Berserk begins as an imaginative, gripping, emotional challenge that leaves the reader always wondering what could occur next. For the first time in manga history, we're with a protagonist who had indeed "gone through it" and yet as the story went on the value was slowly siphoned out of the characters we had come to know. It began as such a unique and engaging story that left us rooting for folks we usually wouldn't feel an obligation to root for in a setting like that. The art was incredible, the characters were believable, the writing was another level of sophistication, and even to this day, I've never read anything quite like the slow roll that was the first quarter of Berserk.

However, as Berserk continued, it all slowly deteriorated. I've got some gripes with the pacing and focus of the story, which is what I'll be focusing on.

I would have given Berserk a 10/10 if the story ended at the "You Know What" but it did not. I will still be giving Berserk a rather high rating outside of my overall score. However, despite how Berserk retained its life for another arc or two post-"You Know What" despite this though, I really cannot give it much credit. I reread it twice and had a hard time keeping myself attentive and interested in the aftermath.

I can't speak for the future of Berserk as a franchise, but as things stand right now, I can only give it an above-average rating. Best of luck to you if you'd like to read Berserk to its completion, I wasn't able to keep my enthusiasm, save for a few critical moments in its continuation.

I still very much recommend it for readers looking to experience something different, though longevity isn't exactly its strong suit, in my opinion.