Good anime overall, but some very bad choices.
A miserable finale though, with 23 episodes connecting the first and the last episodes is also laughable.
What about the immortal and his sword?
It was 1997, but this was just sloppy writing... episode 25 in particular was garbage for the way it ends the show because it actually doesn't do anything. It doesn't end, it doesn't keep a suspense, it just gives you the finger and says "That's all, folks!".

A lot of people have praised the manga, which is usually the case for any good anime; my guess is that its fine. But the movies are way better than the tv series. One can't be expected to invest 12 hours of their time into a show like Berserk and have that revolting ending (or lack thereof).

Although the movie trilogy skips some interesting backstories, muddles a few others, it also skip weak humorous attempts and other plot nonsense that was introduced in the show purely to fill time, and also disavow the entire show's tone in the process. The movies condense quite a lot to fit the format's length, but the superior serious tone, the polished graphics, and a proper ending, justify the trilogy over the 1997 show any time.