This is an obvious laser disc rip. The video seems a little dark and almost like a VHS tape. BUT, the thing is that it really doesn't take away from the series. If anything, it adds to the moody atmosphere.

The audio is pretty good for the last 2 discs. The audio on the first disc has a slight echo, but if you play with the surround sound features on your dvd player, you can make it basically disappear. Overall it is good.

The audio is pretty good for the last 2 discs. The audio on the first disc has a slight echo, but if you play with the surround sound features on your dvd player, you can make it basically disappear. Overall it is good.

This set is cool. I actually prefer it to the R1 rip set for the subs. There are also some rad extras at the end. Music videos, a promo video, and textless/alternate opening and closings. This is my favorite anime and this is a good set. It isn't perfect, but it is pretty darn close.

This is an early dvd rip, so the quality isn't as good as the later stuff. The colouring is a little dark, so it is much like vhs quality. But for the price, it is good, and doesn't detract any enjoyement. There is some colour bleeding, but who cares...

The audio is very good, its japanese. Believe me, subbed is always better than dubbed! So yeh, the audio is great.

The audio is very good, its japanese. Believe me, subbed is always better than dubbed! So yeh, the audio is great.

Despite this, the dvd was very cheap, good value for mone. The anime itself is amazing! The menus have some animated, even cg backrounds. At the end of the 3rd disc there are extras such as the videos of some of the music.

Why 4.5? It is almost exactly like my R1 copy, but has a few troubles that make appearances. Every so often, about once every two episodes, a 5-15 second scene will be washed out, like MAC's Spriggan, or ANY HK of Escaflowne the movie. Other than that, the video looks rediculously close to the R1. For the amount of video packed on the last disc, it's understandable that the quality might go down, but it manages to stay pretty much the same as the other two.

Awesome. Sounds just like the R1, except... NO DUB! w00+! Since Anime Works has NO CLUE how to do a dub, it's actually WELCOME not to have that on the disc.

Awesome. Sounds just like the R1, except... NO DUB! w00+! Since Anime Works has NO CLUE how to do a dub, it's actually WELCOME not to have that on the disc.

Awesome set. Usual price of R1=*6=120+5 for boxset, comes to 5ish. Average for rediculously high quality HK with better looking box = 30-40 bucks. Hmmm... decisions, decisions... I *highly* reccomend this set, and if you ever have the money to throw around, the AnimeWorks is generally crap, but it *might* be worth it, if you can find it CHEAP, to get the slightly upgraded video. The only reason to get the US is for the video, or to blindly support R1 releases from crappy companies. The Dub is one of the worst around, the discs are chinsy (4 a disc is supposed to be good? As compared to what, the Japanese release of FLCL?), and the extras suck.

It's a Rip from A Laserdisk i think. Video : 4/5. This Obviously isn't Ripped from a DVD, but that aside the image is pretty good, although there were some colour bluring and the images was sometimes a little "dark", but it's not siginficative . Audio : 4/5. No problems whatsoever. The Audio is Japanese 2 ch. Subtitles : 4.5/5 . The subtitles are great adn very understandable. No Engrish at all, and the timings were correct Extras : Contains a extra episode towards the end of the Episodes, which includes Video Clips and Music. Not subbed though. Overall : It's a good Set for an ever greater Show.It's really worth your money. edited by The Swan on 09 Nov 2002 8:12 pm

Not you need another review but......... This is one of the best sets out there. It was ripped from the Laserdiscs, & as many might know, usually LDs are ripped from SVHS masters, so it's like your watching a SVHS on a DVD. Video = 8/10 Some color bleeding, like very bright reds. Not that noticeable or annoying. Pretty good. Could be better though since we ARE judging by DVD standards. Audio 10/10 No probs here Subs = 9/10 Again, ripped from the LDs. Very few mistakes. Personally I suggest buying the R1s for 2 reasons... 1, perfect quality w/ extras & a pretty good # of eps per disc (5 on the 1st, 4 on the rest,..... & that's pretty good compared to the other R1 DVDs we get ripped on!) 2, you should support R1 releases if they're worth it. Otherwise, they could just stop making R1 anime DVDs. About 3 of my fave DVDs got discontinued cuz peepz wouldn't buy em.

