Griffith

Judeau

Gambino

Guts

Slan

Erica

Zodd

Rickert

General Boscogne

Bazuso

Charlotte Beatrix Marie Rhody Windam

Corkus

Void

Pippin

Casca

Godot

Adon Coborlwitz

Ubik

King of Midland

Conrad

Gaston

Foss

Queen of Midland

Julius

Lord Gennon

Set during a time that very much resembles Europe during the Middle Ages, Berserk is a story of revenge set in the castle town of Midland. Recently, the town has seen the rise of a wicked king, who uses demonic minions to control and victimise his subjects. 
 
However, when a lone soldier enters the town calling himself the Black Swordsman and armed to the teeth, many sense that the king's days of unchecked oppression are over. Soon, the Black Swordsman is plying his trade by hunting down the king's evil servants, giving no quarter, and preparing to exact his vengeance on the king. 
 
(Source: MVM Entertainment)

<div align="justify">With the remake stirring up tonnes of controversy, I thought I’d relive the 1997 cult classic that is _Berserk_. A manga and anime icon and a flagship for the dark fantasy genre, _Berserk_ stands to this day as a much loved franchise and a staple for any anime fan. Famous for its grim, dark atmosphere and unwavering onscreen brutality, protagonist Guts has long been considered the original suffering Subaru. The series is perhaps even more famous for the suffering inflicted upon its fans who, after an unsatisfying conclusion, were forced to wait twenty long years [for, well… ](http://sidearc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/berserk-2016-1.jpg)

#Feel no shame about shape
***
Guts is a wandering mercenary with a big ass sword. Like, the thing is more ridiculous than the Buster Blade. He eventually comes under the employ of Griffith, a charismatic tactical genius who leads a much feared mercenary company: The Band of the Hawk. However, Griffith is revealed to have much larger ambitions. 

~~~img290(http://i.imgur.com/PiLoAF3.jpg) img290(http://i.imgur.com/myyH012.jpg)~~~

At first glance, both Guts and Griffith seem pretty straightforward. Guts appears to be a mean, mysterious, buff dude who happens to be an OP swordsman. Griffith appears to be a charming bishounen with a knack for strategy. 

They, of course, are these things. And yet, they’re so much more.

Guts’ troubled past had led him to be proficient at a single thing: swinging his big ass sword. He embraces this, but it concurrently traps him. War is, and has been, his entire life. It is something he continuously strives to excel at; otherwise the purpose of his existence is effectively moot. Yet, as the dynamic of the world ceaselessly changes around him, he wonders if he still has a place. To complicate things further, Guts begins to reconsider whether he’s really satisfied serving as someone else’s tool – someone else’s sword.

Griffith is ambitious. His ambition drives his very being, rendering him the charismatic, shrewd and relentlessly determined individual that he is. This very same ambition makes him narcissistic, arrogant and obsessive. His followers are not so much his friends as they are his tools. Servants destined only to satisfy his insatiable desire. 

The point is that these guys are surprisingly complex. Although they may look fairly stock standard, they prove to be pleasantly nuanced and compelling. What is even more compelling and is without a doubt the highlight of the show, is their relationship. The paradigm is constantly shifting and you’re never really sure if they’re friends, rivals or something else entirely. The two are like Joker and Batman, Bonnie and Clyde or Luke and Vader. They complete each other and expose all the intricacies of each other’s personalities and thoughts. They both complement and undermine each other. And I love it. It’s mind boggling and ceaselessly engaging. 

The rest of the Band of the Hawk are pretty one-dimensional, but fun enough. The central female character, Casca, receives more attention. However, her romantic flip-flopping is a bit trite, especially for a character as ostensibly strong and stubborn as she was. It was a little disappointing to see the fearsome, independent female lead be somewhat reduced in this way.

Everyone else, especially the numerous villains, are typical fantasy fanfare. They can be very cliché and often verge on the point of caricature. With one exception, it’s very obvious that none of them are real threats and thus you can’t take them seriously. It’s more of a matter of how Guts and Griffith will eventually, but inevitably, overcome them. What many of these tertiary characters do contribute, however, is the 'comedy' part of tragicomedy. There are some genuinely funny gags, my favourite of which is the Shakespearean tendency to cut to a couple of enemy of grunts mid-battle to listen in on their conversation. 

#So put your grasses on
***
From a technical standpoint _Berserk_ is questionable. It had a 3am airtime – in 1997 – and it frequently shows its age and budget limitations. There are countless freeze frames and highlights which can make the action sequences especially underwhelming. It also doesn’t really help that anything and everything Guts swings his sword at, man or metal, gets bisected. 

~~~img290(http://i.imgur.com/7lT22Kg.jpg) img290(http://i.imgur.com/dnXTBuC.jpg)~~~

The art, especially the character designs, are somewhat dated and at worst can be a little cheesy (particularly in regards to the demons). That said, everyone that matters is pretty classy and well-designed and Griffith looks like a total BAMF. 

Visually, what _Berserk_ excels at is establishing atmosphere. Grit. Everything is coarse and unpolished, but this pays dividends in portraying the series as exactly how it is: grim, rough and unsettling. Background watercolours are particularly good in this sense. All the set pieces, although unclean, are eerie, haunting and practically scream dark fantasy.

~~~img290(http://i.imgur.com/Ri4TVal.jpg) img290(http://i.imgur.com/NF9siLQ.jpg)~~~

Usually, the music complements this. Most tracks aren’t exactly memorable, [save for the likes of ‘Forces’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYX1ZLFxs8A). [Susumu Hirasawa](http://anilist.co/staff/5750/SusumuHirasawa) uses these weird electronic tracks that are so stereotypically 90s but actually do a great job in creating an unnerving and unsettling vibe. The OP and ED are contentious, where many argue they do not fit the series. I’m not exactly sure if the cheesy visuals and bad engrish in the OP had their intended effect, but the thing is catchy and it sure as hell grows on you (maybe for the wrong reasons).

#Nothing will be wrong
***
Structurally, the story is bookended. The first episode is set after the events of the series and so is pretty much a massive spoiler. This can be problematic: you know the ultimate outcome of the story, including the major plot-twist, which inevitably removes a substantial amount of the shock-value and impact. The stakes simply aren’t as high and you may find yourself getting impatient as to find out how it all goes down. I guess the journey is supposed to be what matters, but it just doesn’t have the same effect it probably should have. 

~~~webm(https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/c308873da0c699867384c8860da8e524.mp4)~~~

In a similar vein, and partially because of the story’s circular layout, the ending feels slightly unfulfilling. There is very little foreshadowing and without spoiling anything, there is a very sudden focal transition from a more political, character orientated, low fantasy story to that where more typical high fantasy elements, and I suppose what is the central theme, seize centre stage. It’s not as shocking as it should’ve been because, thanks to episode one, we know how it’ll ultimately turn out. 

This somewhat ties into the whole fate/pre-determination/causality theme that the series kinda tackles? It isn't handled with particular grace, nor is it ever really that compelling until the final act despite the ominous reminder at the beginning of every episode with the God Hand sequence. I wasn’t sure if the show was reminding us that this was supposed to be a thing as much as it was reminding itself. 

~~~img450(http://i.imgur.com/Y9Fpkch.jpg)~~~

But, the biggest problem with the ending is more of a testament to the show than it is a criticism. It abruptly ends and just when things are getting _really_ interesting. YOU WANT MORE. The manga is still running, whilst this version only adapts the Golden Age arc. There’s so much unfinished business and we’re left right in the thick of things. 

#Too late, it's too late
***
_Berserk_ is dark, grim and brooding. This is tragedy - and perhaps tragicomedy - at some of its most compelling, with an amazing main duo who have an even more incredible dynamic. The technical aspects and structural choices can be a bit lacking, but ultimately it engrosses and entertains. In the end, the most unfortunate thing about this series is that it leaves you wanting more.

Was the twenty year wait worth it? Probably not, especially given the result.

~~~img450(http://i.imgur.com/GCnVpN0.jpg)~~~

Regardless, _Berserk_ is a cult classic for a reason. It’s iconic and a damn fun anime.

