Berserk fans have lived up to their titles as strugglers over the years, with the dark franchise going through some serious downturns in recent years. Due to the tragic passing of creator Kentaro Miura, many believed that the story of Guts and the Band of the Hawk would never continue, but were given hope thanks to writer Kouji Mori and the Studio Gaga artists taking up the mantle. The last time we witnessed a brand new anime for Berserk was in 2017, followed by the compilation series dubbed Berserk: Memorial Editionand with no anime in sight, there are plenty of studios that would be up to the task to recreate the series.
In terms of what anime studios have brought Berserk to life in the past, there haven’t been that many. The first anime adaptation arrived thanks to Studio OLM, which ironically might be best known for the Pokemon anime. Following this 1997 arrival, Berserk was out of the anime world for quite some time, until it returned thanks to the film trilogy that began in 2012. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc was brought to life by Studio 4C, acting as the source material for the recent Memorial Edition. For the now-notorious Berserk anime released in 2016, the two seasons were brought to life by Studio GEMBA. Needless to say, there are plenty of candidates that could help breathe new life into Berserk as an anime.
10.) Wit Studio
While Wit Studio might be known for some happy-go-lucky anime adaptations like Spy x Family and The Ranking of Kingsthe production house can be dark when it needs to be. Responsible for the first three seasons of Attack on Titanone of the bleakest anime series of all time, along with other mature properties like Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and The Suicide Squad IsekaiWit could work well with the Band of the Hawk. Its style of dynamic energy, along with an ability to create worlds that elicit a fantasy feel, might make it one of the best-suited studios on the list to tackle Guts’ tale.
9.) TRIGGER
Studio TRIGGER has made a name for itself with some of the highest octane offerings in the anime world, while simultaneously managing to present stories that pull on viewers’ heartstrings. Series like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Kill la Killand Little Witch Academia found a perfect balance between light and dark, which is an aesthetic that could be used on the Black Swordsman. On top of these examples, TRIGGER’s Delicious in Dungeon helps to create a medieval world that isn’t too far from that of the Band of the Hawk’s, at least when it comes to the overall aesthetic. This production house has long been a worthwhile studio in the anime world and would work well in animating the world of Berserk.
8.) Powerhouse Animation Studio
The North American animation studio has made a name for itself by bringing to life some major Netflix properties, including Castlevania, Blood of Zeus, Masters of The Universe: Revelation, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, and more. Certainly, Powerhouse is quite familiar with the ultra-violence thanks to some of these series, also bringing to life supernatural creatures that appear as though they spawned from the mind of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura. With rumors surrounding Castlevania producer Adi Shankar hoping to create a new take on the Band of the Hawk, Powerhouse might be primed to take on the dark anime franchise. With Powerhouse Animation Studio diving into some dark territory in its past, it would fit right into the Black Swordsman’s world.
7.) Madhouse
Perhaps most well-known recently for its work on Freeze: beyond journey’s endStudio Madhouse has been a big player in the anime world for decades. In fact, the production house existed long before Kentaro Miura picked up his pen to depict the likes of Guts, Griffith, and Casca. Madhouse is well-versed in some major anime franchises, including Hunter X Hunter, Trigun, One-Punch Manand more. When it comes to brutal action and mature themes, Madhouse has focused on plenty of stories in this department with the likes of Hellsing Ultimate, Perfect Blue, Wicked Cityand X. Even though Frieren is a series that focuses more on a lighter storytelling style, its aesthetic is quite close to Berserk’s in overall setting, and shows how Madhouse would be a good choice for resurrecting the dark anime franchise.
6.) Production I.G.
Production I.G. has long been a premier anime studio, perhaps most well known for its work on franchises like Ghost In The Shell, Haikyuand Psycho-Pass. Perhaps the projects that make I.G. a natural fit for working on Berserk include the likes of Blood-C, Uzumakiand Nobilitywhich merge serious storytelling with almost uncomfortable levels of creepy creatures and gore. The versatility of Production I.G. has been well-known within the anime world, and it might make for a perfect way to bring back Guts and his crew to the screen.
5.) Ufotable
Ufotable might have cut its anime teeth with shows like Fate/Zero, God Eaterand Tales of Symphonybut it’s through Demon Slayer that the production house really put its name on the map. The shonen franchise, fueled by the hard work of the production house, has given the anime world its biggest movies ever, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. With Demon Slayer preparing to come to an end with its latest trilogy, Ufotable might be looking for a new anime franchise to take on, and Berserk would be a worthy candidate. Perfectly bringing to life creepy creatures in the shonen anime adaptation, Ufotable also has experience with horror thanks to adapting Junji Ito’s Gyoa film that saw fish creatures emerging from the ocean’s depths. Ufotable would be a great fit for Kentaro Miura’s bleak world.
4.) Studio BONES
Studio BONES might be best known at the moment for My Hero Academiaespecially with the eighth and final season premiering recently, but the production house has a diverse library of anime to its name. The perfect example of a series that was able to mix hard-hitting action with mature, heart-wrenching stakes was Fullmetal Alchemist. Having handled the tragic adventures of the Elric Brothers, BONES might work as a great studio to adapt the Band of the Hawk and their tear-jerking journey. On top of Deku and the Elrics, BONES has also worked on series like Gachiakuta, Bungo Stray Dogs, Mob Psycho 100, Space Dandyand too many others to list. BONES has earned its place in anime history, as well as earning a chance to take on the story of Guts.
3.) Studio Pierrot
Like many other studios on this list, Studio Pierrot has become a powerhouse for its varied approach to its series, shonen or otherwise. Most recently, the production house has had its hands full with the likes of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood Warthe hard-slashing supernatural series that promises to bring the Soul Society’s adventures to an end. In the shonen department, Pierrot has brought to life heavy hitters like Naruto, Black Cloverand Yu Yu Hakushothough there is one series that is dark enough to match Berserk’s style. Pierrot brought the series Tokyo Ghoul to life in 2014, with Ken Kaneki’s story often being just as bleak as Guts’. Pierrot might be known for its biggest shonen series, but it has been more than willing to “get its hands dirty” with more mature anime adaptations, which certainly fit the bill for Berserk.
2.) David Production
While the creators of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s anime might not have tackled too many anime series that are like Berserkthe proof is in the pudding when it comes to the projects they’ve released over the years. On top of bringing the story of the Joestars to life, David Production has shown off its energetic style with the likes of Cells At Work, Fire Force, Undead Unluckand more. Perhaps the biggest reasoning behind why David might be a fantastic fit for Berserk is its devotion to franchises, sticking with a series for years until it is finished. Certainly, with all the manga material that needs to be adapted from Guts’ story, having a production house sink its teeth fully into Kentaro Miura’s world would make sense.
1.) Map
Of the many anime studios in operation today, Studio MAPPA might be the most busy and ironically enough, the most fitting to work on Berserk. The production house has made a name for itself with dark series like Jujutsu Kainen, Attack on Titan, Hell’s Paradiseand Chainsaw Manwith creatures from each fitting right in with Berserk’s apostles. The production house might have a full plate, but this fact has never quite brought down the level of quality for whatever project they’re working on. Of all the different choices on this list, MAPPA might be the best candidate to once again bring the Band of the Hawk to the screen.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
