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ベルセルク [Berserk] #18
Berserk, Vol. 18
Hell has broken loose in the kingdom of Midland. On the death of Midland's king comes invasion, demonic forces seem to be on the rise, underground pagan cults are running wild, and the church is busily rounding up and teaching heretics the errors of their ways. While, Guts is busy testing out his newly repaired sword on the invaders, his former captain and lover, Casca, her mind wrecked by her unholy tryst with the demon lord, has fallen in with a rough crowd who don't exactly wish her well. But she, like Guts, is marked with the Brand of Sacrifice, and her abusers may soon find themselves face-to-face with the unholy abominations that are inexorably drawn to the Brand!
235 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 1999
About the author
Kentaro Miura
377 books2,198 followersKentarou Miura (三浦建太郎) was born in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1966. He is left-handed. In 1976, at the early age of 10, Miura made his first Manga, entitled "Miuranger", that was published for his classmates in a school publication; the manga ended up spanning 40 volumes. In 1977, Miura created his second manga called Ken e no michi (剣への道 The Way to the Sword), using Indian ink for the first time. When he was in middle school in 1979, Miura's drawing techniques improved greatly as he started using professional drawing techniques. His first dōjinshi was published, with the help of friends, in a magazine in 1982.
That same year, in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum in high school, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets, as well as having his first dōjinshi published in a fan-produced magazine. In 1985, Miura applied for the entrance examination of an art college in Nihon University. He submitted Futanabi for examination and was granted admission. This project was later nominated Best New Author work in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Another Miura manga Noa was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine the very same year. Due to a disagreement with one of the editors, the manga was stalled and eventually dropped altogether. This is approximately where Miura's career hit a slump.
In 1988, Miura bounced back with a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, as an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves (王狼, ōrō?) based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken. It was published in the monthly Japanese Animal House magazine in issues 5 and 7 of that year.
In 1990, a sequel is made to Ourou entitled Ourou Den (王狼伝 ōrō den, The Legend of the Wolf King) that was published as a prequel to the original in Young Animal Magazine. In the same year, the 10th issue of Animal House witnesses the first volume of the solo project Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga titled Japan, that was published in Young Animal House from the 1st issue to the 8th of 1992, and was later released as a stand-alone tankōbon. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. At this time Miura dedicates himself solely to be working on Berserk. He has indicated, however, that he intends to publish more manga in the future.
In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk are also released. In 1999, Miura made minor contributions to the Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. 2004 saw the release of yet another video game adaptation entitled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Record of the Holy Demon War.
Since that time, the Berserk manga has spanned 34 tankōbon with no end in sight. The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk.[1]
Miura provided the design for the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, whose voice is taken from the Japanese singer and actor, Gackt.
Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. due to acute aortic dissection.
That same year, in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum in high school, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets, as well as having his first dōjinshi published in a fan-produced magazine. In 1985, Miura applied for the entrance examination of an art college in Nihon University. He submitted Futanabi for examination and was granted admission. This project was later nominated Best New Author work in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Another Miura manga Noa was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine the very same year. Due to a disagreement with one of the editors, the manga was stalled and eventually dropped altogether. This is approximately where Miura's career hit a slump.
In 1988, Miura bounced back with a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, as an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves (王狼, ōrō?) based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken. It was published in the monthly Japanese Animal House magazine in issues 5 and 7 of that year.
In 1990, a sequel is made to Ourou entitled Ourou Den (王狼伝 ōrō den, The Legend of the Wolf King) that was published as a prequel to the original in Young Animal Magazine. In the same year, the 10th issue of Animal House witnesses the first volume of the solo project Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga titled Japan, that was published in Young Animal House from the 1st issue to the 8th of 1992, and was later released as a stand-alone tankōbon. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. At this time Miura dedicates himself solely to be working on Berserk. He has indicated, however, that he intends to publish more manga in the future.
In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk are also released. In 1999, Miura made minor contributions to the Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. 2004 saw the release of yet another video game adaptation entitled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Record of the Holy Demon War.
Since that time, the Berserk manga has spanned 34 tankōbon with no end in sight. The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk.[1]
Miura provided the design for the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, whose voice is taken from the Japanese singer and actor, Gackt.
Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. due to acute aortic dissection.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
June 29, 2023
Man she is definitely a sadist, but she didn't embrace it yet, she still refuses to confess what she really is.
Serpico is the most interesting of the bunch of new characters, we readers all have this feeling that he can go toe to toe with Guts, and we are waiting for it.
The new Inquisitor is terrifying, he almost looks like he is an apostle, but he might as well be some twisted fuck of a human, only time will tell.
Literary piece of art Kentaro Miura have made here, there are a lot of projections over the real world we live in, over one of the darkest times in humans history the Inquisition trials time, Also on the endless wars between nations in the past, and how only innocent lives were lost for the nobles to play war together.
New light edition to the series will be Sneakidro (Isidoro), a young kid who is attracted to the unstoppable force of Guts, who saved him without even knowing.
Casca starting to attract attention to her self with her demons, it looks like Griffith is protecting her somehow, not allowing them to approach her, but they will fuck up anyone else who comes near anyway, probably by next issue she will be waiting to burn on a stake..
Serpico is the most interesting of the bunch of new characters, we readers all have this feeling that he can go toe to toe with Guts, and we are waiting for it.
The new Inquisitor is terrifying, he almost looks like he is an apostle, but he might as well be some twisted fuck of a human, only time will tell.
Literary piece of art Kentaro Miura have made here, there are a lot of projections over the real world we live in, over one of the darkest times in humans history the Inquisition trials time, Also on the endless wars between nations in the past, and how only innocent lives were lost for the nobles to play war together.
New light edition to the series will be Sneakidro (Isidoro), a young kid who is attracted to the unstoppable force of Guts, who saved him without even knowing.
Casca starting to attract attention to her self with her demons, it looks like Griffith is protecting her somehow, not allowing them to approach her, but they will fuck up anyone else who comes near anyway, probably by next issue she will be waiting to burn on a stake..
May 15, 2024
این ولوم برزرک از نظر تصویرگری خیلی صحنه های جنسی داره و از نظر داستانی هم رسما یقه مذهب رو گرفته فشار میده . اینکه از ریتم نمیفته هم خیلی جالبه برام.
May 12, 2018
Amazing. This volume is so dark I literally started having nightmares and had to take a break. And to think that most things displayed here actually happened during medieval times.... Plague, inquisition, torture, heretic cults, idolatry...all those explicit scenes... I’m traumatized for life.