A cult classic and the standard bearer of dark fantasy anime

A complete story. The characters, the art style, the sound design, the music, the tone and the plot. All nailed down to a T. Although I started with the anime rather than the manga, I feel as though I got the most complete parts of that manga condensed into this well-presented package. It made my heart race, pulled on the strings but ultimately left me wanting more. Of course I will end up reading the manga because of how much of a masterpiece this show was which I guess is the goal of an anime adaptation.
The first episode did a successful job of establishing the badassery of Guts and his huge sword, and really that would be all that I would need to be hooked. It gave me enough intruige to watch the whole 25 episodes, just through sheer force of the main character Guts. And so to talk about the plot.
Firstly, the plot. I know that the manga continues on after this and just the fact that this entire show (or season I guess) is dedicated to how Guts turns into who he is and what he's motivated by allows me to understand the character and the journey he has been on so that I can appreciate his further adventures in the manga (when I read it) so I feel as though this anime has done a good job at establishing that for me. This story is not only driven by Guts' background story and motivations, but also the overarching plot and interpersonal relations that the show itself plays with over the course of the whole series and with perfect pacing at that. It starts off developing its characters with the brash Guts against the seemingly angelic Griffith and his pack of mercenaries. Establishing them as enemies, then friends, to which they distance and become sort of enemies again. This progression between the two 'main' characters allows for the entire story to be driven forward and not stay in a state of stagnant filler and the anime just trying to bide time. The cohesive flow of episodes allowed me to continue on without becoming bored with what the show had to offer. Just the fact that the scale kept increasing and increasing and that the stake just grew exponentially allowed for there to be a real sense of danger for the characters over the entire series and didn't leave me bored. Of course in the manga this entire show is only one arc, but I think that it was perfectly conclusive and would allow me to just get into the actual adventure that the manga had to offer. Not only was I driven to continue watching this show by the two 'main' characters (and I would say that they are somewhat the main driving forces of the show to some degree) but that acceleration from them was also propelled by the wonderful supporting cast all of which felt real. The most important aspect of a character for me is one who feels like I am able to know them through the anime itself via what it shows me. Rather than being told who the character is and what they're driven by, I like a character who shows me who they are and what they're about and I feel as though Berserk allows for me to feel what the characters are feeling throughout the entire show. Casca, Guts, Griffith, Rickert, Pippin, Judeau and even Corkus bounce off of each other and help to establish the heart and soul of the mercanary band. Just being able to witness their growth throughout the entire show warmed my heart and I didn't want it to end. Even the men under Guts' command helped to realise the characterisation and personalisation of the show as a whole, with Gaston's admiration never failing to have me smile a little. All of that and yet. They all die. This show empties you, after filling you with the personalities of interesting characters and motivations it empties you. It flips this all on its head and runs with an even darker tone than it had already established. Although the series does progressively get darker over the 25 episode run, the last few episodes really do make an impact and I have never felt so alone and so empty just seeing Guts hopelessly held down by the Apostles and emotionally tortured by Griffith's rape of Casca. All the life sapped out of the characters in the favour of a new plotline, though it is intruiging, it hurts a little. This is not to say that this is a bad decision moving forward, if anything it motivates me to see what the manga has to offer in terms of characterisation. And in saying all of that, it would most likely prove that the characterisation is very strong, making me care about the stakes and the danger that is posed to the cast many times throughout the show.
From that, the art style. Although this is an anime from the 90's and I'm usually about that fluffy 2000's style of moe and happiness. This roughly edged and worn art helps to not only give the show a bit of timelessness but also assists in the conveyance of the show's sombre and dark tone overall. The hand-painted backgrounds and the hyper detailed pan shots really show the care put into this show and makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. It reminds me a little bit of how timeless Cowboy Bebop is.
From this, the sound and the music help to drive home that heavy feeling art style in such an impactful way. From heavy clangs of metal to the sound of flesh being impales, all of it assists in evoking in me the dark tone of the show as a whole. And the music, used in crucial moments with particular tracks honing the polish of scenes further than they are with the art style.
Overall, I would like to read the manga which I've heard is even better than this anime. 10/10, complete in every aspect and does an honourable job in adapting a long-form manga into a digestable single season to get me hooked. 

“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 speaks volumes of how amazing Guts and Griffith are to me.

Of course, this show isn’t perfect. Many of the villains are just hateful, one-dimensional, noblemen who scheme to get rid of Griffith for being a commoner, while the others are just asshole generals who never really get fleshed out. Not to mention that this show does get a bit carried away with the concept of rape, which can be a turnoff for many viewers, even if the main incident people point to is so effective in its usage that it's honestly praiseworthy. There are minor plot holes as well, such as how we never see how it was possible for Griffith to arrange a fake death and then kill all those who plotted against him in one fell swoop given that we are never given many pieces to really try to figure it out for ourselves, and we never know how Griffith got the ingredients for his switched drink, or how it got switched. Not to mention that beyond one post-credits scene that only shows that Guts did indeed escape the eclipse (which we never know how) and that he finally got the sword we see at the start of the series, the show just ends en medias res. Regardless, as a glorious tragedy and human story, this show shines exponentially.

I guess this particular notion may seem iconoclast to some of you given that this anime is often considered to have mediocre at best production values. Well, that isn't really for any animation errors, but for the supposed lack of animation here. I admit, they take a fair share of shortcuts in the animation department, especially early on, and there are some things (like the waterfall in episode 20) that don't look very good. However, the character designs are fantastic and even when we see stills for a brief period used for a collision of something, they always manage to really sell the impact on those shots alone or use the animation to build up a massive impact as well. The artwork is stunning, as it's some of the most consistently detailed of any television production I have seen. Sometimes the movements in a fight can feel rather limited though. There are also slight bits of reused animation early on, which is always a sin, especially after the 80’s, but that goes away quickly, and there is plenty more animation than people give credit for. Another thing good about that is that sometimes they'll hold on one frame just long enough to let things sink in, such as Griffith’s distraught face in episode 19 after losing fights. Another huge reason I rank this section so highly is because this show has some of the best backgrounds I have ever seen, and I am convinced that each of those were not hand-drawn but hand-painted. You can see the luscious detail in each of these and they make perfect backdrops for any given situation. Studio OLM did a surprisingly good job with this one, and so did Kobayashi Productions for the luscious backgrounds.

Berserk doesn't have a lot of tracks. Excluding the OP and ED, Berserk has a total of only 9 tracks, hence many of the more memorable tracks get repeated a lot. Even still, the OST by Susumu Hirasawa is among the best I've heard in a long, long time. “Earth” is such a lovely and uplifting tune that makes any triumphant scene 10 times more epic, and “Gatsu” is an amazingly somber and peaceful track that is always used at those calm and human moments to excellent effect. These two pieces alone are legendary, immortalized for how beautiful they are as the former becomes one of the most hopeful and uplifting pieces in the medium, while the latter is one of the most tranquil, etherial, and somber. What stands among them to complete this holy trinity of music is one of the most exhilarating and roar-inducing tracks ever conceived: “forces”! It makes these medieval fights that much more epic and just makes you want to let out a fucking warcry! Unfortunately, the OP and ED do not hold up at all. “Tell me why” by Penpals is laughable, full of quotable hilarious engrish and an opening guitar riff that is insanely off-key. It's certainly a fun song in its own right with tons of quotable lines, but it doesn't necessarily match the show and it probably was not meant to invoke any of this. The ED is also very forgettable, as if it were an afterthought. It's a tone-piece, sure, but nothing really noteworthy.

The dub starts off shaky, and there are plenty of mediocre at best minor performances throughout, though luckily, the major characters are decent and some even improve. The only role I recognize is Mike Pollock (Eggman from Sonic) as General Adon, and he has arguably the best performance here. Steve Stanley does do a pretty good job at capturing Griffith entirely though, which is rather odd given that the acting isn't really that great on its own, but it just gels with Griffith so much. Overall, the dub is decent, especially for the time.

Despite the first episode not being as incredible as the rest, this series was immensely enjoyable, partially thanks to the amazing OST and the surprisingly good action scenes, but mainly for the awesome cast of characters we embark on this journey with. Said journey makes it all the more depressing when we see everyone but the main trio die a horrific death as Guts and Casca are scarred for life being brutally killed. 

Berserk 1997 is a glorious and heart-wrenching tragedy, and one of the best stories I've seen in a good while. Its cast is beyond likable and it's nothing less than an epic of medieval proportions. It's surprisingly well put together for what I've heard, and you know what? This show deserves no less, for all of the reasons I mentioned above. Even if you are bothered by the kind of content this anime showcases, this classic is more than worth checking out for the characters and OST alone. It's an epic you won't soon forget. Well, with all that said, I bid you adieu.

Berserk 1997 is a glorious and heart-wrenching tragedy, and one of the best stories I've seen in a good while.

