An animated feature film based on the dark fantasy epic manga "Berserk" is destined to hit theaters this year, publisher Hakusensha Inc. said this month.
The much-anticipated feature film will be the first part of the "Berserk: Saga Project," in which all episodes of the original comic will be adapted as anime.
"Berserk," manga artist Kentaro Miura's best known work, has been running in Hakusensha's biweekly Young Animal comic magazine for more than 20 years.
The series, set in a war-torn medieval world, is hailed as a masterpiece of dark fantasy. The story follows Guts, a sword warrior who carries a huge blade as he sets out on a journey of revenge.
The original manga is now in its 35th volume, with a combined total of 30 million copies in print.
The manga has been recognized for its excellence, winning the outstanding award at the sixth installment of Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2002.
It also enjoys immense popularity outside Japan. The manga has been translated and published in 15 countries, especially in Germany, France and other parts of Europe.
"Berserk" was adapted into an animated TV series in 1997. But that series only covered 25 episodes, giving just a glimpse into the epic. In the more than 10 years since, the manga has grown to an even wider scale.
The Berserk Saga Project aims to include all the original episodes of the spectacular series.
See (
http://www.younganimal.com/berserk/).