![Berserk Berserk logo](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/017/335/beserk.jpg)
Berserk
This entry contains content that may be considered sensitive to some viewers.
About
Berserk is a manga and anime series created by Kentaro Miura and published by the Japanese magazine Young Animal. The story is set in a medieval Europe-inspired land, following the adventures of the protagonist Guts, an orphaned mercenary who wields a giant broadsword known as the "Dragonslayer." After creator Kentaro Miura's death in May 2021, the project was halted and left incomplete. In June 2022, the continuation of the manga was announced on Twitter, set to be completed and serialized by Miura's close friend Kouji Mori.
Plot
In the Berserk series, the mercenary Guts hunts enemies with demonic powers granted by an artifact known as the "Behelit," which allows humans to make deals with archdemons belonging to a group known as "The God Hand." After serving as Raid Leader of the mercenary unit "Band of the Hawk," Guts and his companion Casca travel in search of their ex-leader Griffith.
History
In 1988, the first Berserk manga titled Berserk: The Prototype was released while Kentaro Miura was a university student. On November 26th, 1990, the first volume of the official series was released by the manga company Hakusensha, followed by two more volumes in the next two years. In 1992, Berserk began serialization in the seinen manga magazine Young Animal.[2]
![Berserk: The Prototype BERSERK THE PROTOTYPE](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/916/239/6a9.png)
![Berserk's First Volume Cover +.1 三浦建太郎](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/916/240/9d0.jpg)
In 1997, the manga was adapted into a 25 episode anime series by the animation studio OML Inc,[3] running from October 7th to March 31st, 1998. In 2012, Studio 4ºC[4] released a series of films known as the "Golden Age Saga" as an adaptation of the manga series.
Kentaro Miura's Death
On May 20, 2021, the official Berserk Twitter account announced that Kentaro Miura had passed away on May 6, 2021 from acute aortic dissection[28].
![Kentaro Miura, author of Berserk dead at 54 計 報 読者 の皆様へ 二〇二一年五月六日十四時四十八分、漫画家の三浦建太郎先生が急性 大動脈解離のためご 逝去されました。享年五十四歳でした。 生前ご愛顧を賜った読者の皆様には『ベルセルク』をはじめ、三浦先 生の作品をご愛読いただきましたことを深謝いたしますとともに、謹 んでご逝去のご報告をお知らせ申し上げます。 編集部一同、三浦先生の画業に最大の敬意と感謝を表しますとともに、 心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。 またご遺族の皆様には心よりお悔やみ申し上げます。 なお、告別式は ご家族にて執り行われました事を合わせてご報告させ て頂きます。 単行本に未掲載分の刊行等、今後に関しましては決まり次第、改めて ヤングアニマル本誌並びに公式ホームページにて告知させて頂きます。 株式会社 白泉社 ヤングアニマル編集部 今でも思い起こされることが あります。それはまだ若手編集だった頃『ベルセル ク』の昔のネームを見せて頂き感激していた時、「何なら ムあげるよ」 と三浦先生は仰られました。そんな恐れ多いとただただ恐縮てしたが今なら分か る気がします。先生は本当に新しいものを考える事が大好きな方でした。大げさ てなく、少年のように思いついたアイディアを語る事が大好きな方でした。日々、 本や映画。アニメを楽しみ、漫画作りの材料とされていました。 そんな先生の作品には、先生が生きて来た中で見聞きした好きな物や人間関係が 宝物のように詰まっています。「人生は漫画になるんだ」という事を何度も教え て下さりました。三浦先生、本当にとうもありがとうございました。 最後に読者の皆様に。先生は倒れられた際すぐに介抱され見守られながら搬送さ れました事をご報告させて頂きます。そしてお願いです。ご遠族や関係者は今な お傷ついております。関係先へのご接触はお控えくださるよう願い申し上げます。 先生の生前のご貢献に深く感謝すると共に謹んでご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。 ヤングァニマル編集部 編集長 永島隆行 入社してすぐの頃、握手をして頂き、この手て『ベルセルク』が生み出されるの か と感動したことを今ても覚えています。その後、担当になり、打ち合わせの度 に、「思いつきなんだけと…」と雑談のように語られる物語の構想がどれも信じ られないほど面白く、何とかついていかなければと必死てしたが、漫画や映画、 ニュースなど日々、目にするもの全てが漫画につながるということを体験させて 項くことが何よりの勉強でした。頭の中にあるアイディアを出し切るため、あと 三十年は現役ていると仰っていた の に、突然のお別れをすることになり、とても 寂しいてす。担当させて頂いたことが僕の自慢です。三浦先生、本当にお世話に なりました。ありがとうございました。 ヤングアニマル編集部 作品担当 高村亮](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/104/606/bf0.jpg)
[Report of the death of Professor Kentaro Miura]
Dr. Kentaro Miura, the author of "Berserk", passed away on May 6, 2021, due to acute aortic dissection. We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Dr. Miura's painting work and pray for his soul.
