Yes, once again let us remind you, readers, that this isn’t a new Berserk anime series or a remake. Taking the three Golden Age Arc movies, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition is a 13-episode anime adaptation. This isn’t unheard of to see in the anime world as many anime films have gotten a TV anime adaptation but we were a bit surprised to see it, nevertheless. We think it’s a great way to honor the late Kentaro Miura with one the best versions of the Golden Age Arc but we also don’t want to say this is a completely new creation either. If you watched the three movies before, this will feel very familiar but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a bad rewatch experience either. With the updated visuals—minor but still noticeable—and the few added moments here and there, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition is still an excellent adaptation of the original manga arc and looks pretty solid for the current anime age.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition is a great retelling of the original trio of movies as we once more get to see the rise, fall, and rebirth of Guts, Griffith, and the Band of the Hawk. Watching Guts become the Hundred Man Slayer and then The Struggler—no spoilers in case these words/phrases are foreign to you—was a real treat and made us remember why we always believe that Berserk is one of the best dark fantasy works out there.

Visually too, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition looks pretty solid with a nice mix of CGI and original 2D animation. Despite being taken from an older film trilogy, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition still looks better than the more recent anime series and that is both amazing and kind of shocking. We definitely wish Berserk didn’t rely so heavily on CGI at times but given this was a movie series, we forgive it and again, are happy with the small reworks here and there.

The biggest flaw of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition is hands down the realization that once again, we aren’t getting more of the manga arcs being adapted into an anime series but a retread of the original Golden Age Arc. As fans of the manga, we know the big moments of the series and how we long for them to get a proper anime but sadly that still isn’t happening. Once more, we return to one of the original arcs—which is still considered one of the best of Berserk—and that disappoints us a bit. Plus, it needs to be said that if you saw the movies, you are going to feel a lot of déjà vu watching this memorial edition. Did we say that already? Probably but it fits with the whole déjà vu phrase.

There is only one way to introduce a manga fan to the world of Berserk—by obviously reading the manga—but when it comes to the anime…that can be a bit trickier. There are the original 1990s Berserk anime and there are the trilogy movies. Now, we can honestly say Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition is a third way to lead people on the path of Berserk or for fans who maybe need a refresher course but can’t watch older anime. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition captures the Golden Age arc pretty well and doesn’t shy away from showing the dark themes you’ll soon come to expect from the world of Berserk.

Just to add one final note to our review, the Forces Remix by Susumu Hirasawa is without a doubt one of the best versions of Forces we’ve heard. Not only is the song legendary in the world of Berserk, especially for fans of the original anime, but it also captures the series so well! Sorry, we just had to share our love for it before we wrapped up our review!