Hey, since the only not-closed Berserk thread on team liquid is six years old, I don't really dare necroing it. Berserk - besides it's cool name, it seems to be relatively unpopular outside Japan (where it sold 12 million collected volumes so far, besides the single chapter publishings in a magazine). Seinen genre in general seems quite unfamiliar outside Asia generally.
So, what's so special about Berserk? It's old - really old - and still ongoing and seemingly far away from ending. It started in 1989 and contains 316 chapters so far. That sounds like a small number compared to the age, and that's certainly true. But it justifies the slow speed with quality big times. It has incredibly detailled panels with a great style - improving with time, but good from start on. It has one of the coolest main heroes ever. Gutts, also known as the Black Swordsman, is a dark character and justifies the title "Berserk" for obvious reasons. Also he puts a stop to all those eternal dialogues during battles which annoy so many people in Shounen. "I'll show you how to use your mouth on a battlefield!"
The scenario is a very dark fantasy scenario, slightly familiar to that of Diablo maybe. It's alot about demons and religion, although almost no people know about supernatural beeings in this world. It's not a happy world though, it's somewhere between a relatively realistic medieval european world (There's no specific location or world known, but it resembles medieval european culture and christianity mostly) and a very dark, twisted and bloody fantasy. Gutts starts as a lonely fighter challenging the Demons whereever he can, although his motives are unknown in the beginning -even though his mentality definitly is not to save other peoples- but they gain shape later. Let me tell everyone who didn't read it already just this: His origin and character are one of the most interesting ones there are in my opinion and are shown in detail.
Currently there is a new anime project coming up. There already was an old anime, briefly covering the first two arcs but leaving a lot of gaps. It wasn't high optical quality either, the main reason why I didn't like it was, that it obviously tried to avoid any kind of animation by replacing it with static images. However, the new project will take some time and the details about it are totally unknown. Basically the only info available is that something is beeing produced and that there are five very brief 15 second trailers out. I'm on pins and needles for it
I love the manga. It's so different from all the mainstream ones. It has a dark plot, a dark hero with a very savage past whose sole purpose in life is getting revenge. The manga doesn't hold back on anything. Blood, gore, grotesque monsters, rape, death and evil everywhere. It's absolutely awesome.
I never watched the first anime, but people (who didn't read the manga first) said it scarred them for life, lol(especially the ending). I'm more excited about the manga chapters yet to come than the anime(because in general, I prefer manga to anime), but when it does come out I'll definitely check it out.
I've always secretly been hoping they'd come out with new Berserk anime, much like they've done in recent years with the Hellsing OVAs (which are amazing btw). I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this!
On October 27 2010 23:02 ShivaN wrote: I've always secretly been hoping they'd come out with new Berserk anime, much like they've done in recent years with the Hellsing OVAs (which are amazing btw). I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this!
Oh gawd, Hellsing Ultimate OVAs are a work of art. I'd cream myself if they'd do that for Berserk.
Berserk was one of the first animes I watched and I dare say one of the best classics out there. So dark and heroic and with deep characters. If you read the mangas the entire story makes much more sense. Also the "ending" if you watch the anime you should tread the first episode as the last so that things fall a bit more into place.
Thanks for head up on this, I hope it comes out soon
I finally sat down and watched the anime this summer while waiting for SC2 to release. I really enjoyed it, great atmosphere. I had seen a couple episodes before, but I didn't have access to the rest then forgot about it. Can't wait to see how the new anime turns out.
On October 27 2010 23:00 NeVeR wrote: Berserk's ending sucked lol. The beginning of the series was absolutely awesome though.
Edit: Oh btw, never read the manga. Talking about the anime here.
The anime covers the first introductionary story arc which is two volumes long - but only very briefly by cutting it into a single episode worth two or three chapters at best - and a part of the following "Golden Age" arc in the other episodes which is, chronologically, the beginning of the story. As it ends at a totally random point, the end naturally sucked.
The manga is pure awesomeness for at least 25 volumes (of a total 33 plus some chapters). Afterwards the style might become a little more mainstream to tell this much. Yet story and artworks remain on a high level undisputably.
