Studio Eclypse has announced plans to create an anime adaptation of dark fantasy manga Berserk, alongside releasing a very brief teaser trailer. However, it must be noted that the ambitious project is not officially sanctioned by the rights holders and is instead being created by a collective of dedicated fans.
It will be the second such project from Studio Eclypse, as the team has already been chipping away at a “what-if” alternative to the ending of Attack on Titan, called Attack on Titan: Requiem, which is based on the fan-made manga of the same name. This time, however, the group is aiming to ensure that its production hews closely to the source material of The Black Swordsman arc of the manga.
“This series is very close to our hearts, we aim to create a proper 2D adaptation of the stories that have been neglected of this medium, starting from the beginning,” they posted to X, suggesting plans to create an ongoing series. It’s more than just an idle fantasy, too. Studio Eclypse has more than 100 collaborators, though it’s not currently clear how many of them are working the Berserk anime. The X post lists animator markReymer and artist velupio as contributors.
The Black Swordsman was the first published arc of Berserk, though it’s canonically the second following Golden Age. It introduces readers to the main character, Guts, and his quest for vengeance. It spurred one of the most influential manga of all time, effectively canonizing dark fantasy, and going to inspire a range of works including Attack on Titan and the upcoming Lords of the Fallen. However, the original manga-ka Kentaro Miura passed away before finishing the series, which is now being completed by his friend Kouji Mori.
Today’s trailer doesn’t reflect the first anime adaptation of Berserk, which has previously been attempted three times, first as series 1997, then as a set of films in 2012 and 2013, and then a second series in 2016. There’s no knowing when — or even if — this new project will ever see release, but we’re extremely hopeful.