February 3, 2021
You'd think after the carnage of the Eclipse nothing could shock you, but this volume comes close. You've got the forces of Order and Chaos each shown at their very worst as they compete for the souls of the poor petty mortals in the area. Almost everyone casts their lot into one or the other because - as soon becomes the theme with this story arc - it's just so much easier to look for salvation from above rather than working to save yourself.
And poor Casca is thrown right into the thick of it. Things are looking grim for her, even though she makes a few friends among the local band of prostitutes, all of whom I rather like: they're personable and decently fleshed-out, and you instantly feel like you'd rather none of them died.
More on Priest Mozgus as well: previously, Farnese was cast as the resident religious fanatic, and here we see first bits of her character growth as she gets to meet a real zealot. It turns out she's not that bad after all, and she'll only get better as things go.
Finally, there's Isidro. He's more like your shonen little kid, not very liked as I understand it, but I always thought he was okay. He's fun to be around, especially once he grows up a bit as well.
The wheel battle towards the end was fun. Pleasuring yourself to a bunch of burning people, less so.
And poor Casca is thrown right into the thick of it. Things are looking grim for her, even though she makes a few friends among the local band of prostitutes, all of whom I rather like: they're personable and decently fleshed-out, and you instantly feel like you'd rather none of them died.
More on Priest Mozgus as well: previously, Farnese was cast as the resident religious fanatic, and here we see first bits of her character growth as she gets to meet a real zealot. It turns out she's not that bad after all, and she'll only get better as things go.
Finally, there's Isidro. He's more like your shonen little kid, not very liked as I understand it, but I always thought he was okay. He's fun to be around, especially once he grows up a bit as well.
The wheel battle towards the end was fun. Pleasuring yourself to a bunch of burning people, less so.
January 12, 2021
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
This review shall be based upon 7 words: Action packed, extremely fucked, yet beautifully executed.
“Action packed” because... well, that’s simple: it’s action packed. There wasn’t a single boring moment in this book. Expect lots of intense and gory action throughout this book (as you could probably already expect from Berserk).
“Extremely fucked” because... well, that’s simple too. I don’t think I have read a fictional work as brutal and disturbing as Berserk. Even Garth Ennis type stuff looks tame in comparison to this. I read piles of disturbing and violent works on a weekly basis and this made me cringe at times (but in a good way as it is meant to make me cringe, not because of poor writing or bad art, that doesn’t happen in this book!)
“Yet beautifully executed” because Miura wrote and drew this so damn well. This story is a very dark and fascinating story with characters I kinda don’t want to get attached to but can’t help it. The art is very good at not only bloody action scenes and horror elements but also at emotions, you can see the feelings on the faces of the characters which I think Berserk does better than many other comics.
Overall if you don’t mind sex or violence at all (I normally don’t give warnings about books but it is extremely graphic on both of those things, probably even more so than any other comic) you MUST READ Berserk. It’s an action-packed and fascinating tale of well written characters, emotional plot, disturbing horror and astonishing artwork! I highly recommend this series!
5/5
This review shall be based upon 7 words: Action packed, extremely fucked, yet beautifully executed.
“Action packed” because... well, that’s simple: it’s action packed. There wasn’t a single boring moment in this book. Expect lots of intense and gory action throughout this book (as you could probably already expect from Berserk).
“Extremely fucked” because... well, that’s simple too. I don’t think I have read a fictional work as brutal and disturbing as Berserk. Even Garth Ennis type stuff looks tame in comparison to this. I read piles of disturbing and violent works on a weekly basis and this made me cringe at times (but in a good way as it is meant to make me cringe, not because of poor writing or bad art, that doesn’t happen in this book!)
“Yet beautifully executed” because Miura wrote and drew this so damn well. This story is a very dark and fascinating story with characters I kinda don’t want to get attached to but can’t help it. The art is very good at not only bloody action scenes and horror elements but also at emotions, you can see the feelings on the faces of the characters which I think Berserk does better than many other comics.
Overall if you don’t mind sex or violence at all (I normally don’t give warnings about books but it is extremely graphic on both of those things, probably even more so than any other comic) you MUST READ Berserk. It’s an action-packed and fascinating tale of well written characters, emotional plot, disturbing horror and astonishing artwork! I highly recommend this series!
5/5
October 15, 2021
A Guts no se le vió tanto en este tomo. Fue necesario para expandir el escenario y dar lugar a otros personajes, pero ¡AH! ¡Cuando lo vi grité de alegría!
Y ahora todo se va juntando de nuevo. Se viene la tragedia, ¡no puedo esperaaaaaaar!
Y ahora todo se va juntando de nuevo. Se viene la tragedia, ¡no puedo esperaaaaaaar!
March 7, 2022
چقدر این ولیوم دیالوگهای عجیبی داشت، نمیدونم داستان قراره کجا بره فقط اینکه آرت همچنان خوبه، منتها نه ب�� اندازه گولدن ایج، در کل در مقابل آرک گولدن ایج این آرک واقعاً چیزی برای ارائه نداشته تا به الان.
کاسکا هم که اصلا فاز مشخصی نداره...
کاسکا هم که اصلا فاز مشخصی نداره...
February 27, 2019
I keep thinking it can't get more f**ked up and then it always does haha.
Lots of intriguing metaphors within the artwork too in this one. Interesting stuff.
Lots of intriguing metaphors within the artwork too in this one. Interesting stuff.
March 17, 2021
Talk about dark story, this volume defines it. We have 3 continuous story going on first is at the holy see with people starving and the Iron chain knights along with the church punishing the sinful ones and there is the whole backstory of Lady Farnese and its interesting. In another place we have Elaine/Casca and wherever she is with some other girls like Luca and Nina who engage in some other activities and then Nina's otherworldly activities and how the others start worshipping Elaine and then the other is following Guts and as he meets this boy Isidiro, him dealing with monsters and then the other part with him going after Casca and meeting the Skull Knight and getting another prophecy, reaffirming his stance on what he will do with Griffith and all, its intriguing, when these storylines all connect it will be awesome but atm its very slow paced and taking its time meanwhile the art is good and getting better surprisingly.
January 25, 2022
خوب خوب مثل اینکه قراره این اثر با من کاری کنه که دیگه ریویو بنویسم تا اینجا واقعا شاهد یک اثر هنری بودم که هر پنلش قابلیت قاب شدن و رفتن تو بزرگترین موزه ها رو داره ولی اوج هنر این مانگا و نمایانگر قدرت قلم کنتارو میورای فقید میتونم بگم داستان و نماد های داخلش و کلیشه ها و سنت هاست که به روح و فکر آدم بازی میکنه.
