Customer Reviews

Berserk - Season One (The Complete Collection)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Berserk like so many Anime Series is an incomplete one. The tales of Guts and his quest to destroy the Godhand were never told as this series was all buildup to that.

The series is basically the first set part of the story on how Guts eventually came to hate the Godshand and their hords of Demons. The battles are violent and the story is actually very good (with good voice acting as well). It plays off as more of a Fantasy epic that ends with a Holy S--- ending that leaves you craving more. The story is very well told but sadly like so many other Anime series the full tales are never told as the series did not last past season 1. Thus there is a major feeling of incompletness that can now only be fullfilled with the Mangas. However what is here is an incredible series that combines wonderful story telling with gut wrenching violence. Highly recomended.

I am an anime fan. I had heard of the Berserk anime and manga series long ago, yet haven't touched them thinking nothing of it. One day, I decided to purchase the Sega Dreamcast game "Sword of the Berserk" which is an actual side story from the manga. The game itself was well done; Albeit more sitting and watching than playing, But even moreso the story was excellent and quite moving.

After playing through the game, I decided to tap into the anime.

I was shocked. Berserk was far more real to me than any of the candy coated Evangelion and Escaflowne of sorts. You can really feel the emotion erupting straight from the characters - Like you are fighting alongside them, experiencing the pain and the glory and the love and the tragedy - The struggle. You can really identify with the characters.

This has fairly much ruined most anime for me now, because there seams to be nothing that comes close to the deep and complex story that is Berserk.

Other reviewers can tell you of more details about Berserk. I can only say that if you're brave enough to try something different than the brightly colored happy types - A full range of emotional outpoor and the Black Swordsman are waiting to engulf you.

The first thing you may get out of hearing about Berserk is "how good can something called 'berserk' be?" To be honest, upon first hearing about the manga my brothers friend was reading, I was put off. I had no idea until I saw the series how INCREDIBLY deep it was. Guts may seem like a simple monster of a man who swings a big sword, but he quickly begins to peel away the layers that cover his true nature and it becomes clear that he is one of the great anime characters ever devised.

The story begins with a strange episode dealing with monsters. After the first episode, we are thrust back into the early years of Guts' life (I believe the story of the series ranges from Guts being 17 years old to 21). He is sought by a mercenary leader Griffith, who commands the Band of the Hawk. Needless to say, he joins them and from there the viewer is thrown into the middle of an incredible, sprawling epic. Huge battles ensue and characters perfectly compliment one another. The way the episodes are put together, you can't just watch one episode in a sitting. You are forced to continue it. I watched the entire series in one sitting the first time, and since whenever I do watch it I have to do the same thing. The story simply flows like water. It is complete with action, adventure, political intrigue, philosophy, and even a love story. While the music in some parts really falls, like in the intro song, there are some great pieces that are repeated throughout.

One thing that must be pointed out it is called Berserk, and for that it has a lot of violence and even nudity. However, it is toned down considerably from the manga. As the series comes to a close, you find yourself saying "Is that all?" No. In fact, the series entrenches only about a third of the entire story thus far. The manga is currently 29 volumes that run about 250 pages each. The series is roughly volumes 4-14. I suggest watching this series and then finding fan-translated scans of the manga, since only the first six are released in America. Trust me when I say the story of Berserk is unputdownable. The creator, Miura, states that he originally intended Berserk to be about 50 volumes, so even now it is hardly near completion.

Buy this boxed set. You will be hard pressed to find a better anime series than this.

Berserk is without a doublt the best anime ever next to Neon Genisis. The show has characters you'll love, enemies you'll hate, love and compassion. This had everything I loved about the series. It is a very dark and some what scary series. It's very very disturbing also. The best thing about this series are the characters that you'll fall in love with and of course......Gutts..

