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[BabyFaceKillah]

I was reading through it from where the anime left off and god damn did it take forever for him to get the

Spoiler

beserk armor

I stopped a little after that it was just too much....but it was really good.

 

[staticneuron]

I just like to see good designs.

Designs with purpose are the best designs imo, and that is why Gut's sword is fine given the context and meaning.

There are points where you just have to admit the dude is barely human and is one of the scariest protagonist imaginable. I doubt Kenshin with his well design sword would last long against Guts given the monsters Guts have gone up against already.

 

[Disgraced]

People always mention Berserk but rarely mention Weird Fiction as a major inspiration. Don't just read Lovecraft's stories, check out Clark Ashton Smith, who Miyazaki seems equally inspired by. Robert E. Howard as well... to a lesser extent.

Also, to those with no patience for bad writing I'd recommend NOT bothering with Berserk. The writing is juvenile, horrible, sexist, and so on. Fantastic art though, so if you're interested in Berserk for that you won't be disappointed.

And for the same reasons (with the addition of an absurd amount of racism and classism), I'd recommend not bothering with Lovecraft.
Unless you're interested in finding out what gross garbage horror fans have managed to turn into an icon and a posthumous merchandise empire. It's quite a fascinating, if deeply disturbing.

I didn't think having misogynist, sexist characters in a story made a story misogynist or sexist, or for that matter meant a story promoted those values. I also thought that Lovecraft's warped, depressed perspective is part of what makes his writing so interesting. I also fail to see how Lovecraft's work has become a posthumous mechandise empire when his work is public domain and used as an inspiration or basis for media by multitudes of unaffiliated parties. A media trend or fashion? Yes. A merchandise empire? I don't think so. It's not like Cthulu's become Mickey Mouse.

 

[Squishy3]

so the new movie is bad? did it stop where the old one did?

The movies aren't bad if you don't mind some iffy CG, the second one skips a frame of time that is covered in the manga/old anime, but ends at the actual conclusion of the Golden Age arc while the TV series didn't, in addition to including a character that was present in the manga but not in the TV series.

Those would be the anime movies. They cover the same part of the story as the original anime did.

This is true, but as mentioned in the above quote actually ends at the end of the Golden Age while the original anime ends in the middle of the climax of the Golden Age. It's one of the worst cliffhangers ever to exist.

 

[Numb]

Designs with purpose are the best designs imo, and that is why Gut's sword is fine given the context and meaning.

There are points where you just have to admit the dude is barely human and is one of the scariest protagonist imaginable. I doubt Kenshin with his well design sword would last long against Guts given the monsters Guts have gone up against already.

There was a point where i stopped considering him human and most of what he did afterwards made slightly more sense. Really want to see how this whole show ends but t seems like my kids will have to finish it for me at this rate.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Designs with purpose are the best designs imo, and that is why Gut's sword is fine given the context and meaning.

There are points where you just have to admit the dude is barely human and is one of the scariest protagonist imaginable. I doubt Kenshin with his well design sword would last long against Guts given the monsters Guts have gone up against already.

Well Kenshin is a superhuman swordsman so he relies on his intuition and speed a lot. With how fantastic both of them are it seems unlikely that Guts would be able to hit him normally but perhaps he is not a swordsman type character so might just beat him with endurance and brute strength. The sword design is bad. He might as well just use a giant club or wear gloves made out of stone.

 

[Shauni]

And for the same reasons (with the addition of an absurd amount of racism and classism), I'd recommend not bothering with Lovecraft.
Unless you're interested in finding out what gross garbage horror fans have managed to turn into an icon and a posthumous merchandise empire. It's quite a fascinating, if deeply disturbing.

Eh, there are times when you have to separate the artist from their work. I don't think there's any denying that those sexist and racist themes are in Lovecraft's work, but the things and ideas he explored were a very different take on things. I equate him to Philip K Dick in that regard. You don't have to dig deep to see the guy had some real issues, but he really was crafting a fresh vision.

And honestly, I don't think anything I read of Lovecraft is that poorly written, with the exception of dialog. The big exception of dialog.

 

[Palculator]

Well Kenshin is a superhuman swordsman so he relies on his intuition and speed a lot. With how fantastic both of them are it seems unlikely that Guts would be able to hit him normally but perhaps he is not a swordsman type character so might just beat him with endurance and brute strength. The sword design is bad. He might as well just use a giant club or wear gloves made out of stone.