پ.ن:این فقط شروعی برای ریویو نوشتن منه و حس میکنم از ولوم بعد قراره شاهد ابراز احساسات شدید من در این قسمت باشید
پ.ن:این فقط شروعی برای ریویو نوشتن منه و حس میکنم از ولوم بعد قراره شاهد ابراز احساسات شدید من در این قسمت باشید
November 23, 2021
Portrays very realistically and effectively, the plight of people suffering from war and poverty. Introduction of new characters like Isdiro and luca, who are written extremely well. Already introduced characters like Serpico and Farnese are given deeper layers, with room for further character growth.
March 13, 2022
خب برگردم اینا رو باقیشونو آپدیت کنم.
بازم دقیق ولوم به ولوم یادم نمیاد ولی حدودی اینجاها نه اینکه خوب نبود ولی به نسبت خودش کمتر بود و فعلن تصمیم گرفتم سخت نمره بدم تا پنج ها معنادار تر بشه مثلن.
بازم دقیق ولوم به ولوم یادم نمیاد ولی حدودی اینجاها نه اینکه خوب نبود ولی به نسبت خودش کمتر بود و فعلن تصمیم گرفتم سخت نمره بدم تا پنج ها معنادار تر بشه مثلن.
February 15, 2022
what the fuck man
December 14, 2021
Hellraiser + Conan the Barbarian + Game of Thrones + Ash vs Evil Dead + Elric of Melnibone + Macbeth = Berserk.
Guts is a severely traumatized vigilante that wanders the world, throwing himself into one battle after another in hopes of finding a meaning in the tremendous suffering he's endured. His sword is his only trusted companion and he's consumed by a lust for vengeance. Griffith is a charismatic mercenary with dreams of ending a hundred year war in hopes of attaining his own kingdom. Little do his comrades and enemies know, he's not the flawless hero many believe him to be. When the paths of these two men clash, the entire world drastically evolves around the earth-shattering conflict between their indomitable wills.
A grimdark epic with compelling protagonists, stomach-churning horror, heartbreaking drama and a lovecraftian sense of metaphysical worldbuilding that's as fascinating as it is terrifying. Berserk has been my favorite manga, fantasy story and perhaps favorite story ever made for over a decade now and I was really sad to hear that the man behind the masterpiece passed away earlier this year.
Berserk is infamous for being the most gratuitously dark, brutal, shocking and depressing fantasy story ever written, but it is also rich with intense human emotion, philosophical depth, perseverance through unimaginable suffering and horrifyingly realistic depictions of psychological trauma. The series tackles the complex nature of morality vs. primal nature, fate and causality vs. free will, resilience against soulcrushing trauma that would cause most people to become broken or twisted. The definitions of good an evil are blurred beyond recognition, the heroes are just as flawed and capable of terrible deeds as the villains. The lead characters Guts and Griffith consistently challenge these themes and definitions through their shocking yet horrifyingly human actions.
This manga has inspired many famous works of art that are popular in today’s media such as the Dark Souls franchise, Final Fantasy, Attack on Titan, Evangelion, Castlevania, as well as countless fantasy novels, comics, manga, movies, tv shows, video games, musicians, artists, illustrators and so much more.
Miura inspired me as well and I regard him for being the person who taught me just how influential, meaningful and life changing art and literature can be when I first read his series over a decade ago. He changed the way I view entertainment and taught me how to appreciate the deeper meanings in everything I experience.
Berserk is to me what Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings is to millions of others.
Rest In Peace to a legendary man.
***
Above is my completely spoiler free review showing my appreciation for this series and its characters.
Below is a review of the entire series, broken down arc by arc. I originally wrote these individual reviews back during my first reading of the series, so keep that in mind. Each part contains mild spoilers, I would advise not looking any further than the arcs you’re currently reading or have already read.
***
The Black Swordsman Arc: Volumes 1-3
The first arc is only the tip of the iceberg of a very complex, dark and violent tragedy. If you find yourself to be not too impressed with the first volume, I highly recommend reading until at least volume 4 before deciding if this series is for you or not. The first three volumes serve as an interlude to help prepare you for the atrocities to come and may seem somewhat underwhelming in terms of plot, but believe me when I say the payoff is highly rewarding and memorable.
The Black Swordsman arc is awesome for fans returning to the series or rereading the series, but it often gives newcomers the wrong impression. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just extremely different from the rest of the series and it’s set in the middle of the story rather than the beginning. This is done to set the dark tone of the series, bombarding you with shocking and upsetting content to make sure you know what you’re getting into before delving back to the beginning. For newcomers, this arc is a confusing yet exciting sword and sorcery tale of a vengeful barbarian warrior hunting demons in hopes of settling the score with his mortal enemy Griffith, and the evil lovecraftian beings that govern the world from the abyss known only as the Godhand. For returning readers, the Black Swordsman arc is much deeper than it seems, packed with genius foreshadowing, subtle character depth and truly impressive worldbuilding that will probably fly over the heads of newcomers.
Guts seems like a simplistic, edgy anti-hero at first glance, but he's so much more than that. Guts is one of the greatest characters the fantasy genre has to offer. Sigmund Freud could probably write a novel-length psychological analysis of this severely troubled and broken man. Guts is more complex than he leads people to believe as well. He's not a sociopathic antihero, he's a man that has no choice but to lie to himself to keep his emotions from crushing his spirit and getting innocent people involved with his deadly affairs. He's cruel and harsh for the greater good. It's the only way he can keep himself from going insane and continue to put up a good fight against terrifying creatures that are far stronger than he is. There's a bit of a joke in the Berserk community that says that no matter how bad your life might be, Guts will always have it worse. It's really not that hard to believe after you've read a bit of the series. His life was one big catastrophe literally from the moment he was born.
Not to mention his rival Griffith who is equally complex and incredibly rich with psychological depth, but there will be more on that as you delve further in. I would strongly recommend this series for hardcore fans of fantasy and horror, so long as you're prepared to be traumatized for life by the disgustingly harsh nature of its content.
This arc mainly serves to set up a lot of future plot points by introducing us to the Behilit, the God Hand, and the fact that even the demonic apostles are capable of emotions and having a family. Nothing is as it seems and no one is safe or innocent. It might not seem like it in the beginning, but the Black Swordsman arc is arguably one of the most important as it solidifies the themes of struggle, survival and wavering humanity that Guts deals with on a daily basis and sets up the flow of the rest of the story. It peels back the layers and reveals little by little how Guts grew up to be such a mentally broken and morally outraged character. It makes you sympathize with him and understand why he acts the way he does.