There are actually some "extras" at the end of disc Three. A music video for "Tell Me Why" and a music video for the end theme with some clips from the show and some new stuff O almost forgot there is a music video for forces as well. This is a great release buy it now in ways it is superior to the media blasters release "Gatsu" over "GUTTS" any day.

VIDEO: Colors bleed, and glitches galore. The video was pretty horrible, and made the set worst than it actually is. GRADE: C- AUDIO: Pretty good, all in all. Not the best I've ever heard, but very good, nonetheless. Then again, I don't have a surround sound set-up, so I wouldn't really know. GRADE: A- SUBTITLES: Not the best I've ever seen, but still very, very awesome. There were a lot of timing issues, and many, MANY spelling errors, which got annoying. Also, the font just plain out sucked, and got on my nerves. SERIES: One of my favorites. Though, it's not for every one. If you get offended by blood, blood, blood, homosexuality (biggot.), relationships from people from different races (biggot.), swearing, or just plain out fighting, then never, EVER, EVER watch this series. EVER. You'll kill yourself when you're through, if you dare to take the risk. GRADE: A+ MENUS: PALLY ALL!!! GAH! On the set's first disc, the main menu says "PALLY ALL", instead of "PLAY ALL". Other than that, all the menus on all three discs are very, very awesome. They even have music playing in the background, unlike most HK discs, so that was nice. Nice sub menus too. GRADE: A- PACKAGING: No problems, but still not what I'd prefer. GRADE: D+ EXTRAS: None. GRADE: N/A CHAPTER STOPS: As usual, one chapter stop for every episode. I'm not lowering the grade, because most HK DVDs do the very same thing, so it's not a problem for me, really. GRADE: B+ DISC OPINION: Well, I guess this set is nice to have for all you impatient and/or cheap people out there. I'd still suggest that you buy the Region One discs from Media-Blasters, with the Collector's Case. That's what I did, and will continue TO do until they finish releasing it. I'll keep this set until then. After that, it's gone. GRADE: B+

The HK DVD set of Berserk is spectacular, and sets a standard not surpassed by much in the HK DVD world to this point despite being one of the earlier HK DVD releases. The breakdown: Video (4/5): The video appears to be a Laserdisk rip and lacks the definition of DVD quality video, however, having purchased the Region 1 first DVD, there is not a huge difference in video quality between the two. The picture is darker and slightly more grainy than the R1 set but there is no real pixelation or color bleeding in the rip. No blips or any other issues present so very good overall. Audio (4/5): Not spectacular, but very solid and has a nice amount of depth and volume for a Laserdisk release. In this department the R1 has this set beat definitively, but the audio of this set is good overall. Subtitles (4.5/5): The subtitles in this set are wonderful, no misspellings, and the correct names are used for the characters. However, there are some minor timing issues in a few episodes like Episode 18 where the subs fall well behind the video but only for a minute or so before catching up. Great overall. Extras (4.5/5): Creditless opening and ending. A long overview on the series at the end with music videos from the Opening, Ending, and the great "Forces" preview music video of Berserk. The only issues are the long overview does not have divisions to skip through so you can't just access the music videos, and the overview is not subtitled. But more extras than most HK DVD and normal R1 releases are on this set. Quality of series (5/5): While Berserk ends on a cliffhanger due to the manga still being worked on, and despite being not as good as the manga, Berserk is still the best anime series of all-time for me and is a must-see for all anime fans that can take a lot of disturbing imagery. A great buy all-around.

