Hangout Berserk General Discussion Thread

[ichigoaizenkiller]

Wow, Rest easy man.

 

[Erium]

Rest in peace, Miura sensei.

 

[cassaruby]

Prophecy fulfilled

Casca...
Griffith...

Farewell.

 

[Estarossa173]

RIP Muira.

 

[uberfayt]

RIP Miura. This is just sad.

 

[Brandish μ]

Thank you, Miura-sensei.

 

[Cat Sidhe26]

 

[llamapie]

A tweet by Morikawa, the mangaka for Hajime No Ippo. Another masterpiece manga.

Translation of the thread:


https://twitter.com/WANPOWANWAN
"The photo is of Takamura, contributed by Kentaro Miura.
I'm feeling quite sentimental right now.
Let me tell you a memory.
When I was in trouble because I didn't have any staff for my first weekly series, he came to help me.
He was 18 and I was 19.
He was an art student at a certain university, and he came to me with a sketchbook in his hand after a lecture.
I didn't know how well he could draw, so I showed him my drawing and asked him to make it look like this one.
I was blown away by the result.
He was so out of touch with his age.
After a few drawings, I was already intrigued by him.
We were still young, and we stopped to talk about manga.
I asked to see the sketchbook I had been curious about, and when I opened it, I was even more shocked and got goosebumps.
There was a fairy, a brand, and a swordsman with a big sword. It was the later Puck, Guts.
The thick pencil drawing was overwhelming.
"What the hell is this? I asked.
It's in my head. I'd like to draw it after I get stronger.
How long had he been warming up to it?
There was already a Berserk there.
Months passed, and I started serializing Hajime no Ippo.
Almost at the same time, Berserk was released.
I had heard some stories about the difficulties.
But I was convinced.
A manga that would be an absolute hit had begun.
It was a series that Kentarou had judged himself to be gaining strength, and had started with a full head of steam.
I was sure that the world would be as astonished as I was.
And so it was.
It's a series with superb drawing ability and full-bodied screens.
I have nothing but respect for your energy every time.
The memories end.
I've heard that he cared about me, though only at that time with him.
I'm proud to have met him and I'm proud of him.
I'm sorry for talking without permission, Kentaro-kun.
I'll come back to read the final installment someday.
I'm sorry for the typos and omissions."

I do recomend Hajime No Ippo. It's not the same genre by any means but it also has incredibly good artwork and a very good story. It's not Berserk by any means but I feel like Miura can live on a bit in all the other Mangaka he has inspired through the years.

 

[PB|Ichigo]

Rest in Peace, Miura-sensei. It‘s just a f***ing sad day. Condolesences to his family. An absolute Legend and genius.

 

[Cat Sidhe26]

--- Double Post Merged, May 20, 2021, Original Post Date: May 20, 2021 ---

 

[llamapie]

--- Double Post Merged, May 20, 2021, Original Post Date: May 20, 2021 ---

Mostly speculation, IMO. He died of "acute" aortic dissection. Meaning it was sudden and quick. If it was a long term issue it would have been chronic. If he had high blood pressure, I imagine he would have been on medication to control it.

 

[XXGenesis]

I’m heartbroken really sad & a bit stressed behind My Fav Series Author passing away so suddenly & young. My thoughts n prayers goes out to his family, friends & other fans who enjoyed him as a person, his talents & overall just his humanity. This is a huge lost for the mangaka community and his family as well for they have finally gone public about their lost.....ah man

RIP Kentaro Muira

 

[Erinyes]

from Mogura twitter

Here the itw, i think, hes refering to (full version under spoiler tags :