***
The Golden Age Arc: Volumes 4-13
The Golden Age Arc is where the story truly begins.
We return to the origins of Guts and learn about the series of battles, traumas and conflicts he gets himself wrapped in one after the other. We get introduced to a wonderfully intense group of mercenaries that go by the name of The Band of the Hawk. Among the Hawks are Casca the hot-headed female warrior, Judeau the smooth talking assassin, Corkus the drunken realist, Pippin the gentle giant, Rickert the blacksmith and of course, the infamous leader of men named Griffith.
Griffith is the most interesting of the motley crew as he is very complex and unpredictable. He has a playful side, a merciless side, a charismatic side and a childish yet vulnerable side. He can't be put into any single category. The gallant and elegant master of the sword has more layers than an onion. His brotherly rivalry with Guts is also a lovely and dementedly joyful sight to behold. This is the major turning point of the series and it only gets better and better from here.
After a life of grief and trauma, Guts reluctantly joins Griffith on his quest to attain his own kingdom while simultaneously struggling to come to terms with his own identity. We get to see a side of Guts we’ve never experienced up until this point. We see his vulnerability, his wounded soul, his ability to show affection to others, his role as a battle commander, and his blossoming relationships with Casca and Griffith; the two people who end up having the biggest impact on his entire life for very different reasons.
This is the arc that has the most in common with Game of Thrones, focusing on personal character dramas rather than constant brutal battles, action and lovecraftian horror being thrown at you left and right. While the battles and action sequences in Berserk are amazing, where it truly shines are its quiet moments of vulnerability where we get to see the most raw, heart-wrenching and introspective emotions of the severely damaged cast of protagonists.
Guts is an unstoppable badass, but he constantly suffers and contemplates his meaning in life. His sheer strength and relentless rage can’t hide the wounded little boy deep inside him. Casca is more fierce than most male soldiers on the battlefield and she has an attitude to match, so when we see her more feminine and loving side it makes her complex journey of self-realization all the more powerful. Griffith is a godlike war hero that millions of people worship, yet he has the deepest flaws, insecurities and inner darkness than any other character in the entire series. Most of all, they’re painfully human. These three represent the absolute best and absolute worst in all of us. That’s what makes them equally compelling, empathetic and utterly repulsive at times.
After an incredible display of war, romance, political drama, moral and philosophical musings, heartbreaking trauma, fascinating worldbuilding and chilling foreshadowing, the Golden Age arc ends on the single most shocking, depressing and mind blowing finale I’ve ever witnessed in a fantasy story. The Eclipse marks the major turning point in the story from Game of Thrones style medieval drama to the lovecraftian nightmare fest that we only get a small taste of in the Black Swordsman arc.
***
The Lost Children Arc: 14 - 16
Ah, the end of the Golden Age and the beginning of the Age of Darkness. This is where the horror elements of Berserk are dialed up to the absolute extreme. You thought the story was gruesome and horrifying before? You haven't seen anything yet. The Lost Children arc is not only arguably the most gruesome of them all, but it also completely wrecks your emotions as well. The relationship between Guts and Jill shows us that Guts is still in touch with his human side after the atrocities of the Black Swordsman arc may have convinced us otherwise. It solidifies his bond with his unlikely companion Puck, explores the lasting effects of trauma inflicted on him by the Eclipse and by Casca's heartbreaking condition and there's a rollercoaster of action, horror and small glimpses of hope in a sea of darkness. I've always loved how Jill and Puck brought Guts's humanity back to the surface after being stuck in such a devastating and harmful state for so long. This arc also humanizes the act of becoming an apostle which adds a layer of emotional depth to their depraved existence and makes the antagonists feel like more than simple fodder for Guts to slash through.
The Lost Children arc feels a bit underwhelming in a few areas compared to the shocking finale of the Golden Age arc, but the ending of this arc finishes with quite a few shockers of its own to bring back the hype and despair of the series. This arc is one of my favorites for a few reasons. It shows that apostles can be victims in their own right by exploring the sad life of Rosine who only sought to escape abuse and had to resort to inhumane methods to bring this about. This is made further relatable by contrasting her situation with that of Jill's as she's also severely abused by her father and wants nothing more than to escape from that life.
It also shows that Guts still has a human side. Despite how broken and full of hate and bloodlust he is, he still cares for Jill and throws himself in harm's way multiple times to protect her. Considering how tragic and terrifying Guts's childhood was, it's not too surprising that he would have a soft spot for kids that also happen to be suffering from abuse.
After the arc is done, we're thrown into another great arc which introduces us to the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Farnese and Serpico are fascinating characters, Azan is a cool guy and the shadiness of the group as a whole raises a lot of red flags. Guts and Puck also become much closer during this time which solidifies their companionship.
The Lost Children arc is often written off as a short filler mini-arc, but I think it serves its purpose more than well in just 3 volumes.
***
The Conviction Arc: 17 - 21
My favorite arc of Berserk in many ways.
The amount of story packed into these few volumes is incredible. Griffith is manipulating people's dreams from the beyond while a plague ravages the entire country. The people see this as a sign that the foretold messiah will soon come to save the world from darkness when really it's just Griffith leading them to believe that. After being visited by an omen in his dreams, Guts decides to return to Casca after not seeing her for two years because he's been going on a murderous rampage. After the tragic outcome of the Lost Children arc, Guts begins to accept that his quest for vengeance is futile, and that there are more important things in his life than violence.
This is where the arc gets really emotional. Figuratively speaking, Guts receives the harsh scolding and the much-needed therapy he's needed for a long time from Godo the blacksmith. Rickert, Erika and Puck are also there to knock some sense back into Guts's thick skull, giving him the mental and emotional support and guidance he desperately needed to get back on his feet after the tragedy of the eclipse. After regaining his compassion and conviction, Guts sets out to find the missing Caska, the woman who set the spark on his self-destructive quest in the first place to try and redeem his life from all the horrible things he’s been through and all the detestable things he’s done in the name of love.
We're then introduced to a horrifying priest that loves unreasonable torture, genocide and bashing people's brains out with a bible. The Holy Iron Chain Knights mean business and there's tragedy and death all over the world. Guts's path to redemption, the mad religion dedicated to a false messiah, the foreshadowing of Griffith's return, this arc is packed full of all kinds of heavy emotions.
On top of all the heart-wrenching emotions in this arc, it’s also by far the most terrifying. Religious tyranny, satanic orgy cults, cannibalism do to starvation, extreme torture methods using real historical tools such as the Judas Cradle, breaking wheels, rack torture, flaying and burning at the stake, etc. And that’s just a small taste.
