Berserk

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Berserk begins by introducing a harsh medieval world where strength means everything and cruelty is common. Into the mix is thrown a swordsman named Guts who carries a blade the size of Detroit and wields his sharpened two-by-four expertly, slicing through those who oppose him. After he defeats a villainous creature, his mind turns to the past, to a simpler time of glory...

As a young man, Guts was simply a wandering mercenary with an attitude -- genuinely a berserker whose strength in battle was matched by his heroism bordering on insanity or stupidity. But through a series of circumstances, Guts meets Griffith, the leader of a crew of ragamuffin soldiers called the Band of the Hawk. Despite being the world's most perfect bishie, Griffith is able to defeat Guts in battle, something Guts has never experienced. But Guts' respect for Griffith goes beyond his ability to wield a sword. Griffith dreams of ruling a kingdom, and his optimistic leadership is charismatic in the extreme. His soldiers don't just like him; they revere him, willing to die for him and his dream. Against the wishes of his skilled female commander Casca, Griffith almost immediately puts Guts in charge of a regiment, and he succeeds brilliantly.

Guts spends three years with Griffith, fighting by his side under Casca's watchful eye. Griffith gets noticed and becomes more than just a mercenary leader but a knight, which makes him the devil to all the nobility of the land. They're more than willing to see him dead to stop a commoner's rise to power as the Hawks gain ever more fame and fortune. Yet in the midst of it all, Guts wavers on his loyalty to the Hawks as he begins to question a life made up of nothing but wielding death on the behalf of others.

There's also something else that bothers Guts...in the band's travels, they once came across a being that can only be described (to Tolkein fans, anyway) as a less fiery balrog. Griffith is knocked unconscious during the battle, and when the demon-beast notices a unique protective amulet around his neck, he prophecies that Griffith will doom Guts once they become equals. Guts isn't sure what that means, but he's not convinced he wants to stick around to find out...

Berserk may be many things, but it ain't pretty by any description. While the producer claims that Berserk was given close to double the funding that most shows in its time slot received, he also said that the other shows that had aired then (at 3:30am) could barely be called animated at all. Surprisingly, the animation gets better as the run progresses. However, in long shots with lots of horses or huge armies, it often looks just this side of passable. (Mercifully, the character art in close-up is just fine.) At times, I thought I was watching something made in 1987, not 1997.

But it's not just the animation that's rough...simply put, if you don't like blood, don't watch Berserk. Guts rarely swings his sword without slicing through something, and at times there are geysers of the red stuff. It's everywhere. It may very well be the bloodiest TV anime ever. But before you immediately dismiss it, know that the show is not in love with gore. Unlike the original manga, which is known for its detailed depictions of decapitations and disembowelment, the bloodshed here is in my estimation necessary. The job is brutal, Guts is brutal, and killing people isn't a clean enterprise. The anime presents it as a fact of Guts' existence.

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source: www.theanimereview.com/reviews/berserk.html

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