Story - 9.38
The first three volumes may discourage some of the readers because it's starts off kind of slow and the initial artwork is not quite up to today's standards. However, after the reader begins the Golden Age arc it is nearly impossible to not be pulled in and become addicted to the series. It is chock-full of action, drama, character development, twists and turns, and just a dash of romance. It defies generalization and is just damn good storytelling.
After the Gold Age arc wraps up the story come back full circle to where it left us at the end of volume 3. But by
...
then the rhythm of the manga has changed completely. The reader has established a deep connection with Guts, Casca, and Griffith and that only grows more as the story continues. You'll be confronted with conflicting emotions and think things like "I really want to see Guts put Griffith in the ground" and at the same time "Griffith is just so damn cool". These conflicting thoughts and emotions just go to show how invested the reader becomes with the characters.
Another good thing about the Berserk story is that the protagonist (Guts) is not always the focal character in every chapter. In fact, nearly all of the major supporting cast members receive a considerable amount of page space for their own stories to be fleshed out. Each of these side-stories is not only unique and extremely well developed, but also very deep and revealing as it shows the reader why these character are the way they are. One of the side stories that I found most intriguing was Farnese and Serpico's as it was so beautifully orchestrated as part of the manga as a whole.
The only problem with the story, in my humble opinion, is the introduction of magic in the manga. I feel that the magic the group "acquires" in volume 24 is somewhat exaggerated and does not suit the dark atmosphere of the story. In fact, at times it can even make some of the chapters feel a bit shounen-esk. But even still, it's pretty much impossible not to enjoy the ongoing story that is Berserk.
Art - 9.6
The artwork in the first few volumes of Berserk won't do much to impress many of today's manga readers, but at the time when the series was first serialized (1992) it was certainly well above average. Those initial volumes feature many very unique character designs (especially the apostles) and also sport a relatively high focus on detail. However, where Miura really shows off his latent artistic talents early on is through his ability to create crisp, clear, and highly fluid fight scenes.
One of the few negative aspects of the early volumes can be identified as the simple shading techniques that Miura used. Also, sometimes the character faces will look just a bit "off" and it can be a little distracting. However, these minor quality issues were most likely due to the time constraints that were in place at the time and not entirely the fault of the artist.
Then as the series progresses the reader gets to watch the artwork literally evolve. As we learn more and more about the characters and the world in which they live, the characters themselves and their environments become more and more visually detailed. The simple shading from the early volumes is eventually replaced by a hand shading technique which gives the series a more gritty and surreal overall feeling. The character designs become more crisp and facial expressions sometimes are so vivid that one look at a character's face is often enough to tell the reader exactly what the character is thinking. By the time the reader makes it into volumes 20 and beyond Miura has made it very clear that he means for Berserk to be truly regarded as a work of art just as much as it is a masterfully epic piece of storytelling.
In my own experience I have seen very, very few other manga series that can even approach Berserk's later volumes on an artistic level and, unfortunately, I highly doubt that I will ever be able to find its peer.
Characters - 9.5
The very first character you will meet in Berserk is Guts, the "Black Swordsman" with a dark past and a score to settle with his demonic enemies. Certainly not a very revolutionary character at first glance, but even though he may start off as such, his character quickly expands, and ends up as one of the most believable and human characters I have ever witnessed.
As the story unwinds, you follow Guts through his past, allowing you to experience his personality change during his constant battle against fate. You follow Guts through waves of despair and hardships offset only by the flickering fires of friendship and trust. Eventually, Guts becomes like a maelstrom of opposing emotions, and the question arises, will he continue on his path of all-consuming revenge even if it means losing everything he has come to care for?
The other characters that appear throughout the course of the story come in all different shapes and sizes and all play their roles perfectly, just as support characters should. The more important support characters, protagonists and antagonists alike, are all draped in many layers of depth, making their characters both solid pillars and interesting ingredients within the plot as a whole. From Griffith's burning ambition to the skulduggery of the God Hand, from Puck and Isidro's antics to Farnese's troubled past and uncertain future, the characters all appear vivid and alive (Although alive might not fit The Skull Knight...) and all have their own emotions, personalities and ambitions. The supportive cast show their brilliance in how they appear to the reader as actual players in Berserk's grand game, and not just as passive plot devices.
