Up until now, nothing comes close to the epicness and the brutality of the dark fantasy manga/anime Berserk. Its impact on the genre has never been successfully replicated by other anime or manga, so there's not much to compare with it but it's own adaptations.
Now, since the 2016/2017 anime is off the table for comparison, we'll only be pitting the 1990s anime against the movies as they both follow the same arc in the manga. So, which of these two faithful adaptations would make Kentaro Miura prouder? Let's put our glasses on and see what's wrong... or right with each of the two adaptations so you can decide which is better.
10 90S ANIME: 2D
Well, it's easy to see the biggest difference between the two. Berserk 1997, due to the technology available back then, was made with the traditional drawings and colors. Everything was two-dimensional and it's always more welcome in anime since it plays on the strength of the artists.
The Berserk movies are sadly a mix of 2D and 3D which makes it look disjointed at times and can break immersion and focus. This wouldn't have been a problem if the 3D was seamless but that's far from what happened in the movies and lots of 3D scenes were awkward.
9 MOVIES: 3D IMPROVES GRADUALLY
The rather poorly implemented 3D animations and style for the Berserk movies are most noticeable in the first film, Berserk Golden Age Arc I: Egg of the Supreme Ruler. Come the second movie, it's noticeably improved but the jankiness is still there.
Thankfully, the third movie, Berserk: The Advent, fixes nearly all 3D problems and makes the adaptation completely watchable which is great because this was where The Eclipse happens. You can even go as far and say that the third movie is better than The Eclipse part of Berserk 1997 because of how much the 3D has improved.
8 90S ANIME: BETTER PACING
This is something that happens with anime that have been crammed into movies. It's present with Neon Genesis Evangelion and it also there in Berserk. We're talking about the rushed pacing of the movies because there isn't much time for exposition or idle scenes.
In this regard, the anime series is always superior because it allows for more moments of peace and character development instead of having them just jump event to event in order to complete the storyline for the feature-length category. Suffice to say, Berserk 1997 doesn't sacrifice its story.
7 MOVIES: NEWER
It's a subjective taste but many viewers or anime fans might be put off by older media. You're probably spoiled by the better and more vibrant colors and higher production values of newer anime. This applies to Berserk 1997 and the movies where the more-than-a-decade gap is apparent.
Moreover, Berserk 1997 is unfortunately stuck in a boxed 4:3 resolution whereas the movies enjoy and bask in the glory of contemporary widescreen 16:9 standards. That means there are more visual fun and real estate to be had in the films.
6 90S ANIME: MORE FAITHFUL TO THE MANGA
In conjunction with the better pacing and storytelling of the 1997 anime, fans of the genre are pleased to know that it's more true to the manga. It's almost a 1:1 retelling of the whole thing and that's awesome because Miura really put his heart and soul into Berserk.
There are certain battles and scenes that were cut in the movies as they might lengthen the running time. Guts' introduction as the Black Swordsman was even included there though his fairy companion, Puck is absent.
5 MOVIES: MORE FLUID ANIMATIONS
Facial expressions are more pronounced now in modern anime than they have ever been before. That also rings true for the Berserk movie trilogy even though some of the expressions were rendered in 3D and can easily approach the realm of the uncanny valley.
By comparison, the 1997 anime had some limitations on their animations where they only sometimes show a single facial expression in a frozen frame and the voice actor will do all the work. This is less prevalent in the movies.
4 90S ANIME: GREAT OPENING SONG
Most 1990s anime have legendary opening songs that became an integral part of your childhood as a millennial, Berserk 1997 is no exception though it has a less conventional take on opening music considering its overall theme and darkness.
"Tell Me Why" by Penpals has an amateurish ring and upbeat tune-- something that directly contrasts the grittiness of the anime. However, it's still celebrated today by some fans as a fitting opening music piece for Berserk and is generally liked. The movies don't leave a happy impression like this.
3 MOVIES: BETTER SUSUMU HIRASAWA TRACKS
What the Berserk trilogy made up for in their lack of memorable opening music is with Susumu Hirasawa. He's the famed musical composer who reads the Berserk manga for inspiration, which in turn, makes him the most qualified man for making music for the adaptations.
In fact, the movie trilogy proudly used one of Susumu Hirasawa's arguably best music for Berserk as an introduction for each film. It perfectly encapsulates what's going to happen as a conclusion of The Golden Age arc.
2 90S ANIME: GRITTIER
It's no secret that the 1990s is a decade of depression where angsty media and literature became popular. Anime definitely followed suit and it was a perfect time for Berserk 1997. Its art style is the closest representation of Kentaro Miura's manga out of all the adaptations.
Berserk 1997 is considerably grittier and more unsettling in a 1990s-death-metal-album-cover way. The Berserk movies were mostly vibrant and colorful visually and only matched this level of atmosphere once it got to the third movie where The Eclipse part happened.
1 MOVIES: BETTER FIGHT SCENES
What Berserk 1997 sacrificed was the quality of the battle scenes where certain frames and even animations were skipped, probably due to time and manpower constraints. Since the Berserk trilogy had higher production value and was using 3D, its fight scenes were significantly better.
From Guts fighting 100 men to the battle against the Tudor Empire and even against the demons in the third movie, the films spared no expense in making this dark fantasy adaptation as epic as ever. Just remember that nothing beats the manga.