When looking at the 5 sub-categories above, I noticed myself giving every one a 10 (expect for enjoyment, which I gave a 9. I'll get to why I gave it that in a second). While I'm not particularly the strictest reviewer ever, I generally don't go throwing 10's all over the place. So, needless to say, Berserk is something unique.

If one were to simply look at the series briefly, the average person would probably only see it as just another over-the-top action manga with a lot of nudity and sex. But that's where they would be mistaken; while violence in Berserk tends to be very extreme and sex IS prevalent, it is done like that on purpose.

Berserk, at its core, is a horror manga for mature audiences...and I'm not talking a generic spooky, ghost-filled haunted mansion story. I'm talking nightmare-like horror. Monsters exist less for the purpose of being something for Guts (the main protagonist) to kill, but are there to represent opposition for him and his "group". Sex almost always involves rape of a horrific nature (except for one instance, which is there to give character development).

Characters are generally very believable and are not perfect Mary Sue's; every single character has at least one major flaw, which can often times play against them heavily. Guts has been a mercenary since a kid and knows very little outside of battle, making it hard for him to get along with others often and coming off as psychopathic at times. Griffith (the main antagonist) tries to do everything perfectly, which leads to him, more or less, going insane at one point in the series when he "messes up". Casca (Gut's romantic interest) is a female solider who tries to throw away her femininity in order to become an excellent solider. These are just three examples of why characters in Berserk are interesting: they have flaws that make them more believable and (sometimes) relateable.

The art style is great, using heavy amounts of black to express the bleak tone of the series. If there was ever one manga that has a haunting-like nature to it's world, it would be Berserk (post Golden Age, one of the plot arcs of the series).

The plot is almost always excellent. If there was one manga that could be compared to epics such as The Epic of Gilgamesh or The Odyssey, it would probably be Berserk. The only two complaint I have with the story (and the reason why I gave enjoyment a 9) are due to pacing problems (in my opinion). There are two instances where I feel the pace of the story feels off.

The first is the very first 2 and a half volumes, which are very hit or miss in my opinion. When I went back and re-read these chapters, I found myself thinking 'you know, they probably could have cut that part out' or 'that chapter could have had these parts trimmed down'. While the Golden Age arc gives great insight to what the heck is happening and is great payoff for sticking with it, it may put off some readers who may find the beginning too confusing.

The other part is probably the part that I feel is the bigger of the two problems. After the Golden Age arc, we head into the Retribution arc. This arc starts off with a huge nosedive in quality from the previous arc. While this arc eventually becomes good, the very first sub-plot of this arc is almost completely irrelevant and comes off as very dull and bland when compared to the exciting and well-written nature of the entirety of the Golden Age arc.

However, these two issues are not even close to enough to bring down this great series in my eyes. Berserk truly does deserve to be the highest rated manga on MAL.

Bottom line: if you want a manga with memorable characters, interesting themes, great art, and a captivating plot and are not afraid of graphic violence and sex, definitely check out Berserk.