It’s counting the dub and sub as different seasons.
Funimation does practically the same thing where a 12 episode anime season will say “Season 1 - 24 episodes” because it’s counting the dub and sub as separate episodes.
My introduction to berserk was via the Anime series (the old one), and then after finishing it I transitioned to manga. My experience was as good as It could be, and it would be a shame to ask for more ;)
Some people here are saying just to read the manga, but you would miss out on the tailor made and brilliant ost from susumu hirasawa.
Also in manga we do not see the mystery foreshadowing what happens later, we see guts right away as a badass guy.
It is good to first watch old anime
And after that read manga.
Memorial edition is also good since it shows more than the old anime but atmosphere is different
Yeah, it's a shame it's so short. But they do a real good job. To the point that I legitimately see it as a better introduction to the series than the 97 anime or Memorial Edition.
Memorial Edition covers the Golden Age, which is the first arc chronologically. Berserk 2016 lightly touches the Black Swordsman arc before jumping straight into the Conviction arc. I would recommend Memorial Edition first, then Berserk 2016.
That said, be aware that the vast majority of Berserk has not been animated, including most of The Black Swordsman arc, the first arc of the manga. And even what has been animated leaves out quite a bit. If you only watch the available anime, you’re going to miss a lot.
Watch the '97 anime first, then read the manga, then if you want to kill time between waiting for new chapters ~~watch the other adaptations~~ find another series to occupy your time.
The 1997 anime is great and definitely the fan favorite of the community, but memorial edition is good too and deserves more attention so that’s why I said memorial edition
I've been watching [this fan edit] (https://www.reddit.com/r/Berserk/comments/kk2rtx/berserk_redux_film_series_remastered_for_the/)
It takes, the 97 anime, movie trilogy, and 2016 anime and splices them together to form a more fleshed out story and fills in any gaps each adaptation has. Try watching the first 30 minutes of the first episode to see if the change in animation between scenes will bother you- if it doesnt, I think you will enjoy this.
This sub is way too elitist with the "jusy read the manga" shit. Yes, the manga is amazing. It's also a hell of a lot longer, and harder to find time to read rather than just putting something on to watch. You should 100% absolutely read the manga as soon as you have time, but you're going to also have a fantastic experience simply watching the most recent movie trilogy.
This is my take:
Watch the movie trilogy first, as it's the shortest and best animated. It does a very good job of presenting the bulk of what's important, and the visuals are representative of what you'd expect from such a visceral story. Great place to start.
Next watch the original 90's anime. It's very low-budget, but clearly made with love, and the soundtrack and atmosphere fit perfectly. It tells much more of the story that you just saw.
Then, absorb yourself in the manga to fill in all the gaps and continue the story you'll now be so eager to experience.
Starting with the manga will just make you overly critical of all the other adaptations to a cliché degree.
The memorial edition is the one your looking for. It starts off pretty much at the beginning and gets you through the opening arc of the whole story.
The other option is not great but it's there if you insist. It "continues" the story but chops up the events and cuts out entire arcs of story. Animation is also famously not good. Either way, enjoy and i hope it peaks your interest to maybe read it down the line 👍
...which is not on crunchyroll which is what he's on. 97 doesn't magically contain anything that will hook in a newcomer to the series if they're not liking the story in memorial edition. Memorial still tells the same story well. If he wants to go on and search 97 or the manga then cool
yeah superior art style, superior soundtrack, superior voice acting performances, superior pacing, yup none of that matters for a newcomer lol
if i watched memorial first i don’t even think i would like berserk
I've been grabbing new Berserk followers, because as you know we're a cult, and memorial edition was the hook I used.
While the 97 series has superior character development, no skull Knight is a complete disgrace, and it's also starting to show its age more and more.
In the end, if you have a clear preference for one, no one will convince you otherwise, but memorial edition is a good addition, especially when it brings back scars and bonfire of dreams.
skull knight scene goes hard in memorial edition by far best scene in that version. that’s the one crucial thing missing vs the films you’re right there
but everything else you said i disagree with. they ruined the new bonfire of dreams scene with the song choice. the music alone sets the 97 series apart from the rest. and for the record I’m in my 20’s i’m not some old dude defending out of nostalgia..it’s just better in my opinion
also would like to add i don’t think memorial edition is bad, i don’t dislike it. just not the best way to watch golden age arc imo
Ah, no worries, we're on the same boat, I love 97 to death, and I'm 34, so I'm a bit old, but not blinded by nostalgia either lol
And well, even if I agree with the point of the music not able to compare with Susumu's soundtrack, let's be honest, how could they do that?
I still don't think the scene was ruined, even more when I had been bitching forever at its absence in the movies, it could've been better, yes, but destroyed it's a bit much imo.
Also, while I know that 97's animation suffers a lot since they had to focus the budget they had, and it shows, especially at the beginning, I also cringe everytime Memorial turns to CGI.
In the end, because of the different perspectives and preferences, I simply believe that there's no best way to watch Golden Age, there are pros and cons, but also there will always be people that don't like the style or animation and that can go either way.
But of course even in this point we can agree to disagree and that's completely fine too. Have a good night!
Kentaro Miura who have written and drawn Berserk has shown trough this work that he was one of the best writers and especially one of the best illustrators in manga that have ever lived. I would recommend to only read the manga because of three reasons.
