Berserk received a favorable response from critics who praised its dark fantasy narrative and musical score while holding reservations for its less than acceptable animation. Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network praised the series, giving it a score of A stating, "if you have a single bone in your body that's interested in dark fantasy, do not pass Berserk up. It is the finest example of its genre available on the market today and is based on a manga that nearly surpasses all others in terms of quality and popularity.