#~~~_Berserk: The Golden Age_~~~#

~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/UsGFF1K.png)~~~

I will try my best to keep spoilers at a minimum for this review. ___Nonetheless, if at all possible, I personally recommend jumping into Berserk while knowing as little as possible. Hence if you still know very little about Berserk overall, I probably recommend not even reading this review and to just dive in.___ 

__Again, there's really no in-depth spoilers, but I do talk about a lot of things I really love about Berserk 97 and Berserk in general which could very easily spoil the sort of nature of what this series is. So again, if you do still know nothing about Berserk whatsoever, just dive in and give it a try. ~~If you have a fondness for dark and gory action series, that is.~~__

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/ejzoSi0.png)~~~

Whether that's the 97 TV series *(the only TV anime that Berserk ever got, mind you),* the [2012 Golden Age movies](https://anilist.co/anime/10218/Berserk-The-Golden-Age-Arc-I--The-Egg-of-the-King/), the relatively recent [Berserk Musou](https://store.steampowered.com/app/502280/BERSERK_and_the_Band_of_the_Hawk/) game from Koei Tecmo, or hell, just the straight up undiluted [original manga](https://anilist.co/manga/30002/Berserk/) by [Kentaro Miura](https://anilist.co/staff/96868/Kentaro-Miura).

Personally, I jumped straight into the manga because a friend had been recommending it to me for years and years. But literally __all__ I knew was that the main guy had a giant sword, and it was apparently quote, ___"super fucked up."___

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/mVahNpZ.png)~~~

_The VERY first scene of the entire manga. With no explanation or context, of course._

And of course when I finally gave the manga a shot in very late 2015, I ended up catching up to the current chapters in a matter of days. And then after a brief recovery period, I proceeded to give the anime a try, confident that since I had already read the manga, the effects would have been diminished... on the second go...

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/EJ7n9Un.gif)~~~

_They weren't._

...And thus, Berserk was my true yet incredibly rough start in anime and manga.

~~By rough, I mean, there's clearly a reason I don't see many other people who say "oh yeah I started right out of the gate with fucking Berserk."~~

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/5b5T4z0.png)~~~

___

#The Best Anime *(And Sole TV)* Adaptation of Berserk#

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/USl2MEv.png)~~~

I think it goes without saying that Berserk 97 is even far more appreciated than ever before due to the last couple of years. The Golden Age films in 2012 by Studio 4°C was the first Berserk adaptation since the [Japan only PS2 game in 2004](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserk:_Millennium_Falcon_Hen_Seima_Senki_no_Sh%C5%8D). I to this day would still argue that the Golden Age movies are just _fine._ ~~Specifically the [third one.](https://anilist.co/anime/12115/Berserk-The-Golden-Age-Arc-III--The-Advent/) The third one is by far the best.~~

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/ViXdumH.gif)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/kL7mtkl.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/uBn3z0f.png)~~~

Sure, they cut out a whole bunch more than the original anime did due to the much shorter length in comparison...

Sure, the CG leaves quite a bit to be desired...

And sure, it isn't new. It covers only a couple new bits that the 97 anime didn't. ~~Meanwhile cutting a bunch of other stuff the 97 anime did.~~ We don't see much of any of the arc that is to follow chronologically. Weirdly enough on the other hand, the 97 anime actually gives us a sneak peek at least of that part of Guts' life.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/1xPelpC.png)~~~

___

#The First Episode#

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/GM23H3E.png)~~~

This is a very worthy thing to discuss while reviewing Berserk 97. As I've seen more than a few others to suggest if you watch Berserk 97 to skip the first episode entirely or watch it only after the other 24 episodes.

While I can understand the idea, I am staunchly upon the side of watching the first episode and watching it first. Like I really, really, ___really___ love the first episode. 

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/84boGyV.png)~~~

And I'm not saying that solely because none of the Black Swordsman arc has ever been animated beyond this single episode. I really view the first episode as just a wonderful way to set up the rest of the anime.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/KJ1zhDd.png)~~~

Apart... from a single line that really makes no sense in the grand scheme of things and just feels like something they just threw in there because they had no idea of where the manga was gonna go at the time.

~!img440(https://i.imgur.com/p7cH8iH.png)

Granted, this line can easily be overlooked. So much so that I completely forgot about its existence until I rewatched this with a friend.!~

We just start out with this gloomy looking character who very quickly proves that if you cross him, you're probably going to end up having a heap of raw iron slamming through your midsection.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/m2SbG7U.png)~~~

He's on a journey but we of course at the time have no idea what the purpose of said journey is. But we continue to be fed more hints as we're shown him suffering from strange and creepy visions of strange beings and he's being haunted by spirits that claim that this man's flesh is *theirs.*

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/lE75BKl.png)~~~

His blood, his flesh, his bones, his agony, his sadness, his *fear.*

___Everything.___

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/l3w2Zuq.png)~~~

But while this is happening when Guts is just trying to take a fucking nap after walking and killing all day, we are also introduced to very odd and very evil looking Baron.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/JkjtA4c.png)~~~

Who, if I'm speaking honestly here, is a very underrated character as far as the whole of Berserk goes. Sure when you get down to it, he's really just a cannibalistic evil Baron who also happens to be a Snake Apostle. 

But I fucking love that very first battle of Guts against the Snake Baron.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/knYNrTf.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/NQ7GNwk.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/0wwbVEF.png)~~~

Guts _isn't_ a hero. Guts isn't even particularly a good person. Before this journey we join him in the middle of, he's gone through no short amount of hell to transform into this walking whirlwind of hatred and pure viscera. 

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/xAlAPnx.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/2ktRbgC.png)~~~

He's the walking tatters of a human being who is now living a life of throwing himself into one hellish battle against monsters after the other, and he can't even get a goddamned night's rest because the nightmares and the spirits will haunt him the moment he shuts his one remaining good eye.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/Bk9s5bv.png)~~~

This is why the first episode of Berserk 97 and the Black Swordsman arc of the original manga worked so much for me. Because I was absolutely riveted and excited to see what fucking happened to result in the creation of a person just so irreparably fucked up.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/BBC19P0.png)~~~

~~Disclaimer, this is actually from Lost Children but chronologically it's still Black Swordsman Guts. Miura's art has just improved 100% since the last time he drew him.~~

Ah... the first episode... it was effectively dark, grim, and I genuinely loved the battle scene. The voices of the spirits haunting Guts were appropriately demonic, mocking, and scary... and Guts' screams were pained and full of fear...

Oh how I wish I could enter a portal to the parallel universe where Pokémon ___failed___ so [Oriental Light and Magic](https://anilist.co/studio/28/Oriental-Light-and-Magic) instead went on with making the fabled and nonexistent Berserk season 2.

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/FkibCel.png)~~~
___

#The Golden Age#

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/lu4I8WW.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/97jvGHd.png)~~~

How many times have I gone through the Golden Age now?

The manga, the anime, the 2012 movies, the anime again _(with a friend)..._ 

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/hYw0QoI.png)~~~

...the manga again, the manga a third time _(physical reread)_ and the Berserk Musou game ~~though it primarily uses scenes from the movies for the Golden Age section.~~

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/Du8bA7f.png)~~~

That's at least seven times. I think the Golden Age is probably one of the more common favorite arcs among Berserk fans. Personally, it's not my favorite... actually, while I'm thinking about it:

~!Conviction (aka the Lost Children chapter specifically) > Black Swordsman > Golden Age > Falcon of the Millennium Empire > Fantasia ___(SO FAR)___

~~Course, that's just me. I know it's probably fucking considered sacrilege by plenty to rank the Black Swordsman that high but hey a lot of the shit I love about Berserk was established there. AND I'M STILL DYING TO KNOW WHO IS GONNA END UP GETTING THE COUNT'S BEHELIT. IT'S BEEN OVER TWENTY FUCKING YEARS BUT SOMEONE'S GETTING THAT GODDAMNED THING.~~

~~___MIURA PLEASE.___~~

img(https://i.imgur.com/Tt8orKa.png)!~

However, no matter what way you slice it, the Golden Age is really where Berserk starts. 

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/rSqrAAA.jpg)~~~

And I have no doubts that if Miura was given the opportunity to just instantly and effortlessly redo Berserk, he would probably make that so since he now obviously knows where he was gonna take the story. But of course if you remove the Black Swordsman arc where he was still just feeling around, would it even still be Berserk?

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/Fv8IO5T.png)~~~

~~I've genuinely over the years read multiple people making the argument to outright skip to like the end of volume 3 of the manga. Again, I kind of get the reasoning as far as the first episode of Berserk 97 goes, but *come on.* Please read the manga in order...~~

Hence my whole prior diatribe on the idea of skipping the first episode. It's important to have that... peek, into the things that are gonna come into Guts' life down the road. 

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/Zsj1uvd.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/8nNB0zE.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/J9vBIF7.png)~~~

And mind you, that very first peek the anime offers you is a whole lot less extensive than the manga's. Really still leaves you wondering how in the hell episode 1 is gonna relate to the rest.