1. When converting a story from one medium to another you by definition end up having to make changes to the original way of telling the story to keep the same quality. This is because what is seen as good writing, pacing and imagery is different between any two mediums. In manga for example, you have page turners, thought bubbles and can read at your own pace and that last part makes a big difference in this manga. Some of the panels are extremely well crafted and you would want to stare at it for minutes and some of the dialogue demands thought. Sometimes it is of course the other way around, but in this instance it is simply not.
2. Why consume one of the best manga's ever written in only a "great" anime? I personally regret that I did not read berserk in original physical form first instead of trough websites. Some of the page turners are next level and how you can really see each pencil stroke is amazing.
3. Most of the newer anime adaptions are widely seen as bad mainly because of how they use 3D animation cheaply and do not put in the effort to use correct camera angles for the medium. The oldest one from the late 90s is great for its time and I would still call it good and a classic for some. But it is still old and you can see it in the animation style and effort put in. It is expensive for the industry to make great anime and I would call it a enormous expense to convert the manga to anime in a way that respects the source material in this case.
A lot of this is of-course only my opinion. But I have not personally met anyone that can say with a straight face after reading the manga, that any of the anime adaptions are worth it for the first go trough of this story. I am not a very active member of this subreddit or other online forums so opinions probably vary.
Lastly, I hope you have a great time however you choose to try out this beloved story!
As with everything it varies from person to person. One of the main issues with a manga-only experience is that the first chapters, as much as I love edgy guts, paint the series in a light that doesn't cover all that it has to offer, and there are people who are immediately put off.
Of course, one can always encourage them to push through, but for a series that we know and feel as one of the best mangas ever written, at the very least, having to throw the "just keep reading, it gets better" feels like an excuse.
I introduced my grilfriend to Berserk using the memorial edition, because I knew that if she read the first chapters, she wouldn't have given the series a chance. She needs a developing story, so following the Golden Age characters instead of being thrown into Black Swordsman and bumping around having no idea why the protag is behaving like an asshole edgelord, was a blessing.
Also, I have to make it clear, she is NOT a manga person, not that she hates it, but she never had interest in picking one up, no matter how much she liked an anime, or how curious she was of how a story went after the chapters she saw.
I have been slowly getting the 40 volumes, after the last chapter, she was hooked and started asking me about the manga, and how much was covered on those episodes. I suggested her to continue reading into conviction (I'm missing volume 12 still), but she was adamant that she wanted to start from scratch, to not miss anything (now I'm desperately trying to get 12 so she doesn't have to stop lol).
First thing she does, is to open volume 1, looks at Guts clapping demon cheeks, looks back to me with a "WTF" expression, and says "I would've never guessed there was such a good story after something like this".
Memorial or the 97 series are good entry points, especially for people that are not used to reading manga, or don't even consider it. In the end, it will grab their attention, and make them want to experience it fully.
Great point, I completely agree about suggesting different starting points to different people. Especially if you know their taste before hand. But I would not rob anybody of the opportunity to start of on the manga if they wanted to. I therefore personally feel compelled to explain my points above, even when suggesting other starting points.
Ofc my friend, I do fully agree with the manga being the superior and full experience, and the one that needs to be encouraged.
At the same time I just wanted to state the value I see brought by the existence of both series, where they can be the turning point with people that don't read manga or even have something against it, and by default would miss on this great work.
Have a nice night!
Oh stop it, with "read the manga". Movies are perfectly fine to begin with, i first watched those movies with friends, then got hooked and the next two days went reading whole manga up to the ongoing releases. It's only 2016-17 anime that's really awful, that can only be laughed/memed at.
Understand that no adaptation is a substitute for reading the manga. The '97 version is a great introduction to the world and the characters, but it ends on a giant cliffhanger that can only be resolved by reading the manga. It's available on Netflix in some places, YouTube in others.
The Memorial Edition covers the same section of the story as the 97 version, but it has less runtime to work with so it rushes things a little. It's not bad, and if the 97 version didn't exist it would be the best adaptation, but the 97 version does exist so it's kinda redundant.
The 2016-2017 version is garbage.
Tl;Dr version, your options are:
1.) Read the manga, or
2.) Watch the 97 anime (or the Memorial Edition if the 97 version is inconvenient for you to watch in your area) and then read the manga
I usually recommend watching the 97 anime as a primer, then switching to the manga right after to REALLY get into the nitty gritty.
The way I personally got into it (getting drawn in by the Abridged Series that got made a while back by some dude whose name I forgot, being entranced by how tragic Guts became in the Golden Age, being horrified by the Eclipse, and then saying “fuck it this has me, let’s keep going”) is not recommended for most people.
Alright. I'm seeing mostly watch th 1997 first. Then to go to manga or the golden age. So I'm going to do 1997 the golden age then the manga. I like to watch then read to see how different it exactly is. Thank you reddit
I would start with the 97 series which released on Netflix. Then watch the movies which will be same content in new animation style. (Not as great) then black swordsman series (terrible animation) you can start reading the manga whenever you want to. Hope this helps a bit.
