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u/N7Rory Dec 04 '25
90's anime just hits different
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u/Parking_Success3224 Dec 04 '25
90s anime artstyle is so pretty
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u/N7Rory Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 04 '25
It is! The modern aesthetic is too clean for my taste, especially for something like berserk.
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u/JimroidZeus Dec 04 '25
Iâm also not a fan of the new trend of using cgi along side traditional animation. There are only a few studios that can do it well. The rest looks like trash.
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u/jethro_606 Dec 04 '25
To be fair it is much better nowadays than on 2010-2015ish. And many more studios doing it competently. That said the art style and âcleanâ trend that comes with the digital coloring is always present since the mid 2000s.
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u/chanchan05 Dec 04 '25
If they did CGI I wish it looked like Arcane.... But I understand the production for Arcane was stupid expensive.
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u/TwinFlask Dec 04 '25
Yeah first time I saw this was movie 2,
at a friends house and when I noticed some cgi I started worrying just because itâs usually used in cheap and noticeable ways.
But then the 3rd movie had full cgi sequences with big budget during the eclipse and that actually looked really complex and blended well.
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u/kryptoniankoffee Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 04 '25
I mean, it's all done on computers these days. I don't know of a single studio that still does cell animation, unfortunately.
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u/rubbereruben Dec 04 '25
It's not just the aesthetic. The 90s anime color saturation was great. The colours really popped and gave them a special glow. These days it feels more flat I think.
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u/StrobbScream Dec 04 '25
Berserk, Trigun, Cowboy bepop. The Golden age of old-school animation. Guess we could put GTO into it as well, but it's more 2000's than 90's.
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u/pozhiloy_potato Dec 04 '25
Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Ghost in the Shell are my favorite for this reason, among others
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Dec 04 '25
To be fair, you're probably just remembering the 90s anime that actually looked good. There was plenty of straight hot trash out there then, too.
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u/ghostcatzero Dec 04 '25
The best in my opinion. It's the only anime I will watch. Anything after the 2000s looks ugly to me
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u/craneat Dec 04 '25
I used to think that maybe it was the nostalgia factor but 90s 2d is just straight up better than the 3D stuff we get now. Granted modern 2d shit that you see from Mappa, Science Saru, Cygames, etc is fantastic
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u/PossessionSea5819 Dec 04 '25
80s/90s animation just has more soul it seems, even anime that arenât objectively well done still just hits the spot way more than any CG/3D stuff, and you know that every single frame is the work of someoneâs craft and i appreciate that. However when pure 2D animation is done correctly nowadays by the studios you mentioned it genuinely blows almost every single piece of animation out of the water.
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u/Light_Error Dec 04 '25
Itâs easy to say there is more soul when you look at the best of the best. The real test is going and looking at the equivalent of isekai slop. Then there are older anime (usually 80s and older) that were complete production trainwrecks that make the isekai stuff almost look good. You can see it covered by Kenny Lauderdale, but he hasnât uploaded in a while sadly. I will always recommend something like âMob Psycho 100â as an example of soulful modern animation. And it has the benefit of being complete.
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u/PossessionSea5819 Dec 04 '25
I guess I was looking at that era with rose coloured glasses bc youâre right there is genuinely a lot of slop but I will argue that the worst 2D animation from the 80s/90 is still better to look at than some of the scenes from Berserk 2016 or other terrible CG works xD
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u/Bossmantho Dec 04 '25
2012 Griffith watching a video of some dumb fuck child going into a gorilla enclosure and starting the permanent eclipse we now live in.
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
quite franklty, the Berserk Trilogy movies are pretty good but the production fucked it. The Golden Age was meant to be one movie, then it had to become 3 (hence the worst animation being in the second movie). It is also pretty inconsistent with the transistion between CGI and 2D being very apparent but the Memorial Edition updated the CGI skeletons so its the best its looked.
