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
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)
