The anime adaptation of Berserk was absolutely amazing, so I was understandably excited when I heard of the movies coming out. I enjoyed Part I, the animation was astounding and the sound effects were great. Part II has those same qualities, but I found that the "feel" of the manga and anime were lost, as extended sex scenes were given priority over important plot points. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD I was most disappointed that the creators removed the scene where Zodd throws Guts his sword during his fight with Boscone, and instead added a ridiculous dance montage and extra boob time. Arguably the extended sex scene between Griffith and the princess was warranted, but I definitely would have rather seen the sword toss, which adds to the mystery of the story and foreshadows some of the freaky stuff that's coming up, than the three-minute dance scene which feels totally out of place. I think the reason the anime was so successful even though it skips over some stuff, is that the overall mood and intrigue of the manga is preserved, something this movie adaptation has proved it doesn't understand. I'm still giving it a 6 because I love the Berserk story and hopefully anyone who watches the movies without having read the manga or seen the anime will want to do so after.