Because the Golden Age is just more or less on the surface medieval action. 

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/ED8KgRQ.jpg)~~~

It's still the world of Berserk though so it's still dark and bloody and gritty, but you're still really wondering where and when the giant snake monsters are going to come back into play.

I know I went all in on talking about the first episode, but... I actually don't want to talk too much about the Golden Age itself. And I know what the header at the top of this review says. It didn't say *The Black Swordsman*, it said *The Golden Age.*

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/OmTqRC6.jpg)~~~

But after experiencing the Golden Age as many times as I have (still nowhere near as many times as the Berserk fans from before I joined the ranks, I reckon), I now see Golden Age as the heart of Berserk. Because again, that's really where it all began.

That's where this saga that's been running for over thirty years begun. 

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/AnSwcNM.jpg)~~~
___

#The Soundtrack#

Before we wrap up here, you probably already saw this coming as it's not at all the first time I've said it but:

#__[Susumu Hirasawa](https://anilist.co/staff/100750/Susumu-Hirasawa) is a musical god.__#

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/0GWvtXI.jpg)~~~

Nine tracks. Eleven if you count Tell Me Why by Penpals and Waiting So Long by Silverfins.

- Tell Me Why *(even the people who describe this as terrible still fucking remember it. I unironically fuckin' love it.)*
- Waiting So Long *(___GRIFFITH'S FACE.___)*

But only nine by Susumu Hirasawa himself.

- Behelit *(fucking haunting and probably one of my secondary favorites)*
- Ghosts *(literally only used in the first episode and it hurts)*
- Ball *(obviously the weakest but it's fine for what it's for)*
- Guts *(it's been twenty two years and Guts still has no better theme. ~~Hai Yo? Nah.~~)*
- Murder *(the absolute fucking stuff of nightmares)*
- Fear *(appropriately named and makes the entrance of certain characters all the more terrifying)*
- Monster *(again, appropriately named. Zodd the Immortal!)*
- Earth *(one of the less dark or ominous tracks, still very very good)*
- Forces *(__HAI YAI FORCES, HAI YAI FORCES__)*

__And none of them ever got old.__ Which is fucking amazing because I remember hearing ~~Gattsu~~ Guts and like Behelit *SO MANY TIMES.*

And my absolute favorite one which is appropriately titled Murder is probably one of the darkest things I've ever heard off of any soundtrack of anything. It is... the section of the series it goes to *incarnate.* It's just absolute madness and despair and *oh christ.*

That's not even to put down what's probably the favorite of the majority of fans.

img(https://i.imgur.com/zUN3gZl.png)

And apart from the ending previews that plays at the end of episodes, I only remember Forces playing a couple of episodes. And yet even though I said Murder's my favorite, Forces is still probably the one I've listened to the most what with the various remixes and like also the [original song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAM_fhwv3gU) that he turned into Forces with his *goddamned sorcery...*

#___If Susumu Hirasawa is not a 100% confirmed musical god, then he is at the very least an ageless music sorcerer, and I hope he makes music forever.___#

~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-et_5qY46rQ)~~~

___

#Conclusion#

Berserk 1997 is a __8.5 out of 10__ or __85 out 100.__

And I don't think there's a lot of room to argue against it being the best anime adaptation of the manga that currently exists at the time of this review.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/OfHWoXS.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/aoNxbS4.png)~~~

The Golden Age movies have their charm for sure, but 1997 still presents a more complete version of the Golden Age. Sure, the movies expand a little bit past the infamous ending of 1997, but I personally love that ending a whole lot more.

~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/1WLcN0q.png)~~~

To very briefly and loosely go a bit more specific on things that get cut out:
~!__Both:__ The Kushan (Silat appears in the movies, but the rest don't), the Black Dog Knights, Wyald. The focus for both is the Golden Age, but I'm still gonna include The Count. Granted, he appeared in the actual Eclipse for both.

__1997:__ Puck and the Skull Knight. Oh yeah, I remember there being also this weird filler episode with Adon where he's just fucking around for some reason? None of that ever happened in the manga. It just made Adon even more of a clown character rather than a clownish scumbag. The actual moment where Skull Knight bursts into the Eclipse to save Guts and Casca. A very big moment to not include, but can you honestly tell me a better "read the manga" ending than that? Especially since the first thing you see when the ED comes up is Griffith's fucking smiling face. They __had__ to have known what they were doing.

__Golden Age movies:__ Snake Baron (including his appearance in the Golden Age). Rosine's Golden Age appearance along with The Count when they spook Rickert. The Queen of Midland's plot to kill Griffith. The Bonfire of Dreams. Gaston's death. Judeau's last words. They include a moment where Guts almost actually strikes Femto/Griffith. Godo. Most of Guts' childhood. There is a very brief flash of the most infamous moment from his childhood in the movies, but the 97 series actually included Guts killing his adoptive father. They include Serpico and Farnese when they didn't need to... and probably more I'm not remembering off the top of my head.

Again, this actually is straight from the top of my head. I could be misremembering some of these. The Golden Age is almost fucking seared into the back of my skull at this point.!~

Anyways, yeah. I still love Berserk 1997 to death and still view it as one of the best Berserk adaptations. I mean, it's not perfect of course, but it could certainly be worse.

