The very first time was in a issue of EGM or Dreamcast Magazine. (This was around 1998-1999, the Dreamcast wasn't even out yet. I'll try to dig up a screenshot of it later on.) There was a small article of it with a tiny screen shot of the Guts Rage game. All I could see was blood every where, and a "guy" swinging a Cloud-like "Buster Sword." I remember thinking "I would call this some sort of rip off, but there is just too much blood not to want to play this." I truly knew too little. In a short time, I would forget all about the game, until I came across it about a year later. "Oh shit, I remember reading about this!" If it wasn't for that tiny screenshot a year earlier, I would never of bought it. That juvenile lust for blood and guts (no pun intended) would introduce me to a surprising well made game with a pretty decent story. It really show cased what the Dreamcast can offer at the time. Looking back, it honestly did feel like a middle chapter but it was entirely enjoyable out of context.
I would never have imagined, there was a anime... or manga. But I was determined for some reason in my teens to never read manga. That was a new level of nerd I wasn't going to touch at the time. I however, found the BOX of WAR volume 1 at a local video store that was way over priced. Interestingly enough, I didn't put two and two together. The Berserk "title" text was different from that of the Dreamcast game. What stood out was the collectors box, and how I didn't get it what the big box itself was all about. "How come there is only one DVD in this thing... what a rip off." I visited the store quite a bit, and was always on the hunt for new anime. I was just coming off the Samurai X OVA kick, and for a long while just needed to fill the void. I finally came across Berserk that wasn't wrapped in the "big box." It was volume 2, or 3 and still nothing added up that it was the same series that the Dreamcast game. Really, thinking about it, Guts Rage is based off post Golden Age. Big Sword, Casca's mind was gone, she had long hair. I wouldn't have recognized anyone. The anime presented a large-yet smaller sword, Casca had short hair, Griffith wasn't in the game. (Also I also somehow got the impression that Zodd was Griffith, I guess because I thought it was a play on the word "Griffin" which is what kinda of creature I thought Zodd was in the game. Meaning... he would of been talking about himself in the 3rd person in the game, when he mentions Griffith. Yeah, I was pretty confused on that.) Any how, I read the description and Guts name was mentioned, but didn't stand out. Band of the Hawk was mentioned, and still nothing in my head added up. It wasn't until I read the name "Griffith" that the gears started to turn or more so, correct themselves. The name Griffith, which I only ever heard in Guts Rage made me think of just that, the Dreamcast game. I said "Hang on a minute..." I looked at Guts name, and thought "Oh shit!" I scuffled around and found the other 4 or 5 available volumes and started to put it all together. I said "It's a prequel!"
I was entirely relieved, because I liked the game and I was very interested in "what the fuck was that game all about." I would of never of guessed just how much the anime would not only eclipses the game, but would open me up to just tidbits of the greatest story I ever read. For years, I borrowed the anime to friends. Even now I own 3 different complete sets of the anime. I turned so many people on to the anime. It wasn't until I was hearing "Man, that cliffhanger sucked. I just want more Berserk man!" from so many people, that I decided I myself did as well. Somewhere along the way, I had read that the anime was based off a Manga. This was bad news, as in Missouri back in 2003-2004, there just wasn't a whole lot of options unless you went to a big city. Which for me, was two hour drive. Amazon and online ordering wasn't streamlined yet, and I was still in high school. Even if I found it at a store, I couldn't of bought it. No funds and there was simply too many volumes to contend with. So, getting the manga was never option. So I read scans. Which I thought was okay until thankfully Aaz verbally-bitch-slapped me one day when I mentioned it. I shit you not, sometime in 2008-2009 I systematically bought the entire available series. I do consider it a prize possession.
I'm proud of my slow-burn of a journey of discovering Berserk. I took baby steps with the series, and it feels like I somehow raised a relationship with the series. It's literally part of my life. Somewhat of a comfortable place, or a old friend that seems to have been around since forever. It's taken a life of its own in a lot of ways really. Hell, I pop in here now and then and feel like I'm visiting the series, even if there's no new episode, I'm investing my time into my fascination and love for the series. As we all are. Again it's like stopping in and checking up on a old friend to see how they're doing.
