Berserk

BERSERK, in a personal point of view, it's just like meeting my final love. The one i've always been looking for... Two years i've first read it and still i read it again sometimes while eating for exemple.

Why do i love it so much ? BERSERK is the story of a man like you and me a,d with the luck of a fish. Born from a dead mother and raised in a mercenary troop. Fighting for his life everyday he will lose everything, and when he finally find a goal and something special to him in his life he just lose it in the most horrible way possible. it's the story of a man fighting against his destiny and against the destiny of all mankind. Against force far beyond him (or not? :p).

ART : 10/10
Kentaro Miura has one of the most remarquable and unique art style out there for the moment. You can't miss him for an other one and nobody can do what he is doing. It takes him a long time to make new chapters but it's because he's giving a lot of attention on each chapters and put a lot of effort in them. Each page is a master piece, simple.

STORY : 9/10
The story is at his base really simple : VENGEANCE.
But what makes it special are the characters that he met on his road, the twitch that happens to him and ou weren't expecting it, the scene, the death... Everything that happens. It's just, unique and you never know what will happen next.

CHARACTER : 10/10
Characters are probably the reasons why Berserk has so much success. Each character has a real personnality and think differently. The character designs too are really good and show that personality. They're all unique and all have impact in the story. But the most important of them all, GUTS ! Guts (and not Gatssu) is probably one of the charismatic character out there. At first he just look like a badass who smash everything in his way, but once you lived his life since it's birth and you know everything he's been through, you're just... You're attached too that character.

Enjoyment : 10/10
I just love it, i read it again and again a lot since i discovered it two years ago. It was the manga i've always been looking for. Simple.

Now just got two things to tell you, go read it ! You won't regret it. But be aware if you're against everything that is violent, that shows the true guts (ahahahah) of mankind (true violence, sexe scene, strong langage, etc...) just walk away. Not for you...

PS : Sorry if my english is wrong sometimes. Thanks ! ;)

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.

I write this review for people who have heard about how great this manga is, but are hesitant to start reading it. Let me fill you in. YOU ARE MISSING OUT. Most people by now have heard of what a great character Guts is, and they have also heard about what a great antagonist Griffith is as well. When I first started reading this manga I dropped it after the third chapter. I saw no sign of the over hyped Griffith and Guts was just a tough character who was very badass. However, a few months later I revisited this manga because I had nothing else to read. I read the first arc which was surprisingly better than I had hoped. Then, the story flashed to Guts backstory... This arc might have been one of the best written arcs in all of fiction. Even though you know somewhat how it will end, the way it is presented makes you super hype to read each chapter. Each character is very well made and the main characters interactions with each other make the story so much more enjoyable. This was so well done I can not explain i, just read it for yourself. I would highly recommend reading the first two arcs before dropping, if you don't like it then..... I have nothing to say to you. This story was one of the best have ever read! 10/10

COME ONE CASCA WHYYYYYYYYYY COME ONE AFTER ALL HE DID FOR U.
Expect for this part I loved the manga... but damn Casca makes me angry, I loved the artwork this author/artist needs to come with more piece of art like this one. I recommend it any one who likes shit ton of fighting, horror, monsters, little bit of ecchi, and a shit ton of dark stuff happening. Some manga like this is Tokyo Ghoul, for TG the mc is changes a lot just like Guts, there is a girl, horror, fighting and the MC is badass and he also goes trough a lot alone just like Guts.

Since the quarantine is trending in 2020, I decided to read the entire Berserk manga at once and finally see what is so impressive about the work, that puts him at the top of any best mangas lists.



Berserk, is phenomenal in reproducing in a brutal and obscure way, a plot of 3 authentic and essential characters. Gats, Grifth and Casca.

Gats is the man at the bottom of the well, climbing the well desperately, with his brute strength to reach the top of it and fall even deeper from where he started.

Casca is the water in the well which, although small, is sweet and refreshing enough to bring man bread and shine the sun while it is evaporated by its heat and needs to be preserved by man before it dries out completely.