Still... I'm really wondering when we're going to get a new proper TV anime... it's been twenty two years already...

~~~img(https://i.imgur.com/IphrWO7.png)~~~


One of the best-selling and most popular manga in Japan, Berserk is perhaps the quintessential action fantasy title. Placed in a medieval setting, it tells the story of Guts, a powerful swordsman who carries a sword that’s as big as he is. The anime focuses on his time spent in the mercenary guild, The Band of the Hawk, and his relationships with the members of the guild during the period of The Hundred Year War. Though the premise itself is straightforward, it is the story that helps Berserk become something truly gripping, allowing Berserk to shine amongst its peers.

Arguably the greatest strength of the show is found in its characters. Guts, the protagonist of the tale, first appears as a swordsman with a simple ideology: swing your sword and win battles. But over the course of the show, his character opens to reveal a life riddled with misery and a desire for something more purposeful. These developments are aided by his time interacting with members of the Band of the Hawk, most notably Griffith and Casca. In sharp contrast to Guts’ role as a wandering mercenary, Griffith is a shrewd man with grandiose ambitions. A man born as a commoner, he wishes to have his own kingdom despite the resistance of the nobility. He’s a charismatic individual, playing a variety of roles to accomplish good standings with others while simultaneously concocting the most devious of schemes. Casca is a female knight who forfeited her feminine side to show strength on and off the battlefield. Despite this, she holds Griffith in great regard due to his leadership and for teaching her the importance of fighting during their first encounter. Though many other characters are important to the Band of the Hawk, such as the wise-beyond-his-years Judeau or the snarky Corkus, they are often limited to supporting roles for the 3 characters listed prior. That said, the dynamic range in character growth these three have over the course of the series is astounding. What is thought to be certain can change over a single battle or dialogue, as the characters realize the feelings and hopes of one another. Loyalty and love can be easily traded for betrayal and hatred and vice-versa. 

Medieval settings are seen quite often in fantasy works, most notably in the isekai trend. It’s a simple setting that opens a lot of opportunity for exploration and world-building. Sadly, it seems to have fallen out of favor with audiences as it has become clichéd. Too many shows have come out with this setting and submit to the usual tropes that were better suited in the role-playing games of old. While Berserk does not eschew these elements completely, it uses them in a much more appropriate way by showcasing the brutality of yesteryear. Several battles are fought over the course of the anime, with seemingly insurmountable odds needing to be overcome by the rogue mercenaries. It is the cunning tactics of their leader Griffith and the strength of their commanders that allow them to be seen as a threat to even the strongest of armies. Yet even during these fights, an ominous atmosphere hangs over the cast. Secret ploys and a slow unveiling of the show’s fantasy themes often make it so there is never a point of safety. These additional burdens serve to further strengthen the cast, allowing them to realize not everything is as it seems. These properties made the show a joy to watch and I was always eager to see what would happen next for the cast of characters. Perhaps the greatest part lies in the show’s twists and turns as a result of these conflicts. Even when things seem to border on ridiculous, there is an organic flow to how events transpire. Characters act accordingly and no one ever says or does anything that would betray their own character – they merely adjust to the current events with a new perspective. Perhaps the opening is true, with its solemn statement of “man having no control, even over his own will” – they are actors in a cruel and barbaric play, forced to adapt to what the script demands.

Though the story and characters are rich with complexity and intrigue, I do have some problems with the tale. A very minor one is found in the battles midway through the anime. Though there is some satisfaction to be had seeing Guts massacre a horde of enemy troops, it can occasionally get tiring. Obviously, it is required to continually build up the reputation of the swordsman, as well as provide a harder hitting introspection later in the series, but the “kill ‘em all” approach over an excess of time can become a bit tiresome. Perhaps this could be tied to the animation, as in a manga format, this wouldn’t be as problematic. A more major concern is one that will put me at opposition with the core fans of the series: it’s supernatural themes. Most of the series is that of medieval warfare and customs, with the character’s motivations and ideals serving as an interesting clash to otherwise tired clichés. However, by the end, the fantasy elements become very prevalent, serving to shock the viewer similarly to titles such as End of Evangelion. Though it perhaps is hypnotically horrifying to the fans, I personally do not care for it. Even so, I will admit it is necessary for the story, as the foreshadowing and direction of the story could only lead it in that direction.

One element that may be dividing is in the animation. The studio OLM (most famous for their works on the Pokemon series) is behind this production and unfortunately does not show the detail or fluidity that many would hope for in the adaptation. Examples of this can be found in the action scenes, where the intensity is represented by a single drawn frame. That said, it would be hard to show the level of detail that is found in the manga in an animated form for such a studio, so I find the work to be at the very least serviceable. I adore the cel animation and find its desaturated colors to work in the favor of the show’s overall dark and gritty environment. The characters can look a bit off in mid-range or faraway shots, but closeup have good multi-tone shading and detail to give striking character profiles. Though the anime did not receive the greatest production for its time, it still holds a consistent quality through its 25 episodes.

Despite the limits of the animation, the sound for the anime is superb. Each seiyuu displays a wonderful breadth of emotions for their characters, from their sorrow to their rage. More key is the OST that provides backing for the adventures of the Band of the Hawk. Each piece provides a mystical quality that entangles the viewer deeper into the story, evoking emotion when the animation cannot. Perhaps the definitive piece is “Gats”, or Guts’ theme. A heartbreaking piece for piano and vocal, it expresses the introspection and the passion of the main characters. The female vocal wails like a siren luring sailors to their death, while the harrowing cry of the male vocal is a haunting yet lachrymose beauty. In sharp contrast, opening “Tell me Why” by PENPALS is a delirious alternative rock anthem. An off-key guitar solo gives way to a slacker vocal delivery that speaks in freeform, stream-of-conscious “Engrish”. It is as disjointed as it is catchy. Even if there’s no relation to the anime promoted, there is a strange bond formed between them. The iconic opening 4 beats will forever be tied to that burning picture of Guts and the many travails he undergoes. Though not as iconic, other pieces like “Behelit” provide a sinister tone to provide mysticism to this dark fable, while ED “Waiting so Long” is a gothic release to the agonizing events in each episode.

Overall, I give Berserk a 7.5/10. Berserk is a tale of determination. It is a tale of iron-clad grit in the toughest of conditions. It is brutal and soul-crushing, yet also sweet and sensitive when it needs to be. Regardless on your feelings of its setting or animation, I would advise anyone to at least watch a few episodes to see its strengths in story and characters. Those that already are looking for a dark fantasy or medieval show should definitely watch it, if they haven’t already.

Do you like or dislike this anime? If you haven't watched it, are you encouraged to watch it or not? Leave a comment on my profile telling me what you think of the anime and/or my review.

Thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

The original Berserk adaptation is a wonderful (if flawed) take on the iconic manga

Why is Berserk perfect? Well to start it doesn't care to dance around harsh subjects or deeper topics. Things that lesser anime would take time to develop and establish Berserk just outright asks you a philosophical question before the goddamned opening. A question no human is able to answer. After that it moves on to the opening which can be perfectly summized as the best and worst thing that has ever happened as background footage of mass suicide gets thrown on screen with complete disregard for the readiness of those watching. Others may call this careless, I call it a great way to curate the audience. Berserk doesn't waste it's time over explaining things for the viewers in ways other anime does. People are able to tell whether or not they will enjoy their time watching the show within the first 5 minutes or less. This is all without having even gotten into an episode yet. 

Chances are if you're here you don't need a summary of the entire series plus an hour long rundown of my life story so to get to the point let's talk about things people don't like about Berserk and why I think they shouldn't be seen as negatives. Much like the opening to the show a lot of what is seen can be interpreted as dogshit to put it bluntly. However upon closer inspection I think you'll be able to find the reasons psychos like me love this show BECAUSE of it's "flaws". To start how about the sound track? Well you should know it's one of the best sound tracks to an anime I've ever heard. On par with the likes of AoT except Berserk only uses two damn songs. The animation can only be described as the highest quality power point presentation I've ever seen. The art looks like it was copied and pasted straight from the Manga because it probably was. The voice acting sounds real like the actors convincing me that these characters exist. This amalgamation of so-called "flaws" is bound to turn most people off, but perhaps for a reason I can't properly explain I seem to have fallen in love with it. Berserk is honestly a gift to humanity in the same way it is a blight on the face of the Earth. Just as many people I talk to seem to hate the series as much as others love it. It has somehow found this harmony within the universe that I couldn't imagine was possible. 

On another, more serious note. I noticed on repeat viewings you can actually end up sympathizing and changing your stances on the different characters. When I first watched this show I had thought it was pretty black and white with a "good and evil" type deal. Their motivations and actions can paint a different picture when you tackle this show from a different angle, and it's one of the reasons I love to rewatch it so much.


TLDR: I could never properly explain my love for Berserk. Is it some transcendental entity or law forcing me to rave about it? Is it like the hand of God choosing what I like? All I know is I have no control, even over my own review.

Perfection. You can stop reading here but there's more if you'd like.

Due to double friend recommendation, both claiming this to be best anime ever, and seeing most top reviews being 10/10, it's fair to say I had high expectations. Not too high though as I'm generally not very fond of the style of old shows, especially ones old enough to be in 4:3 aspect ratio. I was also told not to watch this in fast forward (advice I gave up on halfway through) and to watch series rather than movies as all the extra details are important to the experience. 

Rest of the review will contain spoilers.
It was watchable for the most part but overall I can't say I liked it. Especially with the way it started improving in the second half I expected at least the ending part to make it all worth it, only for the ending to go batshit insane with what I percieve as torture gorn porn that has no real relevance to the plot. The same theme could have been communicated without all that. Good writing should be about me experiencing the psychological trauma of the character and empathise with it without the need to actually visually see the characters literally tortured for like an hour of my time, an hour I'll never get back.

From my understanding, it's a story about following one's own dream versus getting subsumed by someone else's. Or rather a story about consequence of following someone else's dream, and also about how people with greatest power get there by stepping on the corpses of others, using them for their own gain and discarding them when they're finished. I guess this could be considered a deconstruction of the shonen trope of being happy and finding life purpose in merely being a useful tool for someone else. Since this is a staple of japanese culture, it could be considered a criticism of this aspect of culture as well. 

But unless I completely missed the mark on what this show is about, I'm finding that it does a pretty poor job of doing that. Sure it does it, but it just shows it, gruesomely, with what feels like an excuse for having power fantasy character rack up several thousand kills. Something that just doesn't feel like it belongs with the chosen artstyle and setting which feel all gritty nitty realistic. I suppose this was seen as a good thing since it might have been the first show to merge shounen like power fantasy tropes with realistic middle age setting, subcomunicating that these tropes are legit adult tropes, not only something for children to enjoy. Berserk might be trying too hard to make itself not-a-shounen, perhaps that's what explains all the excessive gore?

Experience wise show is best watched at 1.6-2x speed, especially for the modern viewer that has a huge backlog that's only getting bigger, as Berserk is just unbearably slow for the most of its progression and often feels like watching still frames of manga presented on screen. Some of the music is really good and atmospheric, but that means little with show being unwatchable at 1x speed. Some of the still art and framing is pretty decent in a timeless way but that's the best that can be said about visuals. I liked some of the military tactics subplots, which were probably the highlight of the show, though they were just good, not really amazing.

I see one of the top reviews suggesting that theme of Berserk is "What are you living for? This is the question posed by Berserk, pitting humanistic free will against nihilistic predestination." Of course that nihilistic view would be bad in every conceivable way, what's there to explore? What are we living for? Guts was living to kill people, it's all he knew how to do, and never thought to try anything else. Show doesn't paint this as a bad thing or even really question it. Griffith just lives to gain power, he suffers a lot and then succeeds, kinda turning evil and sacrificing everyone and everything in the process, and isn't shown regretting it, but is instead shown savoring it. What? Wow. Such exploration of life's purpose. Exploring free will in itself would be an excellent theme, but I saw no exploration of that. There was some demons yelling some nonsense that all is predetermined and all struggles are in vain and such but it's not like that was ever explored in any meaningful way, nor confirmed or disconfirmed. Any actual point raised by determinism doesn't even get a passing mention, not even metaphorically. You'd think that'd be relevant if theme is free will and destiny.

