Berserk

So just finished Volume 3 and really enjoyed the Black Swordsman Arc. I can however see why the anime adaptions start at the Golden Age Arc. I think its a better start for new comers personally. I am judging this mostly on my intro to the series which was the 97 anime (as obviously the golden age arc just starts in Vol 3) and I think because it just seemed like a medieval show for the most part it really sucked me in and then the **** hit the fan 😂 . I think I may have had a different reaction if it would have had demons etc from the start. I kinda like it sort of hinted at other things (well if you can call Nosferatu Zod a hint 😂).

I'm trying to get my cousin into it but she generally listens to audio books (time constraints), so she may never have the time to read the Manga or watch the anime. I'm going to recommend her the 97 series (just re-watching it to make sure I'm convinced she'll enjoy it.) first and then its up to her if, like myself she picks up the Manga aswell.
 
Dan said:
So just finished Volume 3 and really enjoyed the Black Swordsman Arc. I can however see why the anime adaptions start at the Golden Age Arc. I think its a better start for new comers personally. I am judging this mostly on my intro to the series which was the 97 anime (as obviously the golden age arc just starts in Vol 3) and I think because it just seemed like a medieval show for the most part it really sucked me in and then the **** hit the fan 😂 . I think I may have had a different reaction if it would have had demons etc from the start. I kinda like it sort of hinted at other things (well if you can call Nosferatu Zod a hint 😂).

I'm trying to get my cousin into it but she generally listens to audio books (time constraints), so she may never have the time to read the Manga or watch the anime. I'm going to recommend her the 97 series (just re-watching it to make sure I'm convinced she'll enjoy it.) first and then its up to her if, like myself she picks up the Manga aswell.
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I think you will find the Golden Age arc in the Manga also has a few more things that weren't in either adaptation, so look forward to that.
 
Vincentdante said:
I think you will find the Golden Age arc in the Manga also has a few more things that weren't in either adaptation, so look forward to that.
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Shivers, I could've done without a certain subplot involving the king but it does make more sense as to why Griffith's punishment was so... severe.

In Bane's voice, of course.
 
The ED to the the 90s anime started playing in my head after reading that... That ending will hit differently from now on and so will the song.

Immeasurable in his importance and really no way to quantify his influence, just huge. This is a tremendous loss...

 
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This could definitely spin off to another discussion entirely, that being the work culture in Japan and being more specific the conditions in the anime and manga industries (another example in manga is Togashi who has/had to go through rough times due to health issues; I'm sure there are countless others).

Life isn't work, good God man. When you really think about the issue, it's exasperating.

I know Japanese work culture has nothing to do with a serious and rare health condition, but Miura's dedication to his work and his perfectionism can't have been healthy. This is a really painful loss.

I hope he left with peace in his mind.
 
Not another one with his work outlasting him...

I’m gonna sound a bit entitled but the last few years Berserk seemed to go off the rails from time to time, almost like it isn’t his work, the last part I was able to read that seemed like him was the dreamscape chapters (up to volume 40) if he was indeed having others do much of the work, from what’s been seen Berserk can’t be finished, the others working on it just don’t seem to get across the vision Miura has at the points that look like he was working on it

I’m disappointed that this reaches a point like Terraformars where it’s been left unfinished, and saddened by losing someone so dedicated to their work and those who’ve enjoyed it. I’ve been avoiding Berserk online for a while as it always takes a long time for Dark Horse to put a new volume out but I’m aware that there’s been a lot to catch up on, more so than the pace of the release of the last few volumes
 
I suspect it wouldn't be finished by someone else, much like things like HOTD, I would be more surprised if they announced that a different artist was going to complete it.
 
It's reasonable to be frustrated for sure that this is how Berserk ends, I think a lot of us are as it's an uncontrollable circumstance out of our control and we can be sad for Miura's passing at the same time. Though I disagree with the idea that Miura didn't work on certain recent chapters. But yeah it is sad to think that this is the end of Berserk.
 
I imagine the person most disappointed with not finishing it was Miura himself, it's clear from reading that reddit post that he was basically working full-tilt on it, but I completely agree with @João Gomes that you work to live, not live to work.

I wonder if he'd taken some breaks to do more real life things and relax a little, if he would have actually made better progress on Berserk due to not being burnt out.

I don't really know enough about Berserk itself to say that for sure, nor the author really, but I definitely find taking a break from something can make me complete it quicker when I come back to it.

Those more knowledgeable than me, was there an end in sight for the manga?

If so, would you be happy for someone else to finish it?

On a similar topic the author of The Wheel of Time novels (Robert Jordan) died before he could finish them off, and Brandon Sanderson completed the last 3 books with the blessing of Robert Jordans family. I think it was a good thing he did as well because Sanderson clearly loved the original books and did a good job carrying the torch.
 
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Vincentdante said:
This panel... How strangely appropriate

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Oh man. I hope having the ending to his life's work in his mind gave him some level of peace, in the end.

Read a collection of his personal comments from various berserk chapters and it kinda hurts. He spoke about his health, overwork, being lonely.

Really immeasurable in his importance. Not only a great artist but an exquisite storyteller. The complexity of Guts and Griffith as characters and their relationship is unparalleled in the medium.
 
It's been a few hours since I first heard the news, and I've still not yet processed what has happened. Miura's work on Berserk is something of a masterpiece, one that you really can't replicate with another artist or writer. The story of Guts is an experience that I won't forget for as long as I am alive and I would like to thank Miura for making this series become so legendary.

His work inspired many people and properties including the Souls series, Monster Hunter, apparently Final Fantasy VII also, and I know many familiar creators are also devastated by this news also (Adam Deats [Castlevania Netflix series], George Morikawa [Hajime no Ippo], Hideki Tamiya [Devil May Cry], Hidetaka Suehiro [Deadly Premonition], Kazutaka Kodaka [Danganronpa], Kenji Saito [Metal Gear Rising], Raita Kazama [BRIGANDINE], Reikon Games [RUINER], Yasumi Matsuno [Final Fantasy XIV], Yoko Taro [NieR], Yoshinori Ono [Street Fighter]).

One thing that has come from all of this is that I wish other big creators, not just in the manga scene but also in anime and games, in the Japanese industry should take their health more seriously. I don't know if Miura's was caused by over-work but we already have witnessed similar situations in the past (one of which was from another of my favourites - Highschool of the Dead from the late Daisuke Satō, though in his case it was down to a heart condition). At this current moment we have titles like Bastard, Hunter x Hunter, Nana, Real, Terraformars, Vagabond and many more that have had long hiatus windows so I hope those authors are keeping their health in check.

Last thing I want to say is that Miura has left a legacy with not only Berserk, but also his studio - GAGA. They were working on a series called Duranki, which was mostly done by Miura's assistants so I don't know if that will still continue or not, but if it does continue I hope they get the best support possible.

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RIP Kentaro Miura, thanks for writing Berserk.
 
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