Kenpuu Denki Berserk

Okay, first of all I must make it clear that Berserk is one of my all time favorite manga series and this review is only about the first anime series made of Berserk back in the 90's. Where to begin... I have so many problems with this anime adaption of Berserk. The animation itself isn't THAT important since I wasn't expecting much from this but come on! I don't get why they couldn't at least give this anime a decent budget so it would've at least looked nice. The animation is awkward and lifeless. The colors are just flat and boring and the facial expressions are ...well there really aren't any lol. But this is not even my main issue with the anime. My main issue is the shameless amount of censorship used while making this. 90% of the action is missing and many key plot parts have been cut off for no apparent reason. Having read all of the manga, I get that it's damn bloody and even disturbing at points, but WHY do you even want to make and anime of a series if you can't even do it justice and give it the respect it deserves? I'm so glad that they are now making the new Berserk animation movies, which look badass. I just don't understand the thinking process of the creators while they were making this series. Why? Why did you have to ruin it? I beg that none of you watch this. It does the series no justice what so ever! Watch the new Berserk anime movies instead!!!

“In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental being or law? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will…” -The narrator/Void Berserk is an adaptation of the Golden Age arc of Berserk, and at its core, this arc is a tragedy. As such, in its nature, to properly tackle what makes it to effective as a tragedy, **I will spoil the series majorly.** The rest of you who know or don't care, band with me, brothers, as we remember this beautiful yet tragic tale… Medieval tales have almost always interested me. I went to medieval festivals in my youth about twice or thrice, and it was always fun, eating turkey legs, seeing jousts, getting a scar on my middle finger at a knife throwing booth...yeah, those were fun times. In World History, one of the most interesting time periods was the High Middle Ages period. Not to say this is my favorite thing to explore, I prefer full blown modern warfare stories and World War history even more, by this has always been interesting to me. One such series has been the pinnacle of greatness in not only storytelling and character writing, but presenting this time period in a fantastical and fittingly brutal stage. Thus, we come to today’s topic: Berserk, or rather, the Studio OLM 1997 adaptation. Let us define what I mean by tragedy. I don't mean the Shakespearean kind about the main character falling from grace and dying thanks to circumstances related to a lesson for the audience, I mean the kind where, like the former example, we are told that the main character goes through hell, but instead of losing his life, it's about seeing how he became the man he is at the start of the series. Hence, episode 1, which has been widely called the weakest and only skippable episode of the show, is actually very necessary. This is a story of honor, deception, purpose, and death, like the time period it presents. I'm sure a number of you were puzzled when I called Episode 1 imperative to the viewing experience, as many people, especially popular reviewers, say to skip episode one. Yes, it only really becomes impactful in hindsight and it doesn’t really stack up to the rest of the series, but it serves an interesting utility that few first episodes serve. That’s why I say, watch it, since it frames the series in a completely different way. Rather than framing it as a simple war story that ends up having a brutal ending out of nowhere, it's one where you see how Guts became the man he is, and eventually you see his team and realize that he doesn't have that anymore, leaving you to speculate and hope that he left and that nothing terrible happened to them. Oh how brutally wrong we were, but like the series itself, how about we rewind a bit… 3 years ago, Guts takes out an infamous warrior and is now scouted by Griffith of the soon to be legendary Band of the Hawk. And now, a journey begins as these men get involved in the 100-year war between Midland and Tudor. The narrative might not seem all that impressive, and instead, rather rudimentary upon first glance, especially when you’re done with episode 1, but the story really unfolds thanks to its characters and how human they feel. Until the episode 10 mark, what keeps the first few episodes interesting is promise. They play hints at bigger plots through memorable exchanges, such as the freakishly intense battle between Guts and Co. and Nosferatu Zodd, a demon and how after Griffith is knocked out, he accidentally reveals a behelet, a sort of necklace we see Griffith show off to Guts in episode 4 after a fun little water fight. They foreshadow big twists and remind us of the tragedy ahead as we interact with these characters who not only behave realistically but either hang around as a general likable member who often has small spotlights in battle and/or one who slowly reveals important bits about himself over time, and while that part might seem basic and that even bad shows get that down, the only reason it truly works here is because of the humanization and harmony these characters all have, carrying us over until the second half of the show, where shit gets truly real. The first sign of trouble in terms of realizing the tragic route the series intends to go is when Guts overhears Griffith talking with the princess about a man’s dream and how he will only truly be friends with a man who also has a dream he will fight for. As a man who has only known borderline meaningless war, this sparks a flame of unease in Guts’ mind. Guts is a brilliant fighter and I love his struggles to fit in with the band and eventually, his quest to become his own man rather than just someone who fights for another’s dream, especially given what we already know about him, but not only does this pit in his stomach last, even after Guts defeats one last enemy commander and Casca and Co. captures a major castle in Tudor which causes an armistice to be held, but after one gloriously sad duel between Guts and Griffith, his journey begins, shocking and dismaying the band, but especially Griffith. Griffith has already been shown to be an ambitious but tragically sympathetic man who not only had fun and had a charismatic and borderline ethereal quality to him (which quickly made him a favorite of mine for a while), but one who found great interest in Guts, much like many of us did, but once his ambitions were somewhat fulfilled and Guts leaves, he loses his purpose and goes mad, coercing the princess into sex, whom he had many pleasant chats with and who admired and had a crush on him. The consequences are horrific, with him being tortured and stripped of even his muscles and ability to move properly for the most part. Then, we get his final decline in his humanity once after a brutal vision, he sacrifices his entire crew to the now awakened God Hand in order to become their leader. Episode 1 is the episode that plants this seed of doubt in our heads, but at the end of the day, it could only end in one way the more you think about it as you advance through the series, especially once you reach episode 22, which is when, after many moments of buildup via Zodd in episodes 6 and 16, demons start showing up and gathering to see the man with the Egg of the King, arriving before him and his now ravaged band after a one year time skip of them getting betrayed after Griffith’s capture. The ensuing spectacle of chaos, bloodshed, insanity, and screams is both horrifying and heartbreaking, as no matter what, we actually got to see so many of the Band of the Hawk interact not only in meaningfully dramatic ways, but in truly humanizing ways that made us care for each of them despite them not being that huge a developed presence such as Pippin, Rickert, Judeau, Gaston, and yes, even Corkus. They manage this through both amazing humanization and how they slowly reveal moments for some of these characters over time such as Corkus initially being a captain of his own bandit team, and Judeau not only being the competent knife-wielding heart of the group but also a man who wants to settle down and have his own business. While we’re at it, let’s get one last major character out of the way: Casca. She’s rather hard to stomach at first, being very, very bitchy and hateful towards Guts out of a combination of jealousy at his kinship with Griffith, but his general attitude and actions towards combat which make him come off as a deranged loose cannon to her. It’s only with her backstory that we see a more sympathetic side to her after she faints in battle over a combination of stress and fever, which Guts helps her through to nothing but scorn on her end. She eventually realizes her love for him, as he does for her, and it does come off as organic, luckily. If only she could get her temper and stress in check from time to time. While she may be my least favorite of the trio, she is still a great character with splendid development that I unfortunately can't help but downplay, which…