I hoped reading top 4 MAL reviews would explain what's good about this show, what it was that I missed, and was disappointed to find they didn't explain anything but gush about liking the tangible details such as setting and characters and philosophy etc... nothing substantial. I'm lead to conclusion that this is a show that aged like milk, show that has been cool in its time for being different and appealed to an aging demographic that grew up on shonens and was craving something in this genre (at least partially) but with a more serious and mature tone.

edit: One reader reached out to me pointing out that I'm trying to find a theme in an incomplete story, where anime kinda focuses on the 3rd arc instead of starting properly from the beginning. I was definitely under a wrong impression in this regard, so my take on it isn't exactly fair towards source material given this. But I'll leave the review as it is, since it still paints my subjective experience of this single anime season on its own.

La adaptación de 1997 de Berserk lamentablemente ha tenido una mala fama por la popularidad y alabanzas al manga (el cual no he leído), pero como material individual esta adaptación esta llena de calidad.

En primera hablar del apartado técnico, es bastante bueno, la animación pese a lo limitada que llega a ser esta se las ingenia para no ser tan estática, ademas compensa con un gran nivel de ilustración. El apartado sonoro es simplemente magnifico, no solo por lo buenas que son las canciones, sino también el como las aprovecha y lo que significan para la serie, como el tema de Guts que representa bien la melancolía del personaje; o el tema de Behelit que representa lo místico, raro y hasta tétrico del objeto.

Hablando mas de la trama obviamente lo mas resaltante es el trio protagónico y sus interacciones, Guts es un hombre que ha sufrido demasiada mierda durante su infancia, nació de un cadaver, tuvo que ayudar en el campo de batalla a muy temprana edad, tuvo que matar a la única persona en la que confiaba, tuvo que criarse solo con el unico objetivo de sobrevivir, hasta que conoce a la banda del halcón y conoce a Griffith, un hombre carismático, fuerte, inteligente y lomas resaltante de este, un hombre con un sueño, sumado al sentimiento de compañerismo y responsabilidad que le ofrece el grupo, Guts se termina quedando en el grupo. Varios años después la banda consigue el respeto de un rey que estaba en plena guerra, y aquí es cuando apreciamos la interacción de Guts y Casca, ambos personajes pese que comparten el mismo grupo y deseo de servir a Griffith, ambos tienen distintas personalidades, siendo Guts mas agresivo y descuidado y Casca siendo mas seria y ¨protectora¨, siendo dos personajes que estan en constante discusión, hasta que en una batalla en la que terminan separándose del grupo, ambos empieza a abrirse y conocerse mas íntimamente, y poco a poco empiezan a enamorarse gradualmente, complementándose el uno al otro. El desarrollo de ambos se da de manera gradual y terminan siendo personajes completamente diferentes a los de su punto de partida, como Casca la cual fue vendida a un hombre que intento violarla, pero después de ser ayudada por Griffith y la banda del halcon, decide unirse a esta y poniendo su felicidad por debajo de la utilidad que le puede ofrecer a Griffith, pero cuando mas interactua con Guts esta en la parte final duda si seguir al hombre que admira, o al hombre que ama, decidiéndose por el amor, por fin teniendo autonomía.

El desarollo de Guts en cambio es muchisimo mas complejo, despues de todo lo que sufrio tomo un caracter distante y cerrado hasta que se une a la banda y consigue respeto, una responsabilidad y lo mas importante, compañeros, cosas nuevas para Guts, pero eran cosas que apreciaba mucho, no le importaba morir por Griffith si es que aun estuviera en la banda, pero es cuando despues de matar a alguien por Griffith, Guts accidentalmente escucha esto del mismo Griffith: ¨Desde mi punto de vista un verdadero amigo no se encuentra atado a los sueños de otros. Una persona con el potencial para ser mi amigo debe ser capaz de encontrar su propia razón de vida sin mi ayuda¨, y este se da cuenta, que nunca ha tenido un sueño, el unico objetivo que ha tenido fue el sobrevivir antes de conocer a la banda del halcon, Guts empieza una etapa de reflexion en la que se cuestiona ¨¿cual es el sentido de mi vida?¨, entonces este decide irse de la banda del halcon, decide salir de su zona de confort para buscar su propio significado, el para en un lugar en donde viven un herrero y una niña, en donde se queda a entrenar mientras reflexiona, el herrero le dice que el no es un herrero porque quiera, sino porque es lo unico que sabe hacer, Guts cuestiona las palabras, y de casualidad se encuentra con Casca y la banda, los cuales enstan en un estado deplorable, interactua un poco con Casca y decide ayudarlos a rescatar a Griffitg, y es despues de eso, despues de todo eso, se dio cuenta que en la banda estaba todo lo que buscaba, compañeros, verdaderos amigos, gente que lo respeta y quiere, alcanzando la felicidad por fin.

Si han leido bien he mencionado a Griffith varias veces, y cuando lo menciono cuando hablo de Casca y Guts este tiene el mismo rol, es como una blanca ave que ayuda dos personas miserables, las dota de poder y respeto, pero cuando ellos lo abandonan consiguen la felicidad y sueños los cuales cumplir, porque realmente todo lo que acabo de decir es una simple fachada para ocultar al oscuro cuervo que porta el casco como lider de la banda del halcon, porque eso es Griffith, una persona falsa, todo lo que le ofrecio a Guts y Casca solo fueron simples regalos para que lo ayuden a cumplir su objetivo, porque eso es lo unico que le imposta a Griffith, su propio objetivo, y no le importa a quien tenga que sacrificar o que es lo que tiene que hacer para alcanzarlo, ya que el sin su objetivo, no es nada y nadie, y a traves de su carisma, intimidacion e inteligencia logra obtener aliados y deshacerse de sus enemigos rapidamente, todo para Griffith era facil hasta que Guts abandono a la banda del halcon, ya que apate de su objetivo, Guts era la unica cosa que le importaba, ya que este era la unica persona a la cual Griffith pudo ver como un verdadero amigo, asique despues de su partida, Griffith quedo destrozado, y por una mala desicion termina encarselado  torturado. Despues de que Guts, Casca y los demas lo rescataran, este se dio cuenta que los papeles se habian invertido para el, ahora Guts era el que tenia todo y el nada, pero lo peor es que Guts no solo tenia todo, sino que tambien cumplio su sueño, y por eso Griffith se quiebra aun mas, hasta que ocurre el eclipse, a Griffith le conseden la oportunidad de cumplir su deseo, acosta de la vida de sus compañeros, Griffith lo cuestiona hasta que en una alusinacion, se dio cuenta que despues de todo lo que habia hecho, despues de construir su camino de cadaveres, ya no podia volver atras, ya no podia redimirce, y por ende, acepta. Y la serie termina alli, sip, no les estoy jodiendo, unos monstruos matan a la banda, griffith viola a Casca en frente de Guts, y despues nos vamos al capitulo uno, en donde Guts anda matando monstruos y la serie termina de forma abrupta e inconclusa, siendo esto el mayor defecto de la obra.

Los demas personajes en cambio son mucho menos interesantes que el trio protagonico, pero no resultan ser malos personajes ya que estos agregan al conflicto y arcos de desarrollo de los protagonistas, como Judeau que sirve como una especie de apoyo emocional para Casca y Guts, personajes como Corkus agregan otra vision sobre basar tu vida en el servir a Griffith, ya que este solo se conforma con lo que le da Griffith en vez de buscar su propio objetivo. Los de la realeza son personajes mucho mas simples, pero que igualmente tienen una personalidad definida y cumplen un rol en la obra. 

Como habran leido mayormente los arcos y roles de los personajes tienen que ver con el tema de los sueños y ambiciones, ya que estos dependen emocionalmente de estos, a traves de este elemento la obra se explaya en varios temas como la determinacion, la ambicion, la superacion personal, el amor, la codicia, la lujuria y de cierta forma el comportamiento del ser humano. La obra deja en claro la importancia de los objetivos, pero tambien la de as relaciones humanas y la importancia de estas.

El ritmo de la obra es acorde, nunca va o demasiado lento o demasiado rapido, las batallas son freneticas y cuentan con una decente accion, en cuanto a la trama ¨politica¨ esta bien llevada, con diferentes planes para matar a Griffith, y con planes para matar a los de la realeza para que Griffith escale aun mas en esta.

Sin lugar a dudas Berserk pese a su problema con el final, es una obra excelente en todo aspecto, in lugar a dudas una obra que supero mi expectativas con excelentes personajes junto a buenas reflexiones y mensajes, no me cabe duda que es una gran obra y una muy subestimada simplemente porque no es el manga, pero incluso sin serlo tiene un gran merito y una muy buena calidad. 

__8/10__

Una simple reseña a una de las adaptaciones de la historia del espadachín negro 

Of all the big , beloved manga series, Berserk was always right up there for me for ones that I felt sceptical about the prospect of there being a faithful and great anime adaptation, just because of well, everything about it. The combination of insanely brutal and intense imagery, a clever, nuanced plot where almost nothing can be cut out and still give the same effect, the slower, more methodical pacing it often takes, the obscenely incredible manga artwork, it all just seems like the sort of thing that would make any adaptation strongly pale in comparison. With all this said, I was very pleasantly surprised with how this was handled to the point where I consider it genuinely worthwhile. Watching this reminded me yet again about how well-written practically every aspect of this series is, with everything being carefully considered, either to further push forward strong character development, or one of the many aspects that all culminate in pushing the plot along and justifying what occurs. This careful attention to each minute detail is a large reason why this series works so well, animated or in its manga, as anything that happens will have some significant ramifications down the line and provides a constant sense of intrigue.

The characters are easily Berserk's strongest asset to me, managing to be both simple and easy to understand on the outside, yet having great deals of depth to both their motivations and philosophies on the world, with these aspects of themselves always being reflected in the actions they take. This is especially impressive to all watch unfold as these characters gradually warp and have their beliefs challenged throughout, the series never content with simply taking things for granted, instead going the extra mile to better define why these people are who they are, and what causes them to make the choices they do. This culminates in every action being easily justifiable from that particular character's point of view without the need to make any leaps in logic or attribute anything to a mere plot convenience for it all to work out, which becomes more admirable the longer this goes on and the crazier things get.

While some people have criticised the art and animation of this, pointing out the obviously low budget and limited animation used during even most of the more action packed scenes, strangely enough it feels as if it works rather effectively here. The character designs themselves are rather appealing for the most part and feel as if they gradually shift over time, particularly with Griffith, who's desperation and increasingly overt megalomaniacal nature is excellent. The changes are subtle enough that it's not instantly noticeable, but over time, many of his friendly looking features morph into someone with a much colder, scarier demeanour as his quest for power turns into a battle full of deceit, treachery and brutality on all sides. Furthermore, the more limited nature of the animation ends up matching the manga's tone rather nicely, everything feeling much slower and more methodical, as opposed to long stretches of high octane action or anything similar, most fights ending in only a couple sword strikes, ultimately highlighting that the characters for the most part are still nothing more than humans, no matter how powerful they may seem.

Despite how much greatness is carried over to this adaptation, it's not really perfect either. Just as with the manga, I feel like to get the true experience of Berserk, you need to skip that prologue, in this case, episode 1, as it makes a lot of the ensuing events far more impactful as a result of not knowing what's to come. Furthermore, this opening episode is honestly not too great in general, feels way too slow-paced and doesn't capture most of what makes this series as wonderful as it is, instead feeling like a far more generic fantasy story. It's also really only after the 5th episode that things really get going in general either, as while the stuff to come before is largely competent and sets the stage well, it ends up being a bit dry for the most part as it's right before the main plot points that act as a driving force come into play. Similarly, while the last 6 episodes are excellent in a lot of respects, it definitely feels rushed with how much it left out, even leaving a couple of key plot points that are some of the most pivotal character moments of all, making these last few episodes feel as if they stagnate a bit in certain respects, despite the fact that so much still gets accomplished.

The ending of this further solidifies this for me, as the abrupt cliffhanger it leaves the viewer on makes it feel as if the people working on this ended up running out of time and money and had to skim past a lot of parts of things just to ensure that enough was put down to make for a half-decent way to close things off. I think that this all would have worked out much better if this had just ended a bit earlier and spent the time to further develop this part of the show, rather than actually cutting to the intense buildup to the massive event that occurs, would have made for a far more suspenseful and effective execution of this I think, giving more breathing room to truly make that first part of the plot feel like even more of a masterpiece. Hypothetically if this ended up getting another season, it would have given the part of the golden age arc after the time skip much more of an opportunity to shine and develop in a satisfying way that was able to fully paint certain characters in the much darker, more deplorable light that they deserve. Overall, I would definitely recommend this series, even if it's still obviously not the best way to experience Berserk. Amazing writing, appealing art, wonderful characters, and some of the coolest imagery and atmosphere I've experienced, considered a classic for a reason, and an especially important series if like me, you're a huge fan of Dark Souls.

A remarkable adaptation of an utter classic, even if it starts slow and could have ended better.

