Anime fans are often curious about the “best” watch order for the most prolific series. And I get it. While it has some genuinely good horror anime moments, Berserk is best experienced as the author intended: in manga form.
Kentaro Miura was a genius. Arguably the single greatest manga artist of all time. His work on Berserk is inspired. It is a gorgeous, horrifying, hand drawn opus that is the best work of dark fantasy in existence. No, not out of all dark fantasy manga. Out of all DARK FANTASY. There’s a reason why the Dark Souls video game series pays so much homage to this manga. Without Berserk, the Souls series wouldn’t exist.
Alright, I’m stepping off my high horse now. If you hate reading books and MUST watch Berserk, watch the 1997 series first. It is hands down the best one. While it doesn’t quite capture the majesty of Miura’s work, it’s still quite beautifully drawn. Plus the grimdark tone of the series makes it PERFECT for ’90s anime. This adaptation focuses on The Golden Age arc, which is the first chronological arc of the story.
If you don’t want to watch a whole series, watch the three movies made in the early 2010s: The Egg of the King, The Battle for Doldrey, and The Advent. While the cel-shaded anime style isn’t for everyone, this remake goes heavy on the blood and guts, if you’re into that sort of thing. Like me.
But whatever you do, DON’T watch the Berserk remake series from 2016. It has infamously bad animation, and is sadly the laughing stock of the anime community. It’s a shame, considering that the source material is one of the greatest manga of all time. I would sell my very soul to see the rest of the story adapted …
Who’s got a beherit?
(featured image: Studio 4°C)