We’re introduced to a group of prostitutes with strong character development. Luca is a saint and Nina is a sinner, yet Luca brings everyone together and loves them all unconditionally. Though she’s a prostitute, she has more love, kindness and motherly instinct in her than the entirety of the Holy Iron Chain Knights and their religious order which makes me respect her character a lot.
Overall an explosive arc that’s equally horrifying and beautiful. It has one of the most satisfying reunions and redemption plots of all time.
***
The Millennium Falcon Arc: Volumes 22-35
After the shocking ending of the previous arc, Griffith returns to the spotlight once more.
This is the most complex arc of the series as it's split into multiple perspectives which hasn’t really been done up until this point. Guts has reunited with his beloved Casca and her mind is still in shambles from the trauma she experienced during the Eclipse. With a new band of loyal companions at his side, Guts begins to learn how to trust, grow and love as he once did during his time in the Band of the Hawk while struggling to reconcile with his inner darkness and his hatred towards his former friend Griffith.
Schierke is a young witch that serves to explain the more magical, fantastical and metaphysical elements of the world of Berserk while aiding Guts’s crew in their journey to fight against the alarming uprising of demonic creatures overrunning the land.
The Kushan Empire has risen to power and is waging war with the unguarded kingdom of Midland. As if the deadly plague, religious crusades and rampant demon invasions weren’t enough, Emperor Ganishka of the Kushan Empire is making life an even greater hell for anyone that’s in his path of conquest.
Griffith is back in the human world, building an army of knights, demons, apostles and any other willing companions in his journey to 'save' the world from war to fulfill his dream of attaining his own kingdom no matter the sacrifices and immoral actions he must commit to make his dream a reality.
Not my favorite arc, but definitely the most chaotic, action-packed and lore heavy of them all. The fantasy, paranormal and existential elements of the story really ramp up in this arc and there’s all kinds of mindblowing chaos at work.
***
The Fantasia Arc: Volumes 36-41
It’s difficult to review this arc because it was left unfinished after the author’s untimely passing.
The Fantasia arc marked another major turning point of the series. If Lost Children and Conviction were the age of darkness, this was the beginning of the age of misguided light. Griffith changed the world in truly remarkable ways, both fascinating and terrible.
Guts and his crew set out to Elf Island to restore Casca’s memories before deciding how to settle the score with Griffith once and for all. The arc was tying up loose ends at a very nice pace, answering questions that many readers have been contemplating since the beginning of the series such as the identity of Skull Knight, the origins of the God Hand, Griffith true motives, how Casca confronts her trauma, the purpose of the Berserker Armor, Guts finding the answer to his life’s purpose, the secret history and lore of the greater universe and much more.
Just as the arc was heading for a climactic buildup to the finale, it ends on a tear jerking cliffhanger that serves as the untimely ending of the series as a whole. It’s a shame that Miura’s masterpiece wasn’t able to be finished, but he’s created the most influential manga of all time that heavily impacted millions of reads and thousands of artists all over the world.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
Guts is a severely traumatized vigilante that wanders the world, throwing himself into one battle after another in hopes of finding a meaning in the tremendous suffering he's endured. His sword is his only trusted companion and he's consumed by a lust for vengeance. Griffith is a charismatic mercenary with dreams of ending a hundred year war in hopes of attaining his own kingdom. Little do his comrades and enemies know, he's not the flawless hero many believe him to be. When the paths of these two men clash, the entire world drastically evolves around the earth-shattering conflict between their indomitable wills.
A grimdark epic with compelling protagonists, stomach-churning horror, heartbreaking drama and a lovecraftian sense of metaphysical worldbuilding that's as fascinating as it is terrifying. Berserk has been my favorite manga, fantasy story and perhaps favorite story ever made for over a decade now and I was really sad to hear that the man behind the masterpiece passed away earlier this year.
Berserk is infamous for being the most gratuitously dark, brutal, shocking and depressing fantasy story ever written, but it is also rich with intense human emotion, philosophical depth, perseverance through unimaginable suffering and horrifyingly realistic depictions of psychological trauma. The series tackles the complex nature of morality vs. primal nature, fate and causality vs. free will, resilience against soulcrushing trauma that would cause most people to become broken or twisted. The definitions of good an evil are blurred beyond recognition, the heroes are just as flawed and capable of terrible deeds as the villains. The lead characters Guts and Griffith consistently challenge these themes and definitions through their shocking yet horrifyingly human actions.
This manga has inspired many famous works of art that are popular in today’s media such as the Dark Souls franchise, Final Fantasy, Attack on Titan, Evangelion, Castlevania, as well as countless fantasy novels, comics, manga, movies, tv shows, video games, musicians, artists, illustrators and so much more.
Miura inspired me as well and I regard him for being the person who taught me just how influential, meaningful and life changing art and literature can be when I first read his series over a decade ago. He changed the way I view entertainment and taught me how to appreciate the deeper meanings in everything I experience.
Berserk is to me what Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings is to millions of others.
Rest In Peace to a legendary man.
***
Above is my completely spoiler free review showing my appreciation for this series and its characters.
Below is a review of the entire series, broken down arc by arc. I originally wrote these individual reviews back during my first reading of the series, so keep that in mind. Each part contains mild spoilers, I would advise not looking any further than the arcs you’re currently reading or have already read.
***
The Black Swordsman Arc: Volumes 1-3
The first arc is only the tip of the iceberg of a very complex, dark and violent tragedy. If you find yourself to be not too impressed with the first volume, I highly recommend reading until at least volume 4 before deciding if this series is for you or not. The first three volumes serve as an interlude to help prepare you for the atrocities to come and may seem somewhat underwhelming in terms of plot, but believe me when I say the payoff is highly rewarding and memorable.
The Black Swordsman arc is awesome for fans returning to the series or rereading the series, but it often gives newcomers the wrong impression. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just extremely different from the rest of the series and it’s set in the middle of the story rather than the beginning. This is done to set the dark tone of the series, bombarding you with shocking and upsetting content to make sure you know what you’re getting into before delving back to the beginning. For newcomers, this arc is a confusing yet exciting sword and sorcery tale of a vengeful barbarian warrior hunting demons in hopes of settling the score with his mortal enemy Griffith, and the evil lovecraftian beings that govern the world from the abyss known only as the Godhand. For returning readers, the Black Swordsman arc is much deeper than it seems, packed with genius foreshadowing, subtle character depth and truly impressive worldbuilding that will probably fly over the heads of newcomers.
