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It's a sad fact that many older anime series completely pass most UK anime fans by. Unfortunately older series just don't sell well here no matter how good they are, even the superb Trigun was only a minor success for example. So it therefore comes as a bit of a surprise to see brand new titles like Ergo Proxy and Trinity Blood joined on MVM's schedule by the 10 year old fantasy epic Berserk. Berserk is based on a manga that
began back in 1988 and it is very much a serious, old school, hack n slash
fantasy epic. The story takes us back through the life of Guts, a
legendarily powerful swordsman armed with an immense broadsword and a repeating
crossbow. Born into a world of violence as a member of a group of bandits,
his early life left him with a reckless attitude and an powerful will to live.
He grows to become a sword-for-hire, taking on increasingly deadly
opponents as he searches for a meaning to his life. However, his ability
and strength attracts the attention of the ambitious Griffith, leader of the
mercenary army known as The Band of the Hawk. Griffith is determined to
recruit Guts even though his officers are sceptical of the uncouth and
unpredictable warrior, and Guts has no desire to join him. However, Griffith isn't about to take Guts' flat
refusal lying down, he knows that he has huge potential and plans to make Guts
join if he wants to or not... |
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Welcome to the world of Berserk. A world populated by knights and warriors, a world where kings live in big castles and muscle-bound heroes make their names on the battlefield. It's the kind of straightforward old school hack 'n' slash action that hasn't really been seen since Arnie ran around in furry pants in the Conan films. The way it starts though is pretty uninspiring. In the first episode we get to see the battle-weary Guts searching out a despot who turns into a demonic snake. Yes, like pretty much any other old-guard anime the powerful hero faces demonic opposition, and if the whole volume had followed this path it wouldn't have been |
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that great. However, it doesn't, after this episode the story leaps back in time to show Guts' past. And this is where it gets pretty damn good. The past dispenses with the
demonic shenanigans for the most part, and instead focuses on Guts and
Griffith's search for power. The story comes into its own when it
focuses on the aimless Guts meeting Griffith, and their subsequent time
together. Alpha male Guts has always been strong enough to take
down pretty much anyone, but the effeminate and cultured Griffith is
just too good for him. Power is the only thing that gets through
to him initially, but over time he begins to respect and admire Griffith
for more than this. Griffith is more ambitious than most anime
heroes, he wants to take over the world (surely that's the villain's
job?) and he inspires his band of mercenaries to great feats with his
brilliant tactical mind. He is idolised by his troops,
particularly Caska, a beautiful and tomboyish woman soldier who holds
one of the senior positions in the Band of the Hawk. She dislikes
Guts in that typical anime way (ie. the way that usually leads to them
getting together), especially now that Griffith only has eyes for the
burly newcomer and ignore her advances. Yes, before you can say
homoerotic subtext you get the impression that Griffith is after more
than just Guts' ability, setting up an unusual relationship between them
and Caska which will only get more interesting. |
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But if you think that Berserk has gone all soft on you then fear not, a story and drama it may have, but most of all it has action. Heads and limbs fly off as Guts hacks his way through his enemies, showing a refreshing lack of mercy for his fallen foes. In Berserk it's kill or be killed, and it's usually Guts doing the killing. The action is brutal and frequent, ensuring the series retains a frenetic pace but never overpowering the plot. It manages to strike a good balance between action and drama, providing buckets of gore but still developing the characters and their relationships. The characters are good, particularly the charismatic Griffith, everything about him |
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screams 'villain' - world domination plans, intelligence, suave and sophisticated manner, loyal army of henchmen, ruthless streak, etc - and in a normal situation the musclebound hero would be trying to take him down. However, here he's kind of the good guy and the musclebound hero is on his side. It's like the anime equivalent of John Mclane teaming up with Hans Gruber in Die Hard, but it works pretty well and also sets up the possibility of a future clash between the two. I liked Berserk vol 1, after a bit of an uninspiring start it settled into an action-packed and straightforward action series with more depth than I expected. There's nothing amazingly groundbreaking on show, and you could easily reel off the action movie clichés, but it's good testosterone-fuelled fun. At the moment the supernatural elements have been toned down, leaving instead a proper hack 'n' slash adventure that is pretty unique amongst UK anime releases. It's unashamedly old-school and very much aimed at a male audience, but that's actually quite refreshing. It is often the case that anime tries to appeal to both male and female audiences, and in some ways this can be a hindrance. Berserk doesn't make concessions, and it doesn't crowbar in additional plot elements just to widen its fanbase. It works well, and if you like a bit of solid fantasy action then Berserk is a must-have, just don't expect cute mascot characters... Extras: Better than most, with the usual trailers and clean opening sequence being joined by production art galleries and outtakes from the English dub. The outtakes are pretty dull, but it's not a bad selection. Ratings Feature:
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