Berserk was produced by Nippon Television and VAP, animated by Oriental Light and Magic and directed by Naohito Takahashi [ja].

At that very moment, he finds his Behelit—a mysterious demonic relic, lost during his time imprisoned—and unintentionally activates it with the blood leaking from his neck, unleashing an event known as "the Eclipse", taking everyone present to another plane of existence.

The Hawks are branded as sacrificial offerings, being brutally slaughtered and devoured by the "apostles"—humans transformed into powerful demons by sacrificing their loved ones and their own humanity.

Berserk was produced by Nippon Television and VAP, animated by Oriental Light and Magic, and directed by Naohito Takahashi [ja].

Carlo Ross of THEM Anime Reviews said that, at first, he could not get into the "dreary, depressing tone" of Berserk, but added that as the series progresses, the viewer can meet the cast "as more than just the standard fantasy archetypes", praising the characters for their realistic portraying.

"[22] Brittany Vincent, writing for Anime News Network (ANN), said that Berserk "excels in setting up this tone that defines the story, even if it happens to end abruptly without any real conclusion."

"[46] Sandra Scholes of Active Anime wrote, "Berserk is a hard – hitting hack and slash demonically possessed horror fantasy of relentless proportions.

"[47] John Oppliger of AnimeNation said that the most appealing aspect of Berserk is "its ability to present exhilarating, extremely violent action while never losing sight of characterization or the continuing storyline", praising the series as well for its "very complex and unpredictable story.

"[49] Eric Frederiksen, writing for Advanced Media Network, said that it would be easy to call Berserk a "mindlessly violent piece of popcorn-gore", but he said that it is not about a "man with a giant sword slicing through everything in his path", adding that the story and the characters are the real focus of the show, concluding, "Part of what helps Berserk weather the ravages of time better than so many other shows is the sheer volume of stuff it gives us to think about, without shoving it down our throats.

Bertschy concluded, "If you're a big fantasy fan and like mature, adult stories that aren't afraid to explore even the darkest pits of the psyche, then Berzerk [sic] is for you.

"[51] In another review for ANN, Bertschy said that Berserk is the finest example of dark fantasy available on the market and that its original manga basis "surpasses all others in terms of quality and popularity", adding that the series "remains enchanting, entertaining and truly terrifying to this day.

"[1] Writing for Anime Jump, Mike Toole said, "Berserk is one of those shows that's just the Total Package-- if you're a fan of action or fantasy and can handle hard-edged, violent stories, it's just what you're looking for."

"[52] Toole, in another review for ANN, called Berserk "a showcase of bad, weird animation", commenting that the distance of time helps to gloss over its issues.

"[8] Writing for About.com, Serdar Yegulalp said that Berserk is a "grim but utterly gripping fantasy that makes Lord of the Rings look like Anne of Green Gables", calling its violence "brutal and disturbing", but that it has an "epic storytelling with unforgettable characters.

Ross said that the opening and ending themes were "two of the least appropriate songs I have ever heard for an anime series", but that Hirasawa's background tracks are "rather memorable", highlighting "Berserk: Forces", which he called "an object lesson in how to use a synthesizer and reverb completely wrong, and yet still come up with something interesting and fresh anyway", adding that Hirasawa's music is "an acquired taste, to be sure - people either love it or hate it.

"[22] Bertschy said that the music of Berserk is "certainly worth praising", commenting that the score "leaps effortlessly from haunting and melodic to dark and sinister in the blink of an eye, maintaining credibility and flow throughout.

"[55] Writing for Funimation, Kathleen Townsend highlighted "Gut's Theme", and stated, "It’s particularly gentle for a world filled with evil and a fearsome protagonist willing to carve his own limbs away if it means helping those he loves.

"[52] In another review, Toole said that Hirasawa's "churning, hypnotic" musical output was "as sort of like tossing Philip Glass, Yello, and Peter Gabriel into a centrifuge."

Toole concluded, "I appreciate Berserk's excellent direction and pacing and dig its atmospheric artwork, especially Kobayashi Production's awesome painting work, but it's the music that has aged the best.