Guts seems like a simplistic, edgy anti-hero at first glance, but he's so much more than that. Guts is one of the greatest characters the fantasy genre has to offer. Sigmund Freud could probably write a novel-length psychological analysis of this severely troubled and broken man. Guts is more complex than he leads people to believe as well. He's not a sociopathic antihero, he's a man that has no choice but to lie to himself to keep his emotions from crushing his spirit and getting innocent people involved with his deadly affairs. He's cruel and harsh for the greater good. It's the only way he can keep himself from going insane and continue to put up a good fight against terrifying creatures that are far stronger than he is. There's a bit of a joke in the Berserk community that says that no matter how bad your life might be, Guts will always have it worse. It's really not that hard to believe after you've read a bit of the series. His life was one big catastrophe literally from the moment he was born.
Not to mention his rival Griffith who is equally complex and incredibly rich with psychological depth, but there will be more on that as you delve further in. I would strongly recommend this series for hardcore fans of fantasy and horror, so long as you're prepared to be traumatized for life by the disgustingly harsh nature of its content.
This arc mainly serves to set up a lot of future plot points by introducing us to the Behilit, the God Hand, and the fact that even the demonic apostles are capable of emotions and having a family. Nothing is as it seems and no one is safe or innocent. It might not seem like it in the beginning, but the Black Swordsman arc is arguably one of the most important as it solidifies the themes of struggle, survival and wavering humanity that Guts deals with on a daily basis and sets up the flow of the rest of the story. It peels back the layers and reveals little by little how Guts grew up to be such a mentally broken and morally outraged character. It makes you sympathize with him and understand why he acts the way he does.
***
The Golden Age Arc: Volumes 4-13
The Golden Age Arc is where the story truly begins.
We return to the origins of Guts and learn about the series of battles, traumas and conflicts he gets himself wrapped in one after the other. We get introduced to a wonderfully intense group of mercenaries that go by the name of The Band of the Hawk. Among the Hawks are Casca the hot-headed female warrior, Judeau the smooth talking assassin, Corkus the drunken realist, Pippin the gentle giant, Rickert the blacksmith and of course, the infamous leader of men named Griffith.
Griffith is the most interesting of the motley crew as he is very complex and unpredictable. He has a playful side, a merciless side, a charismatic side and a childish yet vulnerable side. He can't be put into any single category. The gallant and elegant master of the sword has more layers than an onion. His brotherly rivalry with Guts is also a lovely and dementedly joyful sight to behold. This is the major turning point of the series and it only gets better and better from here.
After a life of grief and trauma, Guts reluctantly joins Griffith on his quest to attain his own kingdom while simultaneously struggling to come to terms with his own identity. We get to see a side of Guts we’ve never experienced up until this point. We see his vulnerability, his wounded soul, his ability to show affection to others, his role as a battle commander, and his blossoming relationships with Casca and Griffith; the two people who end up having the biggest impact on his entire life for very different reasons.
This is the arc that has the most in common with Game of Thrones, focusing on personal character dramas rather than constant brutal battles, action and lovecraftian horror being thrown at you left and right. While the battles and action sequences in Berserk are amazing, where it truly shines are its quiet moments of vulnerability where we get to see the most raw, heart-wrenching and introspective emotions of the severely damaged cast of protagonists.
Guts is an unstoppable badass, but he constantly suffers and contemplates his meaning in life. His sheer strength and relentless rage can’t hide the wounded little boy deep inside him. Casca is more fierce than most male soldiers on the battlefield and she has an attitude to match, so when we see her more feminine and loving side it makes her complex journey of self-realization all the more powerful. Griffith is a godlike war hero that millions of people worship, yet he has the deepest flaws, insecurities and inner darkness than any other character in the entire series. Most of all, they’re painfully human. These three represent the absolute best and absolute worst in all of us. That’s what makes them equally compelling, empathetic and utterly repulsive at times.
After an incredible display of war, romance, political drama, moral and philosophical musings, heartbreaking trauma, fascinating worldbuilding and chilling foreshadowing, the Golden Age arc ends on the single most shocking, depressing and mind blowing finale I’ve ever witnessed in a fantasy story. The Eclipse marks the major turning point in the story from Game of Thrones style medieval drama to the lovecraftian nightmare fest that we only get a small taste of in the Black Swordsman arc.
***
The Lost Children Arc: 14 - 16
Ah, the end of the Golden Age and the beginning of the Age of Darkness. This is where the horror elements of Berserk are dialed up to the absolute extreme. You thought the story was gruesome and horrifying before? You haven't seen anything yet. The Lost Children arc is not only arguably the most gruesome of them all, but it also completely wrecks your emotions as well. The relationship between Guts and Jill shows us that Guts is still in touch with his human side after the atrocities of the Black Swordsman arc may have convinced us otherwise. It solidifies his bond with his unlikely companion Puck, explores the lasting effects of trauma inflicted on him by the Eclipse and by Casca's heartbreaking condition and there's a rollercoaster of action, horror and small glimpses of hope in a sea of darkness. I've always loved how Jill and Puck brought Guts's humanity back to the surface after being stuck in such a devastating and harmful state for so long. This arc also humanizes the act of becoming an apostle which adds a layer of emotional depth to their depraved existence and makes the antagonists feel like more than simple fodder for Guts to slash through.
The Lost Children arc feels a bit underwhelming in a few areas compared to the shocking finale of the Golden Age arc, but the ending of this arc finishes with quite a few shockers of its own to bring back the hype and despair of the series. This arc is one of my favorites for a few reasons. It shows that apostles can be victims in their own right by exploring the sad life of Rosine who only sought to escape abuse and had to resort to inhumane methods to bring this about. This is made further relatable by contrasting her situation with that of Jill's as she's also severely abused by her father and wants nothing more than to escape from that life.
It also shows that Guts still has a human side. Despite how broken and full of hate and bloodlust he is, he still cares for Jill and throws himself in harm's way multiple times to protect her. Considering how tragic and terrifying Guts's childhood was, it's not too surprising that he would have a soft spot for kids that also happen to be suffering from abuse.
After the arc is done, we're thrown into another great arc which introduces us to the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Farnese and Serpico are fascinating characters, Azan is a cool guy and the shadiness of the group as a whole raises a lot of red flags. Guts and Puck also become much closer during this time which solidifies their companionship.
The Lost Children arc is often written off as a short filler mini-arc, but I think it serves its purpose more than well in just 3 volumes.
***
The Conviction Arc: 17 - 21
My favorite arc of Berserk in many ways.
