Customer Reviews

Berserk: TV Series Season 1 Complete Collection

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Quick review. Awesome Series, many reviews have been written about this for the individual discs and the other version of the complete season 1 set (the $140 version). Only difference I find in this set is the new slimmer packaging, all six discs come in an interestingly economically designed pack (about as wide as say... a Lord of Rings Collectors set of Fellowship of the Rings). But, these ARE THE SAME discs with all the extras including the outtakes and production art. One annoyance perhaps, the disc art is also the same, so there is no description of what episodes are contained on each disc... Just the title given to the disc when they were being sold individually. Thought I'd write this since I couldn't find any other information on this set and what was already out there prior to its release.

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.

Berserk was one of the first anime I ever saw, and it was the one that really got me hooked on anime in general. That was several years ago (when I was sixteen or thereabouts), and Berserk still remains one of my favourite titles.

One of the things that I appreciated about it, aside from the intense animation and plot, was the fact that it made me appreciate a genre I might otherwise have passed off as a purely male thing. Berserk has its share of violence and gore and gratuitous blood spurting, but it also has drama and touches of romance and humour. (No, it's NOT shoujo, it simply has depth that a lot of violent series lack.) It's something that a girl of sixteen could enjoy wholeheartedly.

The outtakes are absolutely hilarious (I wish more animated series and films did them); if you've never heard 'Griffith' sing 'I'm Just A Girl Who Can't Say No,' it's worth it.

The only issue I have is with the packaging of this set. While I appreciate the slimmer design, a thinpak idea in the style of ADV would have been better than two discs layered on a card. It's really, really annoying having to take out discs to get to the one you want (and the ones on the front and back of the case are very difficult to remove, inviting damage).

If you get this, I recommend getting some slim DVD cases as well and doing away with the stock case. I've had some obnoxious DVD storage situations, and this one is just more trouble than it's worth.

This is a fantastic show that has a much broader potential fanbase than one would expect, and I recommend it strongly. It is not, however, for the squeamish (though it is nowhere near as graphic as the manga).

I can't stress enough that Berserk "The Complete Collection" dvds that go for around $20.00 or so range are the IMPORT/BOOTLEGS. If you want the American version (as pictured on Amazon.com), make sure to ask the vendors how many dvds there are in their product. If it's less than 6 dvds, you're purchasing the BOOTLEG/IMPORT.

Berserk will forever be one of the true anime masterpieces to ever released to the public, and will rank in the top 5 anime titles in my book for the rest of my life.

The fact that the director started the series AFTER the ending episode and worked in a somewhat backwards motion of events was truthfully a unique and brilliant way to initiate a great piece of art.

Not only did I keep coming back to watch more, but I was also extremely dissatisfied (in a way) at the ending to this series...but the reason that this came to be was the fact that Berserk did not give fan service or something to make you feel relieved about in the end (which is the makings of a true film).

If you are a diehard anime fan, Berserk is a MUST SEE! Buy it! NOW!

I loved Braveheart and Rob Roy And similar movies which are set in midevil times and this is what attracted me to First Renting Berserk and then Buying it after renting all the discs.

If you are a fan of engaging storylines within a more realistic setting then most animes then Berserk is a MUST BUY.

The Anime can seem outdated, The English Voice acting can seem a little over the top at times and their are a million fight scenes with 10000 Gallons of blood being spilled. That being said. This is one of the best Animes I have ever seen.

The Music is perfectly placed throughout each scene as the story moves forward episode to episode.And At times you forget your watching an "Anime" And feel your watching an Epic Movie. At least thats how great it was to watch Berserk for the first (of several) time.


Sure Some episodes might move along a little slower at times.. This wasnt an issue for me as i like to get to know the characters and you have to realize its 20+ Episodes. A Perfect Story blends action with drama and character building etc etc.

6 Years later I have yet to find anything to come close to Berserk. No Anime compares to this work of art known as Berserk.



There is 2 ways to watch the series.

