During the holiday season, a Berserk fan showcased how the series’ appeal transcends generations.
The Twitter user @Biyan_as_a_bat posted a photo of their 85-year-old grandfather reading a volume of Kentaro Miura’s beloved dark fantasy manga. Although the series made its debut in August 1989, it still manages to retain a multigenerational appeal. @Biyan_as_a_bat commented that this moment was one of the highlights of their Christmas.
Kentaro Miura’s Berserk garnered a large fanbase in the decades since its debut, with over 50 million copies sold worldwide as of December 2021. Although Miura passed away in 2021, work on the manga continues under the supervision of Miura’s friend and fellow artist, Kouji Mori (Holyland, Jisatsutou) and the editorial staff of Gaga, the manga production studio that Miura founded. Chapter 371, titled “A Dying Light in the Pitch Black Night,” debuted on Dec. 9. Chapter 364, titled “Tears of Morning Dew,” was the last chapter Miura wrote before his death
Set in a medieval fantasy setting, Berserk tells the story of a sellsword named Guts who travels across the world slaughtering demons while also trying to discover the origin of the demonic mark on his neck. Eventually, he joins up with the Band of the Hawk, led by the charismatic Griffith. As he aids Griffith in his quest for power, Guts forms close relationships with its members, including a romantic bond with a female warrior named Casca. The story’s first arc involves the band getting enlisted into a major war campaign and set out to rescue Griffith after his capture during an important battle.
Berserk Lives on After Its Creator’s Death
The Berserk manga has been adapted into animation several times. The first Berserk anime debuted in 1997, airing on Nippon Television for 25 episodes from October 1997 to March 1998. Studio GEMBA and Millepensee created another television adaptation in 2016 that lasted for two seasons. On Feb. 4, 2012, the first film in a trilogy adapting the manga’s titular Golden Age story arc premiered in theaters throughout Japan. Berserk – The Golden Age Arc I – The Egg of the King had its sequels, The Golden Age Arc II – The Battle for Doldrey, and The Golden Age Arc III – The Advent, premiere in June 2012 and February 2013, respectively. A recut version of these films made for television, titled Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition, debuted on Oct. 1, 2022, and ran for 13 episodes. This series presents new scenes never seen in Studio 4°C’s original films and ends with a tribute to the late Kentaro Miura.
The Berserk manga is available in English from Dark Horse Comics.
Source: Twitter
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