Post by ravenwithoutcause on Feb 3, 2005 14:47:12 GMT -5
When Berserk hit the airwaves (and consequently, circles of hardcore American anime fans) in 1999, the most I ever heard about it was how shockingly violent it was for a TV series. Violence for violence's sake can be fun (see also Mad Bull), but it's not something I ordinarily seek out, so I made no effort to see the series. As usual, this proved to be a silly mistake, because when I eventually got around to watching Berserk, I was taken with it immediately. Make no mistake, Berserk is savagely violent. It is sometimes incomprehensibly violent. It's also a show with better pacing, a higher-quality story, stronger continuity and richer characterization than almost any other TV series I've seen in the past decade.
Consider the fact that the viewer is let in on the complete personal histories of two of the main characters before half of the series is out. Serious, action-oriented anime often delights in keeping the motivations and pasts of its protagonists shrouded in mystery, but not Berserk. The viewer is very carefully made to understand just how Berserk's main character, Guts, became such a talented (and violent) swordsman, and why his fellow mercenary soldier Caska harbors such blistering resentment for him. Almost everyone's loyalties and motivations are explored and illuminated, with the background of one significant character wisely left in the shadows.
I'll interrupt my raving briefly to set up Berserk's background. The series wisely abandons the more fanciful swords n' sorcery of other fantasy shows like Record of Lodoss War in favor of harsh, bloody medieval combat. War is central to Berserk's story, told chiefly as a flashback of combat veteran Guts-- in this case, a festering war between the rival kingdoms of Midland and Chuder. It's a dark, violent period, wherein a band of mercanaries who play their cards right might gain quite a bit of power. One such band of mercanaries is the Band of the Hawk (or just "the Hawks"), a scrappy, talented army for hire led by a charismatic young commander named Griffith. One of the Hawks' most fearsome warriors is Guts, a hulking, scowling man with a sword three times as large as anyone else's.
Guts is a really refreshing hero. He's likeably unlikeable, a brutal, sadistic warrior who is nevertheless almost heartbreakingly loyal-- sweet, even-- to his comrades. His entire life up until he joins the Hawks is one long string of worst-case scenarios; he's birthed by a mother who's been freshly killed by the noose, and raised by Gambino, a chillingly vicious hessian who abuses the kid psychologically, physically, and even sexually. When Guts is eventually forced to kill his caretaker in self-defense, he's badly wounded and run out of town by Gambino's compatriates. Life clearly has it out for Guts, but he perserveres-- even as a young teenager, he's a brutally talented swordsman. His insistence on using a blade much larger than himself intimidates friend and foe alike, and ends up catching the eye of Griffith.
Griffith convinces Guts to join his Hawks with some force, but he still seems like a great leader-- he's a brilliant strategist, and works tirelessly to protect and conserve his men as much as possible. He's kindly and elegant and well-mannered, traits which quickly earn him prestige (and some enemies) in the royal court of Midland. Guts, for all of his power and talent, is in awe of the man. Griffith commands similar loyalties from his other lieutenants, which include the rare female mercenary Caska, a ruthless fighter who takes an immediate dislike to Guts. Despite Griffith's charms, however, he occasionally arouses suspicion in Guts-- he might be wise and noble, but he also possesses a steely, unforgiving ambition that scares the hell out of anyone unlucky enough to get in the way of it. He also wears a grotesque amulet, a strange talisman darkly hinted at in Berserk's first episode, which features an older, more damaged, and much crueler Guts before flashing back to his introduction to the Hawks.
Like I stated above, the name of Berserk's game is characterization. Guts is such a well-conceived character that the viewer will immediately identify with him, in spite of his shortcomings. Caska comes across just as Guts sees her, harsh and intriguing and a little scary in spite of her diminutive stature. Griffith's charisma is obvious, but so is his hard-edged ambition. Other Hawks squad members, from the weaselly Corkus to the youthful Ricket and the lumbering Pippin, get their share of screen time, and are solid characters in their own right. Even the bad guys, which include some scheming and gossiping noblemen, a terrifyingly powerful supernatural soldier named Zodd, and a hilarious blowhard of a knight, are very entertaining to watch.
Giant Robo and G Gundam super-director Yasuhiro Imagawa has been linked to Berserk, and it's easy to see why. The show's narrative, with the main body presented as a flashback and framed by the hero seeking vengance, feels like signature Imagawa work. Oddly enough, though, Imagawa insists that he was only involved with Berserk early on, and his name was left in the credits by the producers. Either Imagawa's influence is more pervasive than he's willing to admit, or series director Naohito Takahashi has more tricks up his sleeve than I'd have given him credit for. Either way, Berserk is superbly directed, despite looking like it's on a limited budget, as most anime which runs late at night in Japan is. Takahashi is fond of the Dezaki-esque technique of using lots of still paintings to frame action scenes, and it serves the tone of the series well. Character designs, by Yoshihiko Umakoshi, are faithful apings of Kentaro Miura's original artwork-- all characters, even minor ones, look fantastic. The animation is consistent throughout the show; most TV series' feature "off" episodes, with untested episode directors and designers turning in some poor animation and distorted character designs, but not Berserk.