Grifth is the light that shines in the day on the man's head, warming his body, offering through his illumination a possible hope, but that later with the arrival of the night, it goes out, leaving the man in absolute darkness. Even more desperate than before.

The developments of these 3 are intense paths of ups and downs, full of traumas, twists and sentimental catastrophes that turn the narrative in blood, violence, politics, religion and fantasy that are the main reason to keep reading.



It is paradoxical how in the pages of Berserk a sword goes through the guts of an opponent in the best samurai style mortal kombat and soon fairies and radiant flowers are transiting the scene.
The contract between violence and fairytale, bring an ambiguity of comic and dramatic reliefs covering an unparalleled versatility. Even more being designed with such mastery.

When art needs to be brutal and monstrous in the moments of action, sadness and hatred of the narrative, it becomes a hellish, diabolical, trevorous, perverse and perverted drawing. When art needs to be fanciful, it is forested, elven, radiant and even angelic.



But you can't make a 30-year-old manga with 360 chapters and 40 volumes focusing only on 3 characters in a world of darkness. And this is where Berserk commits his greatest sin.
The characters adjacent to the main trio are even charismatic. Are even interesting. And thye do have a good development that is by no means loose in the main plot, but who are they close to the great Gats, Griffth and Casca?

Sagas that focus on the history of these companions, despite being well developed and intertwined in one way or another in the main story, do not reach the same level. They are fillers of the best quality, but in the end, they are still fillers. Deep down in the background, you know that they, in the final stretch of the manga that still has no end, will be left aside, so that the protagonists of the work can continue to achieve their so acclaimed end.

If you looking for a good plot and well written story, berserk are the best to read.. This series are awesome unlike any other "boing-boing" story who didnt really have a good quality.. Well, spare your time to read this one and i guarantee you wont be disapointed :)

At first you will find it kinda boring with the story develop too slow, but trust me.. Just keep reading guyss

To be honest, my love for japan manga are decreasing, it feels like boring.. but you won't feel that bored by reading this ^^

I give 8 for the scene, story and the plot.. !!

So it has finally come to this. As I'd watched this anime I felt compelled to review it, heck I've done it in my head many times over. Every time I had a new thought, realization that made it greater in my mind. The reason for doing this is most likely that Clannad succeeded in amplifying every single story arc, making it feel grand, perfect and complete. It was around halfway into After Story that I'd realized I am in way over my head. This does not deserve to be dissected and reviewed like some faulty piece of garbage. No sir.

Please note that the following review contains spoilers.
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At some point, anyone who reads manga and engages with the community would be encouraged to read Berserk. Not only rated the highest on this very site, but beloved by fans who have been invested in the characters that they have spent so much of their lives admiring and despising, and, in the case of some, both in equal measures. This is not the least bit difficult to understand why once the reader comes across Guts, the intrepid and implacable "hero" of the story. Many mistake him for the protagonist of the manga. A shame, really, given how that just sets up many for disappointment later down the line. This was the case with me, too, initially.

You see, detractors are just as much inspired by reactionary zeal as they are with a genuine feeling of betrayal. This is the case with a lot of things in life, and, I believe, is the case here too. The number of people who would bandy about the sheer brilliance of "The Golden Age" arc is so large it is almost insufferable when one encounters them. Not that they are wrong, just that their attitude appears controversial to them, and those they speak to would predictably be provoked at the suggestion that Berserk kind of does fall apart after that (should they know what Berserk is in the first place, of course). But the reason I was feeling uncomfortable with the direction the story was taking came much later, after the equally appreciated "Lost Children Chapter". This chapter, along with the initial chapters before the prequel starts, gives the reader the impression that this is the direction Berserk is taking: a lone, grizzled man struggling against the world's worst to kill someone he once wanted to be an equal to but ended up being responsible for perpetrating almost unspeakable cruelty on both him and on the ones he loved. He is fighting not just monsters, but monsters who have reasons to regret their lives, for all have lost something or someone they held dearly to become what they are. Guts will kill anyone in his path, even children, to reach his goal, no matter the fact that he has no actual idea how he will accomplish his goal.