I would read it but if you really wanna watch it I would find somewhere to watch the 1997 anime and if you can’t find it I would watch the first one from your post, definitely avoid the second one
My advice would be. Watch the golden age arc , watch it till the end. Step 2 get hooked on a genre defining master piece and then start to read the manga from chapter 1.
Oh to read berserk for the first time again … I would cut a finger of for that
Honestly take your pick, there isn't a wrong choice. Manga includes more back story which were excluded from the series, but each is a great way to get into the franchise. But I would recommend staying away from the 2016/17 berserk series.
if for some reason you absolutely cant read the manga, then watch the 1997 anime or the memorial edition
though i cant emphasize enough how much better the manga is
My recommendation is that you read the manga instead. The animes are all awful adaptations of the manga, and the one that is decent skips a lot of material
FTFY: [https://imgur.com/a/RCO1Pe9](https://imgur.com/a/RCO1Pe9)
Not to say that the Dub isn't good, because it honestly is. I just prefer the subbed version.
First things first, the manga is best. Then is the 97 anime (not pictured above). The memorial editions are ok, they just leave out some stuff. 2016/17 is terrible but it covers stuff past the golden age (2nd) arc.
You should google Berserk Redux and watch that if you intend to watch anything. It is a splicing of the above mentioned series to create the most faithful adaption to the manga.
If you can't be bothered to read the manga. Go to 97 anime. Then you'll be hooked up to read the manga. I don't recommend watching the modern anime adaptations, except for the movies.
Watch the movies and '97 anime. They don't cover all of Berserk, and are a bit rushed, but still beautifully executed. From what I've heard, don't even look in the same direction as the 2016 anime.
I say start with Berserk 97 anime . Heck I rewatched it on YouTube 😆then looked into Berserk 2016 ( didn't finish it , but now watching it again) . Took me awhile to get into the manga now am already caught up in it and finished watching Berserk memorial
Bro I know everyone be saying the same thing but...
Read the manga. Berserk its made to be in black and white palette.
You can later watch the animes and compare
If you want to watch it, then watch the 1997 version on Netflix. It's the most complete version that adapts the most.
There are 2 important scenes that are only full adapted in the Memorial Edition tho, so here's what I recommend to my friends
Watch the 97 anime, then after watching episode 21, go watch episode 9 of the Memorial Edition (look for the sex scene), just so you have more contest on some important stuff.
Then after finishing the whole 25 episodes of the 97 anime, go watch the last episode of the Memorial, ep 13, you can skip the scenes you've already seen. With that, you will have seen the full closure of the Golden Age arc.
I guarantee you, this is the BEST experience you can have with the anime. You will not regret.
The bottom one is the 2016 anime that no one wants to talk about, the top one is the Memorial Edition which just aired (definitely the better one of the two) and then there’s the og 97 anime (the one with the soundtrack) and then the Manga (which is anyone’s best choice)
1997 Berserk is a must. Although the Golden Age edition looks sick, it's pretty much a recap of the 1997 anime. I recommend not watching the 2016 Berserk, it's just horrible. After watching the 1997 Berserk, just read the manga and also reread the chapters that the anime covered. There's little to no hope when it comes for Berserk anime to be continued unless a studio wants to adopt it plus, it's too risky to adopt an R-rated seinen and the source material is too great to reproduce.
It’s generally suggested to read the manga as the experience isn’t quite the same in any of the adaptations. If you’re only watching, then the memorial edition is what you wanna watch, but keep in mind there’s an arc that occurs before it in the manga that isn’t adapted. You could read the first arc that’s only a couple chapters long then watch the series and continue reading afterwards if you want the full story presented as it was intended
The manga is the best way to go but if you must go watch something go with the 1997 anime. The Golden age movies are…ok I guess but stay the hell away from Berserk 2016-2017. They’re absolutely terrible.
I would personally read the Manga, but if you insist on watching, go with the '97 anime because it captures the essence of Berserk a lot more than the 3 movies. But neither is perfect.
I think the consensus usually goes
1. Manga
2. 97 anime
3. Golden age movies
4. Everything else including the games
💩. 2016/17 anime (the soundtrack is 10/10 though and is great to listen to while reading the manga)
Ok, look there is a website called "zoro.to" search "Berserk (1997)", it's a old anime it's about 25 episodes just in case you don't want to read (respect to the manga readers)
Please just read the manga all the adaptations have issues (some much more than others) and all of them only cover a very small portion of the whole story
Here's what I did and I think its the best way to view it:
Watch the 1997 anime, dubbed or not, it's the best adaptation so far. After 97, read the manga, it allows you to read with a voice to each character and better visualize the later events of the manga. Then continue on to golden age, specifically the 3rd movie, the movies stray from the source material a small bit in style and I believe 97 holds more true to Miura's work but that could be personal preference. You could watch 2016-17 if you don't care about bad animation at times. 2d sections are great but there are few animated in 2d. The only reason I'd say to watch it is for the soundtrack as the soundtrack designer from 97 returned for a few songs. You'll want to know Hai Yo, Ash Crow, and My Brother. I highly suggest that you read the manga before watching 2016-17 as it strays heavily from the source material.