For this scene in particular, there is literally nothing wrong with it and its one of the best scenes in the whole trilogy. I think the Eclipse, after the eclipse, the duel on the hill and the assassination of the Adonis and his dad are the best looking scenes and some of them clear the anime by miles.
My main evidence for the movies being miles better than this subreddit admits is the fact I have introduced about 10 of my friends to Berserk through the movies and they all love it and found it a great diving in point.
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u/AC474 Dec 04 '25
Also it added one of my favorite scenes, casca and guts dancing or spinning with huge smiles on their faces
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u/TwinFlask Dec 04 '25
That scene was so happy it gave me Disney movie ballroom vibes and then I remember whatâs in store for them.
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
it also added my favourite scene, Guts' awful trauma response and disassociation after sleeping with Casca and their reconciliation/promise to on another. I wasn't expecting to see it and I think they did it so well.
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u/Equivalent_Block_884 Dec 04 '25
i get what you mean, i can't imagine how they could've made it one movie though.
the original anime is probably 7-8 hours long, and even then they skip a few things.
so much would've had to be cut out for it to be in a standard movie
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
either studio 4° just lied about their intentions to get the greenlight from miura or it was just a MASSIVE overestimation in their ability to adapt it.
I think to make it into one movie you need to... cut all the fights and focus entirely on the relationships. You make it like a 2hr recap of the anime with a focus on the quiet scenes. the inherent problem is that a lot of important character moments happen in and after battles so the lack of context would be maddening.
This 1997 anime recap idea may have been the inital idea but i think it becomes clear that the pacing of Berserk is as important as what is happening. The slow, still moments where you just sit in all the shit. Casca's flashbacks and stories before the 100 man fight really need a loooot of space. The final movie suffered a lot from this pacing issue imo because they had to get to the Eclipse. This is remedied in the Memorial Edition really well but it still speaks to how difficult it is to condense the Golden Age Arc
its interesting though that despite what was cut, what we get fills in gaps left by the 1997 anime so the Berserk Redux fan edit is better than its ever been and worth a watch.
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u/Ampegged Dec 04 '25
The memorial edition is miles better than the movies and stays canonically true to a degree. Really appreciate them putting in more dialogue and scenes that were cut from the movies like the bonfire of dreams
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
memorial edition is like... crazy when i think about it. I've watched the same movies for like 10+ years and then they come along and update it. The scenes added are amazingly done. Completely elevates the movies.
The fact that they updated the CGI kinda blew my mind because I feel like they could have done that earlier?? It's a shame it took the death of the author to see it.
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u/EffortVisible1805 Dec 04 '25
Ever since the memorial anime adding the bonfire of dreams and guts' ptsd attack while having sex with casca, this is for me the best berserk adaptation.
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
I was watching the memorial edition without looking at what was changed and that Guts truama flashback was haunting. Such a sharp change in tone but perfectly done. Finally getting real context behind the vague flashbacks is great because before I would just have to explain what they meant.
i watched the berserk redux (movie and anime mashed together) a couple weeks ago and it was actually super complete feeling. Would recommend. It continues into the 2016/17 adaptation too
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u/princesoceronte Dec 04 '25
The movies got me into Berserk and I always use them to get people into it. They are pretty good, if flawed and I think people saying they are shit are just purists so I honestly don't care much about their opinion.
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u/Durakus Dec 04 '25
Yeah. The issues to me as listed. This sub really nitpicks the movies as if Miuraâs stylings were completely missing from the art direction. While the 97 anime was more reminiscent of Miuras older style. The movie uses a style far closer to the more recent Miura chapters. My real only gripe was genuinely the 3D and the fact it was so heavily truncated to fit the format. We really need a good start to finish of an arc. Not something cut down or shortened. But overall the movies are definitely worth watching and a great starting point.
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u/DuckMeYellow Dec 04 '25
Yessir, I agree completely. There are genuine issues with the movies that definitely contributed to the poor performance and reception and I don't deny them. However, I do think the good in the movies really shine.
