Summary
TheBerserkmanga began more than thirty years ago, and while it’s regarded as one of the world’s best, authorKentaro Miuranever believed his work was worthy of lasting that long. It’s difficult to argue that the story of Guts, Griffith, and the struggle that follows causality represents a zenith in Dark Fantasy storytelling, but itsauthor never imagined it would evolve into whatBerserkbecame.
Since the 1990debut ofBerserk’s manga, 376 chapters have been released. However, the iconic series is now in the hands of Miura’s team, who took over Studio Gaga after the author’s tragic death in 2021. An interview with Miura took place months before his passing, which provided a fascinating insight into the author’s thoughts on his long-running series.
Thefinal interview with author Kentaro Miurawas featured in an official exhibition centered onThe Artwork of Berserkand translated onto theBerserk Wiki. One of the questions asked the author if, around the time of its debut, he ever expectedBerserkto become as popular as it has. Even though his works are so well regarded, he responded, “No, I think it is difficult to even for a manga god to have a vision of a series that will continue to run for 30 years.”
Even The Greatest Mangaka Couldn’t Plan A 30-Year Story
The First 364 Chapters ofBerserkWere Written and Illustrated By Kentaro Miura
More than a few beloved manga series have taken much longer than their authors planned, like Eiichiro Oda’sOne Pieceand Yoshihiro Togashi’sHunter X Hunter. Like those series, millions of readers anxiously await to discover the conclusion ofBerserk’s story even if consistent hiatus threatens to sidetrack their curiosity. Still, according to his last interview,Kentaro Miura stated that when he started writingBerserk, he tended not to look too far aheadin planning out his series, saying, “…I did not have such a vision of “this is the kind of manga artist I want to be in the future.” This speaks to its quality, especially if Miura focused more on the present than his story’s future.
Best Berserk Panels That Prove Kentaro Miura’s Unequal Genius
Kentaro Miura’s magnum opus, Berserk, continues to define the world of anime and manga, and his legendary panels have stood the test of time.
Like many individuals who can succumb to the pressures and anxiety of performing large tasks, Miura said, “I always continued to do the work that was right in front of me.” With such an outlook, it’s clear thatBerserk’s author never guessed that its story would continue across hundreds of chapters for decades. While some series successfully find ways to tell tales filled with overarching plotlines that connect in meaningful ways, even the mostbeloved mangas, likeBerserkandDragon Ball, were less planned than some fans believe. Thankfully, Miura sharedBerserk’s ending with his team before his untimely passing.
The Ending of Berserk Has Been Known For Years
As Of Chapter #376, Berserk Is Moving Into Its Final Arcs
Kentaro Miura’s comments may have revealed that the author often didn’t like to focus onBerserk’s future past the chapters he was working on, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know what the ending of Guts and Griffith’s stories looked like. People who worked closely with the author at Studio Gaga, including fellow mangaka and close friend Kouji Mori, have chosen to keep the manga going. Thanks to notes and conversations aboutBerserk’s ending, they feel confident in their ability to conclude Kentaro Miura’s story, which has taken over thirty years to tell.
Source:Berserk Wiki
Berserk
Berserk is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired dark fantasy world, the story centers on the characters of Guts, a lone swordsman, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the “Band of the Hawk”. The series follows Guts' journey as he finds companionship and betrayal on the battlefield that transforms dramatically throughout the series thanks to a mysterious demonic presence that changes Gut’s world forever.