This is an opinon of someone who has never read the manga, please keep that in mind while reading this review. Berserk - 8/10 This show, is definitely a must watch. The art is excellent for the time, and those who feel nostalgic will enjoy this artwork throughout, though most animation suffers from low framerate and lots of stillshots, but it's not really THAT often to pull down the overall quality. Soundtrack i really enjoyed, it's really good, although there isn't a lot of it, and i feel like the animators may have not used the soundtrack as good as they should've, but definitely the Opening and the Ending are awesome and get you ready for the next episode, the song during battles is amazing, very energetic and unique, while BGM during psychological scenes or drama scenes or scenes about character's thoughts carefully add to the feel of the scenes are supposed to have, therefore making the experience for the viewer much more memorable and the dialogue have much more impact. The story follows around a mercenary guy - Gatts, as he joins a squad of other mercenaries but with a goal to get up to the top, their leader, Griffith wants to become the king, and so their road begins. In a nutshell, it's a midievil action show with simple characters who are mostly 2-dimensional being defined by one main characteristic or a relationship with another character. Gatts gets some kind of thought scenes, as he tries to find the purpose of his existence and his very own Raison d’être, maybe his own dream to follow like Griffith. Towards the end Griffith gets a lot of depth, while there was build up to it through Casca's story arc, but at the end it really shows who he is and what he needs to do in order to succeed to his dream, although he is horrified by it. It's very obvious the story is inspired by Shakespeare, even the imagery is very simillar, or just the setting at least, midevil with demons and sacred artifacts aswell as sex, violence, lies and secrets all to go with the struggle for power and war and murdering left and right. That is exactly Shakespeare, but it has a japanese tone to it, as in most characters behave more like what you would expect from a Japanese manga, so one could suggest, that on an analytical level, Berserk is a bridge between Shakespeare and Manga. One thing i kind of hated about the story was the ending, i wanted a conclusion at least to some extent, but this was just definitely something way too open for interpretation, as you have no idea what happened to Gatts later on, apart from the first episode where it practically shows you him defeating a demon, but that's still very open-ended, my prediction is he probably continued roaming earth and defeating demons. Overall, the action in this show is entertaining, the artstyle is perfect for this type of show, due to it's dark nature, soundtrack does a good job of keeping things interesting and dynamic, the pacing is off at times, but normally it's ok. The show lacks a unique concept as far as i can tell and the ending is just not right, and as i said there are issues with pacing and the show isn't really smart or complex or anything, so i think it's fair to give it a 8/10. But as i said above, it's a must-watch, the actual experience that you get from watching this is unforgettable and will change the way you look at shows forever. The new movies i haven't watched but i'm planning to do so, not because the story is THAT intriguing, not really, the show was more like "it had it's moments" rather than awesome all the way through, and at the end i was getting slightly bored (that is, before the last episode), i like this show, but i'm not a fan of it, i think 26th episode should've been there to conclude things up, and not three fucking movies full of CGI.

I was reading the other reviews of this anime, and although I did watch it a while ago, I still remember some of it. I also disagree with the rest of the reviewers here, come on, lets be honest. First the story. It would be a 10 if they continued it, but a very abrupt all of a sudden ending is not what I would call a masterpiece story. Its very epic and interesting, but the manga goes far past what they have showed in the anime (which was from what I have heard like 3/4 of the backstory), and did not even get into the main storyline. Art, now come on who would rate this a 10? Its raw for a reason I guess, but the manga was fantastically drawn. You could tell the studio had a low budget to work with, and even more proof of this is how they just randomly dropped it. I enjoyed the rawness, but to say it was great art and animation is just fooling everyone. I have to say it was tough to get past the first episode because of the 80s looking Doom art. Sound was equally raw, but the voice actors did a good job, and the soundtrack was very fitting. It created great atmosphere. Characters were flawlessly excellent. All of the main characters were great, the villians made you hate them, and Griffith pissed you off with his greater than thou attitude. I have to give them a 10, Gutts was truly baddass (hard to relate to though, he is pretty cold) and the relationship he had with Caska was pretty good. I felt for the characters and found myself moved to tears countless times when tragedy struck. Enjoyment for me was also 10/10 until the abrupt ending, in which I immediately wished to know where it left off in the manga. Although I read the first volume, and it was such a different story at that point that I kind of didnt move on much. Overall, despite its abrupt ending of story and its cheaply animated art, I give this a 9/10. I highly recommend watching it, and despite my slightly negative review, if I reviewed this about a year ago when I watvhed it, I probably would have tricked myself into rating it 10s across the board. Its definitely top 5 material as far as story and characters go, watch this immediately if you have not already. I would assume the manga is better than the anime adaptation though, which anyone who has seen the anime and not read the manga doesnt want to admit. So if your bigger on manga than anime, I might say read it instead. The manga is initially confusing and hard to follow, so beware I guess.

It may be an excellent anime, 10/10 and the favorite of some, but this is unrecomerable. Personally I loved it and I wanted to know more and more in history, but as I was moving and smelling that I was going to finish inconclusive, and so it was. There are 4 or 5 very important things that are never explained and left in the air, and if they are explained in the good manga, read the manga but the anime I do not recommend it at all unless they are masochists and do not interest a story half. Ah but what is the other problem, which at THIRTY TWO years did not end up making the manga ... and unfortunately the Creator has already died and there he was, a story that could be great totally unfinished.

Coat of Arms: Thanks to symbolic images, scenes of eloquent detail, Naohito Takahashi honed a directing language which results command respect and admiration to the original work of Kentaro Miura's, Berserk. Each sequence could be separately taken and carefully studied like the representation of its influences. The archetypal sequences that epitomize life, and it reaches its height in the famous ending sequence. During a state of modest bliss where imminent tragedy ominously lurked. Guts, the leading protagonist, has been revered as one of the best males in fiction. His presence: unmatchable. His genius: undeniable. But for those unacquainted with his prowess and unaccustomed to his physical nuance in the eyes of an uncompromising anime-watcher, as a hack. He is most certainly not. Guts was difficult to work with, hard to interpret and impossible to understand, but his talent for unintelligible philosophical rants and unparalleled monologues is irrefutable. The man obviously knew what he was doing even if we didn't. Guts is a being of limitless courage, imperfection, grieve, and continual profundity. The adventure begins with Guts joining rebel fighters known as, the Band of the Falcons, whom together embark down the vast reaches of the world. Griffith, the leader, is a highly decorated and respected man. A man with compassion, leadership, & fortitude until a part of him is succumbed to the horrors of human vice, greed, & delusions which led himself into the path of evil. The descent is marked by mesmerizing aura that echoes purpose & destiny fought not too far away. Eventually the power of conquest weighted the group. But Griffith seemed unfazed and desensitized focused mercilessly on his quest to a fantastical Kingdom. As Griffith watched Guts he became drawn to his power and why he has become what he has become. We know that Griffith's slow decay will be perpendicular to that of Gut's. The directing by Takahashi Naohito is phenomenal and it provides a hallucinatory feeling throughout Berserk's runtime - from the faces of the losing minds covered in endless sweat, and the sight of figures within the shadows to a dark trenched horseback - everything is captured in a stunning manner, conveying the hellish imagery and still taking the viewer's breath away. Takahashi's direction transcends itself, the artwork is at its absolute best when it comes to the use of lighting and shadows. The troubled production obviously didn't hurt the anime at all, and most likely increased the dark quality it portrays. Berserk is beautifully haunting, utterly hellish, terrifyingly intelligent, and magnificently wrought, it slowly pushes you into the horror and absurdity of greed, conquest, betrayal, & wrought but also its meaningfulness and beauty. Not only is this one of the best anime’s ever made, it's a psychoanalytical journey into places none of us would dare to venture to on our own. It is Takahashi's magnum opus. Rightfully deserving its place as one of the greatest on the anime pantheon, immortal for its contribution to fans of Miura, and a truly unforgettable experience. That depth in Berserk is the step into madness. The killing can disturb. The loss of innocence can unhinge. But it is the damage from within; the countless barrages of images that distress, unnerve and detach us from our everyday world and the memories that plague our deepest thoughts that eventually segregates us from humanity and propels us into the realm of the instinctual, the savage and the animalistic. Story: 10/10 Art: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Character: 10/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

Story - Just as mediocre as the manga. Taking out the deus ex machina that was the Skull Knight was a good idea but then how did Guts ever get out of the Eclipse? Wyald was taken out which I thought was unnecessary. The fight with Wyald was one of the highlights of the Golden Age arc so taking that out was quite unreasonable. The rest of the story is mediocre as usual. Battle of Doldrey - Casca's forces got ambushed inside the Doldrey fortress, and Casca herself got shot with a paralyzing crossbow bolt so that she could barely stand. How did she win? By doing a somersault over Adon, landing behind him and slicing him across the cheek, of course! It made no sense, but then Berserk is full of things that don't make sense. Art - Whilst Berserk MANGA had excellent art, the artwork in the Berserk ANIME is quite mediocre. To begin with, the majority of the action scenes in the anime were panned or zoomed stills rather than animated. When the action scenes weren't panned stills, they tended to be reused animation. The character designs themselves weren't so bad, but nothing special. If you compared the stills from the anime to pages in the manga you would see that the manga was much better drawn, which gives us even less reason to watch the anime. Sound - The sound is mediocre. Forces didn't really fit the mood or the pace of the action, and the opening song really didn't convey the mood of the series either. Waiting So Long did convey the sense of despair and sadness from the ending of the anime though. Enjoyment - Having read the manga I didn't enjoy the anime at all. I actually forced myself to watch it because I wanted to know just how bad it was. Overall - A mediocre series that ruined the potential for greatness due to what I presume were budget constraints.

