Addressing the ever-shrinking credibility of rock journalism since 2007. With a sasquatch.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Screen Shots: Berserk


Miura's amazing manga and Japanese television epic hits the big screen in Japan.

Berserk is an amazing manga and animated series from Japan. The art and story lines shine. But, it is also not for the kiddies. The 17+ series is a ultra-violent, brutally narrated saga. And now it's coming to theaters worldwide as a 3-part movie series beginning in early 2012 in Japan - meaning an official English dub is due in American in a year or more after this date.

Berserk contains violent content and well-developed characters. The entire series of popular books and animated shows have revolved around Griffith's the Band of the Hawk (Taka no Dan in romaji/hiragishi) since the late 1980's when the dense volumes of the manga began wide circulation.

At that time, during the series start, Berserk creator Kentaro "Ken" Miura worked with Okamura/Buronson, the creator of Fist Of The North Star, before developing his own unmistakably dark characters.

Berserk animation anime manga Miura movie dvd
Miura's amazing manga has gone through two editions of TPB in Japan and one in the US.

In the Berserk television show that ran in Japan in the early 1990's there was literally something for everyone in Ken Miura's characters. That is provided you have a strong enough stomach for gore. Even for tried and true anime fans Berserk is a challenge.

To add to the not-safe-for-the-kiddies warning: there are implied rape scenes with female lead, Caska, alongside multiple decapitations of demons, foot soldiers, loyal comrades and samurai in feudal European gear. The books and show were completed with an easy grace by the development of "young animal" and hero: Gutts/Gatz.

Berserk animation anime manga Miura movie dvd
Miura's amazing manga has gone through two editions of TPB in Japan and one in the US.

The original animated series (OAS) has recently been made available on DVD here in the US in both subtitled and dubbed formats. The first movie itself will be released in January of 2012 in Japan yet as of March 2013 no official US release has been announced.


References:

No comments: