Berserk 2017 Episode 1 Review

Spoiler alert. Do not continue if you do not want to be plot spoiled!

First of, huge fan of Berserk here. I was waiting for the second season to come since February and am I glad that it is finally here.

I was hoping that they would ditch the CGI and use traditional 2D animation for this season but this is not the case. Kind of a let down considering that the intro has awesome looking 2D animation.

The opening theme is great. Doesn't quite fit the tone of Berserk but I feel that based on this intro, this season may have a lighter tone. However, I may be wrong since the manga is freaking dark and the anime should be faithful to it.

If you have read the manga you will be right at home as this episode shows Guts returning to Godo's place with Casca and Puck. Guts found out that Godo has moved on and was told that someone very "pretty" came to look for Rickert. And then everything turned bad real quick.

The Good
No time wasted, everything was handled swiftly and no fluff or filler. Griffith's reappearance not only made Guts pissed off but also managed to make me feel suspense. The moment when they both met, I can almost feel the tension. It is almost block for block from the manga.

The Bad
Animations aside, I have to say that the fight between Guts and Zodd felt underwhelming. To think that these 2 individuals are finally having a rematch, one would expect more "flair" but it wasn't the case. It felt flat and sluggish for some reason. Maybe is the CGI at fault, I dunno.

Verdict
All in all, I can say it is a good start compared to the first season. I can live with the CGI. Let's hope that they will keep the momentum going. Can't wait to see the next episode.

Score: 7/10