Another interesting thing about Berserk is the music, which has both ups and downs. On the upside, the incidental music and ongoing theme song, "Forces," are both provided by synth-rock maestro Susumu Hirasawa, who's been doing interesting things with rock music since 1979-- when he isn't handling synths and vocals for band P-Model, he's busting out the MIDI guitar for his solo efforts. His music here is churning and intense, and lends a well-placed sense of urgency to the show's plot. On the downside, Hirasawa's selection of compositions is pretty small, which means that a lot of themes, especially "Forces," are used and reused incessantly. It's a good soundtrack, and an unusual one, but it gets a bit repetitive.
Berserk also benefits from good acting in both the English and Japanese versions, though the Japanese version definitely has the edge. This is pretty telling, because I'd normally gravitate towards the dub of a series like Berserk, which derives a lot more influence from Robert E. Howard than any Japanese creator. Nonetheless, there's a bit more toughness to Nobutoshi Hayashi's Guts than Mark Diraison's, and Yuko Miyamura outdoes Carolyn Elizabeth as Caska. The dub, produced by NYAV, is still notable for Kevin Collins' execellent turn as Griffith, which equals that of Toshiyuki Morikawa. I'll also give points to Mike Pollack as the entertainingly pompous Chuder knight Adon Coborlwitz-- the guy has great comic timing. The Japanese version is really anchored by the rumbling, intimidating voice of narrator Unshio Ishizuka, who introduces each episode with a rather depressing speech about the futility of existence. (John Avner, handling narration in the dubbed version, sounds just as elegant as Ishizuka, but nowhere near as menacing.)
The DVD production is pretty good, all things considered. What surprises me about Berserk is the fact that, despite being made just three years prior to the DVD release, the masters aren't in pristine condition. There's noticable and repeated instances of visible specks of dust and paint strokes, and there's also occasionally some shimmer in the blacks and greys. (Normally, I wouldn't complain, but Berserk has a LOT of blacks and greys!) There's almost no overlaid text, because there doesn't need to be. The usual extras are packed in, which include clean OP/EDs, production materials, and outtakes, wonderful outtakes! There's nothing like hearing Mark Diraison as Guts cheerfully intoning, "Who wants to jerk me off?" followed by a rousing cheer from his squadmates.
Berserk is one of those shows that's just the Total Package-- if you're a fan of action or fantasy and can handle hard-edged, violent stories, it's just what you're looking for. If the vividness of the characters or the detailed, tightly-wound plot don't win you over, the furious battle scenes certainly will. It's very refreshing to see a show with trappings like Berserk's; it has the swordfighting and castle sieges and crossbow snipers, but manages to leave out the wizards with gnarled staves and pretty men with pointy ears speaking made-up languages. If there were a such thing as "realistic fantasy," Berserk would be it. Altogether, the show's collective merits make it impossible to ignore-- it's truly one of the good ones.
Damn, a near 10, but a 9.5/10
Consider the fact that the viewer is let in on the complete personal histories of two of the main characters before half of the series is out. Serious, action-oriented anime often delights in keeping the motivations and pasts of its protagonists shrouded in mystery, but not Berserk. The viewer is very carefully made to understand just how Berserk's main character, Guts, became such a talented (and violent) swordsman, and why his fellow mercenary soldier Caska harbors such blistering resentment for him. Almost everyone's loyalties and motivations are explored and illuminated, with the background of one significant character wisely left in the shadows.
I'll interrupt my raving briefly to set up Berserk's background. The series wisely abandons the more fanciful swords n' sorcery of other fantasy shows like Record of Lodoss War in favor of harsh, bloody medieval combat. War is central to Berserk's story, told chiefly as a flashback of combat veteran Guts-- in this case, a festering war between the rival kingdoms of Midland and Chuder. It's a dark, violent period, wherein a band of mercanaries who play their cards right might gain quite a bit of power. One such band of mercanaries is the Band of the Hawk (or just "the Hawks"), a scrappy, talented army for hire led by a charismatic young commander named Griffith. One of the Hawks' most fearsome warriors is Guts, a hulking, scowling man with a sword three times as large as anyone else's.
Guts is a really refreshing hero. He's likeably unlikeable, a brutal, sadistic warrior who is nevertheless almost heartbreakingly loyal-- sweet, even-- to his comrades. His entire life up until he joins the Hawks is one long string of worst-case scenarios; he's birthed by a mother who's been freshly killed by the noose, and raised by Gambino, a chillingly vicious hessian who abuses the kid psychologically, physically, and even sexually. When Guts is eventually forced to kill his caretaker in self-defense, he's badly wounded and run out of town by Gambino's compatriates. Life clearly has it out for Guts, but he perserveres-- even as a young teenager, he's a brutally talented swordsman. His insistence on using a blade much larger than himself intimidates friend and foe alike, and ends up catching the eye of Griffith.