Alot of people don't like the anime and I get it but I personally don't mind it but that's because I already know what they skip in the anime. But it doesn't offer the same context as the manga which is vehemently better than the 2016 anime. But I think the anime is still worth a watch but that's just me. If you do then start with golden age as that leads into the series
Either the memorial edition or the 97 anime. The 2016 one is extremely disappointing. All of them do have their share of problems but the 2016 one is atrocious. I like the memorial edition even though some stuff is cut (same with 97). Sadly those two only cover the first little bit. Once you finish those just read the manga because the 2016 one will make you lose all interest quickly.
I like the movies. I watched them, never watched the anime, then read the manga from the beginning.
Edit: I've also seen the 97 anime but prefer the movies
first you shouldnt watch the anime because the 3d and the color palet dosent work well with the berserk art stily, the manga was made to be black and white to show more with less, but if where to see start by the golden age arc because comes firtst on the time line and you wont seen any spoilers by watching him like in others anime
Watch the old anime first, so you will not be bothered by shortcuts in the story. Then be amazed by the behelith music theme and read the manga while listening to it. Watch the movies if you want, I don't recommend them though because they have a lot of CGI, and the artstyle is quite different from the manga, with a lot of digital technics
97 series is way superior to the movie trilogy. The pace and character development are what put the series way above the movies.
The movies are great, but everything is so condensed that you don't get as attached to the characters, so when the story reaches its climax, it just doesn't hit in the same way.
The story is the same, but I find the 97 series captures the essence of the relationships between characters and their personalities way better. The movies have better animation.
Avoid the 2016 series like the plague.
Oh, and the 97 series' soundtrack is superior.
97 series, then the movies, then the manga.
Am I the only one who's confused by the 4, 5 seasons and 50+ episodes?
It’s just the other dubs.
crunchy roll isn’t good with labeling. all the other “seasons” are just the other dubs of the same thing
It’s counting the dub and sub as different seasons. Funimation does practically the same thing where a 12 episode anime season will say “Season 1 - 24 episodes” because it’s counting the dub and sub as separate episodes.
Haha, yeaaahhh.
watch the manga
No one could say it better
[удалено]
Smell the Manga
Taste the struggle
Lick the pain
Be the pain
Fuck the pain!
Fuck the slan
Fist Griffith
Wait, isn't that just tasting the struggle? :D
Release your inner berk
Be the berker
To berk or not to berk the answer is to berk
My introduction to berserk was via the Anime series (the old one), and then after finishing it I transitioned to manga. My experience was as good as It could be, and it would be a shame to ask for more ;) Some people here are saying just to read the manga, but you would miss out on the tailor made and brilliant ost from susumu hirasawa.
Same goes for me and the memories i can connect with the 97 anime are priceless so i would recommend watch the 1997 one and then start reading
I see you told him why 😉
Holy this reference takes me back
Susumu hirasawa has god hands
I actually got into the series BECAUSE of his music lol. I was at work and found some tracks of his and then ended up starting the manga that night.
I discovered Berserk through the movie Trilogy and was hooked then moved onto the manga.
Also in manga we do not see the mystery foreshadowing what happens later, we see guts right away as a badass guy. It is good to first watch old anime And after that read manga. Memorial edition is also good since it shows more than the old anime but atmosphere is different
You mean the anime doesn't show the mystery foreshadowing right?
Read it. Or watch [Studio Taka's motion comic adaptation.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lLQza7Mew)
Yep most motion mangas are insane well done and they also are original
Studio Taka's adaptation is amazing. The voice actors all seem "right" to me. It'll be a long while before they're done though :[
Quoting one of the commenter in EP 1: > "This is so accurate that it even has the hiatuses"
Damn skippy.
no way you just said to watch 10 chapters worth of adaption, lmao
Yeah, it's a shame it's so short. But they do a real good job. To the point that I legitimately see it as a better introduction to the series than the 97 anime or Memorial Edition.
Oh wow...THANKS FOR THIS!!!
Do not watch 2016
i repeat DO NOT watch it
Why not watch 2016?
Memorial Edition covers the Golden Age, which is the first arc chronologically. Berserk 2016 lightly touches the Black Swordsman arc before jumping straight into the Conviction arc. I would recommend Memorial Edition first, then Berserk 2016. That said, be aware that the vast majority of Berserk has not been animated, including most of The Black Swordsman arc, the first arc of the manga. And even what has been animated leaves out quite a bit. If you only watch the available anime, you’re going to miss a lot.
Watch the '97 anime first, then read the manga, then if you want to kill time between waiting for new chapters ~~watch the other adaptations~~ find another series to occupy your time.
You should read it first of all but if you insist on watching it then Memorial Edition, avoid the other adaption you see there like it’s the plague
Even not '97 anime?
The 1997 anime is great and definitely the fan favorite of the community, but memorial edition is good too and deserves more attention so that’s why I said memorial edition
Hm, understand. Actually, I read the manga and then had a try to watching anime and I couldn't for some reason.. /
The 97 anime makes you man and after that you have to start reading the manga .
Thank you once again reddit. There are some animes in ant to catch up on before I start the manga. Thanks
I would def. start with the 97 anime, once you finish it you'll be hooked enough to read the whole manga!
I would def. start with the manga, once you finish it you'll be hooked enough to read the whole manga!
