Fullmetal89 said:
retrogamer32x said:
[spoiler]Fullmetal89 said:
retrogamer32x said:
Fullmetal89 said:
Within the next decade we might actually see a release of a volume. I really wish Miura would just end the manga, it's clear he wants to move on to other things. If that one-shot he made is any indication, he's dying to draw something else.
I'll never get use to how mangaka's like Miura and Togashi can just do whatever the hell they want and their editors don't get on their case. I swear if those two motherfuckers didn't write such good stories I would have dropped this series ages ago.
I agree with that. Also, I think the sad thing is that Miura could end Berserk in a decent way, maybe not the way he intended, in a few volumes just to give the fans some closure. Let Guts & Co. get to Elfhelm, this sets up an invasion by Griffith (since he is clearly not going to let magic users exist as a threat to him), then wrap up everything there. That's just one example I thought of, the point is that we aren't that far from being able to tie it up, if he really has lost his passion.
Yeah we all want some closure. At this point no matter how he ends the story, it wont have the same impact. My fear isn't that Miura will die before he ends Berserk or that Berserk will just fade into nothingness and be forgotten. My fear is that Miura will morph Berserk into the project that he wants to be working on; instead of ending it and starting a whole new series. I feel like that has been slowly happening over the course of the last 10 volumes.
I don't want to sound like a pessimist but the manga has lost focus over the last few volumes. Then again chapter 337 has given me some hope.
I'm pretty much with you there. The recent Sea God arc took that to new heights, as well. I've lurked on some of the Berserk boards and Reddit before, and it amazes me that more people don't see it and keep creating crazy theories for why he might have done a side series, the decline in output, the switch to high fantasy, etc.
I use to frequent Skull Knight forums back in the day. A lot of the more hardcore fans are downright delusional. I love Berserk, it's easily one of the best stories I've read and it's a big part of my teen years. That said, it's far from perfect.
I think a lot of the newer readers or rabid fanboys don't realize that the initial appeal for Berserk was it's low/dark fantasy setting. One of the things that got me hooked to the manga was that while it was by no means realistic. It placed the characters in realistic situations in a believable setting. I mean sure if you want to be technical, it's a manga about a medieval demon hunter. Yet at the same it's much more. The demons weren't one dimensional, and weren't born demons. They were made demons. The human element in Berserk has, or I should say had, always been it's strongest point. Miura was very good at writing complex characters and having them struggle through a pretty shitty universe. Gut's being the prime example of this.
As a reader I struggled along with Guts in his journey or at least I felt that way while reading. Ever since Miura started to sprinkle more fantasy into the manga here and there. I've slowly become more detached from the story. Especially when the Dwarven Berserker armor was introduced.
I can forgive pretty much everything else Miura has done but that armor literally defeats Guts as a character. I understand why he added it and I get it makes some sense in the large scheme of things. The problem is that it basically contradicts this entire idea of man fighting against fate. He is no longer just a man with that armor. This is different from the hand cannon, auto-crossbow and ridiculously big sword. This is a magical item that gives him a power up making him closer to an apostle than a man. The fights just don't have the same impact with that armor. It also feels like some copout to have Schriek tag along.
Anyway, lol didn't mean to get into a rant. I'll keep on begrudgingly waiting for updates as I've always done. Until I am too old and tired to give a shit or Miura dies.[/quote]
I agree completely
I love the first three arcs (Black Swordsman Arc, Golden Age and Conviction) but it started to go downhill ever since the annoying Loli magical girl was introduced
Too much High Fantasy and RPG-like elements were introduced (power ups that Guts group got as an example), the darker elements are all but gone now
The sea god arc (pirates? mermaids? wut?) is easily the worst Berserk arc, at least the Griffith segments are interesting (even though with the worlds merged its too fantastical now)
Still until Volume 25 or so it was pure greatness (when Griffith and Guts meet again on that hill is probably the high point of the series)