2008, I discovered a manga "Berserk" which gave me a slap in the face. He always figured as one of the best seinen I've read in my life. It will soon become a drug I can not wait for more. So, in 2012 , I decide to buy the dvd, Nice package. What is the content? .....Stop the massacre ! The beginning, what the hell? Where is Puck? In his butt? The scene of the lizard goes well. Now the childhood scene. .... Where is the scene of the ointment? Eh?? Gambino die with a blow of sword on his chest? (scuse me? Did I drink a sake before i watch? I don't think so.) Where is the scene of the rape? Which characterizes distrust, misunderstanding of Guts towards people. The battle with Zodd, ... What is this cold roaring lion, he has a cat in the throat or what?! I continued , the murder of the Queen but it was not for revenge !? ( I'm sure that I do not drink alcoholic beverage before) I continued, after the love scene between Griffith and Charlotte Eh? Where the scene of King obsessed with his daughter ? Griffith cries during his torture? Who is that rascal torturer? Kissing scene between Guts and Casca , ... there are a little hesitation, a little cuddle of chin. And where is the traumatizante scene of the rape that marks so much Guts? I continued, ... the assassins of the King , where are they? In vacation? On a island with a cocktail and a straw? I continued , and the day of the judment came. Jesus Christ ! My god ! Eh? The scene of Griffith dream, I dream. Yes I dream. Hell ! No, no, no ! Scene of the rape. The Skull Knight !?? (Dude! He rocks ! Where is he? He is a retired or what? Drinking his tea with the witch? ) The scriptwriter drunk to many bottles of sake. I quite understand the scenario changes but this is too much. Especially this one. The work of Kentaro Miura denigrated. I didn't think that the scriptwriter understand the manga. (What is certain he should stop drinking sake once and for all )Every gesture, every scene, every character, every details has its place. Kentaro Miura built his script perfectly. Never change the scenario in any case. Do not touch anything. Too many details are missing a call ( and there are very important), which finally gives a anime tasteless.I'll probably be burn alive as Joan of Arc. The positive side is the music of the opening and ending. And the animation.I think many of you will not agree with me. I love this manga deep within my being. I know what I mean when I write this review. I know that I am right. (I'm difficult) The film is much better. A little bit limp, but so much better. See you in hell my children! My notation: - Story: 3 - Art : 6 - Sound : 6 - Character : 4 - Enjoyment : 2 - Overall : 4

Fantasy, for me, is the least accessible genre. Be it books, movies, anime, or anything fantasy has rarely been an interesting genre to me. Sometime breaking its own establish rules when in a corner or the fantastic ideas far outweigh the actual quality of the story. However, I’ve managed to get into fantasy stories like “The Once and Future King”, “The Hobbit”, “The Alchemist”, and “Gormenghast” which I like allot. I like a good story and great characters regardless what genre it belongs too. Berserk writing leaves a far greater impression than it’s violent, bloody content. Good: An Absorbing, Fantastically Told Story This is the kind anime that is deliberately slow paced, progressing leisurely to make everything in the story flow naturally. While you might not always have confidence in Berserk methods when telling a story. The anime is always confident in the direction it’s headed in. Never does Berserk wander off to tell a single side story that has no relevance. It’s singled minded in its goal, ensuring every event serves a purpose. Whether it’s either to display the change in a character with a simple expression or allow viewers to ponder about the cost of ambition, the value of living, and many other topics. One of the best aspect about the writing is how it uses small details to full use. Character development is also done in similar fashion. Providing an initial impression of a character, then through the course of the series witnessing a gradual change to a character. For example, it’s not until episode 4 where Guts finally receives some backstory providing insight on what turned him into the stoic, tough, simple minded fighter he has become. In later episodes, how he interacts with other characters says allot about Guts progressing as a character. From a story perspective, seeing the first episode drives home the “man having no control over his own will” theme. Seeing the end results first and solely focusing the road that led to it. It’s because of the first episode that it becomes difficult to know when the breaking point for Guts will be shown. Despite the first episode introducing some fantasy elements, for a majority of its run it characters treat stuff like magic and mystical creatures as myths. The story sparsely uses fantasy element for a more realistic feel. This one element makes the world more relatable. Whenever a mythical creature or object of the sort is shown there’s a new emphasis on mystery and horror behind it. Seeing a creature that shares a quality of a demon becomes as or more threatening than menacing general on a battlefield. The one fatal flaw that can’t be overlooked is the ending of the anime. It’s a non-ending that will leave some questions unanswered. However, those unanswered questions are not important to the story it is telling. It completes the story it was telling while at the same time leaving it open for another season that never came. It will leave viewers with mixed feelings when face with the closing credits when it reaches the finale, but the post credit sequence that’s seemingly insignificant by itself will guide your feelings towards the anime. Good: Simple Characters With Plenty of Depths Berserk second biggest strength are the characters. Guts, the protagonist of the series, is simpleminded when we first meet him. Guts, like the story, is simple to grasp and comprehend. He’s a stoic, battle-hardened fighter wandering aimlessly through everyday existence. As he progresses on his journey the more complex he becomes as a character. Suddenly there’s layers of depths to Guts simple words about his only pleasure in life being swinging his sword in battles. In some ways he speaks the truth about himself, but also when spoken we know there’s more to them than he’s leading on. How he views the world, how he become to value his life, and fuels him in his fight become clear. Best of all, every change he goes through is seen. In contrast to the seemingly invincible like appearance of Guts is the more angelic presented Griffith. By only his appearance with his long white hair, armor the shines brightly on the battlefield, and a welcoming personality in such cruel time makes Griffith character immediately appealing. He’s smart, slick, and a natural leader without a doubt of hesitation in his action. Another stand out in the series is Casca. She’s the only prominent female character in the anime and also one of the most interesting characters. What makes her outstanding is due to the setting of the story she has to overcome more than soldiers on the battlefield. Casca has to stand against the role society believes she should have and prove gender doesn’t define greatness. There’s more to Casca than just going against the label given to her by her time, but also what defines her as a person. Her struggle to follow her own path is explored in several episodes making her more than a woman going against expectations of her time. With three well developed characters it becomes more interesting when the web of relationship becomes more complex. Seeing the characters interact with each other becomes as engaging as seeing a battle unfold. Characters have varied personalities preventing the anime from being serious all the time. No matter the position of a character the anime will give them a motivation that does more simply make them a straightforward villain or hero. Berserk knows when there’s more shades to a character the more they can get tackle, but also knows the proper usage of characters that are simply meant to be good or evil. Good: Production values overcome budget limitations In the animation department Berserk is impressive. For a series entirely hand drawn the raw appearances of movement further helps Berserk. During the action the scenes the raw appearance adds to its depiction showing the ugliness and raw nature of war. Characters come in all shapes and sizes offering distinct looks. Sharp lines are given to armor emphasizing the weight and thickness. This also applies to weapons every time a sword pierces through a piece of armor of flesh it can be felt. Another plus from the animation are the subtractive colors blending together. There are certain scenes in Berserk, where the darken effects of subtractive coloring make certain scenes visually powerful. In particular, episode 6 which mostly takes place inside of a castle where the only source of light are from torches. When Guts faces a against the rumored Zodd the Immortal his appearance is demon like and is painted in the same color as blood. In the few instances where Zodd gets blood on him the contrast between Zodd imposing figure the blood of the soldiers he killed is distinct. Giving Zodd appearance an appropriately unearthly presence. There are visible examples throughout the series when you can tell Berserk is on a limited budget. No other method than still images are used more frequently. The still images are detailed and vividly drawn. Sometime use as an effect to get across the true power behind an attack or the emotion between two characters. There usage makes for some powerful imagery when required, but are also used in some battle sequences since the amount of soldiers on a field are generally in large numbers. The bigger the scope of a battle the more likely still images will be used. For dialogue scenes it’s usage is more frequent, though sometime the slow movement goes hand in hand with the anime pacing. Voice acting is a bit trickier to discuss. In Japanese, the cast of voice actors is filled with great actors, but some miscast roles. One strong point the Japanese voice cast has over the English cast is, Toshiyuki Morikawa, is a perfect realization of Griffith whereas Kevin T Collins is some time off with some monotone delivery. Kevin T Collins is still great in the role of Griffith nonetheless. In comparison with the English cast is just as good being emotionally driven and having good comedic delivery in the …

