Berserk's 1997 Anime Is Coming to Blu-ray
Guts and the Band of the Hawk's first anime adaptation is finally getting a Blu-Ray set.
Berserk remains one of the most brutal and dark anime franchises to ever arrive in the medium. Telling the story of the Black Swordsman known as Guts, the beloved franchise from creator Kentaro Miura first got its start in the anime world with its 1997 television series. While the original anime adaptation did get a DVD set, the dark series is finally going to get a premiere Blu-Ray set that will be arriving this spring. If this is your first time diving into the franchise, be forewarned that things get dark for the Band of the Hawk.
Anime and manga fans alike were heartbroken when the creator of Berserk, Kentaro Miura, passed. Leaving the story of Guts and the Band of the Hawk unfinished, many readers believed that the series would never see the characters receive a proper finale. Luckily, Miura's friends Kouji Mori and the artists at Studio Gaga decided to use notes and conversations with the mangaka to continue Berserk's manga and aim to see the Band of the Hawk receive their long-awaited conclusion. At present, the new creative team has yet to state how many more chapters Berserk has before its grand finale, but it could still be many years before we bid farewell to Guts.
Berserk's Blu-Ray Return
Discotek Media announced that the 1997 anime adaptation will be coming to Blu-Ray this March. While Guts and the Band of the Hawk have been given anime adaptations following the initial series, Berserk fans will often refer to the first outing as the best of the bunch. The HD remaster will not only give the series an HD makeover but it will also include the "legendary" English Dub for the anime adaptation that started it all.
Berserk: The Complete 1997 TV Series
— 💿Discotek Media (@discotekmedia) January 9, 2024
A classic among classics. One of the true greats.
The story of Guts is finally coming back in print.
A gorgeous HD remaster w/ newly polished subs, the classic English dubs, & extras from past releases! pic.twitter.com/ua8eikwj1z
While the manga has continued to pump out new chapters, Berserk's future in the anime medium remains a mystery. The latest series, Berserk: Memorial Edition, took footage from the three theatrical films and spliced them together into a television series with new footage. Should Berserk create a new anime adaptation, there is more than enough material from the manga to keep the series fresh.
Will you be picking up this new Blu-Ray box set collecting the original 1997 anime series? Do you think we'll see Guts and the Band of the Hawk return to a new anime series sooner rather than later? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Band of the Hawk.