A tragedy of a man who knows how to survive a fight with a hundred men as well as the truth that the need for revenge alone is keeping him sane. Perhaps he always knew that Griffith, the man he once looked up to, can no longer be defeated by his own strength. But he does not care and he will go on harbouring the wish, regardless of what it costs his soul, as he goes about killing monsters. He would rather die fighting than grieve and try to move on. So he does just that, because you cannot use a sword to build a house or to find solace in what you have left. He kills and kills and does not stop. Griffith has got to be at the end of one of these treks.

Suddenly, the deformed demon child born to Casca, Guts's lover, informs Guts that its mother is in danger. Guts stops. What was his quest about, really? To defeat Griffith, now that he is furthest from human? Is the reason behind his crusade not his lover? Guts promptly leaves for the city where Casca is to be burned without thinking twice. And everyone is confronted with a change in tone that many refuse to swallow.

You see, Miura, the author, seems to have realised, or believed, that one of the core aspects of Berserk is the political intrigue and large scale battles that he introduced in "The Golden Age" arc. Not only are the main characters during this arc involved in scheming, planning, and executing war against a variety of factions in this medieval setting but Griffith has apparently been promised a kingdom and he will get it. He forces Guts to become a member. Guts is in awe of Griffith, as are the band of followers Griffith has amassed around him. He appears above human law or grasp, something to be worshipped or desecrated rather than just loved or despised. He seems to believe that about himself too. But, eventually, Guts is tired of simply being Griffith's lackey and decides to walk away. Griffith is having none of it, but he no longer commands Guts's awed loyalty, only his respect. This clash of wills, and the subsequent course of events that creates the unbridgeable rift between Guts and Griffith, would not have been possible without the intrigue, without the battles they participated in together. Perhaps Miura believes that maybe this will pay off in the future?

And, given that this is still where we find ourselves, with an incomplete saga and Guts in the company of people he would not think twice about abandoning along the way about ten volumes ago, we are not sure how the answers will arrive. There are a lot of characters that appear to have something in their pasts that could have been used for some extremely dramatic purposes: Farnese, the one-time leader of a band of ceremonial holy knights sent to capture Guts, finds herself attracted to this "bad boy"- she could have failed to rescue or protect Casca on many occasions, because nothing suggests she is ready to handle any pressure from someone she has conflicting feelings for and about; or Casca herself could have deliberately endangered Guts after he attacked her, since, having lost her sanity, she doesn't much feel for Guts; or perhaps Guts himself attacking the rest of the group, or the major members of his group, while in his cursed armour. Anything to reiterate the themes of the earlier stories: that the world that the characters thought they knew is actually full of cruelty and hatred, that the perpetrators of this cruelty are mostly humans trying to achieve the best for themselves, that people will be prepared to sacrifice that which they love most if they are going to get what they want. The amount of time we are made to wait is what makes those who have decided to keep reading antsy and those who have given up on the manga feel vindicated.

I began the manga thinking it was a better version of The Witcher: where The Witcher tried to do a deliberate send up of fairy tales, Berserk was not particularly concerned but achieved it (spectacularly) anyway. The use of magic was quite interesting, for Berserk implicitly suggested that all the magic in the world (insofar as the initial chapters are concerned) is some form of dark magic. This taints all magic seen in the manga, and Guts's fortitude to take on foes who have lost parts of their humanity gives the impression of someone fighting fate itself, the definition of a strong, instantly compelling protagonist. But then Puck, the good-natured elf who was only acted as a foil to Guts before, apparently remembers he has a home that he can bring humans to, and Schierke, the witch in training, more-or-less confirms that there are noble magi who practice magic away from the wicked world of men and their machinations. The spark was almost gone, to be replaced by the melodrama of how much the women (including the prepubescent-looking Schierke) are drawn to Guts, and how terrifying yet awe-inspiring Guts is to the others once he lets his darker impulses gain control of him, represented literally by the cursed suit of armour he wears encasing his head and his false left arm completely to give him the appearance of the wolf he imagines his hatred looks like to him in his dreams.

