Berserk Theatrical release -Yet another Update: release date estimation-

[Nocta-Aeterna]

Dear Escapist Berserk fans,

As some of you may, or may not know: somewhere around september last year there was a rumour that there would be a new Berserk anime coming up, based on the four 30 second long trailers circling on Youtube. Eventually it turned out that these were commercials to promote the 35th tokaban volume. However, this' not the end of it.

Some of you may already know this, but since I saw no thread about it yet, I thought I should bring it to attention. The 35th volume's wrap-around announced that yes, there is a new Berserk anime in the works. This time around, they'll try to make it cover the entire manga's story ánd it will be headed by a feature length theatrical release.

Yes, there will be a Berserk film. The release date is estimated somewhere around summer this year, followed by a series of OVA's that will cover the entire manga's run.

Source: [1] [2], and google Berserk+theatrical+film while you're at it.

My first thought: "effin' awesome", but then some realisations started creeping up. These being mainly: "won't the new child-protection bill completely cripple this?" and "when the anime eventually catches up with the manga, will there not be years of filler, seeing Miura's infamously irregular release schedule?" EDIT:"Do I WANT to see the Eclipse again?"

Your thoughts?

UPDATE Apparently, WAY back in september 2010, a twitter account was set up for the new Berserk project. For those who can read Japanese, go there for any further updates.

UPDATE #2 Two days ago, the Berserk twitter was updated again. I can not read Japanese, but if the chopped-up Babelfish translation is anything to go by, expect more revealing news in July. There is a blog that translates the Berserk twitter posts, however, they haven't updated since april this year as of this update.

UPDATE #3 The release date has recently been estimated around January, 2012. An official film site has now also been opened, though it will not be in full operation until the 15th of July. Hopefully, they will release some more trailers by then. Unfortunately, it's all in Japanese, which I cannot read.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I doubt it'll have the troll rape scene in it (Fans will know what I mean).

If it's an actual feature atleast it means it'll have a decent budget behind it, which was the anime show's biggest drawback. As well as making every fucking scene filled with brown.

We'll see what happens, but I doubt they're going to leave a lot of the shocking violence from from the manga in the movie. And this was always one of the biggest aspects that made you feel the harshness and cruelty of the world of Berserk.

Still my favourite manga, I'm actually reading it again right now.

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

I doubt it'll have the troll rape scene in it (Fans will know what I mean).

If it's an actual feature atleast it means it'll have a decent budget behind it, which was the anime show's biggest drawback. As well as making every fucking scene filled with brown.

We'll see what happens, but I doubt they're going to leave a lot of the shocking violence from from the manga in the movie. And this was always one of the biggest aspects that made you feel the harshness and cruelty of the world of Berserk.

Still my favourite manga, I'm actually reading it again right now.

Speaking of troll rape; honoustly, I'll be impressed, even if they just can get the little bit of intimacy between Guts and Casca past the censors, with the Tokyo bill and all that.

..Or the Donovan incident...

 

[Casual Shinji]

Speaking of troll rape; honoustly, I'll be impressed, even if they just can get the little bit of intimacy between Guts and Casca past the censors, with the Tokyo bill and all that.

..Or the Donovan incident...

There's also a short trailer which shows Griffith in his reincarnated form as "the Absolute One" along with a few shots of Nosferatu Zodd and the Skull Knight (fuck yeah). It also shows a bit of Caska in the nude, but she's conviniently covered by leaves.

And the Donovan incident isn't even the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about the censoring. What to think about the Demon Dogs chapter where you see what happens to that poor family of farmers that help out the Band of the Hawk after they've sprung Griffth out of jail? If that makes it into the movie Hell will have officially frozen over.

The production values look fucking stellar though. I even caught a glimpse of what seemed to be new animation techniques used to create the Skull Knight and Zodd.

 

[Zaik]

If it goes on TV it'll be butchered to the point of being awkward or doing the classic DBZ delay tactic, charge up your lazers and make shocked faces at each other for entire episodes.

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

There's also a short trailer which shows Griffith in his reincarnated form as "the Absolute One" along with a few shots of Nosferatu Zodd and the Skull Knight (fuck yeah). It also shows a bit of Caska in the nude, but she's conviniently covered by leaves.