~~~__Introdução__ ~~~
Nesta _review_, irei usar tópicos que considero ser relevantes para serem analisados e que tenham o maior peso na nota.

Tentarei ao máximo não dar nenhum _spoiler_, mas recomendo não lerem caso não tenham assistido ao anime em questão ou não tenham conhecido a obra de outras formas.

Já adianto que não irei levar em consideração a fidelidade da adaptação do material original para o anime. Só irei comentar o que o anime apresentou em si. Como um bom leitor do mangá original, irei deixar uma parte extra onde irei comentar sobre as diferenças do anime para o mangá, lembrando que isso não vai pesar na minha avaliação.

~~~__Enredo __ ~~~
Pode até não parecer, mas um dos pontos mais importantes do anime são os laços de amizade, especificamente dos dois personagens principais, Guts e Griffth. A forma como a obra trata isso é delicada e vagarosa e, que junto aos acontecimentos, faz parecer que é algo sutil e delicado mesmo levando em consideração o clima da obra.

Ambientado em um mundo medieval, o show apresenta vários conflitos políticos e guerras que estão interligados ao progresso das ambições, sonhos e sentimentos dos personagens. Isso é algo que a obra sabe tratar muito bem, mesmo sendo rápido às vezes, ele demonstra uma coesa e complexa explicação para o que está ocorrendo. 

Elementos de fantasia também fazem parte do show, principalmente elementos mais "_dark_". Esse clima mais sombrio faz todo o sentido quando se é interligado com os eventos futuros e toda a temática da obra.

Portanto, em um mundo cheio de guerras, com elementos de fantasia "_dark_", ambições, sonhos e laços de amizade se casam perfeitamente de forma coesa e até filosófica. Todo o ambiente construído para o progresso dos eventos são elaborados e executados de forma satisfatória, algumas delas são mais apressadas, outras são mais delicadas, o que no final gerou um bom resultado.

Todos esses elementos presentes em seu enredo encaminhava para um desfecho ótimo, mas que foi estragado pela tomada de decisão de acabar no meio do clímax.

~~~__Personagens__~~~
No que se refere aos personagens, eles são bem carismáticos e apegáveis. A obra, de cara, apresenta aqueles que virão a ser o maior foco dentre os diversos outros personagens do grupo principal. 

Dentre o grupo, há alguns personagens que acabam se tornando mais destacáveis e aparecem com mais frequência, cada um com sua personalidade diferente. Eles são o que virão a se tornar mais importantes com o decorrer da história.

É claro, Guts e Griffth são os destaques aqui. Eles são, de certa forma, únicos, e o que interliga eles também é algo bem diferente do que se é conhecido por ai. A natureza, personalidade e forma de pensar de ambos são um tanto quanto não compatíveis, mas isso é bem trabalhado e se é construído um laço único e belo.

Tudo oque se é trabalhado com relação aos personagens é muito bem feito e se interliga diretamente com os eventos que são mostrados mais para frente. 

~~~__Produção / Animação__~~~
Por ser um anime já bem velho, sua animação é bem característica daquela época, dando até um clima único para o show. A equipe conseguiu entregar um bom resultado se levado em consideração o porte da obra e também pelos designs complexos e detalhados. Uma característica interessante que se é visto no show, são alguns quadros estáticos que receberam um tratamento peculiar e único.

No geral, mesmo com alguns momentos mais estáticos ou com pouca movimentação, o show recebeu um excelente tratamento por parte da produção, e que junto a uma excelente e marcante trilha sonora, entregam uma ótima experiência. 

