David Beckham Video:

		List Price: $29.95		Label: Anime Works Salesrank: 48075 Released: May 27, 2003
		Our Price: $17.95
		Used Price: $5.21
		MPAA Rating: Unrated Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
When Guts first joined Griffith and the Band of the Hawk, the wheels of fate were set in motion. Since that time, Guts has learned the lessons of the battlefield and embraced his own path. Griffith has tasted ultimate victory and ultimate defeat. Caska has cast away her dead dreams and found new ones. Now all of the pawns are in place, and the Great Eclipse draws near. The terrible truth behind Griffith's destiny is revealed as the sun turns to sackcloth and the seas to blood.

Description of Berserk - God's Hands (Epi. 22-25):
Guts, Caska, and the remaining White Hawks rescue Griffith from the dungeons of Midland, but the torture master has mutilated him so horribly, he can no longer command his followers. When Griffith finds the Egg of the King, the odd red gem he once possessed, all hell breaks loose--literally. Griffith chose a violent destiny that culminates in his transformation into the prince of demons, and the White Hawks are so many sacrificial victims to be devoured by misshapen creatures from the nether world. This grisly tacked-on ending doesn't fit the rest of the storyline: what began as a violent but powerful tale of loyalty and valor collapses into a blood-soaked gore-fest that recalls the excesses of Wicked City and Legend of the Overfiend. (Rated 16 and older, but unsuitable for viewers under 18: graphic violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, profanity, nudity, rape) --Charles Solomon

Berserk - God's Hands (Epi. 22-25) Reviews:
Dark Fantasy, Final
2006-01-12 - Berserk is, and forever will be, one of the darkest anime ever created. Blood is so common it may as well be considered a main character. The themes of the anime, killing, destruction, hatred, vengeance, torture, are no where else except maximum security prisons. And it's volume six that solidifies these themes so vividly.

In volume six, Guts and the remaining members of the Band of the Hawk make their way to the castle to rescue Griffith. But, upon finding him, or what's left of him, the once hopeful band is now distraught and leaderless, and talking about disbanding to seek their own separate ways of living. What they do not realize, however, is just how affected, and infected, Griffith has become. His own hunger for vengeance and hatred has twisted his mind to match his gnarled body, and he wants only to be let out of this world, one way or another. He finds his solution in the mysterious charm he wore for the entire series and calls upon four demonic creatures, all god-like in power, and their minions to solve his current problem.

What he asks of them is dreadful, and the final conclusion is as painful to watch as anything I've ever seen in any anime, or any other form of entertainment, to date. Murder and rape fill the final episode to bursting. For a long time, Guts was the anti-hero of the story, that savage killer we couldn't help but cheer for simply because he was the main character and the man we were forced to follow. By the end of this series, the old Guts looks like an angel compared to what Griffith becomes. In the last moments of the series, we see what is left of Guts (which can be seen in the beginning episode of the series) as he sets out to get revenge for all the companions and friends he lost.

This volume finally ties the itself to the first episode. In many ways, the entire series, from episode two to twenty-five, was simply a prequel to episode one. We are brought along with Guts in his early journey so that we know and understand what drives him, and how he attains the many scars he carries, both physically and mentally. We learn about the bleeding brand on his neck, and the significance of the charm both Griffith and the snake demon carry. Though difficult to watch at times, this is an excellent wrap up to the first season of one the best fantasy anime ever created.

This is a great buy; but do NOT think of this as the ending of Berserk. . .
2005-10-12 - I write this message to all of you who are curious about "Berserk," the animated show, but are put off by the negative comments some Amazon reviewers have directed at the way the show "ends." This message is spoiler-free.


These reviewers rightfully criticize the "ending," but for the wrong reason. They feel great disappointment because they have not yet figured out that episode 25 is not the conclusion to the story of "Berserk." Episode 25 is merely where the producers of the anime left off. Many of the rest of us, who know that episode 25 is not the ending, feel great disappointment, not because the "ending" is sloppy (actually, episode 25 is gripping and pleasingly depressing), but because the show is left unfinished. It is not by accident that these first 25 episodes are collectively called "season 1."