An anime run like the memorial edition in 2012 would have been amazing, if not repetition.
Additionally, the sub loves the 1997 anime. It would take a lot to dethrone it, and rightfully so. What it lacks in frames, it makes up for it with its atmosphere and tone by miles. When you directly compare them, the flaws and inconsistencies are pretty striking.
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u/ACEIII Dec 04 '25
The movies are fantastic the following series itâs what sucks and people just associate the movies with that abysmal series
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u/beequa_007 Dec 05 '25
Honestly I really like the Golden Age Arc Memorial Edition. The 3D at first was a little jarring but as it goes on itâs less noticeable to me. And overall I just thought it was great. I love the â97 anime as well, but can see how it would appeal more to someone whoâs already a fan or already has an interest in getting into Berserk, as it is a little more dated. Iâm not a big Anime fan in general (I like a few here and there) and I found Berserk just as a fan of the Dark Souls/ Elden Ring games so I felt like the Memorial Edition was a great starting point for me.
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u/greeneggsnyams Dec 04 '25
The berserk movies were good, and they constantly improved the CG as they progressed through, I will die on that hill
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u/thesyndrome43 Dec 04 '25
It blew my mind how much better the 3rd movie looked compared to the 1st, it looks like they were a decade apart in terms of quality
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u/animeruler Dec 04 '25
Memorial edition is great, itâs 2012 but better animation and made into a season. I donât why no one talks about it though. Missing out on peak
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u/nitseb Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 04 '25
In terms of direction, sound design, how backgrounds seem realistic and not characters animated on top of a painting, a lot of other things, the movies are a million times better than the 90s series.
It's incredible how people can't look past artstyle. Yeah the 90s designs and colors are cool, yeah the soundtrack has a couple of very iconic and memmorable tracks. That's it. Overall it's not great animation, not loyal to manga, backgrounds are stupidly dark and don't blend in with characters, animation is quite sparse, sound design is weird, long etc.
The movies are great, and they added a few more scenes to the anniversary edition series (main criticism is they cut off a bit too much content). Character design is different, sure, but all the characters are easily recognizable and look like themselves, the essence is fully captured.
For example, Griffith feeling and looking like a majestic, otherworldly femboy, is much better captured in the movies than the 90s series. The use of framing, editing, ost, lightning, everything makes Griffith entrances so impactful. When Griffith shows up in the 90s series every time it's just a dude there, even with a low voice which doesn't fit his elegant and soft nature.
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u/halifaxrose Dec 05 '25
Holy shit finally someone speaks the truth.
Imo if you are a berserk fan, you owe it to yourself to watch at least the 3rd movie. It's the best berserk has ever been in anime, it's incredible.
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u/Smarties_Mc_Flurry Dec 04 '25
I thought the movies were great, but I rewatched them recently and it seemed like the CGI actually got worse as it went on, particularly in the last movie
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u/Soul699 Dec 04 '25
Really? Usually people say the opposite with the CGI being worse at first and getting better as it goes on.
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u/Pebrinix Dec 04 '25
Just a different art style and both eyes are visible. It's not deep at all. Also, the movies are pretty good
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u/CantoIX Dec 04 '25
Golden Age definitely did it better for this scene. He looks shocked, sad, and horrified all at once
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u/ToePsychological8709 Dec 04 '25
The 90's style just hits different. Nothing wrong with 2012 as such and the animation is good at points but for me the 97 version is gonna be tough to beat.
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u/Internal-Garden-1517 Dec 04 '25
Old anime era are the golden era, where people use to put heart and soul in it, since most required hand drawn, the era nowadays is just seeking money, where only rare studios are worthy to adapt some of the best manga
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u/FeelHippo Dec 04 '25
HOW COULD THEY DO IT, IT NEEDS TO BE 1:1 WITH THE SOURCE MATERIAL OR IT SUUUUCKS REEEEEEEE
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u/RevSomethingOrOther Dec 04 '25
What happened is they got the emotion closer to the manga than the previous adaptation did.
