Parents' Guide to Berserk

TV Crunchyroll , YouTube Anime 1997
Berserk TV show poster: Guts screams with an intense look of rage on his face, swinging his sword; a large blood spray

Common Sense Media Review

By Jeremy Looney , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 17+

Dark fantasy anime has extreme graphic and sexual content.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 17+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Berserk TV show: Guts stands in front of a large demon that has a minotaur-like appearance
  • Berserk TV show: A man wearing a suit of armor stands underneath a cloudy blue sky
  • Berserk TV show: Guts has his hand on his massive sword ready to unsheathe it from underneath a large dark cloak he's wearing

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 9 parent reviews

 

 

See all 9 parent reviews
age 14+

Based on 18 kid reviews

Kids say this show is perfect for introducing young children to anime, with many praising a character as a positive role model. However, there is a stark contrast in reviews highlighting its extreme violence, graphic content, and themes unsuitable for anyone under 18, leading to warnings about the mature content embedded in the storyline.

  • kid-friendly
  • graphic violence
  • mature themes
  • role model
  • parental guidance
Summarized with AI
 

 

See all 18 kid reviews

What's the Story?

BERSERK follows the story of Guts (voiced by Marc Diraison), a young mercenary. He travels with The Band of the Falcon led by the ambitious Griffith (Kevin Collins). For a time, Guts and Griffith lead the Band of the Falcon to many victories in battle. But after Griffith experiences a fall from grace, he makes a deal with demons to sacrifice his former comrades to the demons to become a powerful being himself. The enraged Guts sets out on a journey of revenge to kill Griffith.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 9 ):
Kids say ( 18 ):

This dark fantasy series is known for its grim and mature themes and brutal fantasy world filled with monstrous and supernatural creatures. Berserk is a visceral series filled with graphic and intense violence, action, and thought-provoking storytelling that explores the human experience in a brutal and unforgiving world. Berserk's strange supernatural aspects and bizarre imagery also make it visually compelling as well. The extreme levels of violence and dark sexual themes definitely make it a choice for mature audiences.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact that viewing violent and graphic content can have. What messages about violence is this anime trying to convey?

  • Berserk is one of the most highly rated and best-selling manga/anime series out there. Do you think the series dark and mature themes helped the series achieve its success?

TV Details

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Berserk TV show poster: Guts screams with an intense look of rage on his face, swinging his sword; a large blood spray

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