And the Donovan incident isn't even the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about the censoring. What to think about the Demon Dogs chapter where you see what happens to that poor family of farmers that help out the Band of the Hawk after they've sprung Griffth out of jail? If that makes it into the movie Hell will have officially frozen over.

The production values look fucking stellar though. I even caught a glimpse of what seemed to be new animation techniques used to create the Skull Knight and Zodd.

Demon Dogs... *checks back on what they did* Bloody hell! On a similar note: the faux-fairies war games?

Concerning those snippets of animation, as far as I know, they where the commercials for the new volume, but I'm keeping me fingers crossed that the film and subsequent series will be of comparable quality. Though, I don't think the budget will be much of a problem, Berserk is still quite popular.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Demon Dogs... *checks back on what they did* Bloody hell! On a similar note: the faux-fairies war games?

Or the tortures scenes in the Tower of Conviction arc... Correction: The entire Tower of Conviction arc, period. People being tortured in the most sick ways, starving babies, twisted pagan sex orgies, demon-possessed parents devoring their own children, Farnese masturbating at the thought of people being burned alive at the stake.

...Christ, what a nutty ride that was.

Concerning those snippets of animation, as far as I know, they where the commercials for the new volume, but I'm keeping me fingers crossed that the film and subsequent series will be of comparable quality. Though, I don't think the budget will be much of a problem, Berserk is still quite popular.

That wasn't from the movie? Shucks, and it was looking so damn awesome and everything.

I don't think popularity has anything to do with production values though. Berserk was popular back in the 90's as well, but the anime show looked terrible.

Let's just hope that the manga won't drag on for too long. There's still so much that has to happen within the story and I'm already feeling like the quality of the series is slightly deminishing (I fucking hate the Berserk armor).

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

Let's just hope that the manga won't drag on for too long. There's still so much that has to happen within the story and I'm already feeling like the quality of the series is slightly deminishing (I fucking hate the Berserk armor).

Hmm, yes, it's becoming quite the Deus ex Machina, especially since they found a way around the whole mindless killing rampage. To be honest, this whole God of the Sea-Cthulhu-Innsmouth sidetrack smells of filler (and the shading in the artwork seems to have dropped a tad in quality the last few chapters). Evenso, I think the plot can still go to interesting places: Casca's memories should give a nice moral dilemma for instance.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Hmm, yes, it's becoming quite the Deus ex Machina, especially since they found a way around the whole mindless killing rampage.

Exactly!

I don't mind Deus ex Machina in anime or manga, but Berserk was always above that sort of thing. Also the reason why Guts' struggle throughout his life was so engaging was because he was just a human being. A freakishly strong human, but a human nonetheless. He never had any demonic powers or magic to help him out. All he had were his muscles and his unbreakable will to survive.

And I feel like the berserk armor completely nullifies that.

But I also wasn't too happy about Farnese's character shift. I loved that crazy chick, and now she's basically become like Orihime from Bleach. There's nothing wrong with that series, but like I said; Berserk always seemed above that sort of thing.

To be honoust, this whole God of the Sea-Cthulhu-Innsmouth sidetrack smells of filler (and the shading in the artwork seems to have dropped a tad in quality the last few chapters). Evenso, I think the plot can still go to interesting places: Casca's memories should give a nice moral dilemma for instance.

You're right, there's still a lot of mystery left to be uncoverd.

- The relationship between the Skull Knight and Godhand Void.
- That little kid with the long black hair who Caska finds on the beach. Something tells me he's Guts and Caska's son in some shape or another.
- I also have a sneaking suspicion that Caska might be the key to defeating Griffith since she is basically the mother too his physical form.

 

[AmbushIntheDark]

I didnt know what Bersek was before reading this thread.... I am interested now.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I doubt it'll have the troll rape scene in it (Fans will know what I mean).

Is it wrong this has made me even more intrigued to start reading the manga? I loved the anime, and I've been told the manga's even better.

OT: I loved the anime.

This is pretty sweet.

Yes good God in heaven, read it!