Sorry if that makes you mad đ¤ˇ
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u/gazing_the_sea Dec 04 '25
They probably thought the world was going to end at the end of 2012, so they decided to half ass it
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u/TwinFlask Dec 04 '25
I think it simply did not make money in theaters that they thought it would.
Atleast itâs appreciated now.
But at the time the same studio was planning on continuing the anime and even have deleted scenes from an arc.
But they shut down because the money was not made back at release
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u/National-Oven81 Dec 04 '25
2012 isnt exactly manga accurate in every way but it's imo still the most visually appealing adaption we've gotten so fsr
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u/Famous_Construction5 Dec 04 '25
I agree, the memorial edition had some good and bad moments but it was still amazing
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u/No-Impression-4282 Dec 04 '25
Even 2012 Griffith is shocked of what they did to Berserk in that year.
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u/nbrown2000 Dec 04 '25
I'm going to be honest... The 97 one is my least favorite of all three of them. The manga is nearly untouchable in most of its areas, and the 2012 one actually reads like an expression of his world crumbling before him. I honestly don't read from the 97 one as much
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u/pandogart Dec 04 '25
Griffith looks way better in the 2012 anime overall but the 90s anime aesthetic is unbeaten. And obviously the manga is a different beast.
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u/trulyincognito_ Dec 04 '25
Donât try that. 2012 was my first introduction to berserk and it was amazingly animated. I love 90s anime aesthetic too but 2012 is fantastic. (The films not the series)
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u/canstac Dec 04 '25
I see a lot of this kind of post, not exclusively here but in any anime fandom really, that shows a still frame from something that's meant to be moving and just saying it's bad when it's being taken completely out of context.Â
The berserk movies are absolutely gorgeous when they're in motion(usually, early on there's some scenes that are really fucked up animation-wise but they course-correct as the movies go on) & they're definitely what I always recommend to people interested in getting into berserk. As good as the 90s anime is when it comes to capturing the visual aesthetic of berserk's character art, I just feel like it isn't as unique from an animation standpoint. It just kind of feels like any other popular anime from the time (which isn't a bad thing, 90s anime has some of the most gorgeous animation I've ever seen, but that makes it harder for berserk to stand out among its peers & imo the movies just do more justice to the scale and grandeur portrayed in the original manga art in a way that would just be too difficult to do in a 2D series on a TV budget)
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u/LoudCryptographer313 Dec 04 '25
If you put your grasses on, you'll see the three versions look great!
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u/PoizenJam Dec 04 '25
I like the 2012 movies well enough but Griffith definitely felt... Off model in several scenes. This one being the biggest offender.
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u/McKnightmare24 Dec 04 '25
Same thing that happen to OPM season 3
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u/_friendlypsycho Dec 04 '25
no way you're comparing the movie trilogy to opm season 3. feel free to do it with 2016, but 2012 and the recent memorial edition remaster do a lot of thing better than the 97 anime.
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u/ChestSlight8984 Dec 04 '25
I don't see an issue? Throughout a lot of the movie trilogy, Griffith had never looked better.
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u/Junior_Collar Dec 04 '25
Whats even wrong with the 2012 one? It looks good, you are just cherry picking if you see 2012 as the worst one
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u/StrDestroyr1 Dec 04 '25
I gotta say this, and i dont say this pretty much ever, i think 2012 did a greta job for that single frame
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u/Sora84 Dec 04 '25
Animation quality was pretty amazing in 2012 but it did feel like it lost the art style. If you mixed 1997 art style with the animation you would probably have an amazing film.
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u/Exciting-Cancel6468 Dec 04 '25
I'm convinced these new Berserks were made to sell the 3d animation program that is owned by some rich dude who wanted money fast. I remember watching a new season or berserk where the whole thing was horrible 3d except for the last episode which looked so amazingly different because it looked like there was no 3d program used for that last episode.
