is based on the popular heroic fantasy Berserk

Berserk (manga)

is a manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, the story centers around the characters of Guts, an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the...

anime TV series first broadcast in Japan from 1997 to 1998.

Susumu Hirasawa

Susumu Hirasawa

is a Japanese electropop artist and composer.In 1972, he enrolled at . From 1972 to 1978, he performed in his first band Mandrake, a progressive rock group influenced by King Crimson and Yes. In 1979 he formed a New Wave synth-rock & techno-pop band called P-Model, along with two former members of...

 has composed the anime's soundtrack. All tracks are instrumental except the last three. The music genre is rather eclectic with various instruments such as piano, violin, harp, flute, classic guitar, electric guitar, drums, harpsichord

Harpsichord

A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...

 or synthesizer

Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...

. "Berserk ~ Forces" is the only number sung in Japanese (composed and performed by Hirasawa) and is used in the series as the next episode preview theme and as the background music for several battle scenes. "Tell Me Why" is the opening theme composed and performed in English by the Japanese band Penpals. "Waiting So Long" is the ending theme composed and also sung in English by Silver Fins from Japan.

Track listing

1. "Behelit" – 1:55 Background Music
2. "Ghosts" – 1:41 Background Music
3. "Ball" – 1:08 Background Music
4. "Guts" – 3:35 Background Music
5. "Murder" – 9:29 Background Music
6. "Fear" – 3:26 Background Music
7. "Monster" – 4:03 Background Music
8. "Earth" – 4:23 Background Music
9. "Berserk ~Forces~ (TV Version)" / Susumu Hirasawa – 1:56 Background Music
10. "Tell Me Why (TV Version)" / Penpals – 1:15 Opening Theme
11. "Waiting so long (TV Version)" / Silver Fins – 1:22 Ending Theme

Alternate versions

Full-length version of "Berserk ~Forces~" is available on the "~Forces~" single.

A 3:23 full-length version of "Tell Me Why" is available on the "Tell Me Why" single and the Penpals album.

A 3:38 full-length version of "Waiting So Long" is available on the "Waiting So Long" single and Silver Fins album.

Susumu Hirasawa has composed "Forces Pt.2" for the Berserk video game released on Dreamcast in 1999. Like the original "Forces", "Forces Pt.2" is sung in Japanese except the English ending gimmick "forces" hence the title.

External links

• Tell Me Why (musical teaser) - Tiga, Thailand