Berserk: The Black Swordsman Canceled After Cease-and-Desist Threat

Berserk is one of the most iconic series to ever come from Japan, and its fans will not let you forget it. When artist Kentaro Miura first brought Guts to the page, no one could have imagined how iconic the hero would become. Despite a few successes, Berserk‘s history with anime has not been the best, and fans at Studio Taka were hoping to change that reputation with an unofficial series. But after receiving official pushback on Berserk: The Black Swordsman, the viral fan-anime has been canceled.

The confirmation comes from Studio Taka in the wake of a surprising notice from Studio Gaga, the rights holder of Berserk. Last week, the company put forward a statement that acknowledge Berserk: The Black Swordsman and stressed the fan anime did not have permission to move forward. The letter was one step away from a cease-and-desist, leaving fans to worry over the project’s fate. After much deliberation, the team at Studio Taka is honoring the wishes of Studio Gaga, so Berserk‘s fan-anime is no more.

Berserk: The Black Swordsman Was Disavowed by Rights Holders

“As some of you may know, Studio Gaga, the rights holders of Berserk recently took a public stance regarding the release of Berserk content without proper authorization. Naturally, this has implications for all Berserk fan projects, including ours,” Studio Taka shared in a new statement.

“After thoughtful consideration and exploring all possible options, we have made the very difficult decision to bring this project to a close. While we are extremely passionate about continuing the project, we recognize the potential legal risks involved and feel that it’s important to respect the intellectual property rights of Studio Gaga [and] Hakusensha.”

In the statement, Studio Taka takes time to thank fans for their support as the Berserk fandom is what made the team’s fan-anime viral. With more than four million views on YouTube, the first trailer for Berserk: The Black Swordsman generated tons of buzz. But in efforts to honor Miura’s IP, the team at Studio Taka are stepping away from its fan anime.

The Trouble with Fan-Anime Projects and the Law

The jury is out on whether the Berserk project could be repurposed in some way, but when it comes to Guts, the anime is staying far away. From day one, the Studio Taka team made it clear that its anime was not an official release, and it did not take ties to Studio Gaga. However, even non-profit projects like Berserk: The Black Swordsmen fall into a legal grey area.

While fair use laws are in place stateside, control over an IP varies from country to country. Japan has fairly strict laws regarding IP use and copyrights which have poked at fan projects before now. Ultimately, the scale and viral nature of Studio Taka’s project caused upset with the official rights holders of Berserk, but the project’s closure does not mean the studio is dead. Studio Taka has some impressive talent on hand, and if the team wants to pursue an original series, it has enough impressive artists onboard to pull out a hit.

What do you make of this latest Berserk update? Do you think the fan-anime deserves to go live? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.