But then there is Griffith, who is, unfortunately, the second protagonist. Capable of transcending time, he nevertheless comes back just to have a kingdom, starting his own band with near-limitless powers he had achieved through his transformation. One wonders why, since Griffith obviously cannot age, he could not have chosen a better time to be resurrected, perhaps after Guts had died? If not, it is clear that fate, or rather the fact that Miura has to end this manga somehow, forced Griffith into coming back. Griffith brings back the politics featuring increasingly interchangeable nobles and battles that would have once taken whole volumes to complete but now end in one chapter or less. And if fate has already decided how the manga will end, I can only hope that there are a lot of days between where the manga is right now and where it is supposed to end.

For, despite the adventures on the high seas, Griffith going about doing boring stuff without anyone like Guts for him to obsess over, or the band of friends Guts himself has amassed, Guts is still there. The difficulties he has experienced and how he has tackled them have stuck with me, no matter how much the artwork looks like it owes a little too much to H.R. Giger. Despite the brief amount of time he spent with Casca before she lost her sanity, it is clear that he will be there for her, whether she wants him to or not. Some might say that it might not be the best thing for Casca. Guts is going to find that out now. I can't wait to learn what comes next.

Berserk is a series you'll primarily want to view for the action and raw cruelty/power of the villains. It is a very visually impressive manga and shows all of the grotesque nature of its characters in elaborate detail, and if you cannot appreciate that this manga probably isn't for you. The manga is highly recommended over either of the animes, as they cut tons of the gore (with much worse art) as well as story content. Berserk is such a grotesque series that one of the best villains in the series, Wyald, is so disturbing and violent that he was entirely removed from both versions of the anime.

The main character of Guts is largely generic for the most part, with most of his characterization coming as motivation to continue hacking and slashing the villains that provide most of the characterization and unique abilities. As far as story beyond glorifying villains, all of it comes from one particular climax, the Eclipse Arc, around a third of the way through the series that largely defines it as what it is as Guts' world is turned upside down.

The series would be fantastic if it could actually follow up on villains introduced here, but they have barely appeared since despite all the time that's passed. The longtime recurring villains decay over time from their lack of use. The only real reason to read past the Eclipse is Mozgus' arc, which ends around halfway through the manga. Beyond that, no particularly interesting new villains are used and the author takes many hiatuses, with it being legendary how long he kept Guts stuck on a boat.

Protagonists besides Guts can get rather grating beyond the Eclipse and the second half of the manga, as they contribute nothing to help Guts and largely just have to be saved over and over. It's a wonder why they even travel with Guts or he bothers to save them most of the time. There are some good protagonists before the Eclipse arc who are more developed and can actually fight, but they fade into obscurity in exchange for the new much worse ones.

Despite these faults that take place after the Eclipse/Mozgus arcs, it's highly worth reading up to that point. While there is a decent sized gap between these arcs, you'll want to keep reading just to see what the author makes of the aftermath of all the terrible events, easily keeping your attention. After Mozgus, the series is basically complete.

I can't praise this series enough. It will spoil you for anything else you'll read in the future because nothing will be able to compare to it. The plot couldn't be more epic, the emotions couldn't run stronger, the art couldn't be more awe-inspiring (particularly in later volumes), and I guarantee that Berserk will traumatize you for life - in a good way! There are no flat characters here, and you can look at the story from any one of their perspectives to learn something new and valuable about the Berserk world. There's rape and violence galore, but this manga isn't just about Guts kicking ass, it actually has deep philosophical themes woven throughout which I take great pleasure in exploring.

One thing I do want to add is that the manga does not start at the chronological beginning. I strongly recommend that if you want to avoid major spoilers and get the most emotional impact from the story, you start reading at VOLUME 3 PAGE 169 ("Golden Age, Chapter 1"). This is the chronological beginning of Berserk. It is an ~11-volume flashback that frames the rest of the story. In the middle of volume 14 there is a "2 years later..." time skip. When you reach the "2 years later.." mark, this is when you go back and read volumes 1 through 3 completely, then continue with 14.

