Berserk Season 2 Halted? (Spoilers... duh...)

gambitt · Post by **gambitt** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 1:07 pm

I heard from a friend of a friend (not a reliable source at all, I know) who lives in Japan, that pre-production of Berserk Season 2 is stopping for now because Naohito Takahashi (the director) or Kentarou Miura (manga artist) or *somebody* wants to wait until the manga ends. I'm at volume 23... and I see no end for a while. Can anyone verify this? It's definitely confirmed there will be a season 2... just a matter of when.

Also, anyone want to theorize as to how you'd want to see the second series open? How in hell (literally) do you think they'll start at such a cliffhanger? I have my own theories but I won't spew em unless anyone shows interest (Is anyone keeping up with the manga as devotedly aka weirdly as I am?

).

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 7:47 pm

Berserk 2 has been in "pre-production" for ages. I have to admit, though, waiting for the manga to end before actually making the show IS a good idea, considering how the first series went through appx. 13 volumes in 25 episodes (OK, OK, so they sorta redid books 1-3 for ep 1, you get the point re: story relevance). The anime producers may also wish to wait and see if a certain character or two is truly necessary before having to find a way to work them into the story. BTW, at the current pace of the manga, it'll be another 2-3 years before the anime gets made if this is indeed what the producers are doing (avg. 2 books/year, at least 2-4 left before all is said and done, add on writing/fundraising/etc. time and you get the idea).

And then we get to wait for the anime to come over in R1 since it's almost a sure bet that Media Blasters will be helping to pay for it after the incredible sales of the show in R1. I just hope that we can get an articulated Griffith figure out of it....and a new run of behelit replicas, as the hook on mine feels wobblier every time I wear it...

gambitt · Post by **gambitt** » Wed Dec 25, 2002 9:36 pm

I thought Media Blasters said they weren't going to fund the second series at this year's AX. Can't blame em. A "sizable sum" was paid to snatch the show out of Urban Vision's grasp. They really need to make back their money and sell more than enough in order to fund the next one. No wonder those DVDs were so expensive... not saying it can't be done.

Kracus · Post by **Kracus** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 8:56 am

I wouldn't care where they started just as long as they started somewhere. I want more Berserk Action.

iserlohn · Post by **iserlohn** » Thu Dec 26, 2002 9:50 am

Kracus: You could always do what the rest of us have been doing and buy the manga. It's out in at least 3-4 different languages, so if you're lucky, the one you're taking/have taken in high school or so can be put to practical effect.

Oh, the other issue about the potential for a second Berserk series: What happens after the eclipse is about 40x more violent, brutal, and disturbing thant anything that happens in what got animated. Rumor has it (I believe it came from a con report, but don't feel like looking them all up, so it's rumor until someone cites it properly) that if a second series is made, Japanese censore laws wouldn't allow it to be on TV. This would mean an OAV release which allows for creative freedom, but drops the budget drastically for a full length series, especially because the OAV market in Japan is dead thanks to iMode phones. Holding out may allow the market to adjust itself (especially if they can get some decent economic reform going), and waiting for the end of the manga (which is still pretty darn popular) and doing a tie-in would probably get the kind of press a sequel produced this much later needs.