Berserk Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Berserk Blu-ray Movie Review

Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition brings a special memorial presentation of the series for diehard fans. Created by Kentarō Miura, the Memorial Edition of Berserk The Golden Age Arc offers a new option with scenes cut previously from the manga. These expanded scenes fill in some of the gaps previously left on the cutting room floor.

Executive produced by Atsuhiro Iwakami (Blood-C: The Last Dark, Classroom Crisis), Eiichi Kamagata (GANTZ:O, Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions), Eiko Tanaka (Children of the Sea, Detroit Metal City), Jin Yanagisawa, San Kim, Shingo Kunieda (Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won't Lose), Suzuko Fujimoto (Eiga Soreike! Anpanman Fuwafuwa Fuwari to Kumo no Kuni, Eiga Soreike! Anpanman Dororin to Bakeru Carnival), Takanori Aki (Celestial Method, The Rising of The Shield Hero), and Yūsuke Tanaka (Shin Kamen Rider, Dragon Quest Your Story). The series production is one of the highlights of the series. The producers helped pave the way for the expanded edition.

The expanded memorial edition enhances the original release with an adaptation that covers more of the original manga material. Produced by Eiko Tanaka (Children of the Sea, Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower), Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition features animation production by Studio 4°C (Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower, Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind). The series features voice acting from Hiroaki Iwanaga, Takahiro Sakurai, and Toa Yukinari.

Guts (Hiroaki Iwanaga) might be a lone fighter going on a path rarely travelled on. Yet Guts has the “guts” to go forward anyway and fight the good fight as a swordsman with incredible skills and the courage to wield his sword with skill. Guts ultimately comes across the leader of a ruthless group of enemies – dangerous, indeed.

Guts must take on the leader in an epic duel. After Guts fails to beat the leader of the group, Guts finds himself joining their ranks. The path forward won’t be an easy one for Guts. Guts is forced to blend in with the rest. Can Guts still achieve his own dreams or will things fall by the wayside? The life of a swordsman is never an easy one. One wrong move with the blade can yield destruction and total annihilation.

With a strong central character, Guts adds to the saga. Guts is a character with a sense of ambition and strength. The character is a strong protagonist for the series. The character designs by Naoyuki Onda (Inuyashiki Last Hero, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes) are well-done and certainly fit the vibe of Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition. The character style doesn’t disappoint and is also more unique than on some productions.

The animation is unique and compelling. The animation features chief animation direction by Naoyuki Onda (Blue Gender: The Warrior, Psycho-Pass). The art direction by Hideki Nakamura (Enter The Garden, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway), Marefumi Niibayashi (Orion, Honey Tokyo), and Yūsuke Takeda (Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) is well-done. The animation certainly is one of the more impressive qualities of the production. The series has an evocative style, showcasing art that is a lot different from the norm. There is a lot to appreciate about the series animation style. A good effort by the team of animators.

The score composed by Shirō Sagisu (Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, Kimagure Orange Road) is compelling and adds to the series. The music is one of the most impressive qualities of the series on the whole. Composer Sagisu is a talented composer who has a roster of impressive credits. Fans of the composer will find something to appreciate with regards to the music.

Written by Ichirō Ōkouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress), Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition is a decently scripted series and one that has a lot of action. A script that emphasizes the adrenaline-packed punch of the series, the script showcases that vivid landscape. This is something of note – and it is gritty as a result.

Berserk The Golden Age Arc is directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka (Shangri-La Frontier, Wandering Witch - The Journey of Elaina) (theatrical) and Yuta Sano (Red Ash -Magicicada-, RedAsh -GEARWORLD-) (memorial edition), Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition expands on the original version. Developing the series with more cut scenes from the manga, the expanded version does manage to fill in some moments that were gaps before. A big hurrah for diehards.

Fans of the original who want to see the differences between versions will want to check out the memorial version to find out what the differences are between versions – experiencing those differences for the different version could be a treat for some fans. Berserk The Golden Age Arc breaks some new ground by expanding the original. Fans who value alternate versions and like to compare the differences will want to check it out.

Berserk Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition is presented in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The high-definition presentation was crisp and colorful. Animation was vivid and the bright and in-depth art style yielded solid results. The animation is impressively showcased – the depth is wonderful and there is good detail in the art. These are compelling aspects of the presentation.

The Blu-ray release benefits from the superior encoding of physical media. Streaming services often provide lower video bit-rates. For physical media fans wanting to eek out extra detail in the series, collectors may consider opting for the physical release in order to get a more robust presentation. Sometimes the differences are subtle but there can also be more noticeable differences on occasion, too.

Berserk Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound (with English subtitles). The release features a solid lossless encoding. Both options are provided in 5.1 surround sound. The surround sound option packs a punch with good detail and clarity for both versions – it is nice to see both language versions provide 5.1 audio as it is often limited to only one version. The English subtitles are well done and are free from egregious spelling or grammatical errors.

One of the benefits of physical media and the Blu-ray disc format is lossless audio encoding. Lossless audio provides crisper detail and excellent fidelity. For audiophiles wanting the best audio experience achievable, the lossless presentation is a step above streaming options (which are limited to only lossy audio encoding on streaming video services). For those with expensive and nice home theater gear, a lossless encoding can sometimes make a nice difference and add to the release.

Berserk Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The slipcover on the release features a nice matte texture that is different from the norm. The slipcover design seems a little nicer than on an average release. The artwork is stunning on the slipcover. The artwork underneath the slipcover provides additional alternative artwork and it certainly enhances the packaging presentation. For collectors who appreciate nice slipcovers and packaging, the package design certainly adds to the release.

On disc supplements include:

Textless Opening Songs (HD, 4:45)

Textless Closing Songs (HD, 3:04)

Unfortunately, the release has an underwhelming supplemental package. The extras on the release are lackluster on the whole. The bonus features could have been much more enticing for series fans with more in-depth offerings such as audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast/crew interviews, and more. For those fans who highly covet a nice bonus features package, the lack of an impressive supplemental package often bumps a release down in value and makes it less enticing to make a purchase. The lack of good extras can also make one simply opt for streaming as a once- and-done instead.

Berserk Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Berserk The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition brings a different vision to the forefront. The memorial version is a bit different from previous presentations. The memorial version offers up some new scenes previously missing. These scenes had been left on the cutting room floor and provide more from the manga. Fans who appreciate alternate release versions and cuts will want to check it out for more material.

The Blu-ray release provides a nice high-definition presentation. The release also includes lossless audio encoding. The set also provides a nicely designed o-card slipcover with compelling artwork. The slip is nicer quality than usual and a distinct texture for this specific release. The slipcover is only on the first print run. On disc supplements are somewhat sparse. Nonetheless, fans who want to own a permanent copy may wish to pick it up. Recommended.