Also, over course of the first ten pages already, the manga is way more bloody, gory, sexual and dark than the anime ever becomes , just reading this brief introduction already hooks most readers to Berserk forever :D
I wish they would have picked a better spot to end the Berserk anime... I really liked the anime, but then + Show Spoiler +
everyone who you had come to like as characters die in horrible ways, Griffith turns into a demon, and starts raping Guts' woman right in front of him, while Guts starts hacking his own arm off to stop him, only to fail. The end.
i liked the old one. never read the manga, but i hated the things it left open. i always wanted to avoid the manga after hearing that he would just run around with that elf and that smith. i liked the seriousness of the anime and it seemed so fairy tale like then. not sure what to think of the trailer. i hope it will remain as dark as its progenitor.
Good news indeed, too bad there is nothing much to be really excited about yet. I'm looking forward to it too.
On October 28 2010 04:58 Sentenal wrote: I wish they would have picked a better spot to end the Berserk anime... I really liked the anime, but then + Show Spoiler +
everyone who you had come to like as characters die in horrible ways, Griffith turns into a demon, and starts raping Guts' woman right in front of him, while Guts starts hacking his own arm off to stop him, only to fail. The end.
Worst ending ever.
Yeah this was a very strange decision, you really have to read the manga to know what happens next. The only thing that bothers me in this manga is that it looks like it has no ending :O I wonder if the guy writing it really plans to finish it before dying.
On October 28 2010 04:58 Sentenal wrote: I wish they would have picked a better spot to end the Berserk anime... I really liked the anime, but then + Show Spoiler +
everyone who you had come to like as characters die in horrible ways, Griffith turns into a demon, and starts raping Guts' woman right in front of him, while Guts starts hacking his own arm off to stop him, only to fail. The end.
Worst ending ever.
Yeah it sucks for the anime ending, but for the manga it is the greatest thing ever to do in a plot! That's exactly the thing missing in a Shounen plot, like Naruto...
On October 28 2010 08:08 javy925 wrote: a new anime?! YES! I've been waiting for this. The ending of the first anime was a complete travesty and it definitely deserves a followup
It's not just continuing the story, it's definitly a totally new project. It's not known if it's a regular anime project yet, but it at least covers Golden Age arc and possibly Black Swordsman Arc - And definitly more content beyond Golden Age! Some even argue that the charging Gutts scene comes from after the Lost Children Arc when the Vatican comes into play :D Personally I of course hope for a regular anime series even following the manga over the full distance, this might be wayyy to optimistic but who knows
Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
On October 28 2010 09:22 tonight wrote: Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
Haha I agree with everyone that this end is unsatisfiying but at the same time many people complain that all happy endings are so foreseeable, yet nobody likes that one of the Berserk anime (which is, as mentioned, just a middle point of the manga) :D
On October 28 2010 10:20 Durak wrote: Even though you said no new info is out, is there an ETA? I assume people in the scene might know how long an anime would roughly take to produce.
No, sadly there isn't such a thing. Even if we knew how much time it would take them to produce a certain amount of runtime - nobody knows how much run time it will have, how much will be published at once, how big the team on it is or even how much they've already finished. It's absolutely impossible to tell as far as I know.
This is what happens when they mash so much manga into an Anime and call it one season. The story can't much progress in the anime until enough story is out.
i heard the mangaka for bersek became addicted to those japanese h games and stopped working for a while. which is kinda sad because i want him to make more chapters.
On October 28 2010 15:16 Zeroes wrote: i heard the mangaka for bersek became addicted to those japanese h games and stopped working for a while. which is kinda sad because i want him to make more chapters.
Chapter 316 was released just some days ago and Ch. 317 is said to be released in december, which really isn't an especially long time for Miura to spend into one chapter. So I guess the rumor isn't true since he always takes such a long time per chapter ^^
On October 28 2010 15:16 Zeroes wrote: i heard the mangaka for bersek became addicted to those japanese h games and stopped working for a while. which is kinda sad because i want him to make more chapters.
Chapter 316 was released just some days ago and Ch. 317 is said to be released in december, which really isn't an especially long time for Miura to spend into one chapter. So I guess the rumor isn't true since he always takes such a long time per chapter ^^
Wouldn't be surprised if it was true though, Berserk is a very adult anime and some of the panels taken out of context could be hentai. Still love it though
yeah he was addicted to idolm@ster and even held idolm@ster classes at his place according to completely reliable source sankaku complex
The manga is great but I feel it really goes downhill after it becomes some sort of RPG party adventuring for quests and gaining magic items and filler chapters 9___9 Especially lately, Gatts is just sort of wandering in the ocean fighting off pirates and zombie pirates..
