A grimdark epic with compelling protagonists, stomach-churning horror, heartbreaking drama and a lovecraftian sense of metaphysical worldbuilding that's as fascinating as it is terrifying. Guts is a severely traumatized vigilante that wanders the world, throwing himself into one battle after another in hopes of finding a meaning in the tremendous suffering he's endured. When I was getting into anime at a young age I never quite came across something as monumental as Berserk in terms of adult-like anime. Isidro attempts to save Casca, while the Great Goat is transformed into a monster by a mysterious observer. Fatigued from his battle with Rosine and tormented by an embodiment of his inner darkness, Guts is surrounded by the Holy Iron Chain Knights, knights of the Holy See faith who have been tracking him since the day they investigated the aftermath of the Eclipse.

The two resolve their issues and consummate their love, Guts telling Casca to leave with him after they save Griffith. Only the knights' herald Serpico gives chase, before finding himself surrounded by pursuing spirits.It might not seem like it in the beginning, but the Black Swordsman arc is arguably one of the most important as it solidifies the themes of struggle, survival and wavering humanity that Guts deals with on a daily basis and sets up the flow of the rest of the story.

The characterisation, the relationship dynamics and the art are all really stepping up in this series. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk. Since then, the series has been supervised by Miura's friend Kouji Mori and drawn by Studio Gaga, consisting of Miura's assistants and apprentices.If you have any love of well-constructed fantasy worlds, you're doing yourself a disservice if you aren't reading Berserk. As Rickert bares witness to the Skull Knight and Zodd battling outside the storm entrance to the Interstice, the Band of the Hawk are decimated by the Apostles with only Guts and Casca left alive. The spirits pass Serpico and possess hounds that Guts fights off before killing a possessed horsed as it was about to rape a horrified Farnese. In their cave, the pagans intend to marry Casca to the Great Goat with Nina as a sacrificial offering, but Isidro distracts the pagans while Puck goes after Guts.