~~~__Conclusão__~~~
Com certeza, isso é um clássico. Tudo o que a obra trata é feita de forma satisfatória, sutil e delicada, e junto a uma estética única, entrega uma ótima experiência para quem está aberto a sentir o que o anime tem a entregar. Uma _vibe_ que só ele consegue proporcionar. Apesar de eu ter falado tão bem dele, não tive uma boa experiência ao assistir, mas sei reconhecer seu potencial. Para uma boa construção da trama como preparação para o palco final, sua conclusão é feita de forma momentânea, esse é o maior pecado do anime. Ele é a melhor adaptação do mangá para o anime, tem suas mudanças, mas soube trabalhar bem com o que apresentou.

~~~__Anime vs mangá (extra)__~~~
Esse tópico não vai entrar na minha avaliação do anime, como deixei claro na introdução dessa _review_. Também irei evitar dar _spoilers_ da obra, mas não recomendo ler para aqueles que ainda não conhecem a obra de algum modo.

Como eu já disse, esse anime tem uma boa adaptação do mangá original. Além dele, eu só assisti a trilogia de filmes que também adapta esse arco, mas lá as coisas foram feitas mais apressadas e tem algumas mudanças tanto no mangá quanto com relação a esse anime de 1997.

A maior mudança que senti ao assistir, foi a grande censura por parte dos elementos fantasioso que já eram presentes nessa parte da história lá no mangá. Sendo assim, ele cortou, além de alguns eventos, criaturas e monstros.

Mas mesmo com toda essas mudanças, o anime de 1997 consegue entregar um excelente resultado apenas trabalhando com o que ele quis trabalhar, e que às vezes eu até acho que ele melhorou em alguns acontecimentos presentes no mangá.

Kenpuu Denki Berserk (1997) tem a aprovação de um bom leitor do mangá original.

Ambições, sonhos, sentimentos e laços de amizade.

#~~~__BERSERK__~~~ 
# ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/6uOZI1A.jpeg)~~~

En tant que grand fan du manga, je me devais de regarder toute ses adaptations animés, en commençant par les films puis la version 1997 (il n'existe aucun animé datant de 2016). 
____
- ___La direction artistique___

__Les musiques :__ La bande son est vraiment très bonne dans l'ensemble. L'opening peut sembler hors sujet mais je trouve qu'il colle très bien à l'animé, c'est encore plus le cas pour l'ending, qui nous rend nostalgique lors de son écoute. Les ost sont sympathiques, mais certaines sortent carrément du lot et figurent parmi les meilleurs soundracks, tout animé confondu. On retiendra notamment _Gatsu_ (Meilleur thème de l'histoire), _Forces_ et aussi _Behelit_ .

__L'artstyle :__
img220(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DB9Uh3jUwAAGbZ8.jpg)
Sur ce point aussi je n'ai quasiment rien à redire. Les couleurs sont très jolies, on dirait que les décors sont fait avec de la peinture, le tout donnent un charme à l'animé, qui a su se détacher du style très détaillé que pouvait nous proposer le manga. Les chara design sont assez bons dans l'ensemble et font en sorte de rendre hommage à l'œuvre originale, même si de temps en temps la tête des personnages changent d'une frame à l'autre (s/o Casca). 

__L'animation :__ Même si elle était plus que correcte à son époque, elle a un peu pris la poussière aujourd'hui. Il y a beaucoup de plans fixes pour représenter les combats, souvent dû à la difficulté d'animer la violence de l'épée de Guts. Ce genre de détails sont tout de même rattrapés par la mise en scène qui rend le tout plus dynamique. Même si le manga est plus qualitatif dans l'ensemble, certaines scènes sont sublimés par la version animé, par exemple la discussion entre Griffith et Casca. 
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL4VTNqwYJk)
 (La scène est plus intense en VF).

____

- ___Le respect de l'histoire originale___

Je ne rentrerai pas dans les détails de si c'est une bonne histoire ou non, car pour résumer : c'est __l'âge d'or__ . A mon sens, le meilleur arc jamais écrit dans l'histoire du manga.  C'est pour cela que je vais plutot évoquer les différents problèmes que cette adaptation a pu rencontrer au niveau du respect de la trame. (__SPOIL__)

- L'enfance de Guts : Dans l'animé, toute la partie sur la naissance de Guts et son enfance avec Gambino est absente, du moins présente que lors de quelques flashback, perdant donc tout son impact sur le spectateur. L'arc du chevalier noir n'est pas adapté entièrement lui aussi, mais je trouve que c'est moins grave. Ils auraient du commencer dès la naissance de Guts, en supprimant la partie flashforward de protagoniste (donc adapter QUE l'âge d'or).

- L'histoire de la reine du Midland : Jusqu'au tome 8, l'ensemble de l'œuvre sera adapté sans réel soucis. Cependant, lors de la partie au château du midland, tout ce qui concerne la reine et ses motivations est supprimé, on ne comprend donc pas l'origine de sa haine envers Griffith (pour rappel, elle le déteste car Griffith a fait tuer son amant). C'est un peu plus secondaire mais c'est quand même dommage.

- L'absence du Skullknight : Là par contre c'est terrible, que ca soit lors de l'errance de Guts, le sauvetage de Rickert ou bien l'éclipse, il n'est présent nul part. On peut comprendre pourquoi car l'animé a décidé de s'arrêter juste avant son arrivée dans l'éclipse, mais c'est aussi regrettable.

- La partie sur Wyald : Je trouve ca compréhensible, vu la violence présente lors de ces chapitres, mais cela restait une excellente partie, très intense et divertissante. Elle a été remplacé par une scène random/20 dans l'animé.

- L'éclipse: Ils ont coupés la fin de l'éclipse ?! Certes c'est le genre de fins qui donnent envie d'aller lire le manga mais c'est très frustrant.

____

Pour conclure, malgré ses prises de libertés sur l'histoire, Berserk 1997 reste une très bonne adaptation, qui aurait pu mériter la note maximale si elle avait adaptée toute l'histoire sans couper des moments plus ou moins important. Je recommande de d'abord lire la version papier avant de regarder l'animé, pour profiter au mieux du récit.
~~~img220(https://deathby1kslimes.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/2dcd8e6e4be2145fb96459c8e788a9e2.jpg)~~~
~~~(You can use google translate) ~~~

__THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!__
___
__Abbreviations__
sakkan: animation director
sou-sakkan: chief animation director
___
The staff working on this really nailed Berserk, and I think, when it comes to the realm of an anime adaptation of this manga, this adaptation comes pretty close to perfection. Since I’ve read the manga a while ago, my memory when it comes to detail is not the best, but what I strongly still remember, and I think many who read it do, is that the manga leaves a lot of impact with its drawings. They’re gritty, extremely detailed and showcase a brutal world where Guts continuously proceeds to fight his own fate. 
img(https://imgur.com/XJcvYaj.png)
Of course, it would be impossible for the anime to replicate all these drawings in their detail, unless they want to make a slideshow, but that’s not what an anime is about. Which is not to say that the drawings in this adaptation are poor, for an anime they are exceptionally good: The designs from character designer Yoshihiko Umakoshi (with assistance by Norihiro Matsubara) are wonderful and detailed, the show also had good sakkans throughout its entire run, under Yuriko Chiba’s and Norihiro Matsubara’s supervision as sou-sakkans, and the show utilized very strongly drawn stills in fights or other impactful scenes to create more tension or leave a stronger impression that way. 
img(https://imgur.com/8a83R90.png)
In addition, the anime was blessed to have Shichirou Kobayashi as art director, who consistently created impressive, wallpaper-worthy backgrounds. It’s unbelievable how good they are.
img(https://imgur.com/hzBkImx.png)
img(https://imgur.com/4cEJTRD.png)
Lastly, the series also had strong soundtracks by Susumu Hirasawa, accompanying scenes perfectly, setting the right atmosphere while also being memorable tracks on their own. Together with the direction, which made use of all these aspects, this adaptation of Berserk in my opinion, managed to create an atmosphere capable of rivaling what the manga does with its drawings. The world and characters felt gritty, it had the same melancholy feel, punches and slashes in fights had a large impact, and the tension, especially in scenes with Griffith, was built up so well. It made me root for the Band of the Hawks again, made me love Guts, Griffith, and the rest of the cast, and created a horrifying experience with Eclipse to end it all. 
img(https://i.imgur.com/aeopuCk.png)
Berserk is probably a manga which will never reach a “perfect” adaptation - But this anime, I think, comes close. About the story itself - it’s as good as ever. While I don’t consider Golden Age to be a masterpiece, it’s unbelievably solid, with strong characters, emotional hooks and setting the right themes for the rest of the series. The anime did it justice, and I was happy to re-experience it again this way.

Eternal Sparks: The Illuminating Moments That Propel Our Journey Through Life's Darkness

Berserk Series Watch Order

Berserk 1997

Movies

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2017)