This manga was definitely not the best I've read, but it still had some elements that made it stand out. The characters are deep and complex. Their characters and personalities grow as the story progresses. You see them grow and change. You see them through triumphs and failures. You find out who is good at heart and who is not. The plot is compelling. In these regards, it is very good.

The stories dark aspects are a strong point but also a weakness. It will definitely shock you, but I think some of it is overdone. The amount of rape that goes on in is over the top. It seems like the female characters always end up naked or in see through clothing, with someone either about to rape them or being raped. Constantly. Every woman in the story has a perfect bubble butt and round tits. They have arched backs and even when laying down, perfect big globes. It seems at time like an erotica manga. I can tell you that real rape is horrifying and not nearly as erotic as the manga portrays, I think it would fit the story better if it displayed it as such. For example, *SPOILER* In the beginning when Gatt's gets raped, it is displayed as scary, terrifying, the rapist is in shadows and looks like a nightmare. *SPOILER* This is the correct way I think, to write about a rape. Yet, every female who gets raped has arched backs, big tits, bubble butt, it's made to seem very erotic instead of terrifying.

Before reading Berserk, I never actually thought I would find in to something with more gore than Hellsing. I kinda feel stupid now.

Story 8/10
The story doesn't really start till a few volumes in giving the series a rather slow start. After that we get to enjoy an amazing storyline before coming back to the start, except this time we know the context.

Art 10/10
Incredibly detailed without preventing you from seeing what's actually going on. If there's something I can complain about it's that Puck often gets drawn in some weird style which annoyed the crap out of me.

Characters 9/10
Instead of praising the character development I'm just gonna say what bothers me, and that is the fact that I simply don't like about a third of the characters.

Enjoyment 8/10
After the amazing storyline mentioned in the Story portion the series stays awesome for about 10 volumes or so till taking what is in my opinion one of the biggest nose dives in history.

Overall 9/10
If you are bothered by gore or don't like depressing stories, then you should not touch this with a 10 foot pole, otherwise you should give it a try.

This is my first review so here goes nothing

Berserk is probably the closest thing you'll get to perfect in any manga in my honest opinion.

Story: The story is about Guts, a swordsman who's been training since childhood who finds a woman named Casca and a man named Griffith who would alter his life forever by offering him a chance to join his crew, the Band of the Hawk. Without saying any spoilers, Guts harbors an intense hatred for Griffith now and he gathers a team so he can snap Casca out of her funk and defeat Griffith and his newfound abilities given to him by the Godhand

Art: The very gritty and realistic art style suits the story extremely well, especially watching Guts become more grizzled and tired towards the later chapters of the story. The manga's art is so well made it even inspired the game Dark Souls for some of its areas. Another noteworthy mention is the armor of the characters like Guts's Berserker armor, Grunbeld's armor and Locus's armor. They're all extremely well detailed and a pleasure to look at. The massive stone castles and mountains depicted are also marvel to look at. If I could give an example, the Kushan Empire's castles would be a good one.

Characters: Guts and Griffith, the two stand out characters from the manga, are both multidimensional characters with motivations that you question or support as you read. Other characters like Casca, Serpico and Farnese are also explained thoroughly. The original Band of the Hawk contains lovable characters like Rickert and Judeau. All of the main cast is memorable and the enemies are especially intimidating like Nosferatu Zodd, Grunbeld and Femto. Visually, all of the characters are great too look at, ESPECIALLY the ruggedly handsome Guts.

Enjoyment: This series has been a perfect experience from start to the most recently released chapter. Now that Miura is done with his idolmaster and is writing again, it's the perfect time to give it a read. This is an extremely well put together manga that exposes the reader to a world so fucked up yet engaging that they can't possibly put the manga down after one volume.

Note: This review was written at 286 chapters read. Ergo, not everything said maybe true after this point.

I feel compelled to write a review about this manga because it is such a masterpiece. Everything is 10/10 for Berserk. However, I am not writing to justify why it is so great, rather why it is so disgustingly realistic in comparison to the real world, as well as the great lessons one can receive from it.

