Berserk (2016 TV series)
A sequel to the Golden Age Arc film trilogy.
This 2016 anime series adapts Kentaro Miura's Berserk manga and continues the story from the Golden Age Arc films. It is the second television adaptation of the manga, airing from July to September 2016 and covering the Conviction story arc. A second season, which adapts the first half of the Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc, ran from April to June 2017.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Dark fantasy
- Epic fantasy
- Sword and sorcery
- Based on
- Berserk, Kentaro Miura
- Developer
- Makoto Fukami
- Director
- Shin Itagaki
- ja
- 板垣伸
- Voices
- Hiroaki Iwanaga
- Takahiro Sakurai
- Toa Yukinari
- Kaoru Mizuhara, ja, 水原薫
- Narrator
- Unshō Ishizuka
- Music
- Shirō Sagisu
- Country
- Japan
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The story follows Guts as the "Black Swordsman," an appearance briefly seen in the 1997 television series and the final scene of the Golden Age Arc films. Guts was once a wandering mercenary taken in by the Band of the Hawk, fighting alongside them before their leader Griffith sacrificed his followers to become a God Hand. Only Guts and his lover Casca, who lost her sanity and memory from the horrors she endured, escaped the Eclipse ritual. They were branded with marks that attract evil spirits. With Casca in care of blacksmith Godo and his adopted daughter Erica, Guts set off to hunt the God Hand's Apostles for vengeance. Years later, Guts is joined by an elf named Puck as events the God Hand has long awaited begin to unfold.
Production
The 2016 television adaptation of Berserk was first revealed in December 2015 through Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine, accompanied by a short preview trailer at Comiket that month. In February 2016, the project was officially confirmed as a TV series via its website. Additional trailers followed in March and early June 2016. After the first season's finale, a teaser confirmed a second season for April 2017, showcasing Schierke and the Berserker armor to signal the upcoming "Hawk of the Millennium Empire" arc. Manga creator Kentaro Miura acted as executive supervisor. Shin Itagaki directed the series, with Makoto Fukami and Takashi Yamashita handling the writing, and Hisashi Abe designing the characters. Liden Films produced the series, while GEMBA and Millepensee managed animation production. Shirō Sagisu, who composed for the film trilogy, returned for the music, and Susumu Hirasawa, composer for the 1997 series and films, contributed two songs: "Ashes" and "Ash Crow." For the first season, the opening theme "Inferno" was performed by 9mm Parabellum Bullet, and the ending theme by Nagi Yanagi. The second season used the opening "Sacrifice" by 9mm Parabellum Bullet and an ending theme by Yoshino Nanjō featuring Nagi Yanagi. The main voice cast reprised their roles from the film trilogy, while Unshō Ishizuka returned as the narrator from the original anime.
Broadcast and distribution
The 12-episode first season of this series debuted on Wowow on July 1, 2016, then aired a week later across MBS's Animeism block, TBS, CBC, and BS-TBS. Its second season started on April 7, 2017, with a two-episode hour-long premiere. Crunchyroll simulcast the show and, during Anime Expo on July 1, 2016, announced a Blu-ray and DVD release with an English dub. On March 17, 2017, IGN shared a clip of that dub, confirming Funimation as the distributor but Bang Zoom! Entertainment as the dubbing studio—marking the first time NYAV Post did not handle English voice work for Berserk since Sword of the Berserk. Funimation made the first season available on March 20.
Reception
IGN contributor Meghan Sullivan rated the opening episode 8.5 out of 10, praising the direction despite "somewhat distracting visuals." Cecilia D'Anastasio in Kotaku applauded the opening episode, saying it "already outshines the 90's original," though noting sub-par animation quality. Anime News Network contributor Jacob Hope Chapman was critical of the show's production quality, calling it "an abominably ugly and almost forcefully unpleasant realization of our dreams, with cut-rate CGI, questionable music choices, and disorienting camera work." However, he felt the strength of the source work helps carry the show, and that Itagaki's frenetic directing style keeps the action interesting, allowing Miura's compelling story and world to shine despite the lackluster production.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Berserk (2016 TV series) are there?
Berserk has 24 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Berserk (2016 TV series) end?
Berserk last aired on 23 June 2017.
More in Japanese Computer-animated Television Series
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced