Berserk
2016
Original language: Japanese
- action & adventure
- animation
- drama
- sci-fi & fantasy
The story
Spurred by the flame raging in his heart, the Black Swordsman Guts continues his seemingly endless quest for revenge. Standing in his path are heinous outlaws, delusional evil spirits, and a devout child of god. Even as it chips away at his life, Guts continues to fight his enemies, who wield repulsive and inhumane power, with nary but his body and sword—his strength as a human.
What it’s like
Heavy, grimy grey and bruised-purple palettes dominate this 2016 CGI adaptation, with hard shadows, smoky torchlight and cold blue moonlight cutting across rain-soaked medieval ruins and blood-dark battlefields. The 3D animation is stiff in places and glossy in others, with camera moves that swoop around clashing armies and then hold on a single wounded face. Sound leans on crashing metal, guttural demon shrieks and a brooding orchestral score that swells into choral dread before the violence erupts. It is a vibe of grim, relentless melancholy and feverish menace, best suited to a late night alone or a dark-weekend binge for those who can sit with bleak, bloody material. The violence is frequent, graphic and often gory, with dismemberment, gore and disturbing body horror; sexual content and nudity appear, and the supernatural horror is intense and frightening. The story follows a hardened, scarred mercenary who keeps pushing forward through brutal cruelty, a bond with a fragile companion, and the slow erosion of his body and mind. It suits adult viewers drawn to dark dark fantasy, seinen-style grit and unflinching horror, not anyone seeking gentle viewing.
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