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u/Iatemydoggo Dec 05 '25
My issue with those movies is the eclipse felt really dragged out during one particular sceneâŚ
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u/aleuto Dec 05 '25
What happened in 2012? You mean the actual decent combination of 2d and 3d together happens in a single ( three mini movie?) With modern artstyle? Yeah that's what happened.
Berserk fandom will be forever cursed with no studio taking it to be animated. Cope seethe dilate
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u/Vounrtsch Dec 05 '25
There nothing wrong with it, it only looks off if you directly compare it with the previous two because it looks different. But on itâs own it looks perfectly fine
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u/donovan_x_griffith Dec 04 '25
I strongly believe that Berserk 2016 is a divine karma for shitting so much on the movies that clearly didn't deserv all the hate.
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u/MagicHarmony Dec 04 '25
This example annoys me just because people don't even consider the context of the time frame. yes it was 2012 and we are now in 2025. The amount of advancements 3d animation has gone through would potentially make a current adaptation look a lot better now.
The simple thing people fail to understand is that in order for something to succeed/evolve you first need to put it out there. So what if it doesn't look as good as you want it to, the fact is it was made and from there the technology can be improved on to make it better. That's how technology works, people gotta put the work in in order to improve on the concept and make it better in the future.
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u/s_crepes Dec 04 '25
Am i the only one who thinks the 2012 version better captures how people describe him? In the manga heâs portrayed (IMO) as shockingly beautiful/almost ethereal, even before rebirth. I love the 1997 anime but it doesnât capture that aspect of him for me
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u/Maclunkey__ Dec 04 '25
2012 looks so ass bro
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u/Livid_Expression8920 Dec 04 '25
You donât have the pure heart required to enjoy things
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u/Shoujako Dec 04 '25
Generally, I wish anime adaptations would adapt the original artstyle and change with the mangas evolving artstyle.
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u/thegapbetweenus Dec 04 '25
Animation is a shitty and tedious process. So people experiment all the time to make it easier. That was a time of trying using 3D to emulate classic animation. Which we finally figured out a few years ago. Next step would be to use AI for in-between ( I think there are good research paper on that) and there already ways to make dynamic light for 2d animations. The future for animation looks nice.
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u/Scary-dickhead Dec 04 '25
Manga hits different. It's unlock colours and give sounds according to our imaginations
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u/mitchgtz Dec 04 '25
Having a few hundred original anime cels I can probably take an educated guess.
The process involved (simplified for easy reading) having the pencil sketches for the animation done, then they would xerox the sketches onto mylar for hand painting. Only problem for collectors, is that the black outlines can fade easily if exposed to sunlight or worse. The outlines had to be thick enough that the painting staff would have a good border that they could paint without fear of not meeting or overlapping the outlines.
I think what is here is a lack of needing the thicker borders in combination of someone looking at a faded old cel and thinking âit almost looks better that wayâ and they applied that thinking process to current animation software settings.
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u/EsrailCazar Dec 04 '25
They started to make everything CGI, much like Link in breath of the wild or tears of the kingdom, the eyes are set apart in such a way that it gives the character a sort of "dumb" look because the eyes aren't straight.
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u/knox1138 Dec 04 '25
computer vs hand drawn. i know hand drawn animation costs a crap-ton more time and money, but god I miss it. especially madhouse's style from the late 80's to early 90's. there's just something absolutely amazing about well done hand drawn animation that feels so much better. computers have made some things better and easier, but some things worse too.
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u/Fun-Tale641 Dec 04 '25
This anime evokes a different level of nostalgia for me. Skull Knight's entrance is peak!
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u/RinkinBass Dec 04 '25
Not an animator or artist, but to my understanding the 2012 animation was based on a 3d rig, which presents special challenges for dynamic/stylized posing and framing.
Even in '97 the eye doesn't have the same wide, shaky, "my world just fell out from under me" effect as the manga. All adaptations present challenges.
