One of the best anime series has found its way to Netflix. The 1997 adaptation of Berserk is now on the streaming service for users in 25 countries, including Brazil and India, letting them indulge in the beautifully violent horror anime.
Based on Kentaro Miura’s hit manga, Berserk follows the anime character Guts, a mercenary who’s constantly looking for a new fight. To kick off the animated series, he joins the Band of the Hawk, a group of other swords-for-hire, and the story is one part him moving up their ranks, another part burgeoning war against otherworldly demons.
Guts becomes close with two members in particular: Griffith, leader of the Hawks, and Casca, another high-ranking member, and their interplay is the fuel for several sub-plots. Don’t worry about the lore though, fun as it is, the main attraction here is the glorious violence and dark tone, both of which helped cement this version of Berserk as a favourite among anime fans.
Though we’ve gotten two other adaptations – a trilogy of anime movies in 2012, and another thriller series in 2016 – this is the one that’s believed to be most true to the source material, and most entertaining generally.
The regions that Berserk is available on Netflix are: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and Turkey.
Naohito Takahashi directed the series, produced by Nippon Television, VAP, and Oriental Light and Magic. Multiple DVD releases have been made over the years, but now fans in two-dozen can get in on the fun with the standard Netflix price – if you’re in one of two-dozen regions, anyway. We’ll keep British and American readers informed if anything changes.
Have a look at our guide to the best Netflix anime for more viewing options.