Start with Episode 2 and watch the whole thing and when your done go back and watch Episode 1 for the first time.

Or Start with Episode 1 and watch the whole series and it may or maynot give things away that happen later on.


Basically Episode 1 is ment for TV views to be Pulled into the series.
Episode 2 is really the Start of the Berserk Story.

I don't remember what got me into Berserk but I just clicked away and in no time I was into it fast. Interesting characters, story, etc. Not for kids mind you. Extreme violence, and nudity. Especially towards the last episodes. My only complaint is that there is more to the story and the only way to know what happens next is to buy the manga. The creator I'm very upset at because he refuses to finish the anime which ends with a cliffhanger. A very upsetting cliffhanger. I recommend it to anyone. You won't be disappointed.

OK, let's get the only downside out of the way first. Technically, some of the animation now looks a bit clunky. But, frankly, once the plot arc and characters really get hold of you, it simply doesn't matter. Once hooked, this one does not want to let go.

I can see why it was aired late night- this one is definitely not one for the kiddies. Unless they're into really dark fantasy, plot convolutions, complex characterisation and buckets of gore.

I have no problem with the apocalyptic ending. Some of the visions are straight out of Heironymous Bosch. This is a fantasy, remember?

But, dammit, I want to know how Guts gets past the Dark Eclipse and becomes the Dark Swordsman.

So, how about it, guys...?!

Jon Bower

Exquisite. My roommate and I rented this on recommendation of one of the guys at the video store who called 'Berserk' his baby. It starts off seemingly slow, slightly standard--if dark--sword and sorcery affair. That's fine, but it really gets going by volume three. And by the end...if you aren't traumatised and/or moved, then I would eat my woolly hat. It's beautiful and moving, and the characters are wonderfully portrayed. Ishida Akira as Judeau in the Japanese-subbed version is heartwrenching. And it has the single most hilarious English cast bungles ever in the history of bungles.

When it comes to Anime and Manga, I like to think of myself as moderately knowledgable. I would not consider myself a hardcore fanatic, as I enjoy watching the TV shows and films, but only rarely delve into the backstory contained in the novels. For this reason, I judge this DVD collection not by the Berserk story as a whole, but only by the merrits of the storyline actually contained in this collection of episodes.

Now, in terms of animation quality and sound, I am impressed. It's not the same quality in terms of animation and sound as larger budget Anime movies, and don't expect the same quality as big budget TV series such as Ergo Proxy. The animation is what you'd typically expect in a cartoon series, and it does not disappoint as long as you're not expecting an Appleseed level of refinement. The only real non-storyline complaint I have, is that the labelling of the DVD's and the menu screens the DVDs contain are inadequate.

The storyline is where my main complaint with this series lies. The vast majority of the included 25 episodes contain a storyline that is driven by themes of friendship, loyalty, and honor - along with undertones of romance. The episodes that build on these themes, the first 23 by my observation, are absolutely fantastic. The character development, the action, the paced adventure that follows the Hawks rise to power, is all done exceptionally well. This story is so compelling that I would have considered this a masterpiece had the collection ended after episode 23.

Unfortunately, however, the concluding episodes move toward themes of Demons, causality, and hell-inspired revenge. Perhaps if it were better explained, and had more time throughout the early series been devoted to this, it would have worked well. However, how it is presented seems cheap and tacked on as an afterthought. If you don't read some of the backstory in the novels, or perhaps get the abridged version on wiki, you'd be almost totally lost the last 2 episodes. This is the one complaint I have about the series. I loved the first 23 episodes, and consider them some of the best anime I've seen in terms of story and character development, but the last two episodes left a poor taste in my mouth, and almost ruined the rest of the series for me.

I've judged this series only by the story presented in it. If you're a fan that intends to use this television series as a launching point into the Berserk novels, then this review will not be useful for you. However, if you're only interested in this DVD collection for the story presented herein, then I must warn you - ignore the ending.