Still had a very good run though for a lot of volumes, anime has some good material to draw from.
On October 28 2010 22:30 Syxygy wrote: yeah he was addicted to idolm@ster and even held idolm@ster classes at his place according to completely reliable source sankaku complex
The manga is great but I feel it really goes downhill after it becomes some sort of RPG party adventuring for quests and gaining magic items and filler chapters 9___9 Especially lately, Gatts is just sort of wandering in the ocean fighting off pirates and zombie pirates..
Still had a very good run though for a lot of volumes, anime has some good material to draw from.
Yeah it's right, I'm don't like the latest story developement (evers since magic became important) as much as the earlier one either. Yet every story has to progress at some point, it's not possible to just continue it like it was before forever. I think it's fine how it is for now, but I hope that Gutts company will die or scatter at some day to change the story once more. It wouldn't surprise me if such a thing would happen, it's Berserk after all!
On October 28 2010 09:22 tonight wrote: Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
Yea I heard of this before and I love Berserk manga ! I wish there would be at least 1 chapter per month but its so slow right now. Im so excited for the new anime .
On October 28 2010 09:22 tonight wrote: Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
Fingers crossed for Claymore season 2
The only reason I see right now for them not making a second season is because they crammed so much into the first that cropped out a lot of the manga that they now have to wait for more manga to be published so they can still follow the basics of the story without making a new storyline. Even if they did make a new storyline I don't think I'd care. I just want more>
On October 28 2010 09:22 tonight wrote: Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
Fingers crossed for Claymore season 2
The only reason I see right now for them not making a second season is because they crammed so much into the first that cropped out a lot of the manga that they now have to wait for more manga to be published so they can still follow the basics of the story without making a new storyline. Even if they did make a new storyline I don't think I'd care. I just want more>
Derail but PLEASE NO. The mangas releasing 1 chapter a month and I would say there isnt enough content for 12 new episodes let alone a full 24.
On October 29 2010 05:22 tonight wrote: Speaking of which what are some reliable sites to read mangas on?
Just download the chapters from the actual scanlators and open them with a comic viewer. Barring that, just google for them. Online manga sites are a dime a dozen.
Hm actually it would be a good idea to kill off all of Gutt's current travel group in a bloody mess and bring Gutts back to his mentality of the beginning of the story... damn he was so much darker back then... Unncessarily torturing a dying demon with arrows and fire, drinking the blood from his demon mark and constantly driving off those people trying to associate with him. It definitly was even cooler than now ^^
On October 29 2010 23:15 SkelA wrote: Yea I heard of this before and I love Berserk manga ! I wish there would be at least 1 chapter per month but its so slow right now. Im so excited for the new anime .
Wow that's a hell of an AMV! I usually absolutely hate that genre but this one is far more than just editing some scraps of movie material and underlining it with some useless music - it's not even my taste of music, but I still love that video! Thanks for linking :D
On October 28 2010 09:22 tonight wrote: Beserk, like Claymore for me, was one of those animes that you finished watching and were angry that there was nothing more you could watch. It left it open ended and without closure which always makes me sad.
Fingers crossed for Claymore season 2
The only reason I see right now for them not making a second season is because they crammed so much into the first that cropped out a lot of the manga that they now have to wait for more manga to be published so they can still follow the basics of the story without making a new storyline. Even if they did make a new storyline I don't think I'd care. I just want more>
Derail but PLEASE NO. The mangas releasing 1 chapter a month and I would say there isnt enough content for 12 new episodes let alone a full 24.
but, it's been several years. My hopes have been left with next to nothing at this point, haha.
edit: another one that really got me going the left me in the abyss was Shigurui: Death Frenzy. They call the episodes they made the "complete season", but that story continued for quite sometime after without ever finishing the actual story in the anime. I'm finding this happens more times than not.
