Berserk (1997 TV series)

Plot

Though the manga storyline remains largely intact, many changes were made, with the modification or elimination of characters (one notable example being Puck), some of the series' most violent and brutal scenes, and material that would have extended the storyline beyond the planned run of the anime series. Themes of friendship and ambition are more developed and emphasized than those of causality and the supernatural, all of which were made with the approval of series creator Kentaro Miura.

Music

Susumu Hirasawa composed the soundtracks for both the anime and video games, using an eclectic selection of instruments. He received the offer to compose music for the series due to Miura being a fan of his works and listening to them while he works on Berserk, that also led to Miura almost never requesting a specific composition for him to include. Hirasawa has said that Berserk does not feel like a self-restrained story, and that composing for the series is similar to the sensation of unlocking one of his inner restraints, leading to compositions on a "Berserk style". Hirasawa recycled some earlier works for the series: "Take the Wheel" (from Aurora) was re-written and re-recorded, while "Kun Mae #3" (from Kun Mae in a Calculation) was only retitled. The opening theme is "TELL ME WHY" by PENPALS, the ending theme is "Waiting so long" by Silver Fins, and the insert song (used on the "next episode" segments) is "BERSERK -Forces-" by Susumu Hirasawa. Music from other composers is also used in the series: "Madre Assente", from Ennio Morricone's The Blue-Eyed Bandit soundtrack, is used on the scene of the Queen's funeral. Hirasawa's work on the series led him to meet Yūko Miyamura, which led to musical collaborations between the two. Hirasawa's album Technique of Relief builds off of his work on the series and the Miyamura collaborations.

Release

It first aired from October 7, 1997 to March 31, 1998 on Nippon TV.

In Asia, Vap Video has released thirteen VHS and twelve VCD including two episodes each (a single one in the last VHS and three in the last VCD) from 1998 to 1999 in Japan. The seven discs "DVD-BOX", using Audio-CD cases, was released in Japan in 2001, with the seven volumes being re-released later in individual DVD regular cases in 2003.

Soundtrack

At the time of the anime's production, Hirasawa was signed to Nippon Columbia, while VAP is the production committee member that has the home audio/video release rights, which led to disagreements; the opening and ending themes were created by bands signed to VAP. The soundtrack was released by VAP, the obi promotes only the VAP bands, while Nippon Columbia and HIrasawa's personal label TESLAKITE get a courtesy credit in the liner notes. Hirasawa's theme for the series was released as a single five days ahead of the soundtrack by Nippon Columbia/TESLAKITE, with no mention of VAP in the packaging.

All tracks written by Susumu Hirasawa, except "Murder" by Hirasawa, Sacol Trakranprasirt and Supat Kuntatun; "TELL ME WHY" by Hayashi Munemasa, Seiya & Kinya Kamijō; "Waiting so long" by Hitomi Takenaka and Mitsuhiro Asakura.

Reception

Berserk received a favorable response from critics who praised its dark fantasy narrative and musical score while holding reservations for its less than acceptable animation. Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network praised the series, giving it a score of A stating, "if you have a single bone in your body that's interested in dark fantasy, do not pass Berserk up. It is the finest example of its genre available on the market today and is based on a manga that nearly surpasses all others in terms of quality and popularity. The TV series was a resounding success and remains enchanting, entertaining and truly terrifying to this day. Watch this show."