Berserk 2016 - Anime review

Berserk 2016 -  Review Anime

Original title: ベ ル セ ル ク 

Language origin .: Japanese 

Country: Japan 

Author: Kentaro Miura 

Director: Shin Itagaki 

Subject: Makoto Fukami, Takashi Yamashita 

Music: Shirō Sagisu 

Studio: Liden Films 

TV 1st: 1 July 2016 - ongoing 

Episodes: 1/24 

Genres: Action, dark fantasy, adventure, horror

Summary
The first episode of Berserk can not achieve enough. The expectations for him were very high, but you can not say they were satisfied.
Animations, as well as various artistic choices and weft, were counterproductive, coming to create the opposite effect of that intended.
For the moment it is not a complete failure, the series is just beginning and has plenty of time to recover.
There must be a change if only for all that Berserk has been and continues to be in the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world.
The work of Miura does not deserve an uncertain fate, but equal, or even superior, to that of the first animated series.

First, in July 2016, a date which many should be included in the history books.The first episode of the new animated season Berserk was transmitted. So much excitement might seem excessive, but just mention a couple of numbers to understand the reason for everything.
The first volume of the manga by Kentaro Miura came out in 1989 and is still in progress (of finalization unspecified date), the work is published in Italy by Panini Comics. The success of the manga led to the creation of a first anime adaptation in 1996, the series that has achieved a great success in our country the rights were purchased by Yamato Video. Between 2012 and 2013 they came out three films that trace the events of the first story arc already exposed in the anime series.
The work of Miura has won a wide audience and many fans who have waited for years, with growing trepidation, the release of the second season of the anime. Their prayers were finally settled.
The story of Berserk is set in medieval times in the imaginary country of Midlands. The protagonist is Guts, a mercenary trained since childhood to combat; the war is all you know, kill or be killed is the first lesson that has been taught.
The fate of the young Guts is intertwined with the mercenary company known as the team of the Hawks, led by the intrepid and charismatic leader Griffis. Together they start the climb that will lead them to success, or at least that is their purpose as a result of an unfortunate episode of their dreams go up in smoke.

Guts and a couple of "fearful" skeletons
The new season of the anime takes the plot from where it left off, continuing the story arc planned by Miura. The viewer will follow the movements of Guts that, after surviving the disaster in his fellow hawks, will seek revenge. Haunted by demons and evil spirits, the mighty warrior will have to be forcibly road blows, leaving behind hundreds of bodies, if he wants to achieve his goal. Killing is the only thing I know and want to do.
Finished to see the first episode of the anime doubts and perplexities of the viewer are certainly many. After overcoming the initial shock, it recovered from the sense of disorientation and have counted a long time to regain my composure, at the end emerges a thought: I've been waiting all this time for nothing? The rule is that it is not entirely correct only judge a book by its cover, we really hope so because the temptation to answer "Yes, I've been waiting for nothing" is so great.
The viewer finds himself pulled into the middle of the story, it is not provided any explanation or summary of the events that occurred previously. If for the public who knows the work of Miura, or has seen other animated incarnation, will not be a big problem, indeed explain again a situation that is already known would be a waste of time, the neophyte will perceive only confusion.
This is not a serious defect, being the first installment is more than likely that the next few episodes provide the essentials so that anyone can follow the series without knowing Berserk.The problems are elsewhere.
Since the release of the first promotional video, the element that had aroused particular concern among fans was the decision to make the series making extensive use of CGI technology. As I mentioned several times the expectations were really high, even higher when you consider the high quality with which it was made the series of the 90s, which is why it was feared that the final product is not up.
It's not entirely correct to say that the Berserk animations are bad, they are simply different, unusual and different from what the typical hand-drawings of many Japanese animation products have accustomed us.
The dosage of shadows and dark traits give a depth to the appreciable animations, on occasion stand out the image in a really effective way, but sporadic episodes are not enough.Overall the spectator attends a coarse graphic, almost poor, the movements of the characters are cumbersome and not very fluid and even the fight scenes, the very heart of the anime, have nothing exciting.


It is not a video game
The coarse faces, devoid of details or of expression of the characters just seem artificial and lifeless. To top it off during the episode there are some scenes made with hand drawings, apparently entered with a random pattern, which makes even more evident the qualitative differences between the two methods of implementation.
The sound department does not stand out much. Opening and ending remain anonymous, the ending song has a melancholic and nostalgic character, that, given the situation in which is the main character, is not bad, but nothing more. No note of particular merit even for internal ost.
All in all the episode runs discreetly, without praise and without shame, passed the first hurdle of the animations, it is comforting to believe that just getting used to getting to appreciate them, the texture holds up.
There are no dull moments, there is a lively note certain that never hurts and even the novice follows the series with a minimum of interest, intrigued by the presence of a super character who wields a huge sword.
The problems, however, arise at the end of the vision.
Ended the episode there is no desire or anxiety to see the next one. The viewer does not feel involved and participating.

Some of the new characters
Now admittedly, the first episode was rather disappointing! A comparison with the years '90 season, or at least a comparison, it is natural and in doing so emerge all the many differences between the two. Unfortunately, and it is a shame to have to say, for the moment there is little to save in this new animated adaptation.
The anime was supervised by the Miura, work that kept him away from continuing his hard work and, at least from the point of view of the plot, we hope it is at least true to the original story.
However, the graphics package is the major flaw that will, probably, its main limitations when the fighting will really move.
If the predictions were to come true, and indeed the action scenes will not have the quality they deserve, the anime will be missing one of his strong points.
For now, we can only wait for the release of the next episodes and see if the first impressions will find a confirmation or a denial.

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