The amount of story packed into these few volumes is incredible. Griffith is manipulating people's dreams from the beyond while a plague ravages the entire country. The people see this as a sign that the foretold messiah will soon come to save the world from darkness when really it's just Griffith leading them to believe that. After being visited by an omen in his dreams, Guts decides to return to Casca after not seeing her for two years because he's been going on a murderous rampage. After the tragic outcome of the Lost Children arc, Guts begins to accept that his quest for vengeance is futile, and that there are more important things in his life than violence.
This is where the arc gets really emotional. Figuratively speaking, Guts receives the harsh scolding and the much-needed therapy he's needed for a long time from Godo the blacksmith. Rickert, Erika and Puck are also there to knock some sense back into Guts's thick skull, giving him the mental and emotional support and guidance he desperately needed to get back on his feet after the tragedy of the eclipse. After regaining his compassion and conviction, Guts sets out to find the missing Caska, the woman who set the spark on his self-destructive quest in the first place to try and redeem his life from all the horrible things he’s been through and all the detestable things he’s done in the name of love.
We're then introduced to a horrifying priest that loves unreasonable torture, genocide and bashing people's brains out with a bible. The Holy Iron Chain Knights mean business and there's tragedy and death all over the world. Guts's path to redemption, the mad religion dedicated to a false messiah, the foreshadowing of Griffith's return, this arc is packed full of all kinds of heavy emotions.
On top of all the heart-wrenching emotions in this arc, it’s also by far the most terrifying. Religious tyranny, satanic orgy cults, cannibalism do to starvation, extreme torture methods using real historical tools such as the Judas Cradle, breaking wheels, rack torture, flaying and burning at the stake, etc. And that’s just a small taste.
We’re introduced to a group of prostitutes with strong character development. Luca is a saint and Nina is a sinner, yet Luca brings everyone together and loves them all unconditionally. Though she’s a prostitute, she has more love, kindness and motherly instinct in her than the entirety of the Holy Iron Chain Knights and their religious order which makes me respect her character a lot.
Overall an explosive arc that’s equally horrifying and beautiful. It has one of the most satisfying reunions and redemption plots of all time.
***
The Millennium Falcon Arc: Volumes 22-35
After the shocking ending of the previous arc, Griffith returns to the spotlight once more.
This is the most complex arc of the series as it's split into multiple perspectives which hasn’t really been done up until this point. Guts has reunited with his beloved Casca and her mind is still in shambles from the trauma she experienced during the Eclipse. With a new band of loyal companions at his side, Guts begins to learn how to trust, grow and love as he once did during his time in the Band of the Hawk while struggling to reconcile with his inner darkness and his hatred towards his former friend Griffith.
Schierke is a young witch that serves to explain the more magical, fantastical and metaphysical elements of the world of Berserk while aiding Guts’s crew in their journey to fight against the alarming uprising of demonic creatures overrunning the land.
The Kushan Empire has risen to power and is waging war with the unguarded kingdom of Midland. As if the deadly plague, religious crusades and rampant demon invasions weren’t enough, Emperor Ganishka of the Kushan Empire is making life an even greater hell for anyone that’s in his path of conquest.
Griffith is back in the human world, building an army of knights, demons, apostles and any other willing companions in his journey to 'save' the world from war to fulfill his dream of attaining his own kingdom no matter the sacrifices and immoral actions he must commit to make his dream a reality.
Not my favorite arc, but definitely the most chaotic, action-packed and lore heavy of them all. The fantasy, paranormal and existential elements of the story really ramp up in this arc and there’s all kinds of mindblowing chaos at work.
***
The Fantasia Arc: Volumes 36-41
It’s difficult to review this arc because it was left unfinished after the author’s untimely passing.
The Fantasia arc marked another major turning point of the series. If Lost Children and Conviction were the age of darkness, this was the beginning of the age of misguided light. Griffith changed the world in truly remarkable ways, both fascinating and terrible.
Guts and his crew set out to Elf Island to restore Casca’s memories before deciding how to settle the score with Griffith once and for all. The arc was tying up loose ends at a very nice pace, answering questions that many readers have been contemplating since the beginning of the series such as the identity of Skull Knight, the origins of the God Hand, Griffith true motives, how Casca confronts her trauma, the purpose of the Berserker Armor, Guts finding the answer to his life’s purpose, the secret history and lore of the greater universe and much more.
Just as the arc was heading for a climactic buildup to the finale, it ends on a tear jerking cliffhanger that serves as the untimely ending of the series as a whole. It’s a shame that Miura’s masterpiece wasn’t able to be finished, but he’s created the most influential manga of all time that heavily impacted millions of reads and thousands of artists all over the world.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
March 2, 2021
This is an incredibly dark and messed up volume, and that is when Berserk is at its best. The story feels more focused and it gripped me much more than the previous couple of volumes, I hope it keeps this focus as I delve further into this series.
September 17, 2019
okay but this one left me traumatised.
January 31, 2021
So I don't know if it is because of the translation or because of the general place the plot is in, I found it kind of easy to put down. And the dialogue with The Skull Knight made little sense to me. Might be that I'm just stupid lol.
November 27, 2022
here we go again!
June 2, 2024
3.5⭐️
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟔 - "𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 (𝟐)"
Luca is so good for taking care of Casca like that!
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟕 - "𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬"
What I got from this is that the son always protects Casca. But whose eyes are those that appeared in the sky? It looked so ominous.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟖 - "𝐙𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐭"
I cannot stand looking at Mozgus… which is weird to me because I looked at more horrifying figures in this manga but I didn’t feel this level of disgust.
I loved the art style in the last two panels, it reminds me of the starry night by van gogh.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟗 - "𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝"
Wow…It’s creepy but it’s also the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟎 -"𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡"
Lol the spanking! That was such a silly thing to do in the middle of a serious situation.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟏 - "𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 (𝟏)"
I like Isidro; I hope he sticks with Guts just like Puck.
Both Puck and Isidro would be great for comedic relief. The *Sneakidro Shield* move from Puck was so funny😭
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟐 - "𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 (𝟐)"
This whole interaction between Guts and the skull knight was so forshadowy, not sure if I understand the whole thing tho :)
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟑 - "𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬"
I think Serpico is trying to take revenge on Farnese; I think she’s the one who killed his mother.
And there she is, classic Farnese again; getting off on the torture of other people at the end of the chapter :)
93⭐️
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟔 - "𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 (𝟐)"
Luca is so good for taking care of Casca like that!
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟕 - "𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬"
What I got from this is that the son always protects Casca. But whose eyes are those that appeared in the sky? It looked so ominous.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟖 - "𝐙𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐭"
I cannot stand looking at Mozgus… which is weird to me because I looked at more horrifying figures in this manga but I didn’t feel this level of disgust.
