Berserk

I was introduced to Berserk by a friend of mine. He had seen it over at a friend's house and thought I would enjoy it.

Until Berserk my favorite anime had been Tri-gun. Upon seeing this anime I had been blown away by the sheer magnitude of story, characters, etc. I loved it.

This anime is one of the best ones I have seen. The story and Characters were developed over time all 25 episodes not just the first 3 or 4 as is typically found. The story raised the same emotions of excitment that FF7 did when I first played it.

I really wish the ending would have been different, but it only meant that more is to come. I am really hoping that they decide to do a 2nd season of Berserk, if they don't I'll just have to get my hands on the manga that everyone has been talking about.

Overall the series is very good. there are minor flaws in the animation at times but for the most part its smooth sailing.

Berserk is by far the best anime that I have ever seen. Nothing even comes close to capturing the interest of the viewer and holding it tightly throughout the ten hour duration of this masterpiece. Firstly, I must admit that it has its flaws, such as a few points of lazy animation, as in some of the battle scenes, as well as the somewhat disappointing ending, which leaves the viewer thirsting for more without the promise of any follow-up. Yet the fact of the matter is, and I speak for myself, that the positive aspects of Berserk outweigh the bad so drastically one cant help but overlook them in terms of the entire film. The frequent sub-par visuals mean nothing in comparison to the amazing plot depth and beautiful character development marbled throughout the film.

In summary, Berserk is a ten hour mini-series that consists of 25 20+ minute episodes detailing the life of a rogue swordsman named Guts. Guts, in short, is simply the most intriguing fictional character ever constructed. Guts, first of all, is one of the finest examples of an individual driven entirely by self preservation and improvement. Throughout the series Guts grows stronger and more deadly before our eyes, with each thrust of his massive sword. The personal relationships that he develops over time, especially with Griffith and Caska, are totally believable and honest. In particular, the love/hate relationship that Guts has with Caska sucks the viewer into their world and with each episode end leaves you literally thirsting for more. I can honestly say that I had never so anxiously awaited a release as I did with each progressing volume.

The score, other than being entirely redundant, creates an additional emotional appeal that quite literally leaves a mark in your mind. The opening theme song, although an acquired taste, becomes somewhat of a necessity to mark the beginning of each additional episode that will bring you deeper into the world of Guts and the Band of the Hawk. In no time at all you find yourself singing along with it as if it were a top forty tune. The climactic theme played every 3 episodes or so, is absolutely haunting, leading one to wonder how it came to be included in an anime.

Berserk is a definite must-see for all fans of anime. For those who dislike anime or are indifferent to it, the mediocre visuals may tarnish your opinion of it, yet the rock solid plot and character depth with leave you amazed.

Rating: Animation Quality: 7/10 Character Development: 10/10 Plot Line: 10/10 Overall Enjoyment: 12/10 (If that's at all possible)

Some of my favorite things to watch are stories that take you on more than a 2 hour simple journey and instead lead you on an epic tale. This is great in that aspect. The first episode left me thinking it would be only similar to all other anime I have watched - good, but nothing exstatic. However, from the second episode forward it only got better and better until an unbelievable climatic ending. I love the midievil aspect rather than the usual sci-fi, or goth (vampire) themes. The three main characters, Guts, Griffith, and Caska - are excellent, and by the time the series nears the end you really know each of these characters individually, meaning you can feel their pain and hopes. All around, this is a superb film, and I can only pray every day that they make a second series since this one ends making you crave for more - ends on a cliffhanger so to speak. I'd love to see Guts' further adventures and what would happen with his relationship with Griffith/Femmto.

This is a good anime if you want to get introduced to the Berserk franchise and I know for sure it was my introduction because while I prefer the manga, I still love the anime quite a bit.

Both subbed and dubbed versions are pretty good though I am neutral on the subbed/dubbed debate personally. But the English dub did pick good voice actors and what captured me on the dubbed version was Marc Diraison voice performance as Guts.

This is a great anime of the one of the longest and still good manga out there written and drawn by the great Kentaro Miura! The anime did his manga a decent amount of justice at least.

I wan't to start by saying that i cannot recommend Berserk enough. It was the single greatest anime experience of my life. I watched the entire series on my computer over a three day period during which I had school and extracurricular activities to attend. Although I did not have any extra time to spare during the days I stayed up all three nights watching episode after episode unable to break away from the most engrossing anime series created.

I am not going to spoil anything but will tell you that the series features some of the most interesting characters i have ever experienced. Although the animation is rarely top notch and the voice acting isn't always perfect i still found myself captivated by each and every second of the series. If you value plot and don't mind flagrant amounts of violence and some nudity this is definitely and anime series for you. If you have ever liked anime or enjoy more medieval types of live action films even you should give Berserk a try.

P.S. after watching the series you should definitely check out the forums or the manga, it will make you feel a lot better i promise.

Overall 10/10 for an incredible experience, despite some technical flaws. Watch Berserk as soon as you can, you will not regret it!