Berserk 2016, or How Not to Adapt Manga

Why the Music is Garbage

               Berserk is without question one of the best pieces of dark fantasy ever written, and it holds a place close to my heart, which is why I am saddened that I am about to tear it apart. Now, Berserk has many adaptations since the first chapter was published in 1989 and still continues to this day. The series first received an anime in 1997, then another re-make of that series as a three part movie in 2012, and the latest adaption is an anime series that premiered in 2016 and picked up where the 1997 one left off. This most recent version will be the focus of this post as it is absolutely atrocious and is a mockery of what the creator, Kentaro Miura, intended. Berserk 2016 really does suck.

                I could talk about this show forever, any mistake it could have made, it made. I could talk about the horrible use of CGI, the bad pacing, the major story arcs that it just skips, the horrible tone, the worst sound effects ever, but if I did all of those this would be fifteen page essay so instead I’ll just focus on one aspect, the music.

Here’s a quick list of what the music did wrong:

• Completely misunderstood the tone of Berserk
• Forceful portrayal of action scenes
• Absolutely no subtlety
• No cohesion in the overall composition

1. Misuse of Tone

              Although this flaw is mainly due to poor direction, the music did not help. The world of Berserk is supposed to be mysterious, ominous, and dark but the music doesn't capture any of this. Instead of being the embodiment of these tones, which the original series nails, it decides to turn Berserk into a stereotypical shonen which doesn't fit at all. 

2. Poor Execution of Action Scenes

                Action scenes in the old 1997 Berserk either had no music, which created a very tense atmosphere, or had some of the oddest and most unsettling songs that I have ever heard from an original sound track. This not only complements the action scenes but it lets the animation and direction stand out while the pacing and delivery of the scenes have a natural impact that feels right. The adaptation on the other hand uses heavy handed heavy metal riffs to try and show as plainly as possible that this scene is supposed to be intense, instead of letting the scene be intense which it would not be if not for the music.

3. Lack of Subtlety

                The music in the old series has many complex layers that's unsettling and leave the viewer feeling adrift, and sometimes disturbed which is exactly how the series is supposed to make you feel, these are the exact emotions that the original manga leaves the reader feeling. Even during the peaceful scenes the music carries underlying tone that something isn't quite right. This is something that the new series completely misses, the new Berserk shows you outright how a scene should make you feel instead of letting things flow naturally and letting the viewer pick things up on their own. By telling the viewer how to feel about a scene it is either implying that the viewer is stupid and does not know how to feel about what is happening on screen, or that every other aspect of the show is so bad that the viewer wouldn't know how to feel about what is happening without the music.

4. Lack of Cohesion

                Every single track is similar in some respects mostly that similar instrument were used, they’re all similar genres, all the tracks were composed in a similar style, and they all sound like they were written with each other in mind. This makes musical transitions in the show feel natural and even paced which is a great attribute for a show to have. However this is something that the soundtrack for Berserk 2016 completely misses. Only a few tracks sound similar, there are many different genres, and all this makes for a jarring experience that takes the viewer out of their immersion whenever the music changes.

Recap

                 All of these pieces add up to this soundtrack being a complete mess. It completely misses the point of what a soundtrack should do and what Berserk is. Music in a series should always compliment what is happening on screen by adding another dynamic layer instead of being a crutch for shoddy direction. The soundtrack in the new berserk is by no means bad as individual songs, but in the context of the show and as a soundtrack they suck.

If you can't take my word for it here is a link to both the original soundtrack and the new one, give them a listen and see for yourself.

Berserk is such a fantastic series, and it deserves better than the horrible adaptation that it got this year. That being said I really can't expect another adaptation to be as good as the 1997 one, it was a weird mix of having a low budget and poor animation quality but being amazing in every other regard. So it's a little unfair to compare this series to such a high standard but considering that it is Berserk you kind of have to. If you look at the series by itself and not as a part of Berserk its decent and good fun to watch, there were even some moments later on in the series that I actually enjoyed, but overall as a piece of Berserk, its garbage compared to everything else out there.

Comment below and let me know what you thought of music, the series, or Berserk as a whole!