I loved the art style in the last two panels, it reminds me of the starry night by van gogh.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑𝟗 - "𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝"
Wow…It’s creepy but it’s also the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟎 -"𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡"
Lol the spanking! That was such a silly thing to do in the middle of a serious situation.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟏 - "𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 (𝟏)"
I like Isidro; I hope he sticks with Guts just like Puck.
Both Puck and Isidro would be great for comedic relief. The *Sneakidro Shield* move from Puck was so funny😭
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟐 - "𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 (𝟐)"
This whole interaction between Guts and the skull knight was so forshadowy, not sure if I understand the whole thing tho :)
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟑 - "𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬"
I think Serpico is trying to take revenge on Farnese; I think she’s the one who killed his mother.
And there she is, classic Farnese again; getting off on the torture of other people at the end of the chapter :)
93⭐️
November 26, 2017
This is the 18th volume in the Berserk series. We didn’t see Guts in this book as much as in previous ones. We did met a new young boy named Isidro that ends up following Guts. Most of the time is spent with Lady Farnese as she accompanies the Inquisitor on his missions. The Inquisitor is a very disturbing individual who has a twisted sense of mercy and believes heavily that torture is the way to go.
We also spend some time with Casca and Luca (the prostitute who has taken Casca in and is protecting her). Luca is trying to implement some civilization to the craziness around her by providing for those who don’t make as much as she does.
At the end of it all Guts is visited again by the Skeleton King who lets him know that the Hawk of Light will rise again and another event, very like the eclipse during which Guts was branded, will take place again soon. He also spouts a whole bunch of other stuff I didn’t quite understand.
Overall this was an excellent continuation of this series. The story makes huge progress here and a lot happens. We meet some excellent new characters as well. I would definitely recommend this series to mature fans of horror fantasy manga.
We also spend some time with Casca and Luca (the prostitute who has taken Casca in and is protecting her). Luca is trying to implement some civilization to the craziness around her by providing for those who don’t make as much as she does.
At the end of it all Guts is visited again by the Skeleton King who lets him know that the Hawk of Light will rise again and another event, very like the eclipse during which Guts was branded, will take place again soon. He also spouts a whole bunch of other stuff I didn’t quite understand.
Overall this was an excellent continuation of this series. The story makes huge progress here and a lot happens. We meet some excellent new characters as well. I would definitely recommend this series to mature fans of horror fantasy manga.
July 21, 2016
Farnse, gli Inquisitori, gli Eretici, le streghe... noioso.
February 18, 2019
Meh. Many elements of this volume felt pointless.
August 27, 2023
Guts finally finds out where Casca is staying - with a group of sex workers near the Tower of Conviction, home to a fanatically religious cult. True to Berserk fashion, there is ample violence, torture, mutilation, rape and more, and this volume might be the closest to the depravity shown in Vol. 13. While I've been down on the series since then, this one marks a tick upwards in terms of quality. Miura's stylized artwork makes the edginess more palatable, and whenever he contributes towards the main narrative instead of side stories, the book just reads better. Casca was definitely a missing ingredient from the previous few volumes.
January 22, 2023
Non avrei mai pensato di leggere un volume più disturbante e straziante del tredicesimo et voilà ecco che arriva il volume 18! La golden age inizia a mancarmi😭
October 11, 2023
Me lo sono bruciato (per rimanere in tema) in meno di un'ora.
June 11, 2022
Aparte de la presencia de La inquisición aparece un nuevo motivo en este arco: la "brujería". Con la dosis macabra, violenta y sexualizada marca de la casa.
May 29, 2023
Guts finds the area that Casca is at. She's living among some prostitutes including Luca in a desolate area around the Tower of Conviction ran by some pretty crazy religious folk. They all call her Elaine.
We get introduced to Isidro, a young kid who wants to be a warrior and admires Guts.
Casca accidentally gets involved in some weird pagan orgy replete with cannibalism that Luca goes to and almost gets raped again. (This seems to happen to her in every volume.)
We get introduced to Isidro, a young kid who wants to be a warrior and admires Guts.
Casca accidentally gets involved in some weird pagan orgy replete with cannibalism that Luca goes to and almost gets raped again. (This seems to happen to her in every volume.)
July 7, 2022
bruh.
that religion lady is legit crazy in a badddd way, the fuk
that religion lady is legit crazy in a badddd way, the fuk
December 2, 2017
4.25 Stars
This volume was great, so much information was given in terms of the bigger plot. We met and got insight into new characters including Ichiro and Serbico. I appreciated many aspects of this volume, the look into one of the holy killers, his reasoning and his understanding of his massacre, his own reaffirmation. Also Luca and her representation of women in her line of occupation. I loved the sequence with skull guy and Gut's, I also was really interested by the holy seerers sequence oh and the torture chamber was grotesque :O. Can't wait to continue !
Oh and I'm also intrigued by the Kushan army !
"This world is as moonlight reflected on the water's surface"
"... We already subsist within the current of casualty..."
"Maybe you aren't a shadow on the waters surface, but instead a fish the breaches the waters surface's"
Although in each of these reviews I bag Kentaro about his representation of women (and still feel so) I have to acknowledge this mans genius, Beserk if fucking awe some, straight up !
This volume was great, so much information was given in terms of the bigger plot. We met and got insight into new characters including Ichiro and Serbico. I appreciated many aspects of this volume, the look into one of the holy killers, his reasoning and his understanding of his massacre, his own reaffirmation. Also Luca and her representation of women in her line of occupation. I loved the sequence with skull guy and Gut's, I also was really interested by the holy seerers sequence oh and the torture chamber was grotesque :O. Can't wait to continue !
Oh and I'm also intrigued by the Kushan army !
"This world is as moonlight reflected on the water's surface"
"... We already subsist within the current of casualty..."
"Maybe you aren't a shadow on the waters surface, but instead a fish the breaches the waters surface's"
Although in each of these reviews I bag Kentaro about his representation of women (and still feel so) I have to acknowledge this mans genius, Beserk if fucking awe some, straight up !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2018
I do like the development of the Church characters as while they do evil things but it is nice seeing that they do generally believe in their religion and do have absolute Faith in their belief. And with Mozgus while we do see him do horrible things but it is not done for some ulterior motive but just genuine faith. I also liked that they do make him some what likable with brief flashes of kindness to others. But still the only thing that bothers me about the series is the heavy nudity and the excessive amounts of sex as while I get the point since some of the themes of the series is about human desires and about whether or not humans are ruled by such desires but still some of these scenes with sex and nudity seem excessive and kind of unnecessary and the series would have been a lot better if these types of scenes were cut down.
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