With such a cast of strong personalities and vibrant, living characters, Berserk easily cuts it's way (no pun intended) to the top score in this category.
Enjoyment - 10
The fact that I sat and read through all 295 chapters of this exquisite manga in one sitting should justify the perfect score for enjoyment! The manga has great characters - heroes you root for and empathize with, villains you can't help but admire for their ruthlessness and charisma. The artwork is dark, brooding, and gruesome and complements the story well. And what a riveting story it is... It hooks you from the first chapter and sets the stage for the most intriguing revenge themed manga on the market. Its success is testament to its quality. My only complaint is the excruciating waits between chapters.
Also, I must throw in a cautionary note: this manga is quite definitely not for the faint hearted. There is a considerable amount nudity, sex, gore, violence, and, for the lack of a better word, bad-assery!
OVERALL - 9.69
This review is the final result of a review team composed of members from the "Critics and Connoisseurs" club. The team members were:
8GaugeBrett - Who wrote the Art section and combined the individual review parts together into a whole.
Amaity - Who wrote the Enjoyment section.
Baman - Who wrote the Character section.
Ianmessku - Who wrote the Story section.
Here are their individual scorings for the Manga:
Category - 8GaugeBrett, Amaity, Baman, Ianmessku
Story - 9, 10, 9, 9.5
Art - 10, 9, 10, 9.5
Character - 9, 9 , 10, 10
Enjoyment - 10, 10, 10, 10
Overall - 10, 9, 10, 9.75
In the club wide poll held for Berserk it received an average overall rating of 9.53
Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Berserk: The Prototype Japanese: ベルセルク More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: Unknown
Status: Publishing
Published: Aug 25, 1989 to ?
Demographic:
Seinen
Serialization:
Young Animal Statistics Ranked: #12 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #1
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Your Feelings Categories Apr 29, 2008
Story - 9.38
The first three volumes may discourage some of the readers because it's starts off kind of slow and the initial artwork is not quite up to today's standards. However, after the reader begins the Golden Age arc it is nearly impossible to not be pulled in and become addicted to the series. It is chock-full of action, drama, character development, twists and turns, and just a dash of romance. It defies generalization and is just damn good storytelling. After the Gold Age arc wraps up the story come back full circle to where it left us at the end of volume 3. But by ... Sep 30, 2010
"Have you ever hated someone so much, that this feeling alone would drive you to do horrific and impossible to grasp things?
Have you ever hated someone so much, that your whole life was focused on finding that person and ripping him apart? Have you ever hated someone so much, that you would forget about your humanity, purge it all just to find enough power, for one, single fraction of a moment, one chance to get your revenge... What would your eyes look like in that very moment...? Insane? Terrified? Passionate? Happy? Or maybe... satisfied... Look into his eyes, and find nothing there..." When I first learned that there is ... Feb 2, 2021
hi, I know nobody is going to read this but I just want to shout my controversial feelings about Berserk into the void so here I go.
More than anything else, I find that Berserk is horrifically overrated. People act like Kentaro Miura is the second coming of Jesus, but to me his work doesn't live up to the hype, and here's why: I was initially drawn in by the admittedly very good art style in the first few chapters, especially considering they're from the late 1980's. The unusually dark themes and haunting medieval setting made it an interesting and enticing read. Because of those first few ... May 3, 2010
Berserk: best manga of all the time or GREATEST manga ever? This isn't up for debate, its written in stone.
The story is incredible in every way imaginable. It starts out with a few small arcs featuring the Black Swordsman named Guts who hunts down demons known as Apostles. We aren't really sure why he does this at the beginning but the mangaka, Miura indicates that there is a lot of history between Guts and these Apostles. The setting is realistic fantasy at first with dashes of supernatural and high-fantasy elements sprinkled here and there. Guts doesn't appear as a very likable protagonist at first. ... Dec 13, 2010
If you like Berserk then you may find this review offensive. Read at your own risk.