- In previous interviews, you have told us that you work mainly at night, with almost no holidays. Was this unsustainable pace the cause of the various breaks in the publication? How is your mangaka work organized today?
Miura: (Cry of suffering)" Aaah... Thank you for your concern for me. And I still have the same rhythm!"
- So you continue to draw as before.
Miura: "Physically, I slowed down the pace; if I no longer spend sleepless nights at work, I also stopped taking time off. In the past, I used to align the working nights until the manuscript was returned, in order to give myself one or two days off to go buy videos in Akihabara, for example. But I no longer have the strength to work like that and therefore, no longer have the opportunity to take these leaves. My little moments of rest, I guess I take them when I go out to eat with my editorial manager, or with friends who came to see me."
** Really, excuse us. You are not given any leave.**
Miura: "I have this rhythm because I like working like this. You don't have to worry about it. On the contrary, I even think I am doing better than before, now that my work rhythm has stabilized. I simply try, as much as possible, not to overdo it; if I get slower, it's simply because I'm getting older."

[...]
- You could continue this way, but with an occasional publication. As for Glass no Kamen[manga shôjo popular in Japan written by Suzue Miuchi, which tells the story of a girl who bets everything on the theater. The series began in 1976 and publication is very irregular. The 49th volume was released in 2012 and readers have been waiting for the rest ever since, editor's note].
Miura: "By the time I'm done, I'll be busy getting my strength back. Once I'm in great shape, and if I feel I can keep going, then I'll go for it. After all, it is the fate of the mangaka of the Shôwa era to die at their drawing table."
- First of all, we have to finish Berserk.
Miura: "I don't dare to dream about this new project yet!"

Spoiler: Full itw

- The first chapters of Berserk were published in 1989, when you were still an inexperienced young mangaka. What were your ambitions at the time and how do you view this long editorial adventure today?
Miura: "My greatest ambition at the time was to make a living from manga. Or if I failed to become a mangaka, to find a master who gave me a position as an assistant sufficient to fill my plate. I was the happiest person in the world when[once I turned professional,] instead of the 500¥ I expected to touch for a board, I received 5000¥. I feel like I've come a long way since then! I really didn't think I would make it this far back then."

- When you started writing your manga, was the "berserker" of the Icelandic sagas only a diffuse inspiration or did you already have in mind the armor of the same name, essential to the plot but which appeared late in chapter 222?
Miura: "My inspiration was diffuse. At the time, information about the berserker was almost non-existent. There was indeed an appearance of the word "berserga" in the novels of the Botomuzu gaiden series, but almost no one in Japan knew what it was referring to."

- It is true that we did not know the meaning of this word at the time.
Miura: "I chose it because I thought its mysterious aspect would fit well."

- Like Guts?
Miura: "Originally, Guts' image came essentially from the first Mad Max. In short, leaving a world with a dark hero who is burning for revenge leads you to imagine a rabid character. When, guided by his anger, he will pour this rage on overpowering enemies, we must insist on his fanaticism if we want to remain coherent. That's why I found that "Berserk" would make a perfect title to represent my universe."

- So, you didn't think about the Berserker Armor from the beginning of the series? Did you create this element during the development of your world?
Miura: "I would not go so far as to say that everything was in place to make this element a natural requirement. In fact, the manga world is marked by inflation, with the arrival of ever more incredible enemies accompanied by ever more powerful weapons. This is a frequent situation in shonen manga, which do not have time to control this inflation. It quickly gallops to a point where it passes a cape from which, unless lucky, it is no longer possible to stop it. But in my case, and with all due respect to my first publisher, my story was published in a second-rate journal, which allowed me to keep this inflation under control. Especially since at the beginning, the publication was monthly. So I have always been careful to let inflation develop, but in successive small jumps... I feel like I'm talking about economics. Where the best inflation is 2%, 3%, 4%, a low inflation."

Miura: "This sweetness allows a regular development of the story. In my opinion, the first leap occurred with the arrival of the Falcon troop, the first major change of scale in the series. Then there was the development of the magic aspect with Schierke. As a result, I had to solve the problem of Guts' physical strengthening. With the arrival of magic and supernatural beings, I was forced to give him something supernatural too, if I wanted to preserve the dynamism brought by his hand-to-hand fights. By searching, I found the solution you know. Armor that drives you crazy. It's perfect for a berserk. It is said that the ancient berserker was taking drugs to get angry. As in a way, pain is Guts' drug, the whole thing formed a coherent whole."