"...Your ideas are terrifying and your hearts are faint. Your acts of pity and cruelty are absurd, committed with no calm, as if they were irresistible. Finally, you fear blood more and more. Blood and time." -Paul Valery "It is well that war is so terrible — lest we should grow too fond of it." -Robert E. Lee (allegedly) In the discussion on the nature of man, the topic of war must eventually arise, and war being the most basic and brutal of all the practices that mankind engages in, it will also inevitably dominate the subject. There is much to say about war, and most of what is or will be said is consumed with the dualistic and contradictory nature of its glory versus its terror. The rush of victory and the rivers of blood that must necessarily precede any victory are so intrinsically connected that they cannot be divorced from one another by anyone who is not so intellectually stunted as to be entirely ignorant of cause and effect. All the greatest practitioners of war have struggled to define it, to encapsulate it so that it can be understood in moral terms, while also acknowledging it's inherently immoral nature. Contradiction breeds more contradiction, a truth as complex as it is demonstrable. Almost as preeminent a subject in the discussion of mankind is that of ambition and the quest for power. If war is the effect of man, then the quest for power and the ambition that both motivates and allows for it are the causes. At the heart of every conflict is a goal to be attained, and a person or people who desire for it's attainment and are willing to pay the butcher's bill for it. Nothing is free, as the economists are fond of pointing out, and certainly power is the least free of all those worldly possessions that exist. It carries the highest cost, as power is, unlike so many other things, a true scarcity. It cannot be multiplied or manufactured and one can only gain true power by denying it to others, or wresting it from those who already have it. Thus is war the offspring of the quest for power. Among the many themes of the anime, Berserk, the quest for power and the price of ambition stands out as it's primary focus. It is the pivot upon which the world revolves and the characters act out their roles. War is the setting within which the characters live and interact, but the theme that gives meaning to the setting is an examination of the ambitions of men and demons. As they jockey for ever more power, they both erase their own humanity and fulfill it. If man is a creature of definable, discernible nature, than it must be said that his nature is itself a contradiction. There is nothing more yet less human than the slaughter of other humans in the pursuit of power and it is this that compels me most about Berserk. With a deep understanding of man's nature, and a skillful application of archetypes, the story is fleshed out so that the viewer is forced to contend with his own dualism. We shy away from the characters for their seeming willingness to walk down the path of destiny, yet we are enraptured with this same unhesitating, unwavering will to forge ahead, blind to the inevitable consequence. We are attracted to Griffith's ambition, despite knowing the costs and his willingness to pay them. We are absorbed with Gut's skill in battle, despite knowing the purposelessness of his killing. More than anything it is the brutally simple and rough art, and the haunting soundtrack, that establish the tone of despair and betrayal and inevitability that permeates the story and the characters. As we journey with the characters through their war and their questing, we find ourselves dreading some unknown eventuality, and hoping in vain that somehow the "law of causality", as it is referred to in the show, is not fulfilled. Such emotional investment by your audience is not easy to achieve, and the success of this show in this should be noted. Tonally, Berserk is perfect, almost entirely unsurpassed in the arenas of film, literature, or animation. On the subject of the characters, there is little to be said that is not effusive praise. They are extremely archetypal, yet uniquely portrayed. Guts and Griffith are obviously the primary characters and so receive the most development and deepening, but the minor characters are not entirely neglected. Casca in particular is a fine example of a female warrior, and her struggles of identity and loss are given just focus. The Band of the Hawk, despite being filled with clear archetypes, are likable enough that you care about their aspirations and their future. They serve their purpose well. If the characters philosophize more than is strictly normal, it is explained by their unique position in the world they live in, and is excusable because they do not speak outside their respective levels of education or experience. Those who should think simply, speak simply. Those who are more complex in their thoughts are more complex in their discussions. Dialogue, even when filled with symbolism, is both real and engaging. The pacing is excellent; driving and steady, slowly building to a climax that is satisfying, yet leaves you yearning for more. The story is clearly unfinished, but the anime does not feel entirely incomplete. It is a back-story to a wider tale, a look at how things became the way they now are. However, those looking for a conclusion which wraps up every plot-line will be disappointed only if they are entirely unforgiving in their examinations. It has been said that the anime serves as an extended commercial for the manga. I don't know if this is entirely true, but if it is so, than it should be noted that this particular advertisement is among the most compelling and innovative of it's type. There is always a danger in writing philosophical, introspective works. That danger lies in the pontification of pretentious banalities. When a writer or director is incapable of peering through the shrouds of humanity and reality, any attempt at legitimate intellectual discussion is doomed to both trite oversimplification, and tawdry obfuscation. Berserk does not fall into either trap, instead presenting a moral situation with the understanding that comes with true maturity. No excuses are given for evil, but rather we receive realistic explanations. No apologies for the wicked, but plenty of sympathy and understanding. In the genre within which cheap aggrandizement has taken the place of legitimate moral discourse, Berserk shines as an example of epic-fantasy "done right."

Berserk is not for the faint of heart. It is the definition of brutal in every aspect of the word. Having said that, I cannot recommend this anime enough to everyone. Although Berserk is not as highly acclaimed as its manga, it is still a brilliant show nonetheless. I would recommend anyone trying to get into the world of Berserk, to start here. Berserk starts off at the beginning of the Golden Age Arc, which I actually prefer compared to how the manga originally started. The Anime is a great set-up for the fully continued manga. STORY: Having dived right into Berserk, one of its strongest qualities is its story-telling. Very rarely have I seen such brilliant writing. The down-right disturbing backstory of characters, to the ambitions, and genuine good qualities made me fall in love with the cast. There was no doubt in my mind that once I finished the Anime of Berserk, that I would start the continued Manga. CHARACTERS: The main protagonist, Guts is a man who believes he has no purpose. Yet, he has goals, and strives to help other around him reach similar achievements. But in the wake of everything, he feels empty. His entire existence and strive to move forward is understanding who he is. Guts’ character struck me as a self-reflection of our being. His constant longing for purpose really questions what our lives mean. From his brutality to his kind-heartedness. He truly questions the definition of good and evil. Characters like Casca, Griffith, Judeau, and Corkus all play their important roles. They all feel real and the character development is a refreshment. SCORE: Music has always enhanced, and in my opinion, made or broke a scene. If the score is bad, it can cause pure confusion and disarray. Likewise, a brilliant score can express emotions that words alone cannot describe. The latter is what I felt throughout Berserk. Guts’ theme in particular is up there with the likes of John Williams and Nobuo Uematsu. EXECUTION: With a combination of plot, characters, and score. What brings all those together and create a masterpiece is its execution. Berserk definitely blows this one out of the park. Scenes in Berserk were executed so perfectly that I was at a loss for words. Towards the end of the show, I was literally brought to tears within minutes. VERDICT: To say that an Anime like Berserk is so brilliant, only for it to be a small chunk of the whole story. Gives you sense of how great this series really is. I cannot recommend it enough. It is a story that everyone should know. Berserk was executed so well, it is nearly perfect. To skip this series is a disservice to yourself, because what you will be missing is one of the greatest Anime’s ever made. Berserk gets a 9/10…