What hits home for me in this story revolves around the saying, "The end justifies the means."
The story shows Griffith, (SLIGHT SPOILERS) a warrior who will do whatever it takes to have his own kingdom, by whatever means necessary. Throughout the story he is praised as a god or as an angel by the religious characters. Although, the way he received his heavenly appearance and power was demonic. Note that this manga is nowhere near over. Furthermore, if Griffith does ultimately achieve his goal and rule as a holy king, will this justify the slaughter and violation of his friends? That is for the reader to decide, but I believe most would agree to disagree.

This can be related back into real life where the public is unaware of what took place in order for someone to gain publicity and praise (A one sided story).

Berserk also shows an immeasurable about of suffering through Guts' character. In the end, what will he have suffered for? What will he achieve? All I can think of is revenge, or self justification and peace. This relates to how sometimes people will work and suffer for countless time without reaching what they were looking for or being disappointed in an outcome.

Another topic Berserk brings up is time and mistakes. Guts' made many mistakes in the beginning of the story that lead to his friends deaths and his own suffering. Without a doubt he would go back and change what he did in the past in order to prevent this if he could. Alas, that is impossible. The story displays how once something is said it cannot be taken back or that how once something is done it cannot be undone. Guts understands this and continues living life without dwelling on his past mistakes which is a great lesson provided by this story.

Something else that is very distinguishing about Berserk is the monster attempting to overcome Guts. I believe the monster represents all of the protagonist's pain and suffering as well as the anger and hatred he feels. It is malice. These feelings are within every human and Berserk basically says that it sucks and you just have to deal with it, which is true. There is no way to get rid of it but to keep your wits and fight. No other piece of literature that I have read or seen has shown this quite as well.

Finally, the last topic that makes Berserk such a great piece of literature is Guts and his friends resolve. No matter what Guts never broke down throughout the story and never gave up. This is another important lesson provided by the manga. It demonstrates how if Guts had given up he would've died with his friends, but instead his tenacity paid off and he lived. Despite all the pain and suffering Guts has to live with he is still alive.

10/10 This will forever be a masterpiece!

The story is always good, but we all noticed when the Golden Age arc ends. the story also strats to become less appealing. Don't get me wrong, Berserk is 10/10 for 90 ch. and then 9/10 for the 100 after those. But then the whole world of Berserk change and honestly, it's not BAD, it's just different and, for me, less appealing.
The story is now 8/10, but i will gladly put back on 9-10 if Miura shows me that he can recreate the old emotions that we all felt during the Guts and Griffith confrontation.

I don't need to talk about the art. It's currently the best manga when it comes to that. At the start is 9/10, but it became a 10/10 very fast. Just astonishing.

Now it's complicated. The characters are all on the 8/10 rating, apart for 5 of them. The protagonist, Casca, Griffith and the Skull knight. Those are very well written and explained, but we're left with such amazing stories of pain that we can find out that we knew nothing about them adn we were just above the iceberg.
So the 9/10 is the right rating for me

Enjoyment. This is personal and i can't really explain to someone else WHY i enjoyed Berserk that much. The only thing i can say is that i felt the NEED to go on with the manga, page after page no matter what. 10/10

Overall rating 9/10 (it's still going on so my opinion can change)

Being a medieval-style lover, I started looking for a manga with this type of setting ever since I was introduced to manga and anime. Many people suggested Berserk and praised it as a masterpiece. It wasn't long before I saw why.

First of all, it's one of the few manga, if not the only one, where the secondary characters' past, relationships and stories are introduced to you in a way that the plot won't get sidetracked and the focus of the story will still be on the main characters. This adds to the drama and makes the cast more interesting and realistic. And we are talking about a ton of information, but it won't tire you one bit. To be honest, I have never before seen an anime or manga achieving such detail with so little effort and protects the readers from boredom.

The main characters are Guts and Griffith. One is the direct opposite of the other, both in philosophy and style. They start of as good friends that trust each other and develop a strong bond. But in the end, one will betray and another will be betrayed. Besides the "good guys", the villains are not your typical run-of-the-mill bad guy that wants to destroy the world etc etc. Each and any one of them has his own motive and his own story to tell. They are something more than just figures that serve to stop the protagonists' way and eventually, get destroyed by them.