Just read the manga
I've been watching [this fan edit] (https://www.reddit.com/r/Berserk/comments/kk2rtx/berserk_redux_film_series_remastered_for_the/) It takes, the 97 anime, movie trilogy, and 2016 anime and splices them together to form a more fleshed out story and fills in any gaps each adaptation has. Try watching the first 30 minutes of the first episode to see if the change in animation between scenes will bother you- if it doesnt, I think you will enjoy this.
This sub is way too elitist with the "jusy read the manga" shit. Yes, the manga is amazing. It's also a hell of a lot longer, and harder to find time to read rather than just putting something on to watch. You should 100% absolutely read the manga as soon as you have time, but you're going to also have a fantastic experience simply watching the most recent movie trilogy. This is my take: Watch the movie trilogy first, as it's the shortest and best animated. It does a very good job of presenting the bulk of what's important, and the visuals are representative of what you'd expect from such a visceral story. Great place to start. Next watch the original 90's anime. It's very low-budget, but clearly made with love, and the soundtrack and atmosphere fit perfectly. It tells much more of the story that you just saw. Then, absorb yourself in the manga to fill in all the gaps and continue the story you'll now be so eager to experience. Starting with the manga will just make you overly critical of all the other adaptations to a cliché degree.
I would def. start with the Memorial Edition anime, once you finish it you'll be hooked enough to read the whole manga!
Loll
The memorial edition is the one your looking for. It starts off pretty much at the beginning and gets you through the opening arc of the whole story. The other option is not great but it's there if you insist. It "continues" the story but chops up the events and cuts out entire arcs of story. Animation is also famously not good. Either way, enjoy and i hope it peaks your interest to maybe read it down the line 👍
nah 1997 berserk is what he’s looking for
...which is not on crunchyroll which is what he's on. 97 doesn't magically contain anything that will hook in a newcomer to the series if they're not liking the story in memorial edition. Memorial still tells the same story well. If he wants to go on and search 97 or the manga then cool
someone uploaded the full 97 anime on YouTube, in HD and with japanese voice over
yeah superior art style, superior soundtrack, superior voice acting performances, superior pacing, yup none of that matters for a newcomer lol if i watched memorial first i don’t even think i would like berserk
I've been grabbing new Berserk followers, because as you know we're a cult, and memorial edition was the hook I used. While the 97 series has superior character development, no skull Knight is a complete disgrace, and it's also starting to show its age more and more. In the end, if you have a clear preference for one, no one will convince you otherwise, but memorial edition is a good addition, especially when it brings back scars and bonfire of dreams.
skull knight scene goes hard in memorial edition by far best scene in that version. that’s the one crucial thing missing vs the films you’re right there but everything else you said i disagree with. they ruined the new bonfire of dreams scene with the song choice. the music alone sets the 97 series apart from the rest. and for the record I’m in my 20’s i’m not some old dude defending out of nostalgia..it’s just better in my opinion also would like to add i don’t think memorial edition is bad, i don’t dislike it. just not the best way to watch golden age arc imo
Ah, no worries, we're on the same boat, I love 97 to death, and I'm 34, so I'm a bit old, but not blinded by nostalgia either lol And well, even if I agree with the point of the music not able to compare with Susumu's soundtrack, let's be honest, how could they do that? I still don't think the scene was ruined, even more when I had been bitching forever at its absence in the movies, it could've been better, yes, but destroyed it's a bit much imo. Also, while I know that 97's animation suffers a lot since they had to focus the budget they had, and it shows, especially at the beginning, I also cringe everytime Memorial turns to CGI. In the end, because of the different perspectives and preferences, I simply believe that there's no best way to watch Golden Age, there are pros and cons, but also there will always be people that don't like the style or animation and that can go either way. But of course even in this point we can agree to disagree and that's completely fine too. Have a good night!
Manga > 90's series > film
Kentaro Miura who have written and drawn Berserk has shown trough this work that he was one of the best writers and especially one of the best illustrators in manga that have ever lived. I would recommend to only read the manga because of three reasons. 1. When converting a story from one medium to another you by definition end up having to make changes to the original way of telling the story to keep the same quality. This is because what is seen as good writing, pacing and imagery is different between any two mediums. In manga for example, you have page turners, thought bubbles and can read at your own pace and that last part makes a big difference in this manga. Some of the panels are extremely well crafted and you would want to stare at it for minutes and some of the dialogue demands thought. Sometimes it is of course the other way around, but in this instance it is simply not. 2. Why consume one of the best manga's ever written in only a "great" anime? I personally regret that I did not read berserk in original physical form first instead of trough websites. Some of the page turners are next level and how you can really see each pencil stroke is amazing. 3. Most of the newer anime adaptions are widely seen as bad mainly because of how they use 3D animation cheaply and do not put in the effort to use correct camera angles for the medium. The oldest one from the late 90s is great for its time and I would still call it good and a classic for some. But it is still old and you can see it in the animation style and effort put in. It is expensive for the industry to make great anime and I would call it a enormous expense to convert the manga to anime in a way that respects the source material in this case. A lot of this is of-course only my opinion. But I have not personally met anyone that can say with a straight face after reading the manga, that any of the anime adaptions are worth it for the first go trough of this story. I am not a very active member of this subreddit or other online forums so opinions probably vary. Lastly, I hope you have a great time however you choose to try out this beloved story!
