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Ok, now that I've returned after what was a longer than expected Drill Weekend, I figure I should talk about the re-mastered release of Berserk from Media Blasters. Now I will mention that when I heard about this I (along with quite a few other members of Skullknight's forums) were VERY hesitant to accept what would be an obvious double dipping, espically since the coverart is inferior to the beautiful Box of War that was made in 2001. However, one major reality that was accepted about the artwork is that it may not be possible to top the Box of War design. Also, the editor in charge of the project decided to talk about the changes being done and given the cost of the set ($30 on various online outlets and due to Best Buy's 50% off anime sale going on until the 21st I was able to get it for $15, albeit it did sell lightning fast as a result of the price.) I felt inclined to check it out.

When popping in the first DVD, it has the same menus and options as the original release right down to the trailers. However, the moment play is selected, the difference is instantly noticible when the original Japanese text of Berserk's "Destiny Monologue" appears instead of the english text that was on the original release. It gets even further apparent with the opening as for the first time ever the series is in 480p and the colors are much clearer than before. Watching this on an HDTV setup is nothing short of awesome and for those who want to see how different things are, here's a sample picture from Anime Advanced.

The only downside is that like all the prior releases before it, the film gluemarks are noticeable on any display without a overscan, however the reality is that many older animated productions have that issue and it's prohibitively expensive to fix it. With that in mind I can forgive this issue.

In what may shock quite a few people, I'm going to state that I love this release and given that it was the highest selling release for Media Blasters in February I'm not the only person of this mindset. Even if just a casual anime viewer or if somebody has practically no viewing experience this series is a hell of a viewing experience.