Guts, The Black Swordsman has finally returned. After the popularity of the Berserk: The Golden Age Arc trilogy, a new TV series picks up after the end of the last movie, and takes the series farther than any adaptation previously has. Unfortunately so far the new adventure is off to a rocky start.
How bad it it? This episode has the same plot and outline of the original TV series’ first episode, complete with Guts walking into town, being tortured by his curse mark, killing a bunch of demons, and winning the battle at the end by using the cannon in his mechanical arm. The only new addition is Puck, the genital lacking naked elf who adds a lighter tone to the show. Sadly, Puck feels like a character who will get annoying very quickly if any episode focuses on him for too long.
You’d think this new series would have the benefit of looking better with modern animation but this is another flaw in the new show. The animation leaves something to be desired. It looks like it’s trying to imitate the look of the recent movies but budget can’t be as big as a movie for every individual episode. This leaves the CGI to look awkward at times.
Still, this new series isn’t without its perks. It contains just as much, if not more over the top violence than not only the first series but many of the more adult animes which come out today. How over the top violent is it? Flies crawling across severed heads over the top. This will hopefully make future episodes of the series at least bearable.
The new Berserk is off to a rough start but with any luck it will be able to turn itself around from here. If not, then the fans who have been waiting over 15 years for a sequel will be sorely disappointed.
Berserk is streaming on Crunchyroll.