- At the beginning of the series, Guts shot apostles. Were you already planning on making it stronger then?
Miura: "In this first period when Guts defeated the apostles in a duel, his strength was perfectly adapted. But when the hero finds himself facing a host of enemies, some of whom use magic, he needs a helping hand. Without going so far as to transform him into an overpowering creature, he still needs something more."

- And when he finds himself facing the "God hand"...
Miura: "The boost is all the more necessary. As Guts, being human, can only improve his body and mind, I torture myself every time to find a solution. Because I can't give him an ultimate weapon, or the ability to fly across the sky."

- In order to preserve the pleasure of watching Guts physically throw himself at his enemies.
Miura:" Yes, I must find physical and mental inflation that remains acceptable to the reader. I always keep a close eye on this point."

- As early as the "prototype" sent to the publishing houses in 1988, you had introduced a comic Disney sidekick, the elf Puck, in sharp contrast to Guts' personality and the very dark atmosphere of the manga. Later, Isidro and Magnifico will come to play similar roles. Why did you include such characters? As an author, how do you relate to these little jokers?
Miura: "These sidekicks are traditionally present in Japanese manga. For "sidekick", the author uses the word "kyogen-mawashi" which comes from the traditional Japanese kyôgen theatre. The kyogen-mawashi is an actor in charge of both the role of narrator and explaining the situation.] Next to the hero who has the strength to move the story forward, there is, for example, his complexed friend who admires him, or a person who takes an ordinary look at the story to explain the situation to us. That's the way it is in Japanese manga. We still have characters who take on this role. In Berserk, such a role was necessary at the beginning of the series, at the time of the Black Warrior, because Guts had no way of getting the readers' sympathy. So Puck was there to look at the story with the same eyes as the reader, a normal look. Although he is an elf, by the way! As he could appear nonchalantly in any scene, he did not interfere with the story and was even a tool to move it forward: this was his role during his first appearances. If he then moved on to a comic role, it was, I think, because the atmosphere of the series was getting heavier. For the reader, such a role is similar to the accompaniment of a dish intended to refresh the palate: in Japan, it would be the salted vegetable or the slice of pickled ginger. Abroad, Puck would probably be a pickle. ( no pickle rick joke plz )"

- It's true that right now, we only see Kuri Puck. [TradNote: "kuri" = chestnut]
Miura: "He is making more and more appearances in this form, yes. This kind of character, whether normal or comic, is necessary to take breaks in a story that tends to become ever more serious and heavy. Especially when this story is long. In the case of a film that can be summed up in one sentence, the nuance that such a character brings is probably not necessary. But Japanese mangas are very long. The normality of characters like Puck is then crucial."

- We often talk about the design inspired by your monsters or the level of detail in your settings, but rarely about your human characters, who are very diverse and expressive. How do you conceive their faces?
Miura: "Until the first episodes on the Falcon's troupe, I created my characters by exaggerating the features of my own friends and acquaintances, which naturally made them alive, even if I didn't develop them. But this technique inevitably ends up showing its limits, when you are a mangaka. Because mangaka's job is to sit at his desk, without the possibility of expanding his human relationships. Later on, I was forced to create characters from scratch. I have sometimes taken myself as a role model, but what I like to do is to arrange the characters around the Guts hero in order to show him in different ways. When we look at Guts in front of Griffith, we feel that he is slightly inferior, that he must look up at Griffith. He then appears as a rival. Facing Isidro, however, Guts took the shape of the older brother. The confident adult man on whom Isidro can rely will logically become a role model for him. Faced with Farnese, Guts became the founder of a religion, which revealed its charisma. Showing a character in its different facets in this way makes it real. Because our vision of a man will necessarily change depending on our relationship to him. This way of doing things is also often absent from foreign film culture, whose films are short. It is more suitable for stories that take place over a long period of time. Because a character presented in a single facet would not last long."

