posted about the 1997 version of Berserk in the anime thread a few months ago. Rewatched it then and was amazed by how much we learn about Casca, Guts and Griffith through their facial expressions and actions rather than words. Usually in anime we get access into the minds of characters and are explicitly told who they were, who they are, what they stand for rather than just being shown all of this through how they carry themselves in adverse situations.
Guts is too prideful to admit that he was scared out of his mind when fighting Zodd. but you can confirm that fear when his body starts shivering, face breaks out in sweat, teeth are clenched and eyebrows raise.
He doesn't need to say that he fears death for us to know it, and that fear of his mortality is part of what separates him from being a monster. Very important to the essence of who Guts is and how he's forever in conflict of being seen as a monster when his emotions are human.
When Guts assassinated Julius and Adonis he doesn't say a word in the aftermath yet you can see how badly shook he is from having murdered a father and son that reminds of himself and Gambino
again not evidence of the monster that Guts is frequently accused of being. Guts is really as human as can be in the Golden Arc, but his environment forces him to be violent in return to survive.
That trauma leads to him leaving the band of the hawk to find his own vision rather than following Griffith's blindly. We do not need Guts to tell us why he left the BOTW when the reason is shown to us right here
When Guts leaves the BOTH Griffith pretty much devolves into a sack of shyt. And we didn't need a ten minute monologue to see that his ambition was supported by Guts and broken without him. Griffith loses his ability to fight, literally, when confronted by the castle guards because Guts broke his sword. This says so much about his dependency upon others to assume power and fulfill his dreams.
It's telling that Griffith is chained with Guts gone, freed when he returns and soon afterwards throws himself onto Casca to manipulate the two into staying by his side. This scene pretty clearly foreshadows what happens in the eclipse and emphasizes his desire for control at the expense of all that surround him.
Guts sitting isolated with his sword away from everyone, the way he looks at Casca, Griffith's unspoken control over Casca, Guts not wanting to be touched, so much is vital to understanding who these characters are and it's almost all communicated through action, not verbally to the benefit of the characterization and how sincere they feel to a viewer/reader.
For the part that it covers of Berserk, this anime is a strong 9 to a 10, some faults being the censorship of a few scenes (mainly GutsxCasca) and cutting of certain details due to time restraints. It doesn't cover the full story, but it does cover the most important portion of Berserk and absolutely does justice to one of the greatest manga oat. I haven't finished the 2016 version and I never want to. That isn't Berserk.
nominating Gintama, Kids on the Slope
I am. My god kids keep me updated but I don’t really like the kiddie shyt as much. Although My Hero Academia might be an exception. I’m very picky about the genre. 
adaptation
dope action and cast. shyt ain’t never gonna reach a conclusion at this rate tho
I read somewhere that the guy responsible for the Netflix castlevania series is gonna do berserk
