Berserk

Berserk is a story about a man who relentlessly pushes forward through life, even after being dealt the worst possible hands by fate. This narrative resonates deeply with every reader.

The art of Berserk is phenomenal. Miura's meticulous attention to detail, pixel by pixel, underscores the immense effort and talent invested in the series. It's always fascinating to witness an artist's evolving style throughout their work.

Guts is one of the most human characters I've encountered in fiction, despite being an absolute badass who slays monsters with his GIGANTIC SWORD. He is flawed: often losing himself in rage, running away from his problems, and sometimes being too cruel to others. Yet, beneath his anger and cruelty lies a softer side that cares deeply for his friends and loved ones.

Berserk's message has helped not only me but millions of readers worldwide. The theme of 'never stopping the struggle through life no matter how hard it gets' is rarely explored so profoundly in manga. This seemingly simple yet crucial message has inspired many and likely helped some through their darkest moments.

I will never "get over" Berserk. Other shows and manga may come and go, but fifty years from now, when I'm old and senile, I will still remember the tale of Guts, the Black Swordsman, the Branded Swordsman, and most importantly, the Struggler who never stopped fighting against fate.

Thank you, Kentaro Miura. Even if we never see the ending of this masterpiece, I will forever be grateful for sharing this epic with us.

Sincerely,
A fan, whom your story helped

I believe Berserk to be the greatest manga of all time. Berserk presents us with a compelling cast of characters, each of whom is complex and well-thought-out. The series isn't afraid to explore horrific and sexual themes. The protagonist, Guts, is an extremely nuanced character, possessing both implicit and explicit depth. His journey of vengeance and overall progression is nothing short of masterful. The psychologies of certain characters are intriguing; the trauma and suffering they endure make them feel more realistic. Griffith is an outstanding antagonist, his characterization enigmatic and fascinating. Serving as a complete antithesis to Guts, he makes for a great adversary.

That is all I have to say!

"Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough…that thing is too big to be called a sword…it was more like a large hunk of iron." - anonymous, Berserk vol. 1 – ch.3

Berserk is undoubtedly a masterpiece. I can confidently say it's the best manga I've ever read, and I am still thoroughly enjoying every bit of it! I have just finished volume 37 and am eagerly awaiting the next chapter (which feels like it's taking forever!). The initial volumes in the 'Black Swordsman Arc' can be a bit challenging to get into, and the artwork isn't as polished as in later volumes. However, once you reach the 'Golden Age Arc,' you'll likely become hooked just like I did.

This manga delves into deep concepts and mature themes, so it's not for the faint-hearted. It's precisely these elements that make Berserk an incredible 'dark fantasy' with spectacular fights and a lot of gore. I would even go as far as to compare Berserk to the 'Game of Thrones' of the manga world. In comparison, Batman would seem like a wimp next to Guts.

Guts is the reason why this manga is phenomenal—he's one of my favorite protagonists ever because his character is simply a 'BADASS.' His personality is complex; he has a cool, laid-back attitude similar to Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop, yet there are moments when he becomes enraged and acts like a monster. Despite these shifts, his strong identity remains consistent. His interactions with other characters are often hilarious, making them some of the most awesome moments in Berserk—even better than the fights! And let's not forget Puck the elf, who is just delightful.

What stands out most for me personally is the lack of a clear distinction between right and wrong. This means our heroes sometimes do bad things, while our villains occasionally perform good deeds. This ambiguity is what makes Berserk 'dark' for me. Additionally, Miura's influence from Western culture and fairy tales makes Berserk unique among other anime and manga. There's nothing quite like it!

The story itself is fantastic, giving you a real sense of journey that leaves you feeling exhausted. At times, the narrative can be confusing, but the more you read, the more things become clear. My favorite arc is the 'Landward Journey Towards Elfheim Arc,' which I found hard to put down. I also love the flashbacks throughout Berserk.

Thanks for reading my review. I hope you found it helpful and will enjoy reading Berserk as much as I did :) With Berserk nowhere near its end, I hope it continues to be as amazing as it has been, and I look forward to reading more over the years (emphasis on years—Miura, please hurry up). I also recommend the anime, but not the movies... the visuals are truly terrible. However, the anime stays true to the manga, and despite its abrupt ending, I really enjoyed it. I hope they continue the anime someday because Berserk is truly amazing.

This manga series is one of the few I can confidently call a masterpiece, or at least as close to one as any could get. Enjoyment is subjective, so while one person might consider something the greatest thing ever, another might find it overrated or even trash (pretty obvious, right?). This series isn't for the faint of heart due to its graphic content throughout. The first chapter makes this clear to avoid wasting time for those who aren't into mature themes and visuals.