STORY: 6/10 Berserk starts off very poorly. A man with a ten foot sword and a robot arm kills a bunch of people and some gross looking monsters. Now I like gore just as much as the next guy, but there needs to be SOME sort of story or reasoning behind it. It seemed like the main character, Guts, just walked around and killed ugly things for the first few volumes just because he liked being covered in blood. But then the golden age arc started...This my friends, is one of the ... Aug 28, 2023
Let's get straight to the bone with the negatives as the positives have already been done to death. I don't like at all how mangaka Kentaro Miura handles female characters which is only a complain to some if you make it one. However, there's much more to that. There are major problems with Casca. She — like most female characters of Berserk — has been heavily sexualized (for reference, Wyald chapters, post-Eclipse Casca under waterfall) and sexually assaulted and then chucked aside. What should have propelled development of her character makes her a human cabbage. And I do mean the Eclipse. A Band of Hawking
...
Nov 24, 2008
A 10. One of the several few mangas that deserve two numbers. Berserk tells the tale of a swordsman haunted by woe and bad luck."Out of the frying pan into the fire" seems to be the only way to describe this manga, for the protagonist, Gutts, always seems to find himself in worse situations than those of his preceding situations.
The storyline line is superb - one of money, love, betrayal, and death. Each of these themes seem to be ubiquitous yet vacant throughout the story. Albeit a bit slow in the beginning, the plot rockets off, forming a most complex and elaborate tale that ... Apr 25, 2017
Please note: this review is a warning, and is focused primarily upon the start of the manga. The manga is, of an overwhelming proportion, garbage, would be the warning. Don't take this lightly. And don't think I'm being unfair to the manga; this is merely the objective truth.
This manga is thoroughly terrible in nearly every possible way; art (ugly and disgusting), story (there is none), and characters (stock characters with no depth, ego, or even self-awareness). The art: Comparing the artwork in chapter 318 with that in chapter 3, Guts somehow managed to get uglier (ever so slightly), and the thought of seeing his ugly ... Oct 22, 2016
I don't consider myself to be much of a contrarian, so it is with little pleasure that I add this score to one of the highest rated series on this website.
I think Berserk is GROTESQUELY overrated, pointless misery porn with some very nice illustrations. The violence is hideously over the top, the worst of which is reserved specifically for its female characters, the sheer darkness of the setting mutes any of the story's supposed triumphs, and as far as I'm concerned you lose any potential allegorical worth to the brutality of the real world when you have demon rapist horses and giant rape machines ... May 20, 2021
Following Kentaro Miura's announced death I felt the need to just share what his life's dedication has done for me personally.
There are many reviews on Berserk which will be much more analytical and more in-depth about how Berserk deserves the title of the best manga of all time. Rather than that, Berserk and what it means to me is something dear to my heart. There are not many things in the world that can impact me as a person, something like being in a relationship, but for a piece of literature to change and impact me is something only a masterpiece like Berserk could do. ... Dec 5, 2012
"To me, a friend is something else. Someone who would never depend upon another's dream. Someone who wouldn't be compelled by anyone, but who would determine and pursue his own reason to live and should anyone trample that dream, he would oppose him body and soul...even if that threat were me myself. What I think a friend is, is one who is my equal." – Griffith
Words of wisdom and complete despair. Griffith’s speech at the top of the ballroom stairs is truly sublime and grotesque in nature. Many would agree with what is being said but only few expected the horrors this speech would imply. ... Mar 4, 2009
The only reason I regret reading Berserk is because now no manga or anime even comes close to how good it is. It might act as a turn off to some younger viewers because of the violence, complex story line, sex (probably not), and tragedy.