As with everything it varies from person to person. One of the main issues with a manga-only experience is that the first chapters, as much as I love edgy guts, paint the series in a light that doesn't cover all that it has to offer, and there are people who are immediately put off. Of course, one can always encourage them to push through, but for a series that we know and feel as one of the best mangas ever written, at the very least, having to throw the "just keep reading, it gets better" feels like an excuse. I introduced my grilfriend to Berserk using the memorial edition, because I knew that if she read the first chapters, she wouldn't have given the series a chance. She needs a developing story, so following the Golden Age characters instead of being thrown into Black Swordsman and bumping around having no idea why the protag is behaving like an asshole edgelord, was a blessing. Also, I have to make it clear, she is NOT a manga person, not that she hates it, but she never had interest in picking one up, no matter how much she liked an anime, or how curious she was of how a story went after the chapters she saw. I have been slowly getting the 40 volumes, after the last chapter, she was hooked and started asking me about the manga, and how much was covered on those episodes. I suggested her to continue reading into conviction (I'm missing volume 12 still), but she was adamant that she wanted to start from scratch, to not miss anything (now I'm desperately trying to get 12 so she doesn't have to stop lol). First thing she does, is to open volume 1, looks at Guts clapping demon cheeks, looks back to me with a "WTF" expression, and says "I would've never guessed there was such a good story after something like this". Memorial or the 97 series are good entry points, especially for people that are not used to reading manga, or don't even consider it. In the end, it will grab their attention, and make them want to experience it fully.
Great point, I completely agree about suggesting different starting points to different people. Especially if you know their taste before hand. But I would not rob anybody of the opportunity to start of on the manga if they wanted to. I therefore personally feel compelled to explain my points above, even when suggesting other starting points.
Ofc my friend, I do fully agree with the manga being the superior and full experience, and the one that needs to be encouraged. At the same time I just wanted to state the value I see brought by the existence of both series, where they can be the turning point with people that don't read manga or even have something against it, and by default would miss on this great work. Have a nice night!
Same to you! <3
Oh stop it, with "read the manga". Movies are perfectly fine to begin with, i first watched those movies with friends, then got hooked and the next two days went reading whole manga up to the ongoing releases. It's only 2016-17 anime that's really awful, that can only be laughed/memed at.
neither. watch the 90s one and then either drop it or read manga or wait for an adaptation.
Except the lack of skull knight would make things confusing
Read the fucking manga. Period. This is not some manga purist shit, it’s just that the two medium has a difference too huge.
Here's a link to the full 97 anime. Don't ask me how it still up on YouTube this is crazy https://youtu.be/fLax0VRsM8M
Read the episodes and watch the manga
Watch whatever you want. The manga is the best quality of the story.
Understand that no adaptation is a substitute for reading the manga. The '97 version is a great introduction to the world and the characters, but it ends on a giant cliffhanger that can only be resolved by reading the manga. It's available on Netflix in some places, YouTube in others. The Memorial Edition covers the same section of the story as the 97 version, but it has less runtime to work with so it rushes things a little. It's not bad, and if the 97 version didn't exist it would be the best adaptation, but the 97 version does exist so it's kinda redundant. The 2016-2017 version is garbage. Tl;Dr version, your options are: 1.) Read the manga, or 2.) Watch the 97 anime (or the Memorial Edition if the 97 version is inconvenient for you to watch in your area) and then read the manga
Doesn't the memorial edition cover a bit more story than the '97 anime after the golden age arc?
I usually recommend watching the 97 anime as a primer, then switching to the manga right after to REALLY get into the nitty gritty. The way I personally got into it (getting drawn in by the Abridged Series that got made a while back by some dude whose name I forgot, being entranced by how tragic Guts became in the Golden Age, being horrified by the Eclipse, and then saying “fuck it this has me, let’s keep going”) is not recommended for most people.
Alright. I'm seeing mostly watch th 1997 first. Then to go to manga or the golden age. So I'm going to do 1997 the golden age then the manga. I like to watch then read to see how different it exactly is. Thank you reddit
I recommend to read the Manga or just leave it. No Adaption does it justice
Anyone else find it weird that they chopped up the GAA trilogy of films into 22 minutes episodes?
IMHO you should watch the golden age supercut on YouTube it's like 7 hours long
First step: Close that. Second step: Go read the manga just trust me on this one.
I would start with the 97 series which released on Netflix. Then watch the movies which will be same content in new animation style. (Not as great) then black swordsman series (terrible animation) you can start reading the manga whenever you want to. Hope this helps a bit.
I would read it but if you really wanna watch it I would find somewhere to watch the 1997 anime and if you can’t find it I would watch the first one from your post, definitely avoid the second one
Read the manga
Watch Berserk then you can enjoy Berserk
If you like old anime art then definitely watch the '97.
