Kentaro Miura's masterpiece manga series, Berserk, is commonly regarded as one of the greatest stories ever told in the medium. At times, the series can be unforgivingly brutal in its depictions of violence and cruelty, only to then turn around and feed its audience some of the most emotionally heartfelt and inspiring moments the dark fantasy genre will allow for. Packed to the brim with high-energy action and jaw-dropping artwork, it's obvious why Berserk is so acclaimed.

However, unlike other popular manga, Berserk has never been able to receive a great anime adaptation. Studios have tried in the past with varying results, from good to shocking, but have never quite been able to match the absurdly high-quality of the source material. For years, fans have begged for that one adaptation to come along and do what no studio could before, but as the years continue to since the last Berserk anime, it seems the likelihood of that happening continues to decrease. Berserk may never get that great anime, and another recent flop showcases why.

A Recent Adaptation Shows Why a New Berserk Anime Might Not Be Possible

Junji Ito's Uzumaki Was Failed By Its Latest Anime Series

Very few manga series have been able to rival the quality of Berserk's artwork, and as the series continued past the Golden Age arc, Miura's illustrations somehow only improved. The detailed realism present throughout the manga's later stages is flooring at times, and one artist that uses a similar style in his drawings is the horror legend, Junji Ito. His grotesque and uncanny art has horrified readers for decades, establishing him as a master of his craft, and, like Berserk, adaptations of Ito's work have not been great.

In 2019, a miniseries co-produced by Production I.G USA and Adult Swim was announced, and planned to faithfully adapt Junji Ito's Uzumaki in a style that would replicate its source material. After five years of relative silence and constant delays, the anime premiered to an overwhelmingly positive reception from viewers. However, only one week later, it was clear the series was a failure. Slated for four episodes, only Uzumaki's first was finished on time for release, and the steep drop in quality that followed sent the anime community into a frenzy.

After years of waiting, the Junji Ito fan base was once again let down by a failed adaptation of the artist's work. More than outraged, though, much of the anime community was confused as to how such a disaster could have happened. As just about everyone thought, the issues didn't stem from an incompetent staff, but rather unfortunate external forces. Forces that would undoubtedly have a hand in any future Berserk production.

Detailed Manga Makes Anime Production Difficult

Manga Like Berserk and Uzumaki Are Difficult to Adapt

In the midst of heavy criticism, the co-founder of Toonami and Uzumaki's executive producer, Jason DeMarco, took to social media to assure fans they'd been "screwed over". Producing high-quality anime takes time and money, two things investors and companies aren't always pleased to give, and in the case of Uzumaki, the production simply ran out of both. Unfortunately, for any fans waiting patiently for a new Berserk anime, it's likely any future adaptation will have to endure similar circumstances.

It can never be certain what exactly plagued Uzumaki's production, as certain details like the number of hands assigned to work on the series are unclear. Though, if it took nearly five years to finish a little more than one episode based on a one-shot manga, there's no telling how long it might take to animate over 300 chapters of Berserk. In many situations where a studio is tasked to adapt an incredibly detailed manga series, solutions are found to help lessen the work load. However, Berserk's history with anime proves that solutions can often create more problems.

Solutions Have Only Created More Problems for Berserk

The Latest Adaptation of Berserk Tried and Failed to Bring the Series to Life

In 2016, studio Liden Films attempted to do what no other anime had done before: adapt Berserk beyond the Golden Age arc. In an effort to make production a bit easier, animation studios GEMBA and Millepensee utilized a hybrid 2D-CGI art and animation style to bring the series to life, and the results were disastrous. 2016's Berserk stripped the title of the visual quality it was known for, and instead offered a series that was bland in its best moments, and shockingly ugly in its worst. In the years since it released, the adaptation has become one of the most controversial in anime history.

While Berserk 2016 receives the majority of criticism from fans of the series, it wasn't the manga's first anime to lack the visual quality of the source material. A trilogy of films covering the Golden Age was released in 2012 and 2013, and though their artwork is much less offensive than that of their successor, much of it comes off as underwhelming and bland. However, there is potential in theatrical releases.

There Might Be One Way a Berserk Adaptation Could Work

Feature-Length Films Could Be the Way to Get a Berserk Anime Done

Unlike weekly TV anime series, films are often awarded higher budgets and more resources. It's no coincidence the CGI animated sections of the Golden Age trilogy are of much higher quality than in 2016's Berserk, and any future adaptation of the series might just succeed in theaters. The main obstacle in the way of a new Berserk anime, aside from the manga's more sensitive content, is just how difficult it would be to produce. If a brave studio is willing to take the series on and provide ample time and resources for the staff, it might just be possible.

Until then, however, fans are unfortunately stuck with less than stellar adaptations of Berserk, and the disaster that was the manga's last adaptation may scare studios away from taking the series on. Currently, the creation of a proper adaptation simply might not be possible, as other failed shows like Uzumaki have shown. Luckily, Berserk's manga has seemingly found its groove under the supervision of Koji Mori, allowing fans to continue experiencing the story in at least one medium.