They should have called themselves 'Band of the Cock' because the leader is a homosexual and the girl obviously needs some too. Other than that the story was ok.
edit: another one that really got me going the left me in the abyss was Shigurui: Death Frenzy. They call the episodes they made the "complete season", but that story continued for quite sometime after without ever finishing the actual story in the anime. I'm finding this happens more times than not.
edit: another one that really got me going the left me in the abyss was Shigurui: Death Frenzy. They call the episodes they made the "complete season", but that story continued for quite sometime after without ever finishing the actual story in the anime. I'm finding this happens more times than not.
Great anime, but leaves you with so many unanswered questions that I don't want to read the manga for
Well, yeah, but I think Manga and Anime combine each other perfectly. The anime delivers a very special atmosphere -very suitable for a samurai scenario!- and high optical quality while the manga delivers the whole story and allows to actually understand what's going on xD
It's different in Berserk sadly, the old anime was somewhat of a waste imo because this stubborn and obvious refusal of showing any animations was really annoying me! Using static images whenever possible... disappointing imo.
Berserk is like the Wheel of Time without a foreseeable end. You could say the same thing of OP I guess, but OP at least pumps out much more chapters per week.
On October 31 2010 03:41 cascades wrote: Berserk is like the Wheel of Time without a foreseeable end. You could say the same thing of OP I guess, but OP at least pumps out much more chapters per week.
At the cost of an unbloody ungory unsexy shounen story
"Just die then... It's so easy... Just cut your wrist with that knife then it will end. You'll be cut off from that horrible thing. Like you may be able to get to heaven... or rather go to hell so you can meet your mom and dad."
how long has this manga been going on for? For it to have 300 chapters is just phenomenal at the pace it's going at now. That's not to say I don't like it though: it's just pretty hard to get into something that drags along so slowly. Maybe the author just doesn't know in which direction he wants to take the story? Because I can't really see an end right now because the balance of powers is Griffith >>> Guts. That, and we truly don't know what Griffith's plan from now on is... just rule the world? Is that it?
On November 01 2010 01:31 Hyperbola wrote: how long has this manga been going on for? For it to have 300 chapters is just phenomenal at the pace it's going at now. That's not to say I don't like it though: it's just pretty hard to get into something that drags along so slowly. Maybe the author just doesn't know in which direction he wants to take the story? Because I can't really see an end right now because the balance of powers is Griffith >>> Guts. That, and we truly don't know what Griffith's plan from now on is... just rule the world? Is that it?
Yes, it's progressing slowly. That's why the series is 21 years old as it started in 1989.
I don't think that this is because of the story. The prequel arc showed that the author perfectly planned for the story of like 15-18 volumes back then already although the manga always progressed slowly, it's not like the current pace was below average ^^ Just compare the optical details though - Berserk delivers a very detailed and realistic style compared to those stories beeing updated weekly such as OP, Bleach, Naruto which mainly consist of very simple line art drawings.
I made some colourings and banners about Berserk over the last time as it has so lovely shots :D Signature banner contest for topic "Blood", some concepts: + Show Spoiler +
Colourisation (each unfinished and still in work) + Show Spoiler +
I love Berserk, it was my first anime, and it's still my favorite one. The manga is just sick, but the long waits for the new chapters can be frustrating. Once a new chapter comes out, it's just bliss, I get sucked in and forget about everything else, and enjoy every panel and page to it's full.
Also, I found these two AMV, which are just ridiculous:
Manga AMV: Dark Tranquility - Wonders at your feet
Anime AMV: Bruce Dickinson - Man of Sorrows Contains some spoilers to the anime... the lyrics fit the anime perfectly, almost as if the song was written for it. A piece of art.
If you watch these two, you'll be already hooked up on Berserk even before watching it. :D
Can't wait for the new anime, I hope it will be great.
Thanks Quirinus, all these Berserk AMVs or rather MMVs are the first ones I can actually enjoy as I'm used to hate that genre of video, but Berserk just is a treasure trove of incredibly epic shots and these MMVs linked here perfectly suit that atmosphere.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/Berserk_Head.jpg?t=1288185341)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/GattsMouth.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/GattsJustDie.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/BerserkBloodlust.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/BerserkBloodlust2.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/BerserkGutsSurvival.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss203/T33_K3SS3LCH3N/Berserk/GattsAssault.jpg)
