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[EvilKatarn]

In this world
is the destiny of
mankind controlled
by some transcendental
entity or law?
Is it like the hand of god
hovering above?

At least
it is true...
that man has no control
even over his own will.

• What is Berserk?

Berserk is a long-running dark fantasy manga written and drawn by author Kentaro Miura. The first volume was released in December of 1990 and it's still being released to this day with the 37th volume releasing this December.
Over the years Berserk has received a ton of recognition for its unparalleled art and a story that has fans squirming for the tale to continue after every single release.

• Yeah, but what's the actual story about?

The story centers around Guts, a lone mercenary going from battle to battle to survive in a harsh world named Midland which is inspired by medieval Europe. Soon enough the leader of an up and coming mercenary group - Band of the Falcon - becomes infatuated with Guts and insists on Guts joining his army to one day conquer Midland.
As the story proceeds it goes to some dark places touching upon several dark and mature themes and thus it would be spoilery to say any more.

• Alright, how do I get into this?

The obvious answer would be to buy the manga, supporting the author for the work he's put into this over the years and Dark Horse for the great localization.
However, my recommendation would be to watch the 1997 anime first. It beautifully stays true to Berserk's original art style and has one of the greatest soundtracks ever. Guts and Forces never fail to come up when discussing music from anime.
After that you'll definitely want to read the manga. The anime covers volumes 3-12, but it's entirely worth reading them when you go to the manga after watching the anime because of the added depth.

• I saw that there's some animated movies of Berserk that are recently released? I'll watch those instead and be done with it!

Don't. They are the worst thing you can do to yourself if you want to enjoy the story of Berserk. Nearly everything about them is bad with the ending of the third movie being the only thing about them I can say I like. The soundtrack is very mediocre, the art direction is a far cry from the original designs and the animation is very wonky with some of the worst use of CG I've seen in anime. And I haven't even mentioned the amount of pivotal scenes they jam into a few lines of dialogue instead of fully letting them bloom.
That said, the ending of the third one was really well done and I hope they continue into territory that hasn't been animated yet.

• Helpful links

Kentaro Miura
Berserk (manga)
Berserk (1997 anime)
Berserk 1997 anime OST playlist
Berserk (2012/2013 movies)
Berserk (Dreamcast game)
Berserk (PS2 game)
Gigantomakhia

 

[Forkball]

My grasses are on.

I've only seen the series. I'm hesitant about the manga since it's so long and unfinished.

 

[Alric]

Berserk is hands down my favorite manga in existence. I just hope it gets finished.

I showed my fiance the Berserk Golden Age Arc films recently and she loved them so much she started reading the series and crafted me a Behelit and is working on a Zodd Sculpt for me.
She hand sculpted and painted these. The Clay is Super Sculpey if anyone is curious.

Zodd- Work in progress

Behelit

 

[frontovik]

I saw that there's some animated movies of Berserk that are recently released? I'll watch those instead and be done with it!


Don't. They are the worst thing you can do to yourself if you want to enjoy the story of Berserk.

Okay, so don't watch any of the Berserk anime? (movies/TV series) I was thinking about watching the TV series, but I'll read the manga instead if the production quality is bad.

 

[Jarnet87]

I want to watch/read Berserk, but the fact that it's never going to finish and that a chapter takes months to come out keeps deterring me.

 

[EvilKatarn]

Okay, so don't watch any of the Berserk anime? (movies/TV series) I was thinking about watching the TV series, but I'll read the manga instead if the production quality is bad.

I was just talking about the new movies there.

However, my recommendation would be to watch the 1997 anime first. It beautifully stays true to Berserk's original art style and has one of the greatest soundtracks ever. Guts and Forces never fail to come up when discussing music from anime.
After that you'll definitely want to read the manga.

----

My grasses are on.

I've only seen the series. I'm hesitant about the manga since it's so long and unfinished.

The manga has a few very good arcs that come right after Golden Age. I definitely recommend checking those out. Plus Golden Age has a lot more backstory in the manga, so it's worth reexperiencing.

Berserk is hands down my favorite manga in existence. I just hope it gets finished.

I showed my fiance the Berserk Golden Age Arc films recently and she loved them so much she started reading the series and crafted me a Behelit and is working on a Zodd Sculpt for me.
She hand sculpted and painted these. The Clay is Super Sculpey if anyone is curious.

Thread already worth it.

 

[LaneDS]

My grasses are on.

I've only seen the series. I'm hesitant about the manga since it's so long and unfinished.

Still highly recommended, even though you will reach the end and know the pain that is Berserk's glacially slow release schedule.

On that note, when oh when can we expect to see the story continue? Ugh.

