People who follow this blog already know how much I could possibly love manga (and anime). However, one friend just made me realise I’ve never properly talked about one of my favourites, albeit I’ve often mentioned it: Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. Therefore I decided to write a few posts, starting with this one.
If you’re already a fan, what I’ll say here would add nothing to your understanding. If you’re not, however, read on. Berserk is special, and it appeals even to readers who are not necessarily into the Japanese anime/manga. With one caveat: if Game of Thrones put you off, Berserk is not for you. It is not by mistake that it’s called ‘the GoT of the manga world.’
So, why should you give it a try?
#1 Berserk‘s world is incredibly rich and nuanced. It is (dark) fantasy at its best, and it mixes up Eastern and Western traditions in a truly original way -goblins and demons, utopia and damnation, trolls, elves, and witches. Pretty much everything you can think of. And more. Much more (even fun moments).
#2 Miura is probably one of the most gifted mangaka around. His chapters, visually speaking, are nothing but stunning, even if you’re not particularly fond of graphic novels.
#3 The storytelling is great, credible, compelling. Its complexity can stand any comparison with great fiction series. After all, Miura devoted it thirty years of his life –and it shows.
# 4 The characters. Well, this is probably what makes Berserk so good. All of them are intriguing, far away from black-and-white symbols. There are no heroes in Berserk, and nobody is beyond blame. They’re all humans, they fail and suffer, and they all fight against their own darkness. You can’t but love them all, starting with the most typical of anti-heroes, the protagonist (Guts).
# 5 Berserk is still ongoing. The war is not over yet (but we are near). Like GoT in S7, we’re still waiting for the Grand Finale, the final battle. It is a good moment to jump in.
# 6 Last but not least, Berserk has probably the most beautiful, enchanting, and fascinating antagonist of all manga world, which alone makes this series worth reading/watching. Griffith is such a powerful character that it’s impossible not to take a stance for or against him. The proof? It is about twenty years that the fandom is divided between who defends his choices and the rest who considers him evil incarnated (full disclosure: I stand in between. To me, Griffith is not evil but his fall from grace transforms him into a literal demon, with all that follows. More about it in another post).
Now you have all the elements to make a choice. If you decide to give it a try, where should you start? Not so easy, for something that has been around for thirty years, 40 volumes, three anime adaptations and three movies. My advice: discard the movies (no, really: they’re difficult to stomach if you don’t know the story already) and start with 1997 anime (not to be mistaken with 2016 anime, which I’d definitively avoid). The original anime (1997) are a gentle, not-to-violent introduction to Berserk universe, with an amazing OST by Susumu Hirasawa. It will be easier afterwards to make the transition to the manga –the best way to appreciate Miura’s creation, which remains, albeit all the criticism, one of the most outstanding manga ever produced. You’re ready? This is the trailer.