Pros:
1. The art in the entire series is outstanding. While earlier chapters are less detailed compared to recent ones, the author's improvement over time is evident, with each panel showcasing meticulous attention to detail.
2. As a seinen series, it explores many mature themes.
3. It is highly character-driven. The author excelled at making you understand the motivations and growth of many characters throughout the series.
4. The action scenes are nail-bitingly intense. Even though you might cynically predict that the main character will always have plot armor, Berserk often defies such expectations.

Cons:
1. Unfortunately, the author passed away unexpectedly during serialization, leaving us without knowing how he intended to continue the series. His best friend, also an author, has taken over in an attempt to do justice to the series and complete it.

N/A:
1. While not a con for me, the graphic scenes are very intense and frequent in this series, which can be off-putting for those who are sensitive to such content. I want to emphasize this point because not everyone can handle what this series includes.

Berserk is the best work of art ever for me. I've watched hundreds of movies, animes, series, and read hundreds of books, comics, and mangas, but none of them touched me as deeply as Berserk.

Let's start with the illustrations. The artwork is of very high quality and exceptionally well done. Some illustrations are so stunning that they could be hung on a wall as paintings—I'm not joking. Reading this felt like experiencing visual bliss.

The most important part, however, is the story and characters. The story begins quite ordinarily, but as you progress, it transforms into something much more epic and profound. This work contains deep meanings and numerous philosophical elements, far surpassing other series. It's so epic that it shook me to my core multiple times, made me question my life, and even led me into severe depression :D

All the characters are incredibly realistic. Miura is undoubtedly an expert in human psychology. Every dialogue, every facial expression, enhances the storytelling process significantly.

Man, I wish Miura sensei hadn't passed away, and that this series had reached its TRUE EPIC ending :'( But as they say, don't be sad that it's over; be happy that it happened :)

Berserk

A tale about a man and his sword

Story: 8

The story of Berserk revolves around Gatsu, a man armed with a massive sword and immense strength. Destined for a life filled with battles and constant struggle, Gatsu learns from a young age that he can only rely on his sword to survive each day.

From boyhood to adulthood, Berserk portrays Gatsu's journey through countless battles as he evolves from a simple mercenary into one of the most powerful and feared knights in the land. As a mature manga, it delves into themes such as violence, primal instincts, existentialism, faith, relationships, despair, loss, life, and death. These elements add depth to the story and characters, resulting in a dark and gritty plot.

For the most part, this is a positive aspect. However, Berserk tends to overuse certain elements like rape and torture, which don't always enrich the plot or enhance the overall experience. While these scenes sometimes make sense, they can become repetitive and annoying, detracting from the narrative. Fortunately, the manga also includes some comic relief, offering silly humor that provides a nice contrast to the darker scenes.

Characters: 9

Berserk’s characters feel incredibly real, despite the alternative historical setting. It's hard not to relate to them in one way or another. This realism is partly due to the distinct appearances and behaviors of each character, making them instantly recognizable after just a few pages. Although some characters are weaker than others, all benefit from the author’s attention to detail, each having their own inner struggles and backstories.

Most characters are given "screen time" to reveal their pasts, providing insight into their motivations and personalities. However, this large cast can be overwhelming for some readers who prefer focusing on the main characters' storylines. The extensive backstory information can make the plot seem convoluted, especially when many events occur simultaneously.

Art: 10

Berserk’s art is simply one of the most detailed and impressive out there. Few manga can match its quality in terms of fight sequences, violence, gore, character faces, clothes, weapons, and backgrounds. Everything is drawn almost to perfection. If there’s one manga that deserves a 10/10 in terms of art, it’s definitely Berserk.

Enjoyment: 8

I could have enjoyed Berserk more if the plot didn’t get so convoluted at times or if certain violent scenes weren’t so repetitive. Nevertheless, the action and the fate of the characters keep me coming back to this manga, even though new chapters take forever to be released.

Pros:

• Great action scenes
• Top-notch art
• Interesting story with complex characters
• Great character development
• Mature plot with lots of violence and gore
• Great comedy bits (comic relief)

Cons:

• Convoluted plot
• Overuse of certain violent scenes, such as rape and torture

Overall score: 9

First of all, keep in mind that I'm a bit older than the average manga reader.

Art: The artwork is subpar. The character models and illustrations are far from impressive. During action scenes, it's often hard to follow what's happening, especially in the early volumes. There has been some improvement over time, but it remains barely acceptable even by the end.