- I understand that these characters are there first and foremost to give Guts some depth, but I find them very much alive, too.
Miura: "Yes, because as the story unfolds, there are other characters who, in turn, stand in front of their predecessors. Take Isidro, for example. When Schierke enters history, they both become rivals. This is how Berserk's universe expands, like neurons that gradually join with each other."

- (VOLUME 13 SPOILERS) By the time the golden age bow began, the Sabbath was already in effect. A radical and bold choice supported by your editorial manager, but which caused a decrease in popularity among readers... What would you have done if your "tantô" had asked you not to kill the Falcon's troupe or to bring it back one way or another?
Miura: "I wasn't sure of myself."

- Would you have accepted such a request?
Miura: "I think I would have accepted if this request had come from Mr. Shimada[Berserk Editorial Manager Volume 4 to Volume 38, Editor's Note]. Because I trusted him. In fact, it was in his nature to give me the green light to kill the Falcon's troop. Unfortunately, the series subsequently declined in popularity. In any case, it would have been necessary to use high level scriptwriting techniques, if I had wanted to continue the series without killing the troupe. Anyway, with such a choice, Berserk would have become something completely different. Because only one way would have been possible, that of Jump's mangas and the "in fact, they were not dead!" Berserk would have become like the Sakigake manga! Otokojuku[manga shônen by Akira Miyashita published in the Weekly Shônen Jump from 1985 to 1991. In this cult series, the characters supposed to be dead keep coming back alive, editor's note]."
Miura: "It is true that the first serious duel with Griffith is approaching."
Only took about 20 years, no biggie. Lol

- In retrospect, we would have found that the series was not very serious.
Miura: "She would have inevitably become like Sakigake! Otokojuku. - It would have ended up a thousand miles from what it is today. Goodbye the gloomy aspect."

- A very exuberant Berserk.
Miura: "We would have thought, "Oh, well! They're not dead!" And hop on! Packed, it's weighed. Or else they would have all risen to become Guts' enemies."

- It's a little creepy. Berserk is an extremely crude series, with some particularly trying scenes (rapes, tortures, massacres of children...). Didn't you ever think you were going too far? Has your editorial manager ever restricted you?
Miura: "Sorry about these scenes! I must say that my editorial manager defended me well. At the time, the head of the editorial board or higher said once or twice that I was going too far. I also refrained several times, thinking that it would not pass. You have to understand that a mangaka drawing takes very little distance from his work, which leads him to convince himself that his choices are the right ones. Today, with this hindsight, I wonder if my choices were really that necessary. And then, the situation of the Japanese manga changed, too. At the time, manga was a rapidly developing form of expression. The mysterious form of expression of this Far Eastern archipelago called Japan. The time was tolerant, and the parodies we saw then would be considered today as theft or plagiarism. This tolerance, which also applied to freedom of expression, would now seem incredible. Because there was no code. And that, in my opinion, is what made the show what it is today. Traditionally, manga, as a genre, has always been able to overcome taboos. In any case, until the time of the Titan Attack. This is no longer the case today, when manga has become an entertainment in its own right, but Berserk was born at a time when such things were still possible."

- It must be said that today, manga is accessible via much more media, in electronic and other forms...
Miura: "If we really want it, everything is still possible today, but these works are subject to an age limit, with a ban on those under 15 or 18. I note that in Japan, this age limit applies to erotic content, but that there is rarely a ban on under-15s for very violent content. I wonder why that is. It's strange. And now I'm deviating from the question."

- In previous interviews, you have told us that you work mainly at night, with almost no holidays. Was this unsustainable pace the cause of the various breaks in the publication? How is your mangaka work organized today?
Miura: (Cry of suffering)" Aaah... Thank you for your concern for me. And I still have the same rhythm!"

