If you’re familiar with Berserk, then chances are good that you have seen its original anime series. But if not, perhaps checking out Berserk Memorial Edition might be worthwhile.
Studio 4degC’s Memorial Edition brings back to television the Golden Age Arc trilogy films with improvements over their original CGI, along with some brand new scenes.
1. The Egg of the King
Berserk is an epic fantasy saga first animated in 1997 by Kentaro Miura and has become beloved to its numerous fans over time. Kentaro Miura’s art, pacing, and panel design remain unparalleled as is evident by countless ardent fans enjoying this beloved series.
This Memorial Edition viewing guide has been designed to assist new fans with getting acquainted with one of the world’s iconic animes, Berserk. It will walk you through watching each adaptation and point out their strengths and weaknesses so you can maximize your viewing experience.
The Egg of the King, the first film in this trilogy, introduces Guts as a mercenary trying to survive in a world full of monsters and conflict. While slow and without as many visual effects as its manga counterpart, The Egg of the King does justice to Guts’ story while staying true to its creators’ vision for this series.
2. The Battle for Doldrey
Berserk takes place in an alternate medieval Europe-esque universe that’s filled with supernatural entities and dark magic, providing for an exciting action-packed series with great animation, an awesome script, and stellar direction.
Guts is a mercenary who joins the Band of the Hawk, an elite group of warriors dedicated to conquering enemies of King Richard. Guts aims to gain fame through this endeavor by fighting and conquering his adversaries.
Guts’ former friend Griffith joins them on their mission to take down Doldrey Castle – an impregnable fortress which has never been successfully besieged before. Guts is determined to help Griffith prevail against such formidable odds.
Griffith soon realizes that his path will diverge from that of his old comrade and therefore must decide between loyalty to Griffith and personal goals.
Studio 4degC adapted Kentaro Miura’s Berserk manga trilogy into this film produced by Studio 4degC. Initially it was released under two titles – Egg of the King and Battle for Doldrey in 2012 before switching over to The Advent in 2013. Viz Media licensed it for English home video release.
3. The Advent
Berserk is one of the world’s best-loved manga series. Kentaro Miura began serialization of his seinen comic in 1989, and Dark Horse Comics publishes it in English translation.
Since its inception, the franchise has seen two anime adaptations. The first premiered in 1997 while its second iteration aired from 2016-2017.
As is typical for TV adaptations of theatrical releases, this one has been heavily edited, though many issues that afflicted the theatrical releases have been addressed. There still remain some flaws, however.
However, the creative team behind this version went above and beyond by including numerous new scenes and music – some notable additions being a revised rendition of “Bonfire of Dreams” speech by Guts and an expanded portrait of his relationship with Casca.
4. The Eclipse
Guts’ Raiders quickly rallied around Griffith following his release from prison, hoping that they could help keep their captain alive. Unfortunately, the Hawks learned that Griffith’s injuries were too severe for him ever to lead them again.
In the Memorial Edition, this scene provides only temporary relief from Berserk’s more dreary moments. Studio 4degC made an interesting choice when they concluded this episode with such an optimistic scene, before plunging deeper into darkness of Chapter Three.
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