Berserk Volume 41 by Kentaro Miura

The world of manga was devastated by the May 2021 death of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, but Miura-sensei left behind one final volume to cap his thirty-plus-year commitment to his signature vision. While Miura’s epic remains unfinished, Berserk Volume 41 is a fitting curtain call for the beloved series, filled with joy, sadness, laughter, and imagination. Includes a two-sided color poster insert. Though Casca has at last been released from the prison of her own mind, she cannot escape the reminders of the terrors she has experienced. And nothing triggers the return of these harrowing memories than Guts the Black Swordsman, who faced those same horrors in his relentless quest to bring Casca to a place where she might be healed. But the reappearance of a strange, mute boy could well be the key to bringing peace to Casca’s troubled soul.

Truly the end of an era. R.I.P. Kentaro Miura.

My personal Berserk odyssey began in late 2018; while I haven't been on this journey for as long as many of you have, I did devour the series at a reading rate that's unprecedented for me. In 2021 alone I've read twenty volumes! Kentaro Miura is now my most read author by far and I'll always wear that like a badge of honor because his body of work is absolutely exceptional. It made me fall in love with manga wholly and completely, and has me desperately seeking out another series to scratch my Berserk itch. Suggestions would be lovely?

Just to quickly weigh in on the whole “will they or won't they” debate about finishing up the series down the line: I, for one, think they should go for it. If it's true that Kentaro Miura left behind notes and trained apprentices in his style, then I think it's clear that that's what he wanted, which is the most important thing here. If he left behind the tools needed to finish such a culturally important story, then his life's work deserves the chance to be completed in a way that honors his legacy. Or maybe I'm just a selfish fanboy, I dunno. I just know that this reader's heart is desperate to see this story through to the very end.

So I've read through all the Berserk available as of 2/15/2023.

It was absolutely incredible.

One of the reasons I started reading it was enjoying the Dark Souls games so much and hearing about how this was a major influence on the way their worlds were constructed. Not only is that certainly validated but I noticed a lot of things that have clearly influence many of the Japanese Role Playing games I've played over the years, most obviously the buster sword from Final Fantasy VII is absolutely Guts' sword from Berserk.

Ignoring the story, the art alone in this manga is outstanding. There are panels that are just absolutely bursting with horrible monstrosities that are fascinating to look at. There are also moments of light and tenderness and just the fascinating way that Griffith is portrayed. The character is adored by most to a degree almost of worship and is illustrated in such a way that I too was in awe of this person.

The story itself is complicated and perhaps at times problematic. Sexual violence is frequent and the most horrific monster-murdering possible happens in every volume. Female characters are certainly over-sexualized but are also given long, complicated, decades-long arcs of growth and transformation.

There are many characters in Berserk, all of which get their own arcs, but the main intrigue follows Guts and Griffith. Through their adventures the themes of destiny, responsibility, ambition, sacrifice, reliance on others, comradery, and others are explored through grim, violent adventures.

The series to me is one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever encountered and quite an accomplishment for Kentaro Miura. I look forward to seeing what his proteges put forward to end the story as he had imagined.