I will start by saying that the Berserk manga is my favorite literary masterpiece. And it's not only for me, but for a lot of people. You can't understand why, if you haven't read even a few pages of it. I fell in love with it after reading 3 pages. I don't think that I am biased, just because I can't find anything wrong with it. If I have to say anything is wrong with it, I would have to do a lot of nitpicking in order to find something. And also I would like to point for all those gamers out there who love the game Dark Souls, that the character designs are inspired by Berserk.

The Story

The story in this quite complex, but let me start with the setting first. It is set in medieval times, where there were knights, kingdoms and honor. Our main character's name is Guts, and my god once you read his back story you will be crushed. There is no other character with such tragic past and life. I don't know if I will be able to keep this without any spoilers, but I will try my best to keep the to a minimum. Guts basically has everything taken away from him, in front of his eyes, by the person, he trusts the most. The moment where this happens is called the Golden Age Arc, which is regarded by many people as the epitome of writing in manga and it is said that no manga out there can reach the quality of this arc. And honestly, once you read this arc you will really need a lot of time to recover. And that's where things pick up. A quest for revenge, but don't get me wrong. You have never seen such a revenge driven story. The deep meaning behind the actions of our characters are incredible, and also this manga delves into religion, the inquisition ... Something that not every piece of literature dares to even raise questions about it. So if there are people thinking that it's just another revenge story, than you are dead wrong. There is a lot of meaning in everything.

The Art

Well the art as the story is breathtaking. The designs of the characters, the demons designs, the gory deaths, the torture scenes from the inquisition, the backgrounds, the castles ... Honestly it is godly. You can probably say that it is like you are watching an anime. That's how amazing it is. It is so fluid, that the crazy battles look like in a high budget anime. Also you can easily tell when time passes how the character designs change and age. It's like you are in real life. You can clearly see the main character and his companions change through time, like facial features, bodies. Everything is incredibly detailed. And don't get me started on the monsters. There are even rumors that the mangaka Kentaro Miura went to the hospital because he was having nightmares due to his work, and you can easily understand why when you see it.

The Character

This story has a lot of character development. And it's not forced character development, where you don't know how it happened, but every event, every conversation leads to some great changes in the behavior of our characters. And the important thing in Berserk, is that not only our MC Guts gets his time to shine and to develop his own personal traits and beliefs, but the other characters get their time to shine, and get the development they deserve. That's another thing that makes this manga a masterpiece.

The Enjoyment

I haven't enjoyed any other manga, or book for that matter to the extent that I enjoy Berserk. There is literally nothing out there that can compete this greatness, and I know that a lot of people are saying that after the Golden Age Arc, the manga is not that good, but for me it is perfect and still stays true to the quality and reputation its built throughout the years.

OVERALL

It is a must read, for anyone who wants to experience something that is hard to describe with words unless you experience it yourself. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The only thing that I don't like about Berserk, is the Hiatuses and the irregular releases. People who are reading Berserk for years, will know what I mean, the others who are just about to start it, will feel the burden of being a Berserk fan soon enough.