Customer Reviews

Berserk Complete

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've uploaded some scans of the discs and cover/case onto Imageshack (I can't upload onto Amazon yet for some reason). Why? Because the disc artwork is, quite frankly, wonderful.

Discs 1 & 2: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8559/b1cz3.jpg
Discs 3 & 4: http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9803/b2vn9.jpg
Discs 5 & 6: http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3209/b3fh9.jpg
Case/Cover: http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4645/12787150rz1.jpg

Now, as you can probably see by viewing my scan of the cover/case, the six discs are fitted in a standard sized DVD case. I never thought I'd live to see six discs fitted in a case so small but I have. Four of the discs go on the left and right sides of the case and the remaining two go on a piece of plastic that was fitted onto the spine of the case. The discs fit in nicely but it doesn't seem like much of a box set. At least the cover looks vastly superior to the cover of the old budget Berserk set...

My main complaint isn't with the cheap case, though -- it's with the video quality. On the back of the case it's pointed out that the series has been "beautifully remastered from film." This is confusing because there's little to no difference between the video quality on the old Berserk DVDs and the video quality on these 'remastered' DVDs that my eyes can see. When I watched both versions of episode 1, the only real difference I saw was that the Japanese Berserk logo didn't flicker during the opening on the 'remastered' DVD. Hardly worth re-buying the series for!

There are minor changes included, such as Japanese text replacing English text during the opening and some subtitle changes, but nothing major enough to warrant re-buying the series if you already own it. To be honest, the only impressive thing about this re-release is the new disc artwork, which is vastly superior to the old disc artwork. Even the DVD menus and extras are the same as before.

It's 100% worth buying the series for amounts as small as £17.99 (PlayUSA) if you don't already own the series on DVD because Berserk is up there with the best anime has to offer. But, aside from diehard Berserk fans, for everyone else it'd be a waste of money.

I'd normally continue beyond this point, explaining why Berserk is in my top 10 anime list, but it's an old series and there are plenty of reviews out there that highlight its many qualities. So, instead of rambling on, I'm going to just say that you MUST watch Berserk if you're an anime fan, or even if you're simply a fan of dark fantasy.

Just to give people who are unfamiliar with Berserk an idea of what to expect, I like to compare it to Lord of the Rings. Both series have a medieval setting (knights, castles, etc.), supernatural elements, endearing characters, and a great story. Here is a quick introduction to the story: A long war is being waged between the nations of Midland and Chuder. A mercenary named Guts is forced to join the Band of the Hawk, a seemingly invincible army of young mercenaries that has allied itself with Midland. The Hawks are led by Griffith, a brilliant military strategist who wears a necklace with a strange egg-shaped trinket. Griffith values Guts, but the female commander Casca wishes that he had never joined the Hawks.

I like the structure of Berserk. There is an emphasis on continuity. Every episode picks up right where the last one left off, and themes such as friendship, identity, and ambition are revisited throughout the series. The dynamic between the three main characters (Guts, Griffith, and Casca) is intriguing, and it evolves over time.

A caveat (or two or three)...the first episode of Berserk only makes sense in hindsight because it offers a glimpse of the future. The entire anime is a huge flashback. So if you don't like the first episode, don't worry. Just keep watching! Also, the anime ends with a shocking cliffhanger. Fortunately, the story continues in the manga. And finally, the series is quite bloody. Of course, the manga is FAR more graphic.

I highly recommend this anime series. It's incredible.

Note: The video and audio have been improved for this new release. Media Blasters is currently hosting a video that clearly demonstrates the superiority of the new release's video. Check it out (http://www.media-blasters.com/berserk/trailer/berserkcomp.mov).

This box set is a slight improvement on the previous releases, but only just.

The image is supposedly progressive scan, though watching the "Box of War" version and this one back to back, I'm noticing no difference, even during "fast" scenes. This series may just be too slow moving for progressive to matter. The colors are slightly brighter. The amount of grain seems to be the same, though its slightly more noticeable due to the brighter colors. I have noticed some spots/specs in the new release that I don't see in the old, though its difficult to tell if they are all additional spots or just a different pattern. The image is supposed to be sharper also, but I noticed no difference here. The new release has not altered the image jitter problem.