Utena and Berserk are easily two of the best anime series of the 90s. They both have a fairly simple premise in being a journey of self discovery however it is their execution that sets them apart from the rest. Utena uses sumptuous symbolism and characterisation to captivate you, Berserk uses raw passion and clever storytelling. I have immense respect for both these titles for they manage to create a world of their own where you cannot help but surrender yourself in awe. What makes Berserk so good is that it is not afraid to borrow great aspects of animes that preceed it and create something completely enthralling and original with these. The drama parts play like a shounen take on Rose of Versailles and the fighting scenes have the same passion that made Saint Seiya a hit in the 80s. With these influences, there was not really a chance it could fail in delivering. The animation is wonderful for a series of 1997. Like in Utena, the artwork here is excellent and draws you in almost instantly. Berserk's raw depiction of warfare resonates with you as its unwillingness to compromise its vision just makes these scenes richer in style and substance. While watching this, I did not feel that any scene was wasted through the quieter times or the darker mood as they capture the characters' emotions and flaws head on. The character design is something else that suits the themes of rage, courage, hatred, love and self as the characters age and grow along with the piece. The drawing style is very sucessful as it gives the characters the versatility they need to express emotions through their body language, eyes and face. The medieval settings are also beautiful here as you get beautifully detailed forests and military posts as well as defined artworks on the castles and weapons. The weight of Guts/Gatts' sword is well depicted here as you feel its mass when it is used on enemies. The sound comes with an intro and outro that are just average tracks but the main meat is definitely Forces, which gets used in some of the most intense battles throughout the series. The background tracks are also amazing in their depiction of battles as they have the vivid energy that catches your attention. There are also some very good compositions used during the dramatic parts of the series which show Griffith ascension into nobility. The voice actors are really wonderful all around here as they depict the characters they play exquisitely. Guts' seiyuu is wonderful in portraying his raw emotions while keeping a sense of humanity within the rage and the passion. Griffith, Judeau and Caska also receive great portrayal from this cast as they affect you in ways characters of this genre rarely do. The story as mentioned above is quite simple at its core, with it being about Guts' journey through loneliness to finding friendship and later love through battle. What makes the story so good is that it employs a similar device used in award-winning movie American Beauty. Like in American Beauty, Berserk reveals its end at the start. This works here as it allows the viewer to see how things got to that point and are freed from guessing how this could possibly end. The journey thus becomes more important than where the story ends. This also works wonderfully as a metaphoric parallel for the leading character, Guts. The way the story is told is what another one of this series' great aspects. Although the main focus is on Guts, the story sometimes focuses on Griffith and Caska and adds another layer to their character. As we progress with the story, cliffhangers are used to have you salivating for more and the series hits yet another peak when it looks at Griffith's and his army's ascension in ranks. The only reason I am not giving story a full score is because the series ends at an awkward place. It feels finished with a lot of the important stories but it ends where the bigger plot is revealed, which is a bit of a disappointment. I've been told that this is where reading the manga helps, so if you want more information - you know where to get it. The characters throughout are amazing. You get to feel Guts slowly getting closer to the Band of the Hawks and start to realise that they are the family he has been yearning for. His relationship with Griffith and his guilt over what happens are palpable because they are so well depicted. Griffith comes across as one of the most successful characters as although he seems detached, you actually feel (and see) the lengths he will go to in his devotion to his army. He is also an interesting villain (like Akio was in Utena) as he rarely comes across as one. Caska's slow detachment of Griffith and her growing attraction to Guts also ring true here as none of these things are rushed through to fill the timeframe, but rather are given their time to occur at the right pace. This series has been one of the most enjoyable I have sat through in a very long time. I felt that I was becoming jaded after watching Utena but this one is often just as good. It does not hold any punches to get its messages of self-worth across and that can only be commended. Shows like Elfen Lied and Gantz have tried to use the same level of gore to affect the viewer. But without this passion Berserk has that can transform the blood into a source of all emotions, there was no way they were going to come close to its success. A high recommendation from me.

I remember stumbling across Berserk and watching part of the first episode before deciding this wasn't for me. About a year later someone was telling me how good it was and I decided to try watching it again. I'm very glad I did; this anime has turned out to be one of my favorite violent anime. It is full of continuous action which is one reason I found myself watching countless episodes back to back. As it turns out the first episode has relatively nothing to do with the story line. In fact, it must be so far into the future that I don't think it belongs. So if you don't like it after the first episode, I still suggest you watch at least two more before passing judgment. The plot is relatively simple as it follows a group of mercenaries who try to battle against the fate of having no homeland. The main story focuses on a man named Guts who is the coerced into fighting for in a group known as the Band of the Hawks. This band is led by a man named Griffith whose ambition is equaled by no one. I found myself unable to stop watching after I was drawn into the story. Along with the first episode, the last episode doesn't seem to fit. It's clear to me that the writers were planning on a multi-season anime. Otherwise, they would not have left so many answers unknown. I also doubt they would have started the first episode so far into the future if they had known they would only have one season. If you can overlook these two flaws then this anime is almost perfect. I couldn't overlook these and that's why I gave this anime an 8. The artwork was also very good and the voices matched the characters. Of course, I only watch subbed versions because normally English dubbed versions always give characters voices that don't match very well. People who enjoy action/ war anime will also much enjoy Berserk.