It fits. Guts is a man of great strength that knows little beyond brute force and has no education in institutionalized warfare. The fact that his sword is stupidly oversized and unusable by regular humans in actual combat is its point. Sure, any other "raw power" weapon could also achieve this, but they went with a sword.

By which I don't mean to justify the many inappropriate reuses of Guts' sword in other media.

 

[Error]

All I really know about Berserk is that the Souls series is heavily HEAVILY inspired by it. Currently watching the movie "Berserk The Golden Age Arc 1" which seems to be some sort of prologue to the series, and Im intrigued to say the least.

On another note the 3D animation is shit in it, but thats besides the point.

So I rarely watch anime, and never read manga (One Punch Man is the only exception, such a fun concept).What should I go about watching or reading it to get a good primer on the series? Im not willing to read years of manga, no time or real interest tbh. So is there a greatest hit or something I could look at? Maybe an order or something I should read/watch in without any fluff?

I just finished Sandman so Im looking for a new series to read/watch.

The manga is amazing, I even enjoy the new more high fantasy tone it has, the art is absolutely incredible which comes at a price... Miura takes WAY too much time between chapters, sometimes he releases 2 chapters during an ENTIRE year. Which is frustrating as fuck.

I still recommend the manga, you are right some stuff of Bloodborne and Dark/Demon Souls is lifted straight out of Beserk. To give an example Logarius Wheel, a weapon in Bloodborne is lifted from the Conviction Arc in Berserk.

also wheel skeletons, zombies things.

and there are probably a lot more.

 

[Disgraced]

Well Kenshin is a superhuman swordsman so he relies on his intuition and speed a lot. With how fantastic both of them are it seems unlikely that Guts would be able to hit him normally but perhaps he is not a swordsman type character so might just beat him with endurance and brute strength. The sword design is bad. He might as well just use a giant club or wear gloves made out of stone.

Like the Incredible Hulk? I am so down for that shit. Sounds sick.

 

[Sölf]

I have never seen more than 1 or 2 episodes of the anime, but saw all 3 movies and read the whole manga that was released in volumes (I just wait for a new volume, doesn't really matter in the end anyway... xD).

But seriously, you may not have liked the movies, but the ending theme of the first movie must be the most fitting song for Berserk ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC7H1rOU1Gg

 

[Nottle]

Hearing about the Dark Souls/Berserk connection also got me interested in Berserk. I've read the entire manga now and love it.

For the record, though, I think some people find too many connections between Souls and Berserk. There are some clear inspirations, but some of the connections people come up with are a bit tenuous at best. Also, people say that Miyazaki is a huge fan, but we really don't know that. All I've ever been able to find is one comment he made about how Siegmeyer's armor looks a bit like Bazuzo. I think it's just as likely that the concept artists for the series are the ones who are the big fans.



Where do you buy your Melange?

Some of the stuff could be coincidental, but man, that mark from Bloodborn looks a lot like the mark on Gut's neck, not to mention the black smiths from Dark and Artorias. Now maybe the plague babies and wheel skeletons are just coincidence, but I highly doubt it.

 

[Breloom]

I finished reading the Golden Age arc a day ago and I can confirm that this is the best manga of all time.

 

[hipbabboom]

OMG Read the Manga! You'll lose your shit over the epicness of the art and detail but the you have to follow DAT story! The darkness that manga paints is in a class of its own. As a person who enjoyed the anime products, I can tell you without a doubt that you aren't re-treading worn ground by reading the manga. It adds so much more depth to whatever is in the anime and movies that it feels like a different thing altogether. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Akahige]

I really do need to read it, the world and characters seem right up my ally. I've read comments which have put me off it for a while about the series never ending(It drags on too long?) and the chapters being very slow to come out, it makes me apprehensive about starting to read something that eventually fizzles out.

 

[The Omega Man]

Manga, read the manga, forget everything else.
The greatest manga of all time, the greatest story ever told.
And once you catch up...

 

[hipbabboom]

Eh making adaptations tie you to the rules and limits of that universe. Being inspired by an IP allows you to grow your own ideas that arent held back by the IP.

You may want to stop at the little witch arc and then come back in 20 years to have enough new chapters including that to last you for about a week's worth of reading. I'm only half joking here.

A body of work this massive will have its ebb and flow but its totally worth reading it all the way through and not skipping anything. The pain comes in the waiting. My fear isn't author not being able to keep the story interesting, as he's created a universe that rich, but rather him dying before wrapping it up

 

[bigjig]

Some of the stuff could be coincidental, but man, that mark from Bloodborn looks a lot like the mark on Gut's neck, not to mention the black smiths from Dark and Artorias. Now maybe the plague babies and wheel skeletons are just coincidence, but I highly doubt it.