May 20, 2021 Hakusensha Co., Ltd. Young Animal Editorial Department
2016 Anime Adaptation
On December 21st, 2015, Young Animal announced a new television adaptation for the series, premiering in summer of 2016.[25] During the following months, several previews showed that the new series would include CGI scenes and would adapt the Conviction Saga.
![New visual](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/097/074/9ea.jpg)
Premiering on July 1st, 2016, the series was poorly received by fans due to the CGI models, poor animation and disjointed pacing,[26][27] inspiring several parodies mocking the new series on several communities. On July 2nd, anime reviewer Demolition D uploaded a video mocking the anime series, gaining over 10,000 views in less than a day.
2022 Resume of Serialization
On June 7th, 2022, the official account of the Berserk project posted a thread including multiple translations of the same announcement that relayed Kouji Mori, a close friend of deceased Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, would be continuing the series in order to finish the story arc Miura was not able to finish. The tweet[29] that included the English translation received roughly 72,000 likes in less than a day (shown below).
As the news spread across social media, it generated mass engagement and hype on platforms like Instagram,[30] Reddit,[31] and Facebook.[32] Within the announcement, it was revealed that Mori was the only person who Miura outlined the imagined ending to. Mori acknowledged that Miura was the only one who could fully complete Berserk, however, given the circumstances of his knowledge, he felt that the fans deserved his best efforts. The resume of serialization was set to be released on June 24th, 2022, within Young Animal No. 13.
Reactions to the update were predominantly positive, with most fans supporting Mori's continuation. For instance, on June 7th, Redditor ThinTwice[33] posted a comment in the /r/Berserk subreddit stating, "Tears in my eyes man this is incredible," earning roughly 1,900 upvotes in one day. Twitter[34] user sparrowsrequiem also posted a Fernanfloo Dresses Up / My Wife's Funeral meme about the continuation on June 7th, earning roughly 4,600 likes in less than a day (shown below).
Online Presence
Berserk has gained a significant online following on sites like like Tumblr,[6] 4chan’s /a/ (anime and manga) board,[10] DeviantART[7] and My Anime List.[5] On October 20th, 2000, the Berserk fansite SkullKnight.net[12] was launched. In March 2007, Guts won the SaiGar tournament as the most masculine "gar" character in anime and manga. On April 25th, 2008, YouTuber MMAOmegaRED uploaded a clip from a Berserk episode in which Guts kills 100 soldiers (shown below, left).
