The manga world is still crying for Kentaro Miura’s death, but there are some rumours about the future of one of the most-loved series ever. And a tweet from Hideki Sugimoto, Miura’s assistant, seems to suggest various possibilities. But a firm decision is still pending, whether the manga is going to end with the already announced volume #41 or continue.
I am personally not sure what to hope for. Like any other person who followed Berserk since the beginning, I’d love to have a conclusion. On another hand, the conclusion I’d like is Miura’s conclusion, not anyone else. Which essentially means that, if Sugimoto uses Miura’s notes and Miura’s ideas regarding the end of the manga, is something to look forward to. If not, well, they’d better not bother.
Reading around, I found another perspective, one fascinating enough to discuss. If, and it’s a big if, the manga stops now, how would the last chapter published (i.e., Chapter 363) work as the ‘series finale’? In this episode, there are indeed characters like Skull Knight or Schrieke, who do and say things about themselves that could stand as a sort of epigraphs of what they really are and what their life is about (read the detailed analysis here). But what about Guts? Interestingly, it might even work for him. Guts will never see Griffith again, to kill or join him again, but Griffith will remain in his mind as they’d never parted. United in spirit, if not in person. Not a bad way to end such an iconic manga and consign it to the realm of legends.