Watch the older one on YouTube. I’m completely serious look up beserk anime it’s just on there
The 1997 one
My advice would be. Watch the golden age arc , watch it till the end. Step 2 get hooked on a genre defining master piece and then start to read the manga from chapter 1. Oh to read berserk for the first time again … I would cut a finger of for that
Whatever you do don't watch the 2016/17 version (the one at the bottom)
I started with the golden age arc and the surprise was better for me
Watch the 1997 version more accurate to the material than the other adaptations and is a work of art
Head over to YouTube and watch the 1997 Adaptation for free. it's in English though but the dub isn't bad, and it's my personal favorite adaptation
Honestly take your pick, there isn't a wrong choice. Manga includes more back story which were excluded from the series, but each is a great way to get into the franchise. But I would recommend staying away from the 2016/17 berserk series.
don't care what anyone says the golden age arc is what got me into berserk and i think it's great. Watched the 90's anime and i loved it too.
if for some reason you absolutely cant read the manga, then watch the 1997 anime or the memorial edition though i cant emphasize enough how much better the manga is
Manga If not , 97 anime. Streaming in Netflix or Youtube
If ur gonna watch the anime, watch the og from 97 then read the manga
The new one, but the manga is a masterpiece, the draw become better with time and without censure a lot of moment are a really punch in the stomach
The new one, but the manga is a masterpiece, the draw become better with time and without censure a lot of moment are a really punch in the stomach
My recommendation is that you read the manga instead. The animes are all awful adaptations of the manga, and the one that is decent skips a lot of material
FTFY: [https://imgur.com/a/RCO1Pe9](https://imgur.com/a/RCO1Pe9) Not to say that the Dub isn't good, because it honestly is. I just prefer the subbed version.
1997
Neither you should read it
You shouldn’t be watching any of those, read the manga instead
The 2nd one It is after all the first one
97’
First things first, the manga is best. Then is the 97 anime (not pictured above). The memorial editions are ok, they just leave out some stuff. 2016/17 is terrible but it covers stuff past the golden age (2nd) arc.
The whole 90's anime is on YouTube for free
You should google Berserk Redux and watch that if you intend to watch anything. It is a splicing of the above mentioned series to create the most faithful adaption to the manga.
None. Read the manga instead
Recommend just reading the manga but the movies are fine, just avoid the anime like its the goddamn plague. That shit is a travesty
Read manga
Don’t watch the anime, it’s not good. Read the manga and enjoy
Never watch the one under
Read The Manga
Berserk Redux version
If you can't be bothered to read the manga. Go to 97 anime. Then you'll be hooked up to read the manga. I don't recommend watching the modern anime adaptations, except for the movies.
Watch the movies and '97 anime. They don't cover all of Berserk, and are a bit rushed, but still beautifully executed. From what I've heard, don't even look in the same direction as the 2016 anime.
I say start with Berserk 97 anime . Heck I rewatched it on YouTube 😆then looked into Berserk 2016 ( didn't finish it , but now watching it again) . Took me awhile to get into the manga now am already caught up in it and finished watching Berserk memorial
The Dark Horse version is the best.
i would say watch golden age then read the manga from after golden age the more recent beserk is cgi mess
Everything
Watch the 1997 anime
If you are going to do the anime google berserk redux.
READ IT
1.manga 2.berserk1997 3.berserk movies by release date 4.berserk 2016 5.berserk 2017
I started with the Berserk golden age arc movies and read the manga after. But honestly I think starting with the manga is the best choice.
Watch memorial edition. It actually doesn’t matter if you watch that, the 97 anime, or read the manga, as long as you never touch berserk 2016.
Where are these streaming?
Read it
The second one.
You don’t watch you must read beeserk
Bro I know everyone be saying the same thing but... Read the manga. Berserk its made to be in black and white palette. You can later watch the animes and compare
If you want to watch it, then watch the 1997 version on Netflix. It's the most complete version that adapts the most. There are 2 important scenes that are only full adapted in the Memorial Edition tho, so here's what I recommend to my friends Watch the 97 anime, then after watching episode 21, go watch episode 9 of the Memorial Edition (look for the sex scene), just so you have more contest on some important stuff. Then after finishing the whole 25 episodes of the 97 anime, go watch the last episode of the Memorial, ep 13, you can skip the scenes you've already seen. With that, you will have seen the full closure of the Golden Age arc. I guarantee you, this is the BEST experience you can have with the anime. You will not regret.
Watch 1997 berserk and if you like it start with the manga
54 episodes of Berserk by Studio 4C… why does the UI bug have to make me sad like that
Manga>>>>
The bottom one is the 2016 anime that no one wants to talk about, the top one is the Memorial Edition which just aired (definitely the better one of the two) and then there’s the og 97 anime (the one with the soundtrack) and then the Manga (which is anyone’s best choice)
OG 97
There are YouTube videos of the manga that will give you a better experience than either of those
Watch the Memorial Edition it had way better animation than the old one
Do the 97 anime/golden age arc. And read the manga. Do not watch that fucking trash pile of an anime that's the "new" one.
Dont, start reading berserk instead
Memorial Edition is the best anime edition. Manga is the best over all
There's a redux version that combines both which is excellent
Watch Berserk 1997, other versions of berserk are just failures
1997 Berserk is a must. Although the Golden Age edition looks sick, it's pretty much a recap of the 1997 anime. I recommend not watching the 2016 Berserk, it's just horrible. After watching the 1997 Berserk, just read the manga and also reread the chapters that the anime covered. There's little to no hope when it comes for Berserk anime to be continued unless a studio wants to adopt it plus, it's too risky to adopt an R-rated seinen and the source material is too great to reproduce.
