Not many manga series have the privilege of being so strong, influential, and possessing such a loyal fanbase that they stick around for almost three decades. Berserk is one of them.

Centering on the lone warrior Guts as he makes his way through a treachorus and dark medieval world while facing the demons and malevolent spirits that haunt him in his quest for revenge against his former comrade Griffith, Berserk is not for the faint hearted. Graphic scenes of rape, torture and dismemberment contrast the beautiful and detailed art style that went on to inspire several anime and video game adaptations that ultimately failed to capture what made the series unique. However, Berserk in live action has not yet been tried; until now.

In spite of many controversial hiatuses, Kentaro Miura's grim fantasy saga has reached its 40th volume. Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine, which has featured Berserk since its debut in 1989, created a short live action video to promote this milestone release. Watch it below in its full 60 second glory.

Let's be honest: live action versions of manga are rarely, if ever, good. But for a short promo advert, it definitely does the job. The props and costume design are decent, and the CGI is light years ahead of the most recent anime adaptation. But there's one thing that sticks out a fair bit.

Since when was Guts a middle aged Asian man? What was with the weak ass yell that doesn't even come close to Hiroaki Iwanaga's seething roars as Guts in the anime? The answer to these questions might not be obvious to western viewers.

Here, Guts is portrayed by 69 year old singer & actor Shigeru Matsuzaki, who's famous in Japan for his relatively dark, tanned skin. His casting is basically a play on the phrase "black swordsman," one of Guts' nicknames. In short, this promo is just a bit of fun and isn't meant to be taken seriously. Fist of the North Star, which inspired Berserk and many other manga, has had similarly silly promo videos and even Berserk's famously grim manga is not without some infamous comic relief.

And as far as live action manga adaptations go, I'd rather Berserk stick with this than go down the paths of Death Note or Dragonball any day.

For more information about Berserk's 40th volume celebration, as well as more shots of Matsuzaki in costume as Guts, interviews and a behind the scenes look of the promo, check the Young Animal website.