I borrowed the series form my friend, who had the AV boxset release, but its probobly the same thing as the MI version. BERSERK Review Video: 3/5 No pixillation but it is VHS quality. Colors Bleed a little bit here and there. I'm not too picky so it's fine with me Audio: 5/5 I had no problems Subtitles: 4.5/5 These subs kick ass! Definately a fansub script Package Design: 3/5 The AV version has 3 seperate DVD cases in a boxset. It didn't look very professional and the art was a little blurry and It was all in japanese (or chinese?). Content: 5/5 Man, anime kicks ass. So many great serieses. This is a very dark anime and the end was very sudden and sad. Yes there is only 25 episodes, there isn't more so it leaves you hanging, but of course, like always, that's what manga is for. Overall an awesome series. edited by Pepsidude on 29 Jul 2002 8:25 am edited by Pepsidude on 01 Aug 2002 2:36 pm edited by Pepsidude on 29 Aug 2002 6:29 am

video- 4/5 audio- 4/5 subtitles- 5/5 My personal view on Berserk: Overall I thought it was just a good anime. The story line was pretty good, but a bit too dark. There was nothing special about the fight scenes, just swords and arrow going through body parts, very bloody, (I was also surprised that they actually showed the killing of a child, a first in my 15 year as a anime fan). Just my opinion...as a reference my all time favorite anime include Kenshin, Jojo Bizarre Adventure, and Hokuto No Ken TV episodes(#1 all time, after episodes 21).

video- 4/5 audio- 4/5 subtitles- 5/5 This is an excellent bargain for any berserk fan or any other anime fan who likes a wonderful story. LD/SVHS quality video. Almost perfect audio and subtitles so close to being perfect, I rated them a 5/5. I got the Anime Cartoon gatefold set. It has neat artwork and is great as a shelf piece. It played fine on my GE dvd player with a minor skip on the last disc, but played perfectly on my brother's Playstation 2, which is one of the newer models. If you want to know where to get this version of the set, e-mail me at [email protected] .

Video: I'm not a real fanatic on video quality, so I can barely tell the difference between VHS and DVD, but the quality seemed enjoyable to me. Sound: Some people said they had a problem with humming, but I didn't hear a thing, and I have a ten year old 27-inch JVC. To me the sound was just fine. Subs: This was really my only problem, the subs aren't bad, but sometimes they would show up late/early, and at a few points they would stay for a split second or so. Other than that, the content stayed very true to the manga and was done very well. This series is by far one of my favorite, I finished it in two days (I did sleep in-between). If you are a fan of Record of Lodoss War, you should try this out, it's like ROLW on steroids (no elves though). The series is just great from begining to end, though the ending may seem a bit sudden if you haven't read the manga (I think it covers chapters 4-12 of 26 manga chapters).

While the video isn't perfect it's still pretty good. This is obviously a LD transfer. The subtitles are excellent, and couldn't be much better. The only annoyance I had was with the e-mail advertisements in the subtitles during the opening animation. The extras are also not subtitled, but you can follow along with it once you see the series. It includes a synopsis, and several music videos. The story is among the best I've seen in anime, and I would highly recommend this title. Put your grasses on!

Definately a laser disc rip, but a very good one. The colors don't really bleed or anything. No blocking, no bleeding, hardly any distortion. It lacks the definition of a DVD rip, but it's still very good.

Many people complain of an echo (because of a fake 5.1 channel), and while it is ther, it's barely noticable on my setup. It's ver good, and seems to be very clear. Other than the minor echo, I have no qualms with the audio.

Many people complain of an echo (because of a fake 5.1 channel), and while it is ther, it's barely noticable on my setup. It's ver good, and seems to be very clear. Other than the minor echo, I have no qualms with the audio.

I highly reccommend this set. Well worth the money.

This DVD is spectacular everything is great. Video: excellent bill and ted style all the way (that means good) Audio: again very good Subtitles: they are fansubs so it is good for those who havent seen this series yet "What are you waiting for!!" this is one of the best stories you can get but be warned it is highly addictive and every episode ends in a cliffhanger i do mean every episode. So if you are in the mood for something new or just want to see something so awesome get this series now!!!

The subtitles are the best I've seen. They are timed well and are better than the U.S. release subtitles! Of course the U.S. release subs make sense like these, however, these ones pick up on subtle messages or foreshadowing that was meant by the japanese script. They are just great!