Spoiler ALERT..sort of*

Poor Gutts. This guy has one of the most screwed up life ever. You'll feel for this guy. I mean what ever the poor guy does he always ends up paying for it. He was given birth by his deceased mother(that is correct...deceased)and to make things worse, the man who took care of him tries to murder him and sadly Gutts was at the wrong moment at the wrong time. Then to add some more to the ingriedeant he finally finds friends he can be with and finally share compassion with and see's them as his home and family(the hawks)but sadly they all get torn apart and eatin by demons. Oh were not done yet, the woman he loves and has a child with(Caska)ends up getting raped and tortured by a demonic creature who was once human and his friend(Griffith). But that's not over for Gutts yet...He slices off his own arm so he can prevent the rape of the woman he loves with no success of course and ends up losing his right eye to a demon. Poor poor gutts. SPOILER DONE..

Berserk is a very chilling series. It's dark and not for many people who are looking for something fun and happy like Pokemon. Berserk also has one of the most saddest, darkets and down right depressing endings ever. I will assure you that on the last 10 seconds of the last episode as Gutts is walking down to his next destination to get vengance on those who put him through hell(literaly)you will get chills. I will never forget that ending when he was walking down the desert with a close up on his face and you see nothing except his left and right eye(which is blinded cause of a demon). Very chilling ending.

Berserk is also a very violent series. It holds nothing back and has some really unsettling scenes(some involving his final moments with the Hawk on the last episode). So if you have young one I don't recommend seeing this series as It is recommended to people ages 17 or up. The series has a really great storyline, lots of twist and turns until the final episode. Overall this series is awesome and I recommend it.

The reason I didn't give it a 5 is because of the way it ends. But I will assure you that if you know a store that sells the manga go out and read them! I have read all the way up to Vol 16 and the series is not getting pretty at all(not after what Gutts go's through on vol 13). Overall Berserk is everything I want in a series and is not for the faint and weak ones. In the end I give this amazing series a...

4.9 out of 5 stars.

Again this is recommended to a mature audience. You could maybe compare this with Spawn(hey c'mon Al Simmons go's through just as much pain as Gutts)

Lates

Berserk, as a series, is one of those anime that starts out--at least after the first episode--slowly, and in many moments, boringly. It's essentially a character introduction in a series. We are dragged along by the will of the creators as they show us this massive, angry man named Guts. During the series, we learn of his willpower, his skill with the sword, and of his penchant for murder. Also, we meet two people intricately tied to him, Caska and Griffith, one a future lover, the other a future enemy. Odd thing is, it isn't that clear between the two which is which until about halfway through.

Berserk is a dark fantasy, literally. It takes place in a fantasy setting, often drenched in blood and dread, and men are constantly hewing other men in half with swords, spears, axes, or halberds. There are few morals beyond loyalty and brotherhood in battle, a moral found in every anime, TV show, or movie that deals with war. But the themes are there, and all of the them are dark, dealing mostly with murder, vengeance, and greed (or just about every one of the Seven Deadly Sins). But what's clear is that Berserk never tries to be anything else. It doesn't mislead you with slapstick, or with constant, giggly characters. The atmosphere is thick, and it never lets up. If you don't like the first episode, then you won't like the series. It immediately tries to scare away the faint of heart early on.

Though at times the animation quality could be better, the style here is a little different in that they follow few of the regular anime guidelines. Some of the characters have big eyes, but beyond that they are proportioned perfectly, giving the animation a sense of reality, which of course only adds to the intensity of the story. The animation gets a little better during moments of single combat, usually when Guts is swinging his sword, making the action scenes worth watching. Though rarely, they do recycle animation (moments that's found earlier on in an episode, like firing a volley of arrows, repeated in a later scene or after a commercial break), which can be off-putting at times. Most of this, though, is done in the earlier episodes, so it's easy to forget about.

Beyond that, other bonuses include a decent fantasy soundtrack that matches well to the mood of the scenes in the anime. Most of the characters are unique in some way to anime. And, though this can't really be considered a bonus for some, it has plenty of violence, enough to spread across two or even three different anime. So, if you like this in your anime, then here it is.

