Berserk
Rating: Average 9.47 / 10
Alternative: Berserk (ベルセルク)
Author(s): Kentaro Miura
Artist(s): Kentaro Miura
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Award Winning, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Type: Manga
Release: Aug 25, 1989
Status: Ongoing
Plot Summary:
Guts, a former mercenary now known as the Black Swordsman, is out for revenge. After a tumultuous childhood, he finally finds someone he respects and believes he can trust, only to have everything fall apart when this person takes away everything important to Guts for the purpose of fulfilling his own desires. Now marked for death, Guts becomes condemned to a fate in which he is relentlessly pursued by demonic beings. Setting out on a dreadful quest riddled with misfortune, Guts, armed with a massive sword and monstrous strength, will let nothing stop him, not even death itself, until he is finally able to take the head of the one who stripped him—and his loved one—of their humanity.
Reviews
Rating: ★★★★☆
"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 is sure to suck you in like a vacuum. The art is amazing as well, though a tad bit confusing at times (as is the case for most action manga). The decapitation and maiming seem to look somewhat authentic relative to the weapon swings and cleaves - a huge plus in my book. The characters are all fascinating in their own respect. Some big, some young, yet all adventurous and brave enough to fit in such an epic story. Each character is introduced and then reintroduced at a later time with even more background information on them. Lastly, the mangaka seems to do things differently in this manga then in others. This thing seems to be the "pragmatist POV," the POV any sensible person would take. This made me elated. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read and find out. "
Rating: ★★★★☆
"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. Berserk is quite simply a manga about struggling, and why Guts continues to struggle until he eventually reaches some form of happiness. For someone like me who was struggling with my will to live, Berserk hit me hard. Say what you will about Berserk, whether you only like the first one hundred chapters or so, whether you hate every character but the more dark horse characters etc, the fact that this manga resulted in me standing where I am today, is something I am eternally grateful for. Berserk is a masterpiece to me, and I hope the author can rest in peace knowing how much people value his work. RIP Kentaro Miura"