 

[YesManKablam]

Okay, so don't watch any of the Berserk anime? (movies/TV series) I was thinking about watching the TV series, but I'll read the manga instead if the production quality is bad.

You should watch the anime if you want. It does have some budget issues, but that aside it's still good. The manga is the best way to go though.

 

[God Dayumm]

Berserk will probably continue?!!! I though it was officially declared as complete because the author was too ill to finish it. I'll start reading it then!

 

[Hellsing321]

Berserk will probably continue?!!! I though it was officially declared as complete because the author was too ill to finish it. I'll start reading it then!

Hes got a bad case of Idolm@ster-itis.

 

[YesManKablam]

Still highly recommended, even though you will reach the end and know the pain that is Berserk's glacially slow release schedule.

On that note, when oh when can we expect to see the story continue? Ugh.

I've heard that he is continuing soon, so maybe another 8 to 9 months.

Spoiler

jk about the second part.

 

[Tizoc]

Hang in there Guts, just 5 months til you're more closer to Elfhell!

 

[CorporateClown]

Awwww hell yeah!
By far my favourite manga. I've been wanting to go back and reread it from the beginning and pick up the volumes I said I would buy, but didn't. To my horror, most of them are out of print and ridiculously expensive, though I heard they're getting a reprint soon, which is nice.

For perspective on how slow things move, I stopped reading when they were trying to get a boat.Many years later? They uh...have a boat...

 

[Alric]

Don't forget there is also the Dreamcast Berserk game and the PS2 Berserk game which has recently got a fan-made English Patch.

 

[Alric]

Awwww hell yeah!
By far my favourite manga. I've been wanting to go back and reread it from the beginning and pick up the volumes I said I would buy, but didn't. To my horror, most of them are out of print and ridiculously expensive, though I heard they're getting a reprint soon, which is nice.

For perspective on how slow things move, I stopped reading when they were trying to get a boat.Many years later? They uh...have a boat...

Darkhorse actually just started reprinting old out of print editions. Get them now before it's too late.

 

[Soma]

TELL ME WHAT

TELL ME WHAT

TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Good call on this OT. Best series of all time.

 

[Slightly Live]

Can't believe no new Berserk manga until March because Muira is doing a new six-part Gigantomakhia manga.

=/




I wouldn't have cared, but this is coming at the time of the biggest gap in Berserk manga publishing history. We've been with new Berserk for the longest time ever since it began.

 

[Ambitious]

I'd also recommend starting with the original anime. That's because the manga reveals something pivotal to the story very early. The anime keeps it for the right moment.

But give the manga a try even if you don't like the anime, it's excellent.

 

[plasmawave]

Don't watch the movies. They are horrible.
Definitely read the manga first. They are incredible.

So dark.

wow.

Oh yeah, also the music used in the Berserk games and anime are awesome too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkYYYew8CUI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcggrXcmqFg

 

[LaneDS]

Don't forget there is also the Dreamcast Berserk game and the PS2 Berserk game which has recently got a fan-made English Patch.

Oh shit, had no idea the PS2 game got an unofficial translation. Is it better than the DC game? At the time I enjoyed it, but I'm guessing these days it's likely super dated.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Oh shit, had no idea the PS2 game got an unofficial translation. Is it better than the DC game? At the time I enjoyed it, but I'm guessing these days it's likely super dated.

Far better. Still shitloads of fun.

 

[Tizoc]

IIRC, that thing that the manga reveals was removed from the later reprinted volumes correct?

 

[Schweinehund]

So I'm guessing they're still on the boat?

I'm hoping this manga is finished before I die. I stopped reading until he finishes it, still going to watch new OVA's.

 

[Alric]

Gonna disagree with some posters here and the TC. Having read the Manga and seen the original series way before these 3 Golden Arc movies came out recently I would still recommend them. If anything they'll get you interested and wanting more of the Berserk lore. Like I said in my first post on here I watched them with my fiance and the moment she saw them she had to read and know more about Berserk.

 

[boinx]

I haven't read the manga in probably 2 years at this point. Have they still gotten off the

Spoiler

island?

 

[plasmawave]

I haven't read the manga in probably 2 years at this point. Have they still gotten off the

Spoiler

island?

Yes. Or they are about to.

 

[Akkad]

One of the greatest anime ever made, tried a couple of times to get into the manga but the length usually stopped me.

 

[Kuroyume]

My favorite manga.

Read (burned through) the manga last year up to the most recent issue. Hooked. Blown away.

Anime was okay mostly because it's Berserk but the animation is very dated and it could have been way more violent.... Should have been more violent.

The three recent anime movies were great. CG felt seamless and usually I can't stand CG mixed with anime. I just wish the movies went beyond where the anime ended. As much as I love the early part of Berserk up to the eclipse, it's many of those later chapters I love the most.