These 25 episodes that comprise season 1 are a unique, thoroughly mesmerizing pleasure, the specific flavor of which you will not find anywhere else (except in the on-going "Berserk" manga ;) ). In fact, you should be aware that after viewing all 25 episodes, you will feel mad with desperation due to the want to see what comes next. The show leaves off with a season ending cliff-hanger that is so compelling that it will rock and abuse your curiosity. But do not take this as a negative, for it is proof of how completely season 1 entertains.

Unfortunately, season 2 was not picked up by Japanese television--and apparently will never be. But to criticize any television show for leaving us at a cliff-hanger when the show was not given an opportunity to continue is wrong-headed in its unfairness. (And the mere fact that a show does not get picked up for subsequent seasons is not a reason in itself that proves that a show is unentertaining--it merely proves that the station that held the rights did not think the show was profitable. Many instances have shown that critical acclaim and the ingenuity of a show is not necessarily related to a show's profitability.)


"Berserk" is a Japanese television cartoon and so, like most Japanese tv cartoons, the animation is poor, the color palette is limited, the musical selection is limited, and some of the voice acting may be unpleasing. And yet, though I am not an anime fan--I find most anime embarrassingly bad--I love everything about this show. I love the limited animation. I love the colors. I love the music. I love the sometimes-embarrassing, mostly-brilliant, always-silly dialogue. I love the voice acting--even the ones I don't like, hehe. The story and its characters are so compelling that negatives in presentation become likeable attributes.


Purchasing the 6-disk box set has been one of the most satisfying DVD purchases I have ever made. The anime, "Berserk," is a show unlike any other, so I hope you will not miss it. Thank you for reading this message. :D

It's actually the end of the beginning.
2005-03-16 - People might forget that the show started in the PRESENT with a very messed up looking and ANGRY Gutts hunting demons. With that exception, the rest of the series so far, including the dark ending/cliffhanger, has been within a flashback. Most of the series so far is set in the past. So this IS NOT the end; there's a lot more story to come. I think the anime only covers about a third to nearly half of the manga it's based on.

A viewer
2004-12-27 - Phenomenal series (5 stars) - crappy ending (1 star). I am fine with dark endings, but talk about sloppy. It is almost like the writer's got lazy and wanted to remove the Hawks so they could move on to the next segment. As I watched the thirty minutes of demons feasting on helpless men and woman (not how I came to view the Hawks after twenty some episodes) I wondered what the point was. Why not just strike them down by lightining and use those twenty minutes for a good reason as to why Guts didn't have his sword. It is too convient to say he left it at camp - when he is always carrying it.


The most powerful ending in a series, anime or otherwise
2004-07-28 - The ending in Berserk has been the subject of much controversy for those who have seen it. Most people seem to dislike it, and there hasn't been a better example of a love it or hate it situation than this. The problem most people seem to have though, is that the ending doesn't leave a satisfying conclusion to the story, and while this aspect is somewhat true, people tend to overlook the excellence of this final volume because of this.

After more than 20 episodes of beautiful character development, after seeing characters leave their dreams behind, find new ones, after seeing them evolve, the final episodes manage to present these characters at their peak. We get to see Guts in all his fury, Caska at her weakest, and Griffith in all his glory. Judeau in particular shines more in the last episodes than anywhere in the whole series. We see everyone struggle not just for their very lifes, but for the lifes of others, for the lifes of loved ones. And they try to survive against impossible odds.

People get carried away with minor things, like "Guts without his sword is nothing" or "Everyone dies a miserable death", but they don't see the real importance of these episodes. Didn't Guts survive? Even without his sword? Didn't he fight? Didn't everyone fight? They did, and they did so with courage and passion, even though there was no hope at all.

Compared to the average anime, which feature mostly teens and, for the most part, contain nothing but lots of girls on tiny dresses, Berserk stands out as one of the most strong and passionate series of them all. Be very warned though, this is for mature audiences only, not just because of the content, but because to truly appreciate it's greatness, you have to think things through.

I guess some people get frustrated, and thus angry, because of the lack of a real conclusion in the series, but for the characters themselves, the end of such a long journey couldn't have been told in a better way.