That and stuff like the red eye orb in Dark Souls is too close to the Behelit to just be coincidental

 

[msv]

I'm hearing positive tones from the movies as well, even though I didn't like em as much - so I guess it doesn't matter where you start. The first few volumes of the manga should not be skipped, unlike some people are saying in this thread - they're essential for the impact later on. Neither should the first episode of the tv anime be skipped for the same reason. I'd recommend the manga to start with, since you'll want to keep going either way, and it will be a fuss to know where to start / what to read again when the tv show / movies end. If you're a bit impatient / just want to watch something, I'd definitely recommend the tv show over the manga. The music just fits so well, it's the same music that the author wrote the manga to. It goes into more detail in the arc that it covers compared to the movies, which is necessary IMO.

So:
- Manga is best.
- Watch TV show if you want to watch an animated version / get hooked.
- If all you have access to is the movies.. then so be it.

 

[Riposte]

I'm hearing positive tones from the movies as well, even though I didn't like em as much - so I guess it doesn't matter where you start. The first few volumes of the manga should not be skipped, unlike some people are saying in this thread - they're essential for the impact later on. Neither should the first episode of the tv anime be skipped for the same reason. I'd recommend the manga to start with, since you'll want to keep going either way, and it will be a fuss to know where to start / what to read again when the tv show / movies end. If you're a bit impatient / just want to watch something, I'd definitely recommend the tv show over the manga. The music just fits so well, it's the same music that the author wrote the manga to. It goes into more detail in the arc that it covers compared to the movies, which is necessary IMO.

So:
- Manga is best.
- Watch TV show if you want to watch an animated version / get hooked.
- If all you have access to is the movies.. then so be it.

What impact? They shouldn't be skipped outright, but it is not the best possible starting place (and overall, is the weakest arc of the manga, in art and consistency with larger themes).

Also that criticism of the Dragonslayer. lol okay.

 

[Coriolanus]

Well Kenshin is a superhuman swordsman so he relies on his intuition and speed a lot. With how fantastic both of them are it seems unlikely that Guts would be able to hit him normally but perhaps he is not a swordsman type character so might just beat him with endurance and brute strength. The sword design is bad. He might as well just use a giant club or wear gloves made out of stone.

The sword is essentially a sharpened giant club. He used regular claymores and zweihanders before he happened upon the dragonslayer. He stuck with it solely because it was the one thing that didn't break when fighting the monstrosities that he goes up against. Had he happened upon a club-shaped slab of steel, he'd probably be using it by now instead.

One of his arms is made of steel, btw. Also a cannon. Also a rapid-fire crossbow.

End of the day, there's a lot of in-universe justification leading up to the use of the slab of sharpened steel. Author also went to the trouble of integrating the weapon's weight into the way the character handles himself. It ain't realistic, obviously, but inertia and space are often remembered. Might've started as a rule of cool thing, but transcended that quite a while ago.

Griffith did fight with a rapier, if memory serves. It wasn't enough.

 

[Zolo]

He did get offered that giant, magical hammer one time.

 

[Coriolanus]

Can't quite say i remember that scene. When was that?

 

[Paracelsus]

I can't say I'm that eager to keep reading. I'm most inclined to wait for that ending, spoil myself, if I am thoroughly satisfied with the way he ripped Griffith apart then I resume reading. Some people say "the journey is worth more than the conclusion" but when a decade is spent on a boat, that's when it doesn't hold true.

 

[RangerBAD]

*OP reads all of Berserk in a week. Then finds out only a chapter or two comes out a year now.*

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

I very recently got into Berserk.

I went through the anime and all three movies in about a week. Despite the slow pacing with nothing much happening at times, it's really fantastic stuff. I'm a bit obsessed now. I've got the first volume of the manga coming in the mail any day now. I've looked up a few pages online from random chapters and the art looks fantastic!

Still in the middle of watching the movie..... oh man now I want a Souls-like game with more color and open spaces

The closest you'll get:

 

[Dahbomb]

People hating on the Dragonslayer?

LMAO! It's a bad ass weapon for a bad ass character. And it completely fits his character... ever since he was a child he was trained to lift sword for above his weight group (ie. he was using heavy swords mad for grown ass men when he was under 10 years old).

 

[sn00zer]

Damn this comic is mean..... got through the first volume...Im sure it get meaner later. A lot of the mean stuff seems really unnecessary to whatever is happening as well.

