Berserk is a Dark fantasy manga which started serialization in 1989, it continued
serialization until Miura drew his last breath. Berserk is an absolute masterpiece,
every single brushstroke, line and panel is brimming with dedication and love for the
craft. Berserk is a rather brutal manga, so I wont link any pictures, but urge you to
read it, you wont regret it. If you choose not to, I highly recommend searching up
some of Kentaro Miura's other work, because he is an incredibly talented artist.
Berserk is a tale about destiny, hardships and eventual victories. Berserk is a
timeless masterpiece, the only thing about berserk that some people may find
lacking, is the ending. But I personally believe that the ending is perfect for berserk,
but I will elaborate on all this later.
At the beginning of Berserk during the Black Swordsman arc we are introduced to a
man called Guts. As his name entails, he wears black armor, which is shaped like a
beast. (his armor is called "the Berserker's armor". When you first see Guts, you cant
relate to him at all. He is a cold, blunt ruthless man who is hellbent on delivering
vengeance even at the cost of others. When reading you may even feel resentment
towards him due to his complete disregard towards human life. Upon meeting
Griffith, you as the reader undermine him based on his appearance. In contrast to
Guts, Griffith remids you of an angel. He is best described as beautiful, he has long
white hair, a beautiful face, and is clad in white armor. Even though he looks to be on
the weaker side, he is extremely strong. He went toe to toe with Guts. He also has
incredible leadership skills to boot.Casca is what you'd call the main love interest.
Guts, Casca and Griffith are in a love triangle for a while, where Guts is in love with
Casca, she is in love with Griffith, and Griffith holds a close bond to Guts. (I am not
sure if Griffith held romantic feelings toward Guts, but I think it is safe to say that he
atleast held Guts in high regard).
Casca is not just some love interest though. She is a strong warrior who can stand
her ground in a fearsome battle, and she is beautiful to boot. She was Griffith's right
hand man for quite some time. She was well respected by her fellow
mercenaries.Looking from a traditional standpoint, Griffith would be a near perfect fit
the role of "main character". But Berserk is not a traditional manga. Berserk was the
first manga to popularize the concept of an antihero. Guts's actions are downright
inhumane at times. You see him kill 10 men with a single swing of his massive
sword, and then just moves forward, not giving it a single thought. Still Guts is far
more suited for the role of main character, due to the fact that he feels human, unlike
Griffith. When you see Guts in a panel, you are fixated on him, You try to read his
expressions. There are times, when he fights like a wild beast, and times when you
see him sitting by a campfire, protecting his loved ones. Guts is what you'd call a
three- dimensional character. Guts is relatable. You see all that he has gone through
unimaginable hardships to come to this point, and that it is through his own sheer
hard work that he is even alive. He is constantly being judged by his outward
appearance, even though he is a gentle giant.
Guts is haunted by his past. He has regrets, and fears. He is a man who has earthly
worries. When you watch his journey, and learn more about him, and see how he
grows as a person you feel like you are watching a close friend. When you see his
little victories you are jumping for joy. Guts is by far the most human character I have
ever seen.Guts and Griffith are two sides of the same coin, they hold the same
ideals, guts is just more blunt and straightforward about what he thinks. Griffith and
Guts are both slaves to destiny in some way. Guts was destined to die at birth, yet
chose to fight on, to go against destiny, the fact that he is alive is proof of his resolve.
We are given very little insight into what was going on in Miura's head, and what
would happen next. Even after his death, we do not know anything about what he
had planned next for Berserk.Berserk is truly something else, it has inspired
countless people to better themselves, some got inspired to learn how to draw, and
some ( like me ) got inspired to better themselves, and better their own physique. But
we all have something in common, admiration toward Guts.
Mauricio Gabriel Gonzalez Romo
AL03011936