The subtitles are the best I've seen. They are timed well and are better than the U.S. release subtitles! Of course the U.S. release subs make sense like these, however, these ones pick up on subtle messages or foreshadowing that was meant by the japanese script. They are just great!

Video: Awesome Sound: Awesome Sub: Awesome Package: Awesome Content: Awesome 5/5 Buy now.

Okay this actually from what I gather is a combination DVD rip and laserdisc source which you can tell when you watch it because they forgot to edit out when the laser disc player switch sides and when the japanese dvd menu comes up which actually was pretty cool to see some of that stuff as an added bonus but it didn't detract from the overall video presentation is pretty good not perfect but none the less worth your money. By the way after Berserk ends keep watching they put on the extra "0" episode that recaps the series its not subbed but it has the music videos from the soundtrack which has to be one of the coolest "we'll just put this on cause we have space" moments on HK dvd for a while. Well, since they accedentally put the Director's Cut of Evangelion out.

The audio for being only japanese was just fine it wasn't like some of the hong kong discs I have noticed like spriggan or bgc 2040 where the volume on the actual disc was so loud no matter how you turned it down it was distorted.

The audio for being only japanese was just fine it wasn't like some of the hong kong discs I have noticed like spriggan or bgc 2040 where the volume on the actual disc was so loud no matter how you turned it down it was distorted.

Excelent anime! Nice picture and audio. Subbing is likewise excellent. Only a few timing problems but grammer and spelling is as good as it gets. Highly recommended. Also there are a few cool extras at the end which surprised me @@x, like a music video of Forces and others.

This was one of the first 2 HK DVD sets I ever bought (this & the Hakkenden), I loved it! A long time ago I used to hassle my neighbor & childhood friend Yami to translate & read the jp manga to me, she did even though she thought it was really gross (lol) so I was already hip to the story. They did a good job in the transition to manga, with the exceptions of no Puck, the origin of the Dragon Slayer & a slight few other differences, but overall it's a great animated version of a great manga. As you already know, the video quality is just OK, and was more than likely transfered from LD or SVCD. The audio is pretty good though. And of course the subs are nearly perfect. It's not the perfect set, but it is a safe buy for action fans.

This set had near perfect subs. Video and audio quality were also pretty good. The story itself is awesome... This is one of those series that has action from beginning to end. If you're looing for something lightharded then this is definitely not for you.

The video is also a little grainy, and it seems to jump a little, but other than that it's fine.

The audio pretty good to me. The main audio was taken and put into the rear channel speakers so emulate a 5.1 channel audio track, which can be minorly irritating, but it didn't really bother me.

The audio pretty good to me. The main audio was taken and put into the rear channel speakers so emulate a 5.1 channel audio track, which can be minorly irritating, but it didn't really bother me.

This is a great show. It's freakin cool and freakin violent. 5/5

Very good subs and audio, but the show suffers from a large amount of grain in the video. It looks like VHS. The most likely thing is that the video was from a LD set and ripped onto SVHS before getting transfered to this DVD. It improves in areas but in some scenes the video looks horrible. Not bad, just don't expect DVD quality video. Subs only have a few errors here and there and some timing problems but nothing major. Very good subs. If you can get the AS set, you might want to get that one since its the same content and can be got for cheaper, though be warned as the AS set comes in a nasty package while this AC set uses a nice gatefold case. Get either one, there both excellent except for the lacking video. I'm hoping to get the R1's when they come out to compare and see how crappy these are..... or just to see how they screwed up the official release :)