Oh and now I see the Dark Souls comparisons.... Dark Souls is Berserk.... although I would like to see a Souls-like game with more non-crypticy characters.

 

[Big One]

Berserk is still a fantastic manga even though Miura likes to draw a lot of moe characters nowadays. Guts is still an actively developing character who evolves and changes in time so that alone right there keeps me interested in the series.

My only issue is that I'm just itching for them to get to Elfhelm. Maybe Miura doesn't know what he wants to do when he gets there. The Skullknight afterall did suggest that Casca might not be able to get "fixed" there or might not want to.

 

[Takamura-San]

Totally canon btw

Really? I enjoyed the game at that time, but cannon?

I liked the PS2 game more.

 

[R_thanatos]

Sure, but they're nods at most. Doesn't really fill the void of a proper Berserk game

Indeed it doesn't fill that need.

I want a PS4 berserk game ( any part of the story is fine ) , ASAP

 

[Coriolanus]

Berserk is still a fantastic manga even though Miura likes to draw a lot of moe characters nowadays. Guts is still an actively developing character who evolves and changes in time so that alone right there keeps me interested in the series.

My only issue is that I'm just itching for them to get to Elfhelm. Maybe Miura doesn't know what he wants to do when he gets there. The Skullknight afterall did suggest that Casca might not be able to get "fixed" there or might not want to.

IIRC skullie said that he'd have to choose between continuing to pursue femto or settling for a life with caska.

Which obv, mirrors skullie's choice to go after brainiac. Implied that he gave up on banging the witch.

Indeed it doesn't fill that need.

I want a PS4 berserk game ( any part of the story is fine ) , ASAP

PS4 Berserk game done by Platinum with MGRising's slashing tech.
#believe

 

[R_thanatos]

IIRC skullie said that he'd have to choose between continuing to pursue femto or settling for a life with caska.

Which obv, mirrors skullie's choice to go after brainiac. Implied that he gave up on banging the witch.



PS4 Berserk game done by Platinum with MGRising's slashing tech.
#believe

Hum we need to feel the weight of that sword
we need to be able to cut things.

Those are things that need to happen...if another bersek game is made.

 

[msv]

What impact? They shouldn't be skipped outright, but it is not the best possible starting place (and overall, is the weakest arc of the manga, in art and consistency with larger themes).

Also that criticism of the Dragonslayer. lol okay.

I think it's the best place to start and adds to the flow of the story.

Spoiler

Seeing Guts as this character after the Eclipse, with some obvious history there makes you interested. That you then get to see something as a flashback is cool. Then that goes on and on, so long that you even forget the character Guts will end up as. Then when the eclipse happens, all that comes rushing back. Overall it really helps with the story, keeping the reader enticed, adding to the mystery and adds to the overall confusion / shock / revelation of the Eclipse.

 

[Megidolaon]

Weird. I was JUST going to make a topic about Berserk asking if they're going to make more movies...I really loved them. I got into Berserk thru them. OP, you should definitely watch them. They're a low time investment way to find out of you like the atmosphere and if you like them read the manga.

They are just gorgeous. I know people like to rag on the CG but honestly without it, those big battles wouldn't be nearly as awesome. I also watched the '97 anime and while there were certainly things I like better about it (Band of the Hawk gets a little more screentime) the atmosphere in the movies blows it away. I also think Casca was portrayed much stronger in the movies than in the show. Also the music is amazing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbEEk2WSoYg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC7H1rOU1Gg

 

[foxuzamaki]

I think it's the best place to start and adds to the flow of the story.

Spoiler

Seeing Guts as this character after the Eclipse, with some obvious history there makes you interested. That you then get to see something as a flashback is cool. Then that goes on and on, so long that you even forget the character Guts will end up as. Then when the eclipse happens, all that comes rushing back. Overall it really helps with the story, keeping the reader enticed, adding to the mystery and adds to the overall confusion / shock / revelation of the Eclipse.

msv explained it better than I ever could.

 

[OldKentuckyShark]

I find that in many ways, Berserk is similar to A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones).

Both are dark epic medieval fantasies with lots of sex and violence, and have been around for around 20 years.
Both still have a good ways to go before they're finished, have ridiculously slow updates, and people concerned that the creator will die before finishing their work (they're both rather old).

 

[sn00zer]

Damn Dark Souls is basically the Berserk universes only possible conclusion which is the over running of human civilization by demons.

