Berserk fan-anime is illegal, they warn

On September 11, the Hakusensha publishing house, responsible for the publication of the manga "Berserk", released an official statement addressed to fans, in which it points out that the animation project "Berserk: The Black Swordsman", produced by Studio Eclypse, does not have the authorization of the rights holders. The statement, which was shared on the Twitter platform, surprised many followers of the series by publicly denouncing the project for copyright infringement.

The statement, which was issued in five different languages, clarifies: "To our readers, the production of a Berserk animation has been announced on the Twitter account and website indicated, but such production has not been authorized by Kentaro Miura (Studio Gaga), the copyright holder. In addition, the videos that accompany these ads are being shown without permission." This statement makes it clear that, despite the large number of animation projects created by Berserk fans, this particular one has been singled out for clear violations of the rights of the work.

Studio Eclypse's project, which has gained traction on social media for its ambitious promise to be a "faithful" adaptation to the original manga, has received a great deal of support from fans, some of whom have expressed disappointment with the previous official versions of Berserk. However, the controversy has intensified due to the fact that Studio Eclypse has been receiving donations through Patreon, which many consider an ethical violation in spin-off projects of this type.

In addition to Hakusensha's official statement, a "Community Note" was added to the English trailer for Berserk: The Black Swordsman on Twitter, noting that "Berserk's publisher has announced that the rights holder has not given permission for the production of the anime and that the audiovisual material used is also not authorized." Although the trailer clarifies at the end that "This is a project made by fans. Please support the official releases of Berserk", it is unclear if production will continue after this notice.

The trailer for this project was shown at a screening at Otakufest last summer, where it was presented as the first of several planned episodes. The situation is further complicated as Studio Eclypse is also working on another controversial fanmade project, "Attack on Titan: Requiem," a spin-off animation that seeks to offer what they call "a satisfying ending" to Hajime Isayama's manga, whose conclusion was divisive among fans. With the Japanese media's increasing scrutiny of Studio Eclypse, many are wondering if Kodansha, the publisher of "Attack on Titan," will also take similar legal action.

In short, while the fan community waits for more news about the future of Berserk: The Black Swordsman, the future of the project is in doubt. Hakusensha's statement has not only drawn attention to the legal risks of fan-created projects, but also brings to the table a debate about the limits of what they can do without infringing on the rights of the original creators.

Source: Twitter