Griffith convinces Guts to join his Hawks with some force, but he still seems like a great leader-- he's a brilliant strategist, and works tirelessly to protect and conserve his men as much as possible. He's kindly and elegant and well-mannered, traits which quickly earn him prestige (and some enemies) in the royal court of Midland. Guts, for all of his power and talent, is in awe of the man. Griffith commands similar loyalties from his other lieutenants, which include the rare female mercenary Caska, a ruthless fighter who takes an immediate dislike to Guts. Despite Griffith's charms, however, he occasionally arouses suspicion in Guts-- he might be wise and noble, but he also possesses a steely, unforgiving ambition that scares the hell out of anyone unlucky enough to get in the way of it. He also wears a grotesque amulet, a strange talisman darkly hinted at in Berserk's first episode, which features an older, more damaged, and much crueler Guts before flashing back to his introduction to the Hawks.
Like I stated above, the name of Berserk's game is characterization. Guts is such a well-conceived character that the viewer will immediately identify with him, in spite of his shortcomings. Caska comes across just as Guts sees her, harsh and intriguing and a little scary in spite of her diminutive stature. Griffith's charisma is obvious, but so is his hard-edged ambition. Other Hawks squad members, from the weaselly Corkus to the youthful Ricket and the lumbering Pippin, get their share of screen time, and are solid characters in their own right. Even the bad guys, which include some scheming and gossiping noblemen, a terrifyingly powerful supernatural soldier named Zodd, and a hilarious blowhard of a knight, are very entertaining to watch.
Giant Robo and G Gundam super-director Yasuhiro Imagawa has been linked to Berserk, and it's easy to see why. The show's narrative, with the main body presented as a flashback and framed by the hero seeking vengance, feels like signature Imagawa work. Oddly enough, though, Imagawa insists that he was only involved with Berserk early on, and his name was left in the credits by the producers. Either Imagawa's influence is more pervasive than he's willing to admit, or series director Naohito Takahashi has more tricks up his sleeve than I'd have given him credit for. Either way, Berserk is superbly directed, despite looking like it's on a limited budget, as most anime which runs late at night in Japan is. Takahashi is fond of the Dezaki-esque technique of using lots of still paintings to frame action scenes, and it serves the tone of the series well. Character designs, by Yoshihiko Umakoshi, are faithful apings of Kentaro Miura's original artwork-- all characters, even minor ones, look fantastic. The animation is consistent throughout the show; most TV series' feature "off" episodes, with untested episode directors and designers turning in some poor animation and distorted character designs, but not Berserk.
Another interesting thing about Berserk is the music, which has both ups and downs. On the upside, the incidental music and ongoing theme song, "Forces," are both provided by synth-rock maestro Susumu Hirasawa, who's been doing interesting things with rock music since 1979-- when he isn't handling synths and vocals for band P-Model, he's busting out the MIDI guitar for his solo efforts. His music here is churning and intense, and lends a well-placed sense of urgency to the show's plot. On the downside, Hirasawa's selection of compositions is pretty small, which means that a lot of themes, especially "Forces," are used and reused incessantly. It's a good soundtrack, and an unusual one, but it gets a bit repetitive.
Berserk also benefits from good acting in both the English and Japanese versions, though the Japanese version definitely has the edge. This is pretty telling, because I'd normally gravitate towards the dub of a series like Berserk, which derives a lot more influence from Robert E. Howard than any Japanese creator. Nonetheless, there's a bit more toughness to Nobutoshi Hayashi's Guts than Mark Diraison's, and Yuko Miyamura outdoes Carolyn Elizabeth as Caska. The dub, produced by NYAV, is still notable for Kevin Collins' execellent turn as Griffith, which equals that of Toshiyuki Morikawa. I'll also give points to Mike Pollack as the entertainingly pompous Chuder knight Adon Coborlwitz-- the guy has great comic timing. The Japanese version is really anchored by the rumbling, intimidating voice of narrator Unshio Ishizuka, who introduces each episode with a rather depressing speech about the futility of existence. (John Avner, handling narration in the dubbed version, sounds just as elegant as Ishizuka, but nowhere near as menacing.)
The DVD production is pretty good, all things considered. What surprises me about Berserk is the fact that, despite being made just three years prior to the DVD release, the masters aren't in pristine condition. There's noticable and repeated instances of visible specks of dust and paint strokes, and there's also occasionally some shimmer in the blacks and greys. (Normally, I wouldn't complain, but Berserk has a LOT of blacks and greys!) There's almost no overlaid text, because there doesn't need to be. The usual extras are packed in, which include clean OP/EDs, production materials, and outtakes, wonderful outtakes! There's nothing like hearing Mark Diraison as Guts cheerfully intoning, "Who wants to jerk me off?" followed by a rousing cheer from his squadmates.
Berserk is one of those shows that's just the Total Package-- if you're a fan of action or fantasy and can handle hard-edged, violent stories, it's just what you're looking for. If the vividness of the characters or the detailed, tightly-wound plot don't win you over, the furious battle scenes certainly will. It's very refreshing to see a show with trappings like Berserk's; it has the swordfighting and castle sieges and crossbow snipers, but manages to leave out the wizards with gnarled staves and pretty men with pointy ears speaking made-up languages. If there were a such thing as "realistic fantasy," Berserk would be it. Altogether, the show's collective merits make it impossible to ignore-- it's truly one of the good ones.
Damn, a near 10, but a 9.5/10