How Berserk Would Look If It Were an 80s Fantasy Movie with Practical Effects and Tons of Diffusion

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Mar 18, 2025 12:00 AM EDT

Who doesn't love 80s fantasy movies? Excalibur is one of my favorite movies of all time. Yes, it is incredibly boring and its relentless commitment to sticking with the story beats and rhythm of the original Arthurian legend make the plot a weird, meandering mess. But it is an absolute feast to the eyes – the gorgeously-designed practical sets, the painted backgrounds, the costumes, the excessive diffused light. I feel quite a similar pull to other 80s fantasy movies like Legend, Dragonslayer, andThe Neverending Story.

Berserk the manga has had several anime adaptations, and none have managed to capture its essence perfectly. While the '97 anime has a better rap than the one that came out in 2016, most fans agree that television has not brought Miura's gorgeous drawings to justice. If a live action adaptation were made nowadays, it would be nothing more than a grimdark fantasy CGI-fest akin to the later seasons of Game of Thrones. But if you grew up on The Dark Crystal, we can dream of an alternate universe where we get to see Griffith betray the Band of Brothers in 80s hollywood glory. 

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  • There's some comic logic that a live action movie would have to overlook in this scene. Griffith stops Guts's sword by jumping up and balancing on it in an iconic scene.

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  • The God Hand would look amazing with practical make up effects like the ones generated here. If this movie were made now, it would all be computer generated, and you would only be able to watch it at night due to dark lighting used to hide CGI.

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medieval live action anime style anime nostalgia creative movies Movies and TV 80s japanese entertainment Japan berserk artificial intelligence 1980s aesthetic
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