On May 30th, the Berserk Wiki[8] was created, accumulating upwards of 725 pages over the next seven years. On May 19th, 2010, the /r/Berserk[14] subreddit was launched for discussions about the anime and manga series. On October 27th, 2011, a page for Berserk was created on TV Tropes.[13]
Berserk Outtakes
Berserk Outtakes are humorous dubbed videos of the 1997 anime adaptation narrating the condensed version, in a similar style as the Abridged Series of videos. On February 28th, 2007, YouTuber lance43 uploaded a video titled "Berserk Outtakes – Griffiths Greatest Singing Moments," containing several dubbed clips of the character Griffith singing various songs (shown below, left). On September 9th, 2008, YouTuber jessietheh uploaded an edited clip from Berserk, featuring dubbed dialogue taken from a scene in the 1994 comedy film Clerks (shown below, right).
Fandom
Due its status as a long running series, Berserk has gained a significant fandom online. As of June 2nd, 2016, the Japanese artist community Pixiv leads to over 4,100 results under the keyword "ベルセルク",[21] and the English artist community deviantART leads to over 69,000 results under the keyword "berserk", most of them leading to content related to the series.[22] The series also has a following on communities like 4chan[24] and Tumblr.[23]
!["The Black Swordsman" by Nefillim](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/925/400/081.jpg)
![Yotsuba attacks!](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/915/141/7f6.jpg)
![Skull Knight is Awesome](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/934/892/5b2.jpg)
Related Memes
Miura's Breaks / The Boat
Berserk author Kentaro Miura is known for publishing the series on a irregular schedule, with the longest wait time between chapters 334 and 335 reaching 67 weeks.[1] Fans of the series began joking that Miura was spending his time playing videogames like THE iDOLM@STER, rather than working on the manga series (shown below, left). In chapter 286 of the manga, Guts and his party board a ship with a noble man named Roderick. Due to the erratic publishing schedule and development of the character Griffith's side story, Guts and his party remained on the boat for seven years (until the chapter 342), becoming an in-joke among fans (shown below, right).
![Guts and idolmaster . THEiDOLM@STERA](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/944/694.jpg)
![The Boat FORGET U'RE HERE FOREVER](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/946/402.png)
Off the Boat
On November 24th, 2015, chapter 342 was released in which Guts and his party finally left the boat they had been sailing on since 2008.[15]
![Guts is Getting Off the Boat 그러다 떨어져요](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/045/852/b31.jpg)
That day, many posts about the new chapter were posted on various forums and image boards, including the /r/TwoBestFriends[17] subreddit, GameFAQS,[18] NeoGAF[19] and 4chan's /a/ (anime board).[20]
That Thing Was Too Big to Be Called a Sword / Dragonslayer
"That Thing Was Too Big to Be Called a Sword" is an expression associated with Guts' enormous broadsword "Dragonslayer," which has inspired image macros using variations of the catchphrase as a phrasal template (shown below, left). The sword has also been featured in crossover art and is often included in Guts cosplays.
![Too big to be called bait. That thing was too big to be called bait. Too big, too thick, to0 heavy, and too rough.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/699/483/bf9.jpg)
![dbb.jpg](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/629/299/dbb.jpg)
![Sakura goes Berserk 重すぎる](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/925/330/13e.jpg)
Bagserk
Bagserk is a series of manga panels with edited dialogue containing references to "bags," typically portraying the bags as something extremely valuable or poke fun at Guts for wearing a purse.[11]
![Bagserk THEY'RE WRONG! THIS IS A MANLY BAG! IT'S NOT TRUE! MISTER SWORDS MAN WHERE DID YOu GET IT? THAT'S A NICE PURSE](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/948/ef2.jpg)
Griffith Did Nothing Wrong
"Griffith Did Nothing Wrong" is an expression often used to excuse the actions of the character Griffith for sacrificing his friends to The God Hand.
![Griffith may did something wrong](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/949/668.jpg)
Rape Horse
Rape Horse is a nickname given to a demon-possessed horse who tries to have intercourse with the character Farnese de Vandimion. It's often used in reference to the many rape scenes in the manga series.
