Last month, Studio Eclypse dropped the first trailer for its highly anticipated adaptation of Berserk: The Black Swordsman. Today, the animation group of fans has delivered us the same trailer but now with English dubs.
Announced back in October 2023, Studio Eclypse is looking to deliver a proper 2D adaptation of "The Black Swordsman" storyline from the manga. The first trailer was met with a glowing reception from fans, although the studio noted there was room for improvement. Today's trailer not only features English dubs but also other improvements based on feedback.
"Thanks to the feedback received and our supporters we have upgraded a number of cuts, added more inbetween cels and revamped some of the animation in hopes to make the experience more enjoyable, thank you for the support strugglers," the group wrote alongside the new trailer's release.
Berserk is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. The series is set in a medieval Europe-inspired dark fantasy world and follows a lone swordsman named Guts on a journey to exact revenge on Griffith, the leader of the mercenaries who betrayed him and sacrificed his comrades to become a powerful demonic being.
"The Black Swordsman" is the first storyline in the Berserk manga by the late Kentarou Miura. The 1997 anime adaptation condensed much of the story arc in its first episode, but many agree it didn't get the attention that it deserved. The 2016 CG-animated Berserk series, which covered the manga's Conviction arc in the first season, also just briefly touched on The Black Swordsman storyline.
With this project, Studio Eclypse is hoping to give "The Black Swordsman" the proper attention it deserves.
"Collaborating with amazing artists like Mark Reymer, we aim to create a proper 2D adaptation of the stories that have been neglected of this medium, starting from the beginning," the fan studio said last year. "This is a fan-made project with the utmost respect to the late Kentaro Miura, Studio Gaga and Hakusensha."
As Berserk is one of the best-selling manga series of all time, there have been numerous adaptations over the years. The most recent adaptation, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition, was a remastered version of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition, a trilogy of films released in theaters that adapted the manga's Golde Age arc. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition edited the films for television broadcast, and aired from October to December 2022. Studio Eclypse has stated it has no plans to adapt the Golden Age arc.
Studio Eclypse's Berserk: The Black Swordsman is set to premiere in summer 2025.