Dark fantasy world settings began to proliferate in the late 80's, one reason being the saturation of action shonens and mecha series in the anime industry. In that period the serialization of one of the most acclaimed manga nowadays began, which was characterised by its brutality, dark and grim setting; it is however ten years later when the anime adaptation of it was aired, being the anime in question Berserk. Such dark fantasy settings are difficult to convey to the viewer properly without being a simple gorefest, which this anime is not: it is a tale of friendship, the yearning of power, helplessness, downfall, and ultimately, revenge. Being its intricate and deep human relationships and characterisation, in conjunction with the wonderful narrative and soundtrack the strongest points of the anime, the first episode and the open conclusion of it its weakest points. Nevertheless, it must be said that it is one of the most grandiose endings in anime, or rather, of the biggest cliffhanger there is. ~Story~ The story of Berserk follows Guts, also know as the Black Swordsman, from his young childhood to his fateful encounter with the charismatic, yet deadly young man Griffith. The story takes place in Midland, a place characterised by a medieval setting and its distinctive hierarchy. Starting out as being a simple mercenary, he decides to join Griffith's band, the band of the Hawk, the strongest group of mercenaries he ever encountered, driven by the quest for a status in society. Guts's childhood was not a flower covered path: from the very beginning the protagonist struggles against death, deceit and madness in its numerous battlefields, consequently destroying the little human confidence he has along the path. The focal point of the anime are its three main protagonists, Guts, Griffith and Caska; viewers soon come to realize that Griffith is a man of endless ambition, with strange artifact in its possession, a egg-faced pendant that goes by the name of "Behelit". Why does it have a face and seems to be alive? What is the purpose of this egg? Those are questions viewers will be asking themselves until the very conclusion of the arc, also known as the Golden Age arc. The pacing, while overall well done, at times seemed longer than necessary, yet this was a minor drawback. Another strong point of the anime is its representation of the world it takes place in, Midland. It is a very accurate and realistic portrayal of medieval castles, bundled with political deceit, jealousy, warfare and debauchery, being Midland struck in middle of a war between its neighbouring nations. This is the reason why the Band of the Hawk is able to climb up in the ranks, because of being constantly succesful in its numerous campaigns. Other notion the anime is trying to portray is evil: not just humans are the source of it; viewers will soon come to realize, there are many demonic like creatures that lurk in the shadows of the dark world of Berserk. There is nevertheless a certain lack of representation of the society of that time: the commoner folk, and how these were affected by the wars, as the story mainly focused on the military aspect of it, and its personas. ~Characters~ As stated earlier, what really makes Berserk stand out from all the other anime is its intricate character relationships, its characterisation and development of these. Characters are fleshed out well, by showing viewers their pasts. Take for example Guts; his appearance and character irridiates "manliness". Viewers observe an evolution from him being a distant and unapproachable person to a more open-minded, accepting individual through many interactions with his fellow comrades. Then there is Caska, the female lieutenant, who besides of undergoing the hardships of warfare, also needs to endure societies conception about a female warrior. Last but not least, there is Griffith, the crucial character of this anime series: he is the embodiment of glory, charisma and ambition, while at the same time deadly, yet fragile as well, being his limitless ambition what drives the story forward. The support characters were of importance as well, which includes the Hawk's band integrants (Judeau for example), royal families, warlords, Guts's stepfather Gambino, and not to forget demons such as Zodd. These represented splendidly the different factions within the social hierarchy, such as nobles, and their never-ending schemes, or emotions such as jealousy and contempt. To a certain extent, the anime focuses as well on the different secondary characters, such as generals (Boscone, Adon), to understand their characters, yet it must be said that most of these were one-dimensional with no real motive behind them. Some characters were also used as comedic relief; while sometimes it was a good choice to execute this, other times it felt redundant. ~Animation and sound~ The animation quality of Berserk is passable as a whole, even considering it was done in the late 90's. At times it was well executes, though there were moments when it felt unnecessary slowed down, motions being quite basic. The art style itself was on its own unique, no stereotypical character design, in addition to having to a certain extent racial diversity; hence, the characters were easily distinguishable from each other. Gore, blood, body parts are no exception in this anime, used to further enhance the grim atmosphere. Battle scenes from individuals fight were impressive to behold, watching Guts slash and plow down enemy after enemy with his oversized greatsword, yet when it came to overall warfare, these were not so impressive in comparison. Not to forget the great variety in armory the anime had to offer. The soundtrack used in Berserk matched well with the atmosphere it was trying to portray, being the most remarkable ones "Gatsu" and "Behelit". Nevertheless it must be mentioned that some of these soundtracks were overused, consequently breaking the importance of said compositions. The voice actors performed their roles well, matching with the personality each was trying to portray. The opening and ending themes were quite befitting for the anime, like "Waiting So Long" by Silver Fins or "Tell me why" by PENPALS. ~Enjoyment~ Berserk was overall a very enjoyable experience, with a fantastic story and great characters that anyone would probably remember for quite a long time. What however was a big drawback, is the fact that it was left with humongous cliffhanger, basically obliging viewers to proceed with the manga. This has another issue, as crucial events and characters from the manga were not all introduced in the anime. Naturally, as many may know, Berserk's art style is counted among the best, if not the very best, and the anime was not able to display said quality. So do I recommend Berserk? Yes, I would to anyone with an interest in fantasy settings searching for deep characterisation and a realistic story progression, yet beware, it is an open ending, and you will be probably forced to continue the manga, which, in my humble opinion, must be read from the very first volume. Thank you for reading.

"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will." This series baffles my mind for 3 reasons: 1. Why didn't I see this earlier 2. Why hasn't anyone else seen this???? 3. WHY ISN'T THERE MORE OF THIS!!!! After having seen this series being in a few peoples top 10's when I 1st starting glancing through animes to start watching, I was pretty skeptical. Having really dull looking animation quality & having hardly seen any response of it, compared to other animes like Fullmetal or Death Note, it fell off my radar immediately. After fangasming over those animes, I had been told by a friend to check it out, a girl begged me to watch it, and I was quite quizative since the girl was relatively a quiet one, and from what quick glances of the show I saw was a bloody & manly as hell atmosphere. So one night I started to look it up, and a pattern started to show "Greatest story ever told" "Masterpiece" etc, so I was intent to see what the hype was about. I started to watch the series a bit after and well, lets just say this is my 1st review and I chose to speak out about this anime, so I guess that means something :P This is just incredible, really, its looks can be deceiving having a drastically different animation style than whats on now due to it being a rather old anime, which is an absolute shame. This is the most realistic story I've seen in an anime, and that's what I want in one, a story you can believe & characters you can see actually being real people in this medieval setting. The story revolves around a man named Guts, hes had it rough, REALLY rough, (Not that way XD) Having the name Guts its pretty much expected :P He has put his faith in others only to have them destroyed or betrayed, and he has pretty much given up any feelings of attachment to any human being. He is a lone wolf, and lives through his own agenda, a mercenary. During his journey he gets rapped up in a group called The Band of the Hawk, a mercenary band led by Griffith, a man who is seen as a child prodigy, a master strategist in the battlefield and a top swordsman. Griffith saw the strength of Guts & wishes to have him accompany his group to aid them in battle as a strong asset. Another leader of the Band of the Hawk is a female soldier named Casca, she is a ruthless quick tempered woman who immediately has a bloodlust against Guts after his 1st encounter with the Band of the Hawk. She especially despises him for having a rather nice reception from Griffith. When I said that this series is bloody and manly as hell before, it is, and its freaking awesome XD I can see a fan of Game Of Thrones adoring this due to its heavy blood shed & its dark, realistic setting & characters. The series has a beautiful soundtrack, just a perfect atmosphere enhancer & captures the series tone perfectly. The series also ends on the most brutal cliffhanger I've ever seen, I was so confused if I had forgot the last episode because it ended in a way that was so baffling to end at, I was on the edge of my seat, heart seen clearly pounding out of chest, adrenaline pumping, then nothing, just the end. I was just so confused! But I wanted to see what happened next, and decided to read the manga, which was the 1st manga I'd ever read, and with the reviews for this it was consistent that this series is just the beginning and that the manga is something else entirely, as in far superior to the series, and it you bet your sweet bippy it is, but that's for another review :P Overall its just absolutely amazing, EVERYONE who enjoys anime has to see this at least, I really want more people to, its just incredible :) And with the series been remade with incredibly beautiful animation with the The Golden Age Arc Trilogy, u can drool on that after seeing this goodness, cause I damn sure did :P & hope & pray that they continue to make more of this series, and expand on the manga, cause well, THEY BETTER XD

I have always considered Berserk to be one of the four great classics of anime, alongside Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion and Trigun. Now, Berserk has always been my favoruite of the bunch, and upon rewatching it I think I am better able to pin down why. Bebop and Trigun I felt had too weaks starts and it has been too long since I watched Evangelion to remember anything, but Berserk really does it for me, and, looking at MAL numbers, is the least popular of the four, something which saddens me, because I do think it is the best of them. The story is basically about a big guy waving his big sword and cutting every face he meets with it. Those of you who have watched it will disagree and say there is more to it, but I think it is the best mindset to have when going into Berserk. Chances are you will be blown away by how deep and sophisticated it really is because I sure was. If you want to know more about the basic plot go read about it, I am sure that would be more interesting than me talking about it. One area where the anime really shines though is the characters. The characters are all great, especially our main trio of Guts, Griffith and Casca. Seeing the multi-layered relationship between these three and seeing this relationship build up over the course of the story makes for some of the best moments in the show. Guts' friendship towards Griffith and his feelings of loyalty conflicting with his own ideas of self-worth and questions as to why he does what he does, and his feelings of affection and companionship towards Casca who he has a hard time accepting as a soldier since she is a woman. Griffith's feelings of ownership and obsession towards Guts coupled with his dreams and ambitions and pride. Casca who cannot be complete without Griffith and feels jealous of Guts for making her feel worthless while at the same time having feelings for him. Those are all great characteristics and the result of great writing and, as mentioned, are more deep than one might initially think. Another area I have to mention is the music. This is because Berserk has my favourite overall soundtrack with every piece of music ranging from bombastic to emotional to haunting and downright scary. These great sounding tracks are couples with how well they are actually used. The Berserk OST consists of 11 tracks, so there will obviously be repititions, but every track is perfectly able to not only fit or set the mood but also greatly enhance everything going on on-screen. Go listen to "Guts" or "Murder" or "Forces" and then see how they are being used in the show whenever Guts is being thoughtful or during the last episode (which is the best shot that I have seen at anime being scary). It is truly something to behold. The art is nothing to write home about - it is downright terrible, and many shortcuts are taken. Despite of this the gritty, unrefined style does fit the show, and the story and music more than make up for it. Berserk should also at this point be infamous for its lack of an actual ending. I can certainly forgive bad endings (hell, my two favourite anime both have such), but in the case of Berserk the ending is not there at all. At least with something like Gankutsuou you finish it and be all "wow that was a great show with good closure," but with Berserk it just ends right there in the middle of everything. Some people use this as an excuse to tell you to read the manga, but I never really gotten into for whatever reasons. Point is that the ending sucks, but everything leading up to it has been absolutely fantastic. In short, Berserk is great and deeper than one might initially think. It has a great story, great characters, a godly soundtrack, poor art and a shitty ending. It is highly worth the watch, and I cannot recommend it enough.