This was the first HK Set I bought, first I reviewed, and reason I started this site. With that, I figured it was time to have an updated review. Packaging: I got ripped off. There are a total of 4 different boxes for this set - that I have seen. First, the nice 3 disc cases with cardboard (hard cardboard) slipcase, traditional to Anime Cartoon. Second, the plastic 3 disc slipcase with the 3 disc cases, traditional to Anime Studio. Third, the awesome gatefold from Anime Cartoon. And finally, the shitty box I got, a piece of cardboard with three DVDs inside in a plastic bag. They all use the same, nice cover art and back, company logos differ. Content: The growth of a warrior is the best way to describe this show. It's about a boy named Gattsu who grows to become a revered warrior in a clan known as the Band of the Hawk. Think I just spoiled something? I didn't. Caska, Griffith, and Gattsu make up your three main characters, they are all likeable and all have their own motivations that drive them. The series begins as anything good does, with an ending, unfortunately, it's the ending of the series. From this point on the show is told in flashback format, and you have lots to enjoy, I assure you. The show takes place in medieval times, and doesn't seem to take place in Japan, though most people already know that. Berserk has a little of everything, mythical creatures and enemies, along with body part severing and blood galore, so to the squeamish, you have been warned. It is truly one of the better made animes of the past few years, despite the fact that the animation leaves a something to be desired. It's dark feel and fantasy/medieval escape is something many movies have tried to capture in the past, but have failed too until recently, it is truly an accomplished anime. Subtitles: Direct from the fansubs, they do occasionally hang (likely from having an incorrect duration when they converted the subtitles to a DVD-useable format.) but are generally dead on and all around good. I didn't notice many, if any, spelling errors, and the names accord to the fansub scripting. Gattsu's real translated name is Guts, but to be honest, I really REALLY prefer Gattsu. Overall, one of the better HK efforts, pretty sad considering it's age (this is one of the earlier "popular" hkdvd sets.) Video: LD/SVHS Quality all the way. There is occasional shaking and lots of on-screen noise. While it doesn't look bad, it's a far cry from DVD quality. This is definitely a field HKDVDs have long since grown in. That being said, it's still good and, unless you have the SVCDs from the R2 DVDs or the R2 DVDs themselves, you'll be hard pressed to find a better looking version. The colors are nice and bold as well, none of the typical color washout is present. Audio: A poorly rendered 5.1 ch track that is trademark of LD rips. The rear channels on this track contain nothing more than a minor echo from the lead stereo tracks, the center channel - as far as I could tell - is not used at all. This causes an echo on most sets, especially those with just regular TV speakers. Those with a 5.1 setup can easily adjust their receiver to mute the rear channels, at which point the show sounds outstanding. Aside from the echo, this has pretty good audio, for those who have the option though - be sure you mute the rear channels (Some DVD players may be able to do this as well.) Menus/Chapters/Extras: Pally All! The menus are nice on disc 1, but they spell Play All, you guessed it, Pally All. Not a big deal though, everything else is right and the background video is quite nice, despite the strange selection logo. The chapter select screen loops the same scenes from episode 2 over and over again for every other episode, a different scene for the odds as well. It's kind of funny but no big deal (It's supposed to show a clip from that episode, not episode 2.) Discs 2 and 3 contain interesting 3D Menus that work but are not in English (though easy to navigate). Extras included are from the LD, including a mini-movie (combination of episodes.) that unfortunately doesn't have English subtitles, Forces "TV" Music Video, and the classic Forces Anime Music Video. Other stuff includes a creditless intro, creditless ending, and a few other music videos/CG sequences. Chapters are broken up into single episodes, so not skipping around to pre or post intro (all of which are intact, endings and previews as well.) Overall: If you're reading this, you probably already have this set. If not, It's a Safe Buy and Recommended. However, the region 1s are due out at the end of April, for those who prefer DVD-quality video. I personally recommending getting both, however, one set that has subs that say Gattsu (good... GOOD I TELL YOU.) and one set that has awesome video (sorry I don't like the name Guts.. really I don't.) edited by Rich on 03 Mar 2002 5:07 pm

Video: It looks like a VERY OLD laserdics transfer too me. The video is very grainy. At first, it boterhed me, but after a while, it gets better and its less anoying. Overall its very watchable. Audio: Ok, little humming here and there. Subs: Very, very good! It even looks like they used a proffesional translator themselves over at AC ! I get this idea because in one episode there was this line : "Check translation for these 2 lines" :D But overall, they are allmost perfectly timed and perfect English. Very recommended! !!

This is a good release wich has laser disc quality video, great subs, and decent audio. This show is highly recommended!!!