Studio Eclypse's highly anticipated adaptation of Berserk: The Black Swordsman may be facing some legal hurdles if a newly released statement from the manga's publisher is any indication. Studio Gaga, publisher and copyright holder of the Berserk manga, took to social media this week to announce that Studio Eclypse does not have authorization to produce its fan-made film adaptation.
The official statement reads:
"To our readers, the production of a Berserk animation is being announced on the following X account and website, but such production has not been authorized by Miura Kentarou (Studio Gaga), the copyright holder. In addition, the videos accompanying the announcements are being displayed without permission."
Berserk: The Black Swordsman is a fan-made anime project that aims to deliver a proper 2D adaptation of "The Black Swordsman" storyline. The project was first announced back in October 2023, so it's a bit unclear why it has taken Studio Gaga so long to issue a statement. Perhaps the recent release of the first trailer and all of the excitement it garnered had finally prompted the publisher to speak up.
At this point, it remains unclear what will happen next. We don't yet know if Studio Gaga will pursue legal action to put a halt to the project, and Studio Eclypse has not yet issued a response. Given the excitement surrounding Studio Eclypse's Berserk: The Black Swordsman anime — especially following the debut of the first trailer — it would undoubtedly be disappointing to see it get canceled. But you can't really blame Studio Gaga for trying to protect its brand.
For what it's worth, Studio Eclypse has been completely upfront with their work and even noted in the trailer that it's a fan-made project.
"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 back when the project was announced in October 2023. "This is a fan-made project with the utmost respect to the late Kentaro Miura, Studio Gaga and Hakusensha.
Studio Eclypse's Berserk: The Black Swordsman doesn't have a specific premiere date, although it was slated to arrive sometime in Summer 2025. We're unsure if that will still be the case given the recent statement by Studio Gaga.
Written by the late Kengarou Miura, Berserk is one of the best-selling manga series of all time. There have been numerous adaptations of the various stories over the years, but many believe that "The Black Swordsman" storyline has never gotten the attention it deserves.