Studio Taka, the team behind the “Berserk” project in motion comic format (with the original manga panels, edited to have slight movements), issued an official statement announcing the definitive cancellation of its project. The decision comes after a series of events related to the franchise's copyright, managed by Studio Gaga and publisher Hakusensha.

In their statement, Studio Taka explained:

• «After significant discussion and exploration of all possible options, we have made the difficult decision to close this project. While we are extremely passionate about continuing, we recognize the legal risks involved and believe it is important to respect the intellectual property rights of Studio Gaga/Hakusensha.».

The team also thanked the fans for their unconditional support during the years of production and highlighted that, While the goal has always been to honor Kentaro Miura's legacy, recent legal developments have made this cancellation inevitable.

This fan-anime project began in December 2018 and, over the course of five years, has managed to captivate a loyal fan base on YouTube, surpassing 100 thousand subscribers and accumulating more than 1.6 million views on the first episode. Studio Taka dedicated itself to adapting the iconic Black Swordsman Arc from the “Berserk” manga into a motion comic that maintained a faithful representation of Miura’s original work, with detailed work on the animations, music and voice synchronization. Despite the slow production, the episodes reached an impressive level of quality, standing out especially in the last episodes with visible improvements in the fluidity of the combats and the expressions of the characters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cma6bekRO68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Z1UUP04us

The cancellation comes amid a difficult environment for “Berserk” fan projects. Recently, Hakusensha and Studio Gaga cracked down on another fan project, run by Studio Eclypse (not so much “fan,” as it turns out to be a company with over 150 employees), which had achieved popularity and raised large sums of money. money. money in donations. This project, according to the rights holders, was not authorized and was considered a copyright infringement. Although Studio Taka did not use similar funds, it is possible that their project was indirectly affected by this situation.

Studio Taka, over the years, has managed to capture the essence of “Berserk” in its adaptation, something that not even many official versions of the franchise have managed to do, such as the first episodes of the 1997 anime, which omitted important details from the initial story arcs. Studio Taka's fan series stood out, not only for its fidelity to the original work, but also for its commitment to quality and respect for Kentaro Miura's legacy, especially after his death.

The news of the project's cancellation was a hard blow for fans, who showed enthusiasm and gratitude for the team's efforts. Many expected Studio Taka's adaptation to continue, given its superior quality to many other unofficial versions and its growing popularity. However, the team decided to prioritize respecting copyright, understanding that while fan-made projects are born out of passion, they are not exempt from laws that protect intellectual property.

The future of these types of projects seems increasingly uncertain, as the rights holders of “Berserk” have made it clear that they will not tolerate unauthorized productions, which will likely discourage other similar attempts. Kentaro Miura's work remains a fundamental pillar of manga and his legacy will continue under the care of Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga, although many will miss the fan-made animated version that Studio Taka was able to develop with such care.

Source: ChibiReviews on Twitter