the jerk in front of all his men.
Badass women being badass. We love to see it.
You can get your hands on Berserk Volume 7 in either physical or digital format through Amazon.
Join The Discussion
Rice Digital Discord
Rice Digital Twitter
Rice Digital Facebook
Or write us a letter for the Rice Digital Friday Letters Page by clicking here!
Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support Rice Digital!
- Six of the best Stands in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure - June 2, 2023
- 4 of the best JRock tracks from May - June 1, 2023
- Hump Day Husbandos: Guts (Berserk) - May 31, 2023