"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true, that man has no control, even over his own will." Every episode of "Berserk" opens with these words narrated in a forboding tone. It's an anime that explores the concept of fate, and it does this by delving into the darkest recesses of human nature, examining themes of boundless ambition, shattered dreams and helpless despair. For me, it's a difficult show to rate. At first glance, it doesn't seem that special, and I wondered why it people often rave on about it. But as I watched the show at the rate of a couple of episodes a day, I found the story built up solidly, until one day I suddenly realised that it had turned into a great show. Just as between the two main characters Griffith and Guts, one looked back and wondered just when the other took control, I look back and wonder just when this got so good without me noticing. Another reason why it is so hard to rate is because of the ending. It's one of those open endings that made me feel as though they cheated me out of a proper ending. On the other hand, there's also an undeniable ingenuity about it, cos it finished in a full circle, with the end neatly connecting into the beginning, so I'm undecided over what to make of it. I know one thing for sure though - I'd be heaping praises upon it if only they made a second season that continued the story. What is it about "Berserk" that makes it so good? Certainly not what's on the surface. The artwork looks quite dated considering the year it was made. I don't know whether it's deliberate or not, but the background often has a static, painting-like quality that contrasts sharply against the foreground. I can't really say it worked for me. Other odd things like the way nakedness is represented also stands out in a bad way. On the plus side, I like "Berserk"'s rather serious and no-nonsense character designs, and even though the action sequences aren't very consistent, when it's good, it's *really* good, with the brutal, bloody style doing the title full justice. Although notably good anime often have great music that enhances the key moments and the atmosphere in general, "Berserk"'s sound department can't even be described as decent. The opening theme is vaguely catchy, but doesn't really fit the anime that well... and also it's ruined further because it's sung in really bad engrish. The ending theme is so bad I had to skip it every time while the music played during the previews at the end are comically inappropriate. The BGM is in a better state, but generally the music in "Berserk" is nothing to write home about. Take away the rather average production values of "Berserk" and the real reason of why it is so good naturally surfaces: This anime is good almost soley because of the astonishing quality of its writing. One of the things that stands out about "Berserk" is its intense violence. It's this aspect that has earned it comparisons to "Elfen Lied". Well, I say "earned", but that would imply that it's a good thing to be compared with that hollow show. "Berserk" is far more substantial than "Elfen Lied" can ever hope to be. Though both are uncompromisingly lurid, "Berserk" uses its violence much, much better. For "Elfen Lied", violence is deployed as a shock tactic and shock tactic alone. It's used over and over again to the extent that I'd numbed to it by the end. "Berserk", on the other hand, goes for quality rather than quantity. It uses its violence effectively to accentuate meaningful moments, and so its impact does not diminish through the course of the series. In fact, it saves the best till last, with a gruesome scene in the last episode involving an arm that made my stomach turn (I'm sure people who's seen this show knows exactly what I'm referring to) - "Elfen Lied" just doesn't have any answer to this kind of stuff. As intense as the violence is in "Berserk", it's not the main attraction of the show - it is merely an enhancement tool. The real driving force behind the anime is its powerful, thought provoking story and fascinating characters. It may not start off spectacularly, but it's always consistently building up. There are no filler episodes, every single one has its purpose. When linked up, the result is an intriguing storyline that draws you in slowly but surely. So much happens during the series that it's difficult to go into details regarding the characters in "Berserk" without giving things away. They're not legendary for no reason though (in fact the show is often credited with having one of the most complex and charismatic villains ever), and it's safe to say that the central characters are all fully 3D, and are fleshed out to have tremendous depth. The intricate power struggles of the royal court, fueled by jealousy and greed, are wonderfully illustrated. The complicated motivations, hopes and fears of the characters are fully explored, and their actions propels the story forward effortlessly, with no overly engineered, inexplicable plot developments in sight. Their every action is understandable and more importantly, consistent with their character. Because of this, the characters and story are inseparable - a sure sign that it's all done right. Some of the minor villains do suffer from the cannon fodder syndrome for being a bit too stupid, but this isn't a huge problem. I'm slightly skeptical about the supernatural element in "Berserk". I mean, I enjoyed this immensely just as a down to earth (well, down to earth compared to what happens later on) story set against a medieval background. Once it got all supernatural it was hard to get used to. But on the positive side, there was always that overarching sense of its inevitable expansion into supernatural territory, so I think it did did well to keep reminding me every few episodes or so, which went a long way to prepare me for the last few episodes when it all went crazy. I think maybe the problem lies in the fact that the series only adapts the source manga up to the point where the supernatural elements starts to kick in. Even though almost the entire series is meant to be a prelude leading up to this, without a follow up series, it's a bit hard to accept the small quantity of demon involvement when like 90% of the series is not at all reliant on it. Still, all in all, I really liked "Berserk", but given the reputation of the manga, I can't shake the feeling that the anime is only this good thanks to the awesome source material. The lack of brilliant direction and the lack of a continuation prevents it from becoming a mind blowing masterpiece that maybe it could have been. As good as "Berserk" is, it can probably still be chalked down as wasted potential.

I always like to take a look at anime made in the late 90's as they tend to be well thought out shows with brilliant stories, well developed characters and kick-ass soundtrack's. Today I’m going to review Berserk a show that’s an accurate description of a truly great 90's anime. We are introduced to a young girl being tormented by criminals before our hero the Black Swordsman comes to the rescue and murders all but one of them. He then asks the last survivor to relay a message to his master "Tell him the Black Swordsman has arrived" Story: We're introduced to our main character as of episode 1, Guts. He's a tall and muscular guy that wields a sword just as big as himself. He has a crossbow attached to where his left arm used to be. It seems as though Guts has a clear motive as to why he kills, but we're yet to discover why. This series has a medieval setting with dark fantasy elements as we are introduced to our first villain/Enemy a demon. Guts faces an incredibly strong enemy in which he has to battle to near death until he is victorious. When Guts seems to have paralyzed this monster he tortures him as the demon begs for mercy. So there is a clear indication that’s Guts has a vendetta against these demons as he really had no reason to go to the village to slay him. The story is very well thought out giving us a back story to the events leading up to episode one. Art: I usually say this for most anime made in the 90's is that it is great for its time but for today’s standards it isn't that great. Characters are still for a lot of time and we do get a lot of slow shifting frames with poorly designed back characters. However the fight scenes are very well executed and the gore is relatively good so i can't really complain. Sound: The soundtrack in Berserk was very good. I do feel the opening was a little out of place for what Berserk was but it was still enjoyable to listen to. Characters: Guts is an interesting character. When first introduced to him we see a cold and brutal warrior that will go through any lengths to kill his enemy. Through out the series we see him grow and change as a person since being with the band of the hawk. Griffith is our secondary main character. He is the leader of the band of hawk. He first comes into contact with Guts when his men are struggling to beat him on his own and Griffith steps in taking an interest in Guts and wanting him to join the band. The relationship between Guts and Griffith would appear to be friendship as the two go through extreme lengths to defend each other. However throughout the show we never see Griffith admit to being friends with Guts and on one occasion we see that the doesn’t regard anyone as his friend unless they are his equal. Caska is the final main character. She was one of the hawks trying to fend of Guts when the Hawks members tried to rob him and she stepped in to try and stop Guts from killing them all. She never liked Guts during the three years they were together but the two share a moment and Caska confesses why she doesn’t like him. The two eventually form a true friendship and learn to defend and fight for one another. Final thoughts: Overall i really enjoyed Berserk but there are big hindrances in the series that stopped it from becoming one of the best such as its inconclusive ending. Also since this series came out in 1997 there hasn’t been a second season or movies since 2012 which is almost 15 years which for a fan of the series would be infuriating. Nevertheless Berserk was a well written show that had elements to make it one of the greatest anime to come out in the 90's