- So you continue to draw as before.
Miura: "Physically, I slowed down the pace; if I no longer spend sleepless nights at work, I also stopped taking time off. In the past, I used to align the working nights until the manuscript was returned, in order to give myself one or two days off to go buy videos in Akihabara, for example. But I no longer have the strength to work like that and therefore, no longer have the opportunity to take these leaves. My little moments of rest, I guess I take them when I go out to eat with my editorial manager, or with friends who came to see me."
** Really, excuse us. You are not given any leave.**
Miura: "I have this rhythm because I like working like this. You don't have to worry about it. On the contrary, I even think I am doing better than before, now that my work rhythm has stabilized. I simply try, as much as possible, not to overdo it; if I get slower, it's simply because I'm getting older."

- The Witcher novel and video game series will soon be adapted for TV by Netflix... Fantasy is on the rise! Would you like Berserk to be adapted as a live series? If so, with which showrunner in charge and which actor for Guts? (You mentioned Rutger Hauer at one time as an inspiration...)
Miura: "At the beginning of my career. That's right, for Rutger Hauer. I've said it in other interviews, but at the time, a film incredibly influenced my vision of Berserk's universe. It is La Chair et le Sang with Rutger Hauer in the lead role (photo opposite). His image of a dangerous guy with a massive body in the films Hitcher and Blade Runner also impressed me a lot. And also The Blood of Heroes, where Rutger Hauer is unforgettable. There is no dubbed version of this film in Japan."

- When did this film come out?
Miura: "Back when I was in college, or maybe a little after my career started. Yukito Kishiro, the author of the manga that created Alita: Battle Angel, was also influenced by this film. I remember seeing the motorball episode, I said to myself, "ah! He was inspired by this film for the shape of his armor!" Just like me with Guts' armor, by the way."

- Oh, really.
Miura: "And then the hero of this film is one-eyed, too. And he walks around with a huge stick on his shoulder. I was inspired by this image in the past. Concerning Berserk's adaptation for cinema, I would be happy if that could happen one day. I must admit I'm jealous of Yukito Kishiro and his Alita!" (laughs)

- In that case, would you prefer it to be shot abroad rather than in Japan?
Miura: "Well, let's say a movie like Hagaren[Hagane no Renkinjutsushi or Fullmetal Alchemist, adapted from the eponymous manga] could be fun."

-Toho is producing Kingdom....
Miura: "If the film were to be shot here, we could imitate For a handful of dollars which is the adaptation of The Bodyguard[Kurosawa's film with Toshirô Mifune in the lead], and bring the story back to Japan by making Berserk a "jidai-geki"[a film genre dedicated to Japanese medieval history]. It could work! It could work!"

- It wouldn't be Berserk anymore. Besides, could Japanese actors really play the characters of the show?
Miura: "We could ask actors reminiscent of Toshirô Mifune. For a film in the genre "jidai-geki"."

- By transposing the story to Japan?
Miura: "We did have wick locks back then. We could stick a weapon like that on the hero's left arm. We also had the "zanbatô" (giant swords)."

- And Zodd, we turn him into a "yokai"[supernatural creature of Japanese folklore]?
Miura: "We would make it a huge "oni"[a gigantic demon of Japanese folklore]. A "ushi-oni"[literally "cow demon", with a spider's body and an ox's head], it would be the perfect role for him. And for Griffith, on the other hand...."

- Griffith would not really have a place in such an adaptation....
Miura: "He could play a role similar to that of Shirô Amakusa[a historical figure, leader of the Shimabara rebellion in 1637]. In fact, we either make the film the Japanese way or we entrust it to Hollywood."

- I prefer the second option.
Miura: "We have every right to dream."

- Basically, we entrust the film to Hollywood. Well, should we ask them?
Miura: "Well... With Hollywood, you either have to finish the show before you tell them the story, or let them do what they want with the Berserk license. If they are given the license, it is to be expected that the adaptation will be faithful, or not at all. If the film focuses on Guts, the black warrior at the beginning of the series, the result will certainly be faithful to manga. On the other hand, if the adaptation talks about the Falcon's troupe, you have to get used to the idea that everything may be compacted and planed to last for the duration of a film."

