Story: 10/10
It was October 8th, 1997 when the original Berserk Anime was released, Kentaro Miura's most faithful adaptation was being released to the public, and we were all waiting for bated breath, lo and behold we were stunned, it was an absolute masterpiece, it is the original seinen, dark anime, it blew all the other competition into the ocean. This adaptation is a continuation of the legacy Kentaro Miura has left us behind. It is visceral, straight to the action, gore, nudity with no nipples, blood, and violence. Unadulterated violence. It is gratuitous and perfect. I won't post any spoilers, but if you watch this show, you will not regret it, nevermind the animation, it will grow on you. You will fall in love with the struggle of Guts, and his romance with Casca, love conquers all, even demons.
The Art: 7/10
The main gripe of the art in Berserk (2016) is the 3d and 2d blend, the polygons and geometry side, plus with the shading does not convey the emotions and surroundings, and it also affects depth perception of the anime. There are also other cinematic problems with blending in 3 dimensional images and 2 dimensional images, studios either go the full 3d route or the 2d route, never in between. Japan has always had a problem with 3d rendering, whereas America has been great at it. I.E. Pixar, Toy story, and such. Do not let the art sway you, the content is all that matters, our struggle with #teamguts is all that matters.
Sound: 15/10
Susumu Hirasawa is the Mozart of Japan, in my humble opinion, I fell in love with his soundtrack of the Original berserk, and was thrilled when it was announced that he would be continuing his legacy with the new arcs. His music has been slapping inside my vehicle in the Bay Area since the new arc was released. Hai Yo (Oh Ashes) has been my favorite song ever since. -When you watch this series, you will recognize the masterful soundtrack and the perfect placement of every chord in every scene. It is godlike to say the least.
Character: 10/10
Kentaro Miura created a world that has been copied by many studios and video game developers who created games such as Demon Souls and Dark souls. If I were in a room with Hitler, Stalin and Griffith. And I had 2 rounds of 9mm Parabellum left in my Glock 17 Gen 4. I'd unload both rounds on Griffith and give Hitler & Stalin a free pass. This is how good, Kentaro Miura created a despicable villain. His writing, and creativity is on the level of JRR Tolkien in my humble opinion. You will love all of the characters of the world of Berserk, they are all multifaceted and cleverly written.
Enjoyment and Overall: 10/10.
Berserk a serendipitous gem, poorly understood. Not many people will like this anime. A lot of the die hard fans, have given it horrible reviews. With good reason, but the optimist in me, never sees the negatives. I always have a positive outlook on life, and in the world of Berserk that is all you have. What drives a man like Guts? What separates him from the demon he slays? The philosophical side of Berserk is also deeply misunderstood and it is a great anime to ponder over the years, I have clocked in many hours of reading the manga and I have never gotten bored of it. it is in my opinion the greatest seinen anime/manga ever written.
See ya later, Space cowboy.
