B E R S E R K
KENTARO MIURA: THE MANGA AND THE ANIMÉ
by Jeremy Mark Robinson
Color Edition
This is a study of the epic fantasy comic Berserk by Kentaro Miura, one of the greatest works of art in print form of any era. Berserk is a best-selling fantasy adventure manga in Japan and overseas. It has been published (in Young Animal Magazine from Hakusensha) since 1989 and is still not complete.
Berserk, known as 'the Sistine Chapel of manga', is notable for its truly outstanding artwork and its compelling storytelling, centred on its brooding swordsman, Guts. Berserk is an entire history of the action-adventure genre; it features every permutation of every scenario found in action-based stories. It has battles, duels and monsters a-plenty. Berserk is also a whole history of the graphic possibilities of art; it's one of the celebrated works in comics publishing for its remarkable style, and can stand alongside the finest achievements of telling stories in printed form (such as the 19th century prints of Gustave Doré).
Miura-sensei is an artist's artist, completely dedicated to producing the highest quality of work. Berserk spoils the reader: after reading Berserk, pretty much everything, in any media, can seem disappointing. Berserk takes the reader to many places that are familiar (though not delivered in quite this way), and many scenarios that are unique to this comic.
And Berserk is also a shojo manga, with teenage witches, mermaids, princesses, kings, magic and fairies (including the comical elf sidekick, Puck). In fact, in the chapters of Berserk published since around 2017, Guts a