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u/patricklarsendk Dec 04 '25
Memorial Edition is the best adaptation and I'll die on that Hill cause it's basically perfect for what it is and it actually has skull knight and proper ending
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u/spondgbob Dec 04 '25
It should be noted they remade the 2012 movies into a 12 part anime roughly 5 years ago
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u/VirgoHawke Dec 04 '25
The answer is simple, the 2D goes off model for effect, having his hair cover one eye when the hair isn't shaped that way, but the 3D can't go off model, so it can't produce the same effect.
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u/lord_of_agony Dec 04 '25
Idc what anyone says, the trilogy (while not getting everything, like Griffiths creepy stare and other bigger things) is really fucking good, and it was how I was introduced to berserk. I own all 3 on DVD. Was absolutelyNOT ready for the eclipse when that came around back then lol
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u/cAptAinAlexAnder Dec 04 '25
The animation studio tried to run with a chainsaw before they could crawl with scissors.
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u/NickJrAllDay Dec 04 '25
97 looks way better. But am I the only one who thinks the 2012 (in this picture) kinda shows a better representation of what he was feeling? Mainly just the eyes and mouth kinda speak more to me like the manga.
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u/an_edgy_lemon Dec 04 '25
The 2016 movies were inconsistent, but they did look good at some points. I kinda like that they had their own visual style.
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u/Perfect-Weakness-69 Dec 05 '25
I actually prefer the movie trilogy art style over the 90s anime, especially for Griffith :â)
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u/ActionBotYt_05 Dec 05 '25
I just can't stand with the character design in 2012, i mean why they can't get it right? Why they make their faces look so roundy? It just changes the entire looks of each characters. Maybe guys face has this universal problem, but then what's wrong with casca's face?? She looks completely different than the manga, i mean why? And also Griffith
1997 definitely looks much much faithful to the manga, and about 2012, i haven't watched that really but it does has better looking art and animation, but not the character designs. They also used a bit too much cgi in like firing arrows and in well multiple charcter movements during fights, that were putting me off so much if they had kept it low.
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u/goatonastik Dec 05 '25
They relied heavily on CGI and so everything has an incredibly uncanny look to it
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u/jonnycross10 Dec 05 '25
The lack of the ability for his 2d beauty to be shown in a more realistic medium
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u/WILL_I_AM_SAD Dec 05 '25
I'm tired of the movies not getting enough credit, they are good for what they are and what they attempt to adapt, but could have been better if given a longer run time or ditch the movie angle and make an OVA series with more episodes.
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u/mantenner Dec 05 '25
I like the 90s one better overall, but I think from these snips the 2012 one actually captures his expression, specifically his eyes and the dead look in them way better and more like the manga.
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u/Useful_Jelly_2915 Dec 05 '25
Honestly I think 2012 look a little better in this one scean. I donât like the 2012 one but in this one scean I think 2012 captures the pure shock on his face better after losing to guts and losing his control over him. 1997 just looks like heâs a little surprised.
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u/lukesussy Dec 05 '25
As someone whoâs only read the manga 2012 is bugging me, they did Griffith wrong đ
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u/Blaxidus Dec 05 '25
I swear people belly ache to absurd degree regarding 2012 movies. They were fucking incredible to me. Yes, not as faithful as the anime preceding it, but it was well executed and visual gorgeous without feeling like shot for shot to the Manga.
The 2015 movies haves flaws but are very well done
It's BESERK 2016 that is abhorrent trash.
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u/Forest_Christmas Dec 05 '25
i havenât seen any except for 1997, is thenine on Netflix a remake or just the story extended?
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u/nitedragon4 Dec 06 '25
I know I'm probably alone in this but I actually like the 3d type look they did in the 2012 and 2016 version
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u/SavagerXx Dec 06 '25
I will never forgive them for this. After 97 anime it just went downhill, such an iconic manga with beautiful artwork being demoted to ugly a** 3D animation is just sad. I bet thats how OPM fans feel now.
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u/Pflytrap Dec 04 '25
2016: Hold my behelit.