It's hard to recommend this anime because Berserk doesn't compare to many other fantasy anime, besides Record of Lodoss War. It does compare to other anime outside Berserk's genre, however, so if you enjoyed 3 x 3 Eyes, Doomed Megalopolis, or are now enjoying Gantz or Elfen Lied, then pick this up. Berserk is a great series, not one of the best, but still close. It has a solid story, with interesting characters that drive the action and the plot.

I rented this series on a couple suggestions from some anime fans I know. I had only seen Cowboy Bebop prior to this, and I enjoyed that series. Berserk was such a pleasant surprise to me, I found that I couldn't wait to get home from work so that I could see what was going to happen next to these endearing characters.

Now for the caveats --

VIOLENCE: There is violence here. Lots and lots of blood. In fact, it often sprays like a garden hose.

SEX: There is some nudity and sexual situations. Not a lot of them, but there's a scene on the last episode that some people may find schocking.

UNFINISHED?: Speaking of the last episode, you may find the entire last episode disturbingly loose-ended. I still find myself wanting more, but I think it just means I really enjoyed the series.

SPECIAL FEATURES: I'm not sure about the box set, since it hasn't yet been released as of this writing, but the series released by Media Blasters had some hilarious OUTTAKES which had me laughing out loud. Very entertaining extra feature.

The storyline is very satisfying. There are significant milestones throughout; not just a lot of build-up for one great climactic ending. Meaningful happenings occur on a regular basis, and there are many subtle underlying themes that I missed the first time 'round. The English voices are surprisingly good. There are the occasional cheesy actors who shout too much, but you get used to that before long. The animation is a combination of still comic-book-style shots and animated scenes. They combine the two effectively.

From a new anime viewer, I highly recommend this one.

Words cannot desribe Berserk. This series goes beyond simply being an exceptional anime it is one of the greatest stories ever told as far as I am concerned. I was deeply moved by this series. Do not pass it up. 100% entertaining, thought provoking and moving.

WARNING: It has an insanely depressing ending/conclusion. Do not view if you can't handle unhappy endings because this one takes the cake. I have never seen an ending so excruciatingly painful and agonizing to watch because of the torture that the lead characters are forced to endure on such a surrealistic and epic scale. It would be hard not be disturbed by it.

Berserk is one of the most unique animes, and just plain one of the most unique stories around. It has a flow and style of plot and character development all its own. The characters are all very realistic and never seem flat or predictible. Guts, himself, is a very different manner of hero. He's far from a moral character, yet not really what you would call an antihero. The story is very subtle at times and does a nice job of juggling action and helping further the narrative, with bits of dialogue that never seem stilted or generic.
The ending, as many reveiwers have already said, is very brutal and quite cruel. Some may be turned off by this, but I found the ending quite a bold move, and upon watching the last two episodes over again, prefer it to a more upbeat one. One of the most standout points I found throughout the series was its music. It's quite beautiful and matches the tone of the series perfectly, especially in the latter episodes. Perhaps the most surprising to me was the brialliant use of cuts and edits the series employs. Whether it goes to its commercial bumper or just recaps the events of the previous episode in the prologue, the series has a sharp eye for cliffhangers and last-minute revelations. Treat yourself to something fresh in the anime world and watch Berserk, you shouldn't be dissapointed.

First of all for anyone who is not familiar with Berserk, it is based upon the japanese manga series. the anime only goes up to volume 12 of the manga series. the manga series is up to volume 28 and it is STILL GOING. when people say that the anime has a bad ending...they really have no idea what they are talking about cause the story has not ended yet. that "ending" that they are talking about is only the end of that chapter or volume. the berserk story is the best story that i have been fortunate enough to have come across. i really suggest getting the mangas which have been translated into english and are being published by Darkhorse comics. currently the translated mangas are only up to volume 6. but you can read them online if you go to thespectrum.net/berserk. berserk is not only the best anime, but its the best manga and story EVER!!!

I love berserk and it is my favorite anime, but I saw this same collection at my local Best Buy for $49.99. I'm dead sure about this and if you want the whole collection I suggest you look somewhere else.