Berserk, known in Japan as Kenpū Denki Berserk (剣風伝奇ベルセルク) is a Japanese anime television series, based on Kentaro Miura's manga series Berserk. The series follows Guts, a skilled mercenary warrior who gets entangled with the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group, and its ambitious leader, Griffith.
Berserk was produced by Nippon Television and VAP, animated by Oriental Light and Magic and directed by Naohito Takahashi. It was broadcast for 25 episodes on Nippon TV from October 1997 to April 1998. Berserk was formerly licensed for English release in North America by Media Blasters, and later acquired by Discotek Media.
The series has received critical acclaim, with critics praising its storytelling, characters, setting, and soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa.
Plot
Guts, a lone mercenary warrior driven solely by his will to survive, becomes entangled with the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group lead by the ambitious and charismatic Griffith. Guts quickly becomes Griffith's most trusted warrior, drawn in by his dream to rule a kingdom. In the aftermath of a battle that nearly cost Guts and Griffith their lives, Griffith begins getting closer to the King of Midland's daughter, Princess Charlotte. At one point, Guts overhears a conversation between Griffith and Charlotte, in which Griffith declares that he considers a true friend to be someone who has their own dream.