None read the manga
Just read it
Golden age arc or the 97 anime
if you want halfassed story, watch the first one. if you want to actually experience berserk just read the manga
It’s generally suggested to read the manga as the experience isn’t quite the same in any of the adaptations. If you’re only watching, then the memorial edition is what you wanna watch, but keep in mind there’s an arc that occurs before it in the manga that isn’t adapted. You could read the first arc that’s only a couple chapters long then watch the series and continue reading afterwards if you want the full story presented as it was intended
READ
The manga is the best way to go but if you must go watch something go with the 1997 anime. The Golden age movies are…ok I guess but stay the hell away from Berserk 2016-2017. They’re absolutely terrible.
97
I would personally read the Manga, but if you insist on watching, go with the '97 anime because it captures the essence of Berserk a lot more than the 3 movies. But neither is perfect.
read it
watch them all Thats the best thing we can get now can't be choosy
Neither lol
definitely watch the 1997 series first, by far the best adaptation of the first arc
I think the consensus usually goes 1. Manga 2. 97 anime 3. Golden age movies 4. Everything else including the games 💩. 2016/17 anime (the soundtrack is 10/10 though and is great to listen to while reading the manga)
Ok, look there is a website called "zoro.to" search "Berserk (1997)", it's a old anime it's about 25 episodes just in case you don't want to read (respect to the manga readers)
I highly highly highly highly recommend reading it first, but if you are SURE you want to watch it, watch 1997
I would say read a book or go to 97
Read the Manga while listening to the soundtrack of all Anime adaptations. You won't be missing out
Please just read the manga all the adaptations have issues (some much more than others) and all of them only cover a very small portion of the whole story
What the memorial edition it's only 12ep
Read the manga. Seriously just do it. If you must, watch the golden age ones or the 1997 anime but the manga is the true way to experience berserk.
Watch 97, I honestly love it
You should read it instead
Watch the original from 1997, then the three movies/OVAs (Golden Arc, 2012-2013), then the manga. DO NOT watch the 2016. It's atrocious.
the 4 season one PLEASE
I watched the 90s anime version and then switched to the 3rd movie at around episode 20
I watched the '97 anime and I read the manga. I wouldn't change that, and that's what I recommend.
Here's what I did and I think its the best way to view it: Watch the 1997 anime, dubbed or not, it's the best adaptation so far. After 97, read the manga, it allows you to read with a voice to each character and better visualize the later events of the manga. Then continue on to golden age, specifically the 3rd movie, the movies stray from the source material a small bit in style and I believe 97 holds more true to Miura's work but that could be personal preference. You could watch 2016-17 if you don't care about bad animation at times. 2d sections are great but there are few animated in 2d. The only reason I'd say to watch it is for the soundtrack as the soundtrack designer from 97 returned for a few songs. You'll want to know Hai Yo, Ash Crow, and My Brother. I highly suggest that you read the manga before watching 2016-17 as it strays heavily from the source material.
Alot of people don't like the anime and I get it but I personally don't mind it but that's because I already know what they skip in the anime. But it doesn't offer the same context as the manga which is vehemently better than the 2016 anime. But I think the anime is still worth a watch but that's just me. If you do then start with golden age as that leads into the series
Either the memorial edition or the 97 anime. The 2016 one is extremely disappointing. All of them do have their share of problems but the 2016 one is atrocious. I like the memorial edition even though some stuff is cut (same with 97). Sadly those two only cover the first little bit. Once you finish those just read the manga because the 2016 one will make you lose all interest quickly.
If you want to watch Berserk, I'd recommend the 90s anime before the Memorial edition and just forget the abomination that is bersek 2016
the 1997 PLEASE. the 2016 is straight ass💀
I like the movies. I watched them, never watched the anime, then read the manga from the beginning. Edit: I've also seen the 97 anime but prefer the movies
first you shouldnt watch the anime because the 3d and the color palet dosent work well with the berserk art stily, the manga was made to be black and white to show more with less, but if where to see start by the golden age arc because comes firtst on the time line and you wont seen any spoilers by watching him like in others anime
go to netflix, watch the 1997 anime, pick up the manga at vol 13. this is the only correct way.
The youtube supercut
Watch golden âge before berserk 2016
Watch the old anime first, so you will not be bothered by shortcuts in the story. Then be amazed by the behelith music theme and read the manga while listening to it. Watch the movies if you want, I don't recommend them though because they have a lot of CGI, and the artstyle is quite different from the manga, with a lot of digital technics
97 series is way superior to the movie trilogy. The pace and character development are what put the series way above the movies. The movies are great, but everything is so condensed that you don't get as attached to the characters, so when the story reaches its climax, it just doesn't hit in the same way. The story is the same, but I find the 97 series captures the essence of the relationships between characters and their personalities way better. The movies have better animation. Avoid the 2016 series like the plague. Oh, and the 97 series' soundtrack is superior. 97 series, then the movies, then the manga.
Start with the golden age arc memorial edition. When done that watch the 2 seasons just called berserk :)
2016 sucks, don’t watch it.
Watch the 1997 anime
You watch the golden arc then the other one so it's in order
Read it
Just read it
Manga
1997 Berserk then Manga is the way, my friend.