It's a freaking fenomenal body of work.

Spoiler: Trust me, would this face lie to you?

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

You're right, there's still a lot of mystery left to be uncoverd.

- The relationship between the Skull Knight and Godhand Void.
- That little kid with the long black hair who Caska finds on the beach. Something tells me he's Guts and Caska's son in some shape or another.
- I also have a sneaking suspicion that Caska might be the key to defeating Griffith since she is basically the mother too his physical form.

I've mostly been wondering what will happen wih the Idea of Evil, this mostly being tied to how long Guts can best Causality. Also: wether or not Griffith's nature will ever be revealed to the people. However, since the world seems determined to contuiously screw Guts over, I guess he'll bear the antichrist stigma for the rest of his life, which would actually be quite fitting for the story.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I've mostly been wondering what will happen wih the Idea of Evil, this mostly being tied to how long Guts can best Causality. Also: wether or not Griffith's nature will ever be revealed to the people. However, since the world seems determined to contuiously screw Guts over, I guess he'll bear the antichrist stigma for the rest of his life, which would actually be quite fitting for the story.

Yeah, Griffith even had me fooled for a while. When he got reincarnated in the physical world, I was all ready to hate that son of *****. But then he actually goes out and does some very noble things, like saving the people of Midland from the yoke of the Kushan empire, and even making it so that humans and Aposteles fight alongside eachother like brothers in arms.

Let's just hope that Caska doesn't return to Griffith's side when she regains her heart ("What you wish for might not be what she wishes for.") That's probably the one thing that would completely destroy Guts.

 

[Barciad]

I saw the anime years ago, yet I never read it. I really should get round to reading the Beserk manga. I hear it is even better than Vinland Saga. Now that would take some doing.

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

Let's just hope that Caska doesn't return to Griffith's side when she regains her heart ("What you wish for might not be what she wishes for.") That's probably the one thing that would completely destroy Guts.

Hmm, I'd say she'd go all: "ARGH, why did you make me remember the demon rape?!" I'm not sure what would happen next; perhaps she'll learn to live with it, perhaps she'll comepletely retreat into herself?

 

[elbowlick]

"Do I WANT to see the Eclipse again?"

Call me a freak with a hard-on for guro, but yeah I wouldn't mind seeing them again. Hell, sometimes I take the time to rewatch the last three episodes of Berserk on Halloween or my birthday just because I find them so magnificent.

I'm on the fence on whether or not I like the idea of a new film. On one hand, that means it will get more attention and maybe Miura will pump out volumes faster or take the story to more interesting places (something it hasn't done in about seventeen volumes). I also part-hipster and I might like it less if it becomes more mainstream (but probably not).
I don't like the idea of the films for two reasons. For one, CG in anime has become extremely popular, and if you're like me and saw King of Thorn you thought it particularly painful for that very reason (that and it wasn't very good). The second reason is that they will probably try to condense the story even more than they did in the anime, and that would suck.

I'm not so worried about that "child-protection" bill, because a) the Hinako series exists and b) Kodomo no Jikan released another OAD. Yeah, that Kodomo no Jikan.

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

"Do I WANT to see the Eclipse again?"

Call me a freak with a hard-on for guro, but yeah I wouldn't mind seeing them again. Hell, sometimes I take the time to rewatch the last three episodes of Berserk on Halloween or my birthday just because I find them so magnificent.

It's not that I got something against brutal violence in my entertainment (why would I be reading Berserk if I did), but it's more the fact that it's enacted to a likable cast of characters for whom I was genuinly rooting. On reflection, it seems that scene really hit the proper mark with me.

The second reason is that they will probably try to condense the story even more than they did in the anime, and that would suck.

I wouldn't say they severly condensed the story in the first anime but only adapted a single story arc. I don't know what part of the story the film will cover, but I'm sure the rest will be picked up by the new anime.

Kodomo no Jikan released another OAD. Yeah, that Kodomo no Jikan.

...
*hemorrhage*

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

I cast Animate Dead Thread! See the OP for a little redirection, for those interested.

 

[Nocta-Aeterna]

Thread necromancy! See the OP for update.