MVM TV Tasters are a chance to see 2 episodes tasters of some of anime’s finest TV series

Beserk

Set during a time that very much resembles Europe during the Middle Ages, BESERK is a story of revenge set in the castle town of Midland. Recently, the town has seen the rise of a wicked king, who uses demonic minions to control and victimise his subjects. However, when a lone soldier enters the town calling himself the Black Swordsman and armed to the teeth, many sense that the king’s days of unchecked oppression are over.

Berserk is one of the most influential manga of all time. Created by Kentaro Miura, the manga originally released in the magazines Monthly Animal House and later Young Animal from 1989 onwards. It’s a prominent influence on several manga that followed, along with a major influence in video games. 

It’s best known for its striking visual style. Miura’s illustrations deviated from typical manga styles by drawing heavy inspiration from Western fantasy illustrations of the 1980s. What’s more, every page was illustrated using a meticulous cross-hatching technique that led every page to be packed with detail that still managed to be incredibly readable due to Miura’s use of light and shadow.

It was also gory as heck, with extreme violence being a core component of Berserk’s identity. This extreme violence would lead to horrific, unpleasant imagery all rendered in gruesome detail. It was dark fantasy, but visually it leaned heavily into horror, especially in its monster designs, and this is what made the manga such a hit.

It was adapted into anime three times since its release. The first of these was a series in 1997, a film trilogy in 2012 and a second series in 2016. At BAFF this year, we will be showcasing the 1997 series, with the first couple of episodes on show to give you a taste of what Berserk is all about.

This is the story of a swordsman named Guts, a man who was raised by a ruthless mercenary group and moulded into a brutal fighter. He vows revenge on a man named Griffith, the leader of his former group, Band of the Hawk, who betrayed them and left him and his friends either dead or broken.

Berserk’s story is inspired by Western fantasy, all knights and dragons and high adventure, but this is no holy mission full of chivalry and heroics. This is a story where all preconceptions of what is good and evil are tossed away. Guts was raised purely to fight, and in adult life, he takes great pleasure in seeing his enemies slain. He’s our protagonist but at times he feels like a villain, a demonic fighter who revels in the violence. Meanwhile, the antagonist is a beautiful knight will flowing angelic hair who doesn’t refrain from committing atrocities in his quest to rule his own kingdom.

It’s this refusal to split light and dark that makes Berserk so compelling to its fans. The series is full of dark, brutal moments of violence, and yet manages to balance it with moments of quiet reflection. Guts may appear to be a monster but he has moments of tenderness, and the series makes it clear that he could be a hero if this was the kind of world that allowed heroes to exist.

All these elements work together to make something wholly unique. As such, it’s left a huge cultural impact. It’s been recognised by the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, Japan Expo Awards and the Harvey Awards, and countless other creators have cited it as an inspiration. Fellow manga creators cite it as an inspiration, with Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer and Fullmetal Alchemist all existing because of Berserk’s legacy. Elsewhere, Berserk’s influence is best felt within the work of game developer FromSoftware. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has cited the manga as a huge influence on the moody, grimly beautiful worlds of Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

There is a lot of Berserk we could share with you, but we will be sticking to the first couple of episodes of the 1997 anime series. This should give you an introduction to the Black Swordsman arc, where this important piece of anime history first started.