Everything in this anime is perfect and might take a little difficulty to be appreciated because of its age. It's original The artwork is amazing The story line is tragic and superb It's the coolest and saddest thing you will ever read May 21, 2021
Thank you. There has never been a greater story told, even if there will never be an ending to it. I don't think I've ever come across another one with characters as complex, so complex that it felt like you were only drawing the world around them while they were living in it with a mind of their own. I was never able to think of them as mere products of someone's imagination. But it was all you. It was an absolute privilege to read it while you were still here, and I only understand that now that you're gone. Rest in peace.
Jul 26, 2020
Berserk is what happens to a series when it tries to one-up itself in each passing page and when the writer promises so much that he can't possibly keep his promises.
It starts of strong, with a bang. Guts, our scarred hero, battles monsters and creatures from some other dimension with n sword almost as large as him. He alienates the people around him, hurts them but we soon learn that it is he who is being hurt more than anyone else. Like a Byronic hero, he is menacing but simultaneously compelling. The first two volumes itself are a testament to great storytelling. And then, the ... Nov 9, 2020
//Blatant spoilers because most of my Berserk talking points are either weirdly specific, or come up literally 150 chapters in, and context is required//
Okay, I see a sacred cow, and I have to fire up the barbecue once more. There was a time when I could say I loved Berserk, and would unquestioningly give it a 10/10, but now is not that time. Maybe I grew up, or something, idk. God, I'm so disappointed upon reading it again now, I barely know where to begin. Berserk is difficult to talk about, due to its complexity and length, but I'll do my best. Berserk's Golden Age arc ... Sep 24, 2016
First of all, keep in mind that I'm a bit older than average manga readers.
Art: It's bad. Character models and drawings are nowhere near good enough. When in action, it's very difficult to see what's going on, especially in early volumes. It's slowly improved but at the end it's still just at an acceptable level. Story: Good for the most part. It's terrible at the first 3 volumes but then the story goes back to the beginning and things are well explained. This is the best part of the story (golden age). After that, when Guts found new companions, story got illogical and boring. At times, ... May 12, 2010
Mod Note: This review was initially posted for the one-shot, Berserk Prototype, and was subsequently merged into Berserk.I've only recently started reading Berserk, so I've decided to check out the Prototype. I think that anyone who enjoys reading Berserk will find this interesting and worth reading. In itself it does not stand out particularly, and it really looks like another chapter of Berserk with some differences concerning the details of the story. (There are slight defferences in the treminology, and Guts is somewhat differently drawn.)
I found it worth while because it actually shows you that a rough idea needs to be refined and thought through ... May 19, 2014
Berserk feels like two different series.
The first, the "Golden Age" arc, is where its acclaim rightly comes from- it easily stands alone as the single best Manga arc I've ever read. Deserves 10s across the board. Reading Berserk is *absolutely* worthwhile for that experience alone- superb, mature characters, fiendishly inventive plot twists, and some beautiful worldbuilding. The way it ends is absolutely heartbreaking. Then, after the first ~110 chapters? There's, ah, the rest. The post-Golden Age arc's still enjoyable- and the magnificent art style, if anything, has got even better. The problem's with the setting and pacing- it scarcely feels like the storyline has ... Mar 14, 2021
Berserk is a manga that is extremely good at the beginning, but after a certain arc it goes really bad. It completely loses the atmosphere that has been created at the beginning.
Guts is... or rather was a mind-broken man who had lost everything. He was merciless and brutal, but then he became a member of some annoying JRPG team. I don't want to spoil anything or say the names of the members of that team, but they are really annoying and every one of them should be locked up in a chinese work camp, so they won't poison the life of readers anymore. I ... Sep 7, 2017
If not for the over hype and characters (Guts, specifically) i would have enjoyed this more.
People over hyping and praising this manga as if it was written by God himself, is honestly so disgusting and delusional. Guts is the biggest Mary Sue i ever had to bear reading. Although i noticed people called him 'badass'. Understandable. But that was what it cut it for me. I don't like 'badass' characters in the first place, because you know why? Together with 'badassary' comes big, inflated, tumorous egos, and cringeworthy one liners. There were absolutely no stakes when characters were getting raped/attacked by big ugly evil monsters, because Guts ... |