The second part of the Berserk trilogy was screened along with Part 1 at the Scotland Loves Anime Film Festival. Part 3 was not screened but the Producer Fuko Noda and Character Designer Naoyuki Ondai were in attendance to give a Q and A session after both screenings. The review of Part1 can be read here.
Battle for Doldrey had the same visual style and tone of the first movie, But two elements were definitely more present. Sex and violence. This however was to the detriment of the anime. The cliff-hanger of Part 1 hangs over the movie, but we do see a shift of focus from the characters of Griffith (the leader of a mercenary group ‘The Band Of Hawks’) and Guts (a strong and skilful warrior). In Part 2 we learn more about the character Casca and her place within the revolution and The Band Of Hawks. Her presence is welcome but her character feels somewhat clichéd and she definitely falls into a venerable female stereotype. This is very disappointing, as a strong female character would have been a breath of fresh air within the fantasy world of Beserk.
Lavish battle scenes are still present in Film 2: Battle for Doldrey, as we see how the opposing forces of Midland fight for the Fortress of Doldrey and we learn of how the Band of Hawks fits in with this conflict. However the lack of character conflict makes this movie less enjoyable than Part One and the story itself is not original or as challenging enough to carry itself for the duration of the film.
The overall visual animation style is appealing, but the lack character progression and the absence of a cliffhanger does not give much anticipation for Film 3 in the Beserk trilogy.
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