The story walks the border between complicated but easy to understand and chaotic. However, it never slips to either side. The characters might sidetrack from their original goal a couple of times in every arc, but you will never forget what they wanted to do. Berserk's magic will definitely capture you, as you will find yourself enraged and angry in several parts of the story. Also, you will have the impression that Guts and Griffith are locked in a struggle between morality, following your dreams and duty many times as the story progresses.

When it comes to the art, one word would not be enough to describe it. The battle scenes are fluent, realistic, full of energy and it's easy to understand what is happening during a duel. Castle sieges, battlefields they are all depicted with hundreds of soldiers in few frames, but they never become too chaotic for you to understand. A notable element is the expressions in the characters' faces. You will always know a character's emotions by looking at him and even if you have doubts about someone's motives, a look on his face will confirm or not your suspicions.

Keep in mind though, that Berserk is not your average warrior-style manga. Gore is in very high levels while violence is something common. Add sex, rape, and nudity and you got a mature manga. However, isn't that how medieval times where in the first place? There's no need to glorify these things, but there's also no need to create illusions that knights in shining armor were kind, good and rescued damsels in distress out of duty. And Berserk definitely achieves that.

To date, Berserk remains my favorite medieval manga. And I am certain that no other manga any time soon will manage to surpass it. I strongly reccomend it and be certain that you will enjoy it thoroughly.

Story: 10
Art: 9
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 10

If you're looking for a good read it should most definitely be this. Berserk will always probably be my favorite manga of all time the plot is A1 and kept me interested in it for a long time. I obviously got an overly biased opinion when it comes to berserk but I don't care its a review just read it especially if you enjoy reading Seinen and can't find nothing else to read. You got to read it to if you got yo chakras up trust me you understand more stuff. Im big on the art to from berserk because its catches the emotion of the a lot of scenes perfectly.

Sincerely,
kichthekid

I was able to watch the anime adaptations first when I get hooked up in the story and decided to read the manga. The phasing of the story is very different from the anime so I'm hoping that the people who have watched and will watch will read it too because even if they have different phasing it's both enjoyable.

The setting is really a wise idea, and the maturity of the story gave me a feeling that this is very different. Something is different with Berserk that you will continue to watch. What I also see in the story, although fantasy, it's very realistic! And I love it, not because of the maturity of the drawings or the situations of the story, but it's because of the decisions each characters are doing.

It really shows how wanting a power can change a man.

I was inspired by Guts or I could say that he is really my favorite because we both think the same. For others who haven't read it, once you see the crisis Guts have undergone you will understand why he did that.

Overall, I love the story - very realistic and mature. And I just love it! Really fascinating story.

Initially the first impression when i began to read were: "what about the context of the story?". Actually it came later with the next chapters but i was so excited to understand the story that i kept questioning "what next, what next?". The main character seems to be a cold heart man, killing without thinking, but the story "Berserk" it's all about that. Gutts suffered his entire life, borning from a dead body, walking the path of blood with his sword in his youth. Pain, pleasure, agony, wickedness comes with this story specially when he meets Griffith, his bestfriend that shares his dream of being the future king of Midland and use Gutts' power to do that. Soon or later, you'll uderstand how much Griffith betrays Gutts. I trully recommend you to read this mangá, without taboos, everything is explicit and relates with some issues from the past about wars and abuse at all levels, powerfull story with a art that grows better and better.

Absolutely amazing. What can I say that hasn't been said?
Whoever is reading this review and saying to himself "Eh, should I read Berserk? I'm not really into medieval stuff..." Should square up and read it. It's one of the most amazing experiences modern literature can provide.

Not only the art is consistently fantastic 99% of the time, the characters are well written. Fantastically written. The writing isn't bound to 'good vs evil' themes, but actually to humans and humans actions. The story isn't much of a "bigger picture" kind of story, but of making our characters the bigger picture.

There is so much, TOO much, to talk about when wanting to write about Berserk. You should read it.