 

[thequickandthedead]

How explicit is the ending of the third movie compared to the manga? Is there anything censored?

 

[EvilKatarn]

How explicit is the ending of the third movie compared to the manga? Is there anything censored?

It's fucking nuts. They went all out. You could feel the uncomfortableness in the cinema. It was amazing.

 

[Nesotenso]

so did the author finish this ? Last I had read Dark Horse had caught up to the Japanese publication.

 

[kazebyaka]

I've read about the half of manga. It's pretty awesome, but a bit too dark and gloomy. Nothing happy ever happens in that world.

 

[Defunkled]

Subscribed. Berserk is the greatest manga of all time. I still need to find a way to play my copy of the Japanese PS2 game.

Any details on when the third film is out on Blu-Ray here in the States?

 

[smurfx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G5fOamTiQE

 

[PhoenixDark]

Is there any chance of another anime coming out? I watched the 1997 one a few months ago - my first anime - and really enjoyed it.

 

[slightconfuse]

Beserk is still going.

Time to catch up I guess

 

[Chance Hale]

Haven't touched a Manga in years, are there any nice Absolute Edition esqe collections of the series so far? Don't really want to buy that many paperbacks if possible

 

[Alric]

Subscribed. Berserk is the greatest manga of all time. I still need to find a way to play my copy of the Japanese PS2 game.

Any details on when the third film is out on Blu-Ray here in the States?

Not sure, but I do know its coming. They were showing the dubbed version at NYCC a month ago.

 

[Mother Green]

One of my favorite mangas, it just sucks that it takes so long til new stuff comes out. Never watched the anime, but damn, listening to Forces now the third time in a row!

 

[Johnlenham]

It's fucking nuts. They went all out. You could feel the uncomfortableness in the cinema. It was amazing.

I kinda of liked the movies, maybe that was because its been bloody 11 months+ since a new chapter, so anything is better than nothing.. but the scene in the snow was pretty awesome.

I watched the anime first then read the manga as I wanted more. Some of the later manga stuff like how trolls are made....is pretty disturbing.

 

[Alric]

Oh yeah, and another reason I love Berserk is I decided to hand-make my engagement ring to my Fiance. I proposed to her with a Ring of the Sacrifice I made out of Wood and gems inset I made.

 

[Rur0ni]

Stopped at v29 or something. It started getting a little less serious once that

Spoiler

young witch joined.

(I'm sure I've said this like five times in previous threads).

 

[Ambitious]

so did the author finish this ? Last I had read Dark Horse had caught up to the Japanese publication.

No. He took a break of nearly a year, but supposedly he will continue working on it within the next few weeks. Apparently there's also a quote of him from a few years ago where he said that it was about 70% complete.

Is there any chance of another anime coming out? I watched the 1997 one a few months ago - my first anime - and really enjoyed it.

I doubt it. I'm not sure if it was every officially confirmed or just a rumor, but word is that they will make more movies, covering the whole story.

 

[Dysun]

I haven't read the manga in 4-5 years

Spoiler

They still aren't at the elf island? :/

 

[Valus]

Wait a second. You're telling me the manga continues the story beyond the anime? I had always thought it was a one and done type thing. I'll always remember watching it with my two best friends and all of us getting completely blowing away by how it ended. We figured they ran out of money and decided to just trolololol everyone.

Shit...I'm not really into reading manga, and hearing that it's progressing at a snail's pace is disheartening. I'll have to let my friends know though, that's crazy.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Wait a second. You're telling me the manga continues the story beyond the anime? I had always thought it was a one and done type thing. I'll always remember watching it with my two best friends and all of us getting completely blowing away by how it ended. We figured they ran out of money and decided to just trolololol everyone.

Shit...I'm not really into reading manga, and hearing that it's progressing at a snail's pace is disheartening. I'll have to let my friends know though, that's crazy.

The anime is such a tiny, tiny part of the whole thing. It's significant though.

I say dive in. There's a LOT to read before you hit the wall for new shit.

 

[EvilKatarn]

Wait a second. You're telling me the manga continues the story beyond the anime? I had always thought it was a one and done type thing. I'll always remember watching it with my two best friends and all of us getting completely blowing away by how it ended. We figured they ran out of money and decided to just trolololol everyone.

Shit...I'm not really into reading manga, and hearing that it's progressing at a snail's pace is disheartening. I'll have to let my friends know though, that's crazy.

The anime covers volumes 3-12 of the manga. And there's 37 volumes out, so yeah.

 

[Kajiba]

Favorite manga hands down.

 

[Jarate]

at least we know what Miura is doing

I feel like if any manga or anime was able to transition into an american show it would be Berserk. Tell me you assholes wouldn't love a live action show done in America based off of Berserk