 

[Laurentius]

Some of the stuff could be coincidental, but man, that mark from Bloodborn looks a lot like the mark on Gut's neck, not to mention the black smiths from Dark and Artorias. Now maybe the plague babies and wheel skeletons are just coincidence, but I highly doubt it.

Yeah, there definitely are connections/inspirations for sure. The ones you listed all make sense to me. Sometimes some people take it a bit far, though, I think. And we don't really know if the connections are there because of Miyazaki or because of the game's concept artists. (He may very well be the huge fan that people think, we just don't know for sure.) I think some people forget that Miyazaki doesn't create the games by himself in a vacuum. If you read the Design Works interview he discuses how his method as a director is to give the designers a general feel of what he wants, while keeping it vague enough to let their own imaginations and creativity come up with things that he'd never be able to do on his own.

 

[ISOM]

Watch the berserk anime. The animation and music combines so well together to create a really great experience. That's what initially hooked me on Beserk.

 

[Coriolanus]

Some are pushing it, but a lot of stuff is straight lifted or heavily inspired.

 

[Helmholtz]

Manga is really the best way to go for Berserk. The only stuff that's been animated is one arc from the manga, albeit the best and most important one, but the arcs that follow in the manga are also pretty great.
I personally like watching well made anime more than reading manga. I feel that anime is a better way to show stuff that's action packed like Berserk. But the manga itself has incredible art so I can't really complain.
If you outright refuse to read manga, then the anime does a very good job of showing that one arc. Can't speak for the movies as I haven't seen them, but I've heard they're not as good as the original anime.
I just wish the manga would continue ;-;. However, above that, I really wish someone did a Hunter x Hunter 2011 style reboot of the anime, straight up adapting most of the stuff in the manga so far. I'd absolutely love to see that stuff animated properly, without CGI bullshit. But without any type of ending or soft ending in sight, I guess the odds of that are low.

 

[Zolo]

Can't quite say i remember that scene. When was that?

Spoiler

When Schierke was handing out the silver armor, wind sword, and fire dagger around to the companions. Guts basically went 'Nah. I'm cool with what I've got.'

I find that in many ways, Berserk is similar to A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones).

Both are dark epic medieval fantasies with lots of sex and violence, and have been around for around 20 years.
Both still have a good ways to go before they're finished, have ridiculously slow updates, and people concerned that the creator will die before finishing their work (they're both rather old).

Berserk's pretty much my go-to example for dark fantasy because despite how often the term is used, Berserk also has a heavy emphasis on the fantasy part as well as the dark. I would guess ASOIAF would fall under it too though since there is still fantasy even if it's less pronounced than Berserk and certain other materials.

 

[Coriolanus]

Spoiler

When Schierke was handing out the silver armor, wind sword, and fire dagger around to the companions. Guts basically went 'Nah. I'm cool with what I've got.'

Ah yeah, but that was after he already had oodles of experience with the DS, so it still makes sense. IIRC it was in that same scene that they also first hinted that it was becoming something quite special indeed.

 

[Megidolaon]

So does anyone know if there's a solid plan for more movies? Did the first trilogy do well in sales? I would kill to see some of the later stuff in animation.

 

[Riposte]

I think it's the best place to start and adds to the flow of the story.

Spoiler

Seeing Guts as this character after the Eclipse, with some obvious history there makes you interested. That you then get to see something as a flashback is cool. Then that goes on and on, so long that you even forget the character Guts will end up as. Then when the eclipse happens, all that comes rushing back. Overall it really helps with the story, keeping the reader enticed, adding to the mystery and adds to the overall confusion / shock / revelation of the Eclipse.

I see your point, but I think it's a rather gimmicky appeal compared to framing the story from the theme-setting birth of Guts and on. Makes for a better epic sort of story surrounding the "struggle". And it keep a lot of plot details in the dark, which leaves more for the reader to discover right alongside the characters.

 

[Nightengale]

I see your point, but I think it's a rather gimmicky appeal compared to framing the story from the theme-setting birth of Guts and on. Makes for a better epic sort of story surrounding the "struggle". And it keep a lot of plot details in the dark, which leaves more for the reader to discover right alongside the characters.

I see your point, but for me, part of the Golden Age was knowing that in due time, Griffith

Spoiler

was going to lead everyone to their doom.

 

[Edwardo]

The show was awesome and I wish they finished it. Never watched the movies or read the manga though.

 

[Jake.]

i bought vol 1 and 2 about a decade ago but kinda forgot about it. maybe i should pick it up again.

 

[pixelation]

Go bzrk...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au7of6Bd47Q