- There is also the Netflix Originals solution. ( yess plz or HBO )
Miura: "That's right, there's also this solution nowadays."

- With Netflix, we could turn Berserk into a TV series.
Miura: "If I can get this manga done in such a way that he keeps his fans to the end, then we'll talk about it again. Because right now, I'm trying to finish the show cleanly."

- In any case, it would be nice if the adaptation into a film could be done.
Miura: "Try to become president of the company until then."

- Or, as this interview will be read in Europe, maybe someone will grab this film project?
Miura: "Could we ask Guillermo del Toro?" ( OBOY )

- While we're at it, we might as well aim high.
- The reunion between Guts and Casca is imminent and the confrontation with Griffith is on the horizon. Is the end of Berserk approaching? You estimated that you were at 60-70% of the story in 2009, after 176 chapters... This number has now doubled!
Miura: "For the reunion between Guts and Casca, it's done. I think I'm systematically wrong when I try to estimate these kinds of delays. However, it is true that the first serious duel with Griffith is approaching. As for the overall progress of the series, on the other hand.... It is heading towards its end, that's for sure. But if I say that there is still a fifth or a quarter to draw, this estimate may be lower than the reality. So I'd rather not go forward."

- It must be said that history is still doing well.
Miura: "I think now she'll focus on Guts and Griffith. We are soon entering the final stretch."

- It's better to leave it at that to avoid spoils. What about the post-Berserk period? I think you've had a science fiction project in your head for a long time.... Could you tell us more about that?
Miura: "Can I talk about you know what?"

- Actually, it depends on when this interview will be made public. (possibly another manga project for the future?)
Miura: "It's better to avoid the subject, then. In the end, it will depend on the age at which I finish Berserk. If I'm too old, I may publish my own stories."
- Publish them with us instead, in this case.
Miura: "I don't think I can take the rhythm of a series anymore. I will just send the manuscripts once I have drawn enough. Notice, that's what I'm already doing."

- You could continue this way, but with an occasional publication. As for Glass no Kamen[manga shôjo popular in Japan written by Suzue Miuchi, which tells the story of a girl who bets everything on the theater. The series began in 1976 and publication is very irregular. The 49th volume was released in 2012 and readers have been waiting for the rest ever since, editor's note].
Miura: "By the time I'm done, I'll be busy getting my strength back. Once I'm in great shape, and if I feel I can keep going, then I'll go for it. After all, it is the fate of the mangaka of the Shôwa era to die at their drawing table."

- First of all, we have to finish Berserk.
Miura: "I don't dare to dream about this new project yet!"

--- Interview by Arthur Bayon

The interrview was originally published in France in 2019 I think, here : http://grand-angle.lefigaro.fr/bers...suis-jaloux-de-yukito-kishiro-et-de-son-alita
Translation in English is available : here

 

[Cat Sidhe26]

 

[Geldax]

Rest in peace, Miura Sensei..I wish all best for his family to recover from his death.

So Berserk will stay at Chapter 363 and even not be finished by someone he trusted or something?

 

[llamapie]

Rest in peace, Miura Sensei..I wish all best for his family to recover from his death.

So Berserk will stay at Chapter 363 and even not be finished by someone he trusted or something?

I would guess he was well into 364 and hopefully enough to just release it. If we're lucky he had a detailed outline that they can provide to the fans as well so we can know what his planned ending was.

 

[Ellenate]

So Berserk will stay at Chapter 363 and even not be finished by someone he trusted or something?

Considering how dirty they did him with the anime adaptions- i'm not sure there is.

As far as continuations go, I'd only want notes, and concept art.

 

[cassaruby]

It's better Berserk goes out incomplete, storywise anyways, than jump the shark like how Gantz ended. I'd rather it be bitter than sour.

 

[Cat Sidhe26]

 

[Cat Sidhe26]