Wow. What a series. But, first things first....

At first viewing, I didn't get this series (or at least the first few discs). On the surface, it seems like another big dumb "boy" anime--kill this, kill that. The portrayal of women in the film was a bit...well, vulgar. Women were objects, not active participants.

Looking further, though, one finds that these archetypes (if not outright stereotypes) are turned on their head.

That is what makes this series so darned good. On the surface you have a bad D&D plot, but revisiting the early episodes after the latter ones reveals a great deal that wasn't apparent before. A look at the structure of the narrative seems to allude to that--the entire series is a flashback leading up to Guts exiting a swordsmith's shop to go dispatch a foe.

The characters are stylish and interesting. Guts is a warrior who is loathe to show anything but a hard as nails exterior, toting a sword bigger than he. Caska is beautiful, dark-skinned lieutenant in a band of mercenaries that Guts ultimately joins. She is quite wary of outsiders, as the group of mercenaries is a tight-knit family-esque group. The leader of the band, Griffith, is a very feminine "elf-like" male warrior with white hair and flawless military skill. After Griffith bests Guts in a duel, he requires Guts service in the band.

Berserk is almost equally balanced between character development and bloodthirsty battle. Good times.

But, the real fun is the extras. Unlike many anime DVD's, all the discs in this series contain loads of features: interviews, art, and outtakes. The outtakes are brilliant, combining the regular animation with the voice actors cutting up. (If I was a bettin' man, I would wager that Griffith's actor was a Broadway wannabe at one time. Brilliant show tunes!)

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older