Story: For the most part, it's decent. However, the first three volumes are quite terrible. After that, the narrative resets and provides better explanations, which marks the golden age of the story. Unfortunately, once Guts acquires new companions, the plot becomes illogical and dull. At times, it feels reminiscent of Sailor Moon.

The author's fixation on sex and rape leads to an excessive use of these themes, making parts of the manga feel like pornography.

By the time I reached volume 30, my interest had completely waned, and I just skimmed through to the end. The conclusion is nonsensical.

Obviously, this manga is not recommended for mature readers.

Berserk is my all-time favorite. It has set a new standard for dark fantasy, and to this day, I haven't come across any manga, movie, anime, or game that surpasses Berserk in every aspect.

The story follows the life of Guts, known and feared during his prime as the Black Swordsman. As you follow his journey, you will experience friendship, love, passion, tragedy, heroism, grit, and most importantly, "revenge." These emotions are portrayed at a mature level that you won't find in other shonen manga.

The artwork is exceptionally well-executed. Since Berserk began in 1990 and continues up to the time of this review (April 2014), you can see the artist's dedication to meticulously drawing every detail. The art quality improves significantly as you progress through the series.

In terms of enjoyment, you will undoubtedly appreciate some of the characters' lines and fight moves. Unlike mangas like One Piece where characters often engage in lengthy dialogues, here, most characters are concise and tend to have conversations about feelings, ambitions, and struggles rather than nonsensical chatter. And thank goodness, the panels are wide and detailed. You'll love watching Guts bash his iconic weapon, Dragonslayer, through multiple enemies.

No matter what ending Berserk ultimately reaches, up to this point, I am very satisfied with the experience. If you can handle violence, dark themes, and nudity, then give it a read.

*REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*

Don't get me wrong, I like Berserk a lot. I went in hearing great things and came out slightly disappointed.

Story: 7

The Black Swordsman arc is great with its plot and foreshadowing. The Golden Age arc is legendary. I believe it to be one of, if not the best arc ever. The reason my score for story is a 7 and not a 10 is because of everything after the Lost Children arc. In short, I don’t like it. I left the Golden Age arc wanting to see what would happen next. What I got was a story that I feel lost what made it unique. To me, the story started to become generic and repetitive. I am not suggesting you stop after the Lost Children arc. All I am saying is that peak Berserk stops on volume 15 and only goes downhill from there. Not to mention that the final chapter is just about as abrupt and inconclusive as you can get. This can't really be helped though because of Kentaro Miura’s passing. RIP.

Art: 10

Berserk’s art is stunning. Every panel is masterfully drawn to near perfection. Unlike the story, the art only gets better as the series progresses. The art is one of the main reasons why I think Berserk is so good. The art saves the series post vol. 15 for me.

Characters: 10

Guts is great in every way. The side characters are good too. The villain is just perfect. There are a few annoying characters here and there but overall, Berserk has some of the best character writing ever.

Enjoyment: 8

The Golden Age arc is probably the best time I have ever had while reading manga. I took many breaks after that because of the story. The paneling is terrible, confusing, and messy. One of my biggest issues with the series comes with how it deals with certain topics. The event in vol. 13 (you know what I'm talking about) came off as weird. I know it was meant to be disturbing and gross, which it was, but I felt that it was a bit too much. At times with the angles, it felt like it was meant to be appealing more than anything because of the way the panels linger on certain areas for far too long. My only bad thing to say about the Golden Age arc is this scene. It is just about as messed up as you can get but could have been done in a much more tasteful manner (like Banana Fish).

Overall: 8

I want to give it a 9 or 10 but don’t feel like I can because of post vol. 15. Read Berserk. It is a good experience that is just slightly overrated.

MY GOD, where do I begin with this review of this incredible work by Kentaro Miura? The Golden Age arc is one of the best story arcs in manga that I have ever encountered. It's so rich and detailed that it could easily stand as its own series. In fact, it surpasses the simplistic tales of Western works like Game of Thrones (sorry, Game of Thrones fans).

The story doesn't end with the Golden Age arc; it continues before the main narrative begins, showing how the protagonist evolves over time. It also delves into how his best friend becomes his greatest enemy (without giving away too many spoilers). The artwork is GORGEOUS, to the point where it can be considered true art. Every time I turn a page, I find myself wanting to read more and more, eagerly awaiting the series' return from hiatus. That's why it's currently in my "on hold" section of manga.

I highly recommend people to read this AWESOME SERIES and skip Game of Thrones!!!