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