![R--- HORSE HELL NO!](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/914/950/c09.png)
Put Your Grasses On
"Put Your Grasses On" is a mispronunciation of "put your glasses on", a lyric from the 1999 anime opening. The quote has been often parodied and used by the fans of the series as a call of optimism to happenings related to the manga.
![Put your grasses on](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/142/947/d92.jpg)
The Blacked Swordman
The Blacked Swordman is a nickname given to Guts in reference to his forced relationships with the black mercenary Donovan back when he was a kid. The catchphrase is often associated with pictures of Donovan and the nickname "wise magical negro", in reference to an /a/ post (shown below).
![Personal Trainer Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:32 No. 103380862 Replies: 2103380920 2103385277 File: 1394353937994 png-(297 KB, 1215x1800, Berserk_v3_p233 ong) And remember kids, any good work out starts out with a good warmup! Here we see young Guts doing stretches with his work out partner. Looks like he's getting ready to feel the burn! Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)0434 No. 103380907 Px it's easy when talking to some one who tal s out of their ass □ Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:34 No.1 03380920 Replies: >>103380952 103380989 2771034 25 never read this manga, is that his personal trainer or something? is he the wise magical n---- of the book? Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:42 No. 103381100 File: 1394354527144 png-(55 KB, 389x421, Berserk_v04_p007 png) Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:36 No. 103380952 File: 13943 826.ipg-(19 KB, 355x328, 1394210782491 jpg) 2P Well, he's definitely personal. et es, that's right. He taught Guts the ropes. Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:37 No.103380989 File: Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)04:42 No.103381107 File: 1394354538444 png-(64 KB, 301x375, r86758.png) 54 253734 png-(212 KB, 367x506, nonon toplel.png) Not quite. Not.exactly Anonymous 03/09/14(Sun)07:2510103385277 103380920 10/10 post combo, im f------ dying THE GOLDEN AGE CD: END](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/094/194/872.jpg)
Bunny Face / CGI Bunny
Bunny Face is the name given to a shot from the first episode of the 2016 anime series featuring a bunny being hunt by Guts. The scene was consequently parodied.
![rabbit](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/143/876/cb9.jpg)
![Guts's Greatest Foe: CGI Clang Rabbit](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/143/622/a77.jpg)
[CLANG]
[CLANG] is a descriptive noise associated with the sound the Dragonslayers makes in the 2016 anime series, resembling more a blunt weapon rather than a sword. The sound was consequently mocked and parodied online.
![rabbit sfx [SFX: CLANG]](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/143/893/322.jpg)
Search Interest
External References
[1] SkullKnight (via Wayback Machine) – Time between chapter releases
[3] OLM – English Index
[6] Tumblr – Search for berserk
[7] DeviantArt – Search for berserk
[10] DesuArchive – Search for Berserk
[11] Fanservice FTW (via Wayback Machine) – The bag
[14] Reddit – /r/berserk
[15] MangauMaru – Chapter 342
[17] Reddit – Guts is off the boat motherfuckers
[18] GameFAQS – They finally got off the boat in Berserk today
[21] Pixiv – Search for ベルセルク
[22] deviantART – Search for berserk
[23] Tumblr – Search for berserk
[24] Cuckchan – Search for berserk on /a/
[25] AnimeNewsNetwork – Berserk Gets New Anime Project Featuring Guts as 'Black Swordsman'
[26] /r/anime – Berserk – Episode 1 discussion
[27] /r/Berserk – Berserk (2016) – episode 1: Dragon slayer – Megathread – reactions & Discussion
[28] Twitter – 【三浦建太郎先生 ご逝去の報】
[29] Twitter – @berserk_project
[30] Instagram – @igndotcom
[31] Reddit – /r/Berserk
[32] Facebook – Daily Dose of Anime
[33] Reddit – ThinTwice's comment
[34] Twitter – @sparrowsrequiem
Top Comments
FutBoy
Feb 18, 2015 at 06:29PM EST
Patrick
Nov 24, 2015 at 05:44PM EST