Berserk

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Berserk is amazing. From the extremely detailed artwork to the compelling emotions and even some romance, this manga is an absolute masterpiece. The story is very unique especially for when it came out, The side characters all have in depth backstories, development and are likeable and they all have pleasant designs that fit their personality well. The characters reactions to the events around them are realistic and it isn't hard to find relatable aspects of every character, even the bad ones. In all truth i cannot think of a single bad thing or something i would change about berserk. i recommend it to anyone who ... enjoys manga but keep in mind berserk isn't for the lighthearted, you will be heartbroken.

The manga is worth reading and investing time in, but there is one key point to truly enjoy it you need to delve deeply into the story. Understand the narrative and its intentions and question the characters actions. Each event builds an idea, and every dialogue has a purpose. The story is far more than simple enjoyment I personally used Nietzsche’s philosophy, particularly the concept of the Übermensch, to interpret it. There are many paths to understanding the story it almost feels like a visual novel with various routes that shape your view. This is what makes it truly enjoyable. However, if you prefer a ... simple approach, just read it and consider what I’ve said as mere nonsense.

Berserk: a masterpiece at creating ever more problems without resolving anything.

Following a 30-year publication run encompassing nearly 400 chapters, this manga exhibits significant inconsistencies in quality. It seems that the author occasionally included plot points without fully considering their impact on the narrative, resulting in some forced extensions. That's quite disappointing for a manga with a monthly release schedule.

I guess you often hear that Guts, the main character, is one of the best manga characters of all time, but the truth is that he is mid. His trauma writing is mid. It is as if he is afraid of fire and only has his moments ... when he sees fire. From such a broken mind, I expect more than just reacting to things. Give me a scene where he is alone and gets a panic attack, or he suddenly bursts into tears because he cannot do this anymore, resulting in suicidal thoughts...
He is the same idiot as all these battle shonen main characters that charge into the battle without thinking.
Furthermore, he remains unconcerned with his objective, assuming his protagonist status will ensure a self-resolving outcome.
He has some good concepts, but most have fallen short because the next fight is more important.

The main cast is underwhelming. They receive their "sad" backstory, and afterward, they feel like they are just there. No interesting dialogue, nothing interesting that they do.
Also funny that they travel through a land like Mordor (Lord of the Rings), and it's like they are playing Mario Party. They don't even get into any verbal arguments. They are like NPCs forced by a game master to travel together.
How can a high fantasy like lotr portray a dangerous adventure better than this "dark" fantasy...?

Villains are not even worth talking about. It is the same thing all over again. When the main character struggles to defeat a villain, he is either saved by a specific character or, in the middle of the fight, the villain forgets the main character exists and then he is randomly one-shotted.
After that, they are no longer relevant to the story. Amazing.

The drawings are godly detailed but often result in losing impact in fight scenes because you can't see anything. The paneling is also random. Over the course of 30 years, the paneling doesn't improve, and when it does, it is stolen from other manga like "Devilman." Most of the time, it's just artwork assembled together instead of creating a good reading flow.

The worldbuilding is a mixed bag. The locations are quite well done, but their history is nonexistent. For example, there are two countries at war, and you know nothing about one of them despite its presence in the main story. The world is basic Norse mythology, and the magic system is reminiscent of a 1960s fantasy book.

It is beyond glazing that this manga has a rating of 9.4.
If you only want to read this manga because it is number one, then don't.
Just read what you want to read.