Both soundtracks have fixed numerous minor audio artifacts. The English soundtrack is supposed to be synced up a bit better, but I haven't found a problem spot in the old release to match against. All discs have stereo Japanese sound. The subtitles are edited for a better translation and corrected spellings. (I prefer voice dubbing to subtitle reading though, so I cannot comment on that matter).

Also to mention is that the opening and closing credits have been replaced with their Japanese originals. This wouldn't be a problem for me except the original opening uses a large ugly font that covers most of the screen (the original closing has its own issues). In addition, the opening and closing credits now default to subtitles on, despite the fact the songs are (sort of) in English. So, yeah, lots of text everywhere.

The chapter stops have been altered slightly. The mid-show break now stops after the two title cards instead of between them.

As mentioned in other reviews, the discs have full-color, full-disc art printed on them. All six discs come in a single package about 1.5 the width of a single DVD case. Two discs overlap and attach to the inside of each cover and on one side of a leaf attached to the spine. Personally, I would have happily payed them the whole $.25 of extra costs for a regular slim-case release.

If you don't own the series, this is a good purchase largely due to its lower price. If you do own the series, I can only recommend repurchasing if you're a Japanese audio fan and were unhappy with the quality of the subtitles and mono tracks (and even then, I'd think it'd be a hard sell).

This is a great anime series! Don't judge it by the first episode, kinda like the Tower of Druaga! The first episode is just all battle but after that----You get immense character development and great storytelling---plus the soundtrack is great! I guess they were not able to finish this series, you'll have to read it in the manga to find out what happens next--which I am doing now--But please don't let that stop you from watching the anime-----The anime is old school--Hand drawn cells not computer animated stuff--And the graphics are fantastic!! You will really like the characters in this show and if your a fan of storytelling you are in for a treat!!!

This series tells a story about an epic journey of a two heros. The characters are great and act exactly as a person would in reality. This series would have been a masterpiece, but it ended at episode 25. Why? I do not know because the series was great.

This series starts out with Guts(the hero and main character) in his youth. He is a lone mercenary that just travels from battle field to battle field. Then he gets to this one battle where he must go against the Band of the Hawk. They are the best mercenary group out there and Guts kills one of their best men with no problem. The leader sees this and decides to leave the battle because they held up the fort that they were guard for way more time than expected. Later while walking down the road Guts is ambushed by some of the members of the Band of the Hawk. He kills one with no problem then another one of the Band of the Hawk leaders Caska enters the fight. Guts gets close to killing her, but the person that is in charge (Griffith) blocks Gut's sword. They begin to duel and Griffith wins. Since Griffith spared Gut's life he says Guts must follow him and help him become a ruler of a kingdom. So Guts decides to help Griffith in his quest for power and glory. Well that should be enough to interest you if you have not already seen the series.

This is one of the best series I have seen and the sound track is great as well. I would recommend this series to anyone that likes action/adventure/drama anime. I do not recommend this anime for people under the age of 16. There is much blood and a sex scene.

This is the number one anime of all time, at least for me! I even got my wife to love it and she hates anime! Wish they continued the story, but I guess we just have to read the graphic novel to see what other adventures await for Guts!

The DVD Box set is work perfectly, completely the best used item I've ever seen!

If you if you buy from them you will love the item you get!

I bought this as an anniversary present, he loves it. The DVD menus are nice and the actual show looks really good too. My only complaint is that the case was a bit flimsy/cheap. After opening it and closing it a few times is developed a little crack near the seam. Not a huge deal, but it's annoying. Overall, very good

The Anime
A friend had been recommending Berserk to me for a long time. I finnally watched it and loved every minute. Anime can get annoying at times with how young and stupid it's main characters act. Berserk does not do that. It is pure action and fantastic character development from start to end. Anime for Adults, nudity that is not fan service but part of the story.

The DVD Case
A Six Disc series for $23. The price has risen a little since I bought it but come on. So many people have complained about the case. As of 11/17/2011 this boxset is cheaper than Modern Family that is only four disc and Berserk is six disc and awesome. Yes the case is a little flimsy but for a DVD that sits on my shelf that I occasionally watch, why not? I'm not hiking through the Gobi desert with this thing.

The collection is great, very much like the manga. From the manga it goes up to volume 14.

When it comes to the physical condition, the bottom corner of the spine was broken, this may not be an amazon thing and perhaps the courier, am not sure. But it was a fair chunk instantly broke off freely as I got it.

4/5 -- Missing point would be the condition mostly.