I like epic fantasy, dragons, wizards, and knights and stuff. If there is good action and interesting characters, I like it a lot more. And then this baby pops up, with a really dark, violent and erotic take, instantly hooking me with its aesthetics. It had medieval kingdoms, big swords, frenzied warriors, gore, nude, sex, intrigue, betrayal, demons, a quest for vengeance, and an ending that was screaming for a sequel. Why shouldn’t I like it? It remains to this day as the top Dark Fantasy anime and the main inspiration for Dark Souls. Here is the rundown of all the things I liked. 1) The pilot episode. It ain’t shitting around with a slow build up. It begins at a point in the future (a flash forward) where the lead character is already somehow betrayed and mutilated by his best friend, and he is on a quest to kill the sucker. The very first episode tells you with a scene from the future how the world became a dark and morbid place, where the people live in fear and demons have crawled in powerful positions of authority, toying sadistically with innocents. It is an extremely powerful plot device to hook you for what is to come (but didn’t). Many later anime used the fast forward gimmick; from Gungrave and Gai-Rei Zero all the way to Boruto. It may not feel so special today but back then it was the first time I got to experience it and I loved it. The second episode is the story told from the start, as we gradually see how the protagonist grows up in the battlefield, gets more powerful, wields bigger swords (I mean, REALLY bigger swords), how he makes allies, friends, lovers, and enemies. You already know how all that will have a bad outcome because of the pilot episode so you are interested to see how it happened. It was an amazing way to attract the viewer with this sort of glimpse to the future for two reasons. First, if the lead and his enemies were so powerful from the start, chances are you would be bored with the series fast. There wouldn’t be room for improvement or change in general. Showing how strong he will eventually become and then flashbacking to the past, means you have all the reason to expect something good in the end despite how weak he appears to be at first. Second, one would be fooled to think the show doesn’t have major battles or much of a grim story if the pilot episode didn’t offer a glimpse to the future, and it was starting straight from the beginning. 2) Gore, splatter, nude and sex. This almost goes without needing an explanation. Sex and violence always sell and this anime has buckets of it. Sounds like brain-dead superficial entertainment, but unlike most shows Berserk is only using them as attraction and not as definition. Such elements become part of the themes and the plot instead of being there as edgy nonsense. There is also close to no silly comedy for deflating the grim atmosphere as most anime tend to do (Akame ga Kill, Goblin Slayer, Hell’s Paradise). Plus, it uses a form of violence that is quite appealing to me; sword-to-sword battles between frenzied armoured warriors. Using magic or lasers just doesn’t look raw enough, because it’s long-ranged and comes off as special effects and CGI. 3) Interesting characters. You gradually see them revealing all their inner thoughts to you, their pasts, their goals, their desires and hopes. You see them getting beaten, learning from their mistakes, maturing, becoming broken by betrayal and coming out more crazy than what they already were. Shows which do that in such a degree AIN’T that many. Plus, the aforementioned violence is used to bring out their weak side and inner thoughts, something which other anime like Hellsing or Devil May Cry don’t and have their leads in a permanently frozen state of brainless battle-frenzied euphoria, flat as pancakes and with no room for change. What is also very interesting is how each one, despite his prowess in battle, is still limited to a certain role, even if he or she would rather be something entirely different. Basically, they can’t use violence to fix their issues, an antithesis to the logic of Dragonball. Guts never manages to live a peaceful life, as he is constantly thrown in battles he can’t escape from and is addicted to mayhem. Griffith never manages to fulfil his quest to gain his own kingdom, without constantly having to sacrifice more and more of his humanity, to the point he stops being humane just to get an impersonal piece of land. And Caska, no matter how much she tries to be an independent woman, who can fend off herself and protect Griffith, eventually her own body limits her to the role of support and a target of lust by many horny men. All that are rarely seen in other shows, which follow the very simplistic view of “You can be anyone you want and achieve anything you want if you really believe in it and work hard.” There is no limitation there and as such those characters are never defined by what they can never be. Some things are simply not as easy for some as they are for others, purely because of body restrictions or lack of charisma and/or talent. Sounds depressing but it is true and this anime had the guts (bad pun) to admit it, creating a wonderful set of main leads in the process. 4) Political power struggles. The show is not centered on a team of warriors, strolling a generic kingdom and doing stand-alone missions. The world they live in has affected them and is affected back by them, all part of Griffith’s goal to leave his mark on the world by getting his own kingdom. Along the way many aristocrats get annoyed by his continual successes and fearing their power getting stolen attempt to assassinate him. And he reacts by plotting his own assassinations. All of which happen in secrecy, while the kingdom is at war with its neighbours. So it is not a story about a few brave warriors protecting their good homeland by invading monsters; it is a war of political agendas between local kings for whom gets to have all the land for himself. And not only that; it is also about the internal double crossing the aristocrats do to one another every time one wants to steal the glory from the other. This double battlefield, the external and the internal, adds a layer that is lacking from most shows. And yes, it was not unique to Berserk, since Rose of Versailles and Legend of Galactic Heroes also had that and it’s why they are top material in their respective genres (period drama and space opera). And I know many are going to mention Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad as series that did the same in a far more elaborate way. They came afterwards, and were not animated. I am talking about the anime at the time it came out, dammit! 5) Amoral take on humanity. Religion is a topic usually ignored in anime, or when it’s used it’s just for having one-dimensional bad guys. Berserk takes it a bit further and has the demons being former humans who gave in to their dark desires. Ideals and hopes are mocked as means to control the weak, while ambitious leaders commit all sorts of crimes behind everyone’s back. I really liked how monsters are not treated as generic incarnations of evil or plain misguided mortals; they are shown to be the pure form of ambition liberated by the constraints of morality, emotions and ideals. 6) Psychological symbolisms and imagery. Many parts of the show, usually those involving demons, are full of WTF sceneries, all of which have to do with basic carnal desires and fears. Unlike most shows with demonic dimensions, which are nothing but generic depictions of torture of the damned, here all the monsters and their Eclipse world are directly attributed to their personalities having been given in completely to their desires. The characters are not scared of getting crazy because of them. Heck, they are mostly terrified of becoming like that as well. Not because it is bad or wrong, but because it feels inappropriate for any human being to end up like that. Which is again very interesting as a concept…

why 5? Because of the last two fucking episode, what the fuck was that? Suddenly the world changed and gods came down for Griffith to turn him into some sort of gay bat?! SO STUPID, up until episode 23 it was a True masterpiece but the ending was such a disappointment that I had to decline it's rating, I really thought it was going to give some meaningful message at the end but Griffith raped casca (in a latex suit, kinda what gay pornstars wear) for NO REASON, that was the ending!! the ending was a mere Neon Genesis Evangelion! full of blood and shit! without any actual reason or meaning they never should have brought those weird creatures into this show, it made no sense and was extremely unnecessary! at the end of the day I just got disappointed