I ’ve been reading and rereadingBerserkfor a prospicient metre , and it stands predictably among my all - time favorite manga serial , getting its hooks into me early on on with Kentaro Miura ’s art displayed across its various version . The series is fabled for its dark fantasy background , eclectic cast of character reference , flagitious scoundrel , and carrying the bequest of its Godhead now yr beyond his passing game . But despite the bleak seinen storytelling in second and a earth apace descending into ruin , I foundBerserkembodying a image I never expected in the series : the shōnen - standard Power of Friendshipand its shocking effectualness .
Shōnen anime and manga tropes are particularly repetitious due to their saturation , particularly in struggle shōnen series likeNaruto , to the point of " Friendship no Jutsu " memes . Fairy Tailand the Power of Friendshipare so tat that it ’s heartbreaking yet unsurprising that it ’s mold by its creator , Hiro Mashima ’s prior loneliness . Butone man ’s cliché is another human ’s classic , asBerserkpaces out its murder of said trope to the point that the true Power of Friendship moment are especially take in several arcs in .
Berserk Shows Guts Overcoming Trauma with the Power of Friendship
The Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc Signals a Big Shift for Guts
Every clip I turn back toBerserk , I ’m sandbag by how much I go forward to adore the tone of the Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc ( or the Millennium Falcon Arc ) and how it showed me Guts ' journeying toward healing . This isthe longest and best arc inBerserk(in my view ) , with some of its most eventful developments outside the Golden Age or Fantasia , namely , how Guts begin to look on the Black Swordsman Party . This development is key as it marksthe moment Guts realizes his healing start when he rely on others again .
Kentaro Miura ’s magnum opus , Berserk , continues to define the human race of anime and manga , and his fabled panels have resist the psychometric test of sentence .
Berserkexplores many touchy and difficult topics over its now 377 chapter and counting , butcoping with and recovering from harm is among its most long-suffering themes , with Guts and Casca psychically devastated by the effect of the Eclipse . The Black Swordsman Arc thus becomes grit ' lost geological period , where he lets his trauma get the better of him , going on a rampage for payback . After all , Berserk’santagonist , Griffith , handle his trauma in an antithetic mode , discarding his friend as sacrifices in pursuit of tycoon . Guts realize his friends keep him from sinking into a similarly violent abyss .
Custom image by J.R. Waugh
The Power of Friendship typically entails how the submarine sandwich overcomes apparently insurmountable odds thanks to the patronage of their supporter .
This is n’t controversial , it ’s a fact , with Guts even affirming how authoritative it has become to accept help from and depend on others in one ofBerserk’sbest quotesin chapter # 349 . By the time of the notorious round caves section in the Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc , Guts witnesses teammates like Isidro , Serpico , Farnese , and Schierke putting their lives on the line against the horrors emerge from the Qliphoth . But the Power of Friendship does n’t just manifest for Guts , as others in the Black Swordsman Party gain immensely from this trope inBerserk .
The Black Swordsman Party Draws From the Power of Friendship
Berserk’s Heroes Fight for Their Friends
I think back being surprised by Puck ’s comical assuagement as a lilliputian elf familiar juxtaposed against Guts ' overly serious , lone wolf persona . However , I set about to see whatBerserkwas cooking while drawing them together . Much like the ease of the Black Swordsman Party , Puck is an invaluable acquaintance who helps backbone regain his clutches on humanityafter it was rick from him by the Eclipse and his subsequent drop off years in the Black Swordsman Arc . This extends to each core member extending outward , show their growth most conspicuously from chapters # 196 and onward .
One of my favorite characters fromBerserkwho benefited from this trope is Farnese , who leaves the Conviction Arc feeling recede , realizing her lack of aim while notice a signified of agency in a grouping of peers . Farnese begin her expiation by trying to protect Casca , observe herself as a peer to trust on instead of a figurehead officer of the Holy See . She goes from earnest yet incompetent in chapter # 196 to uncoerced to lie her life on the line for Casca , as notice by Serpico in chapter # 207 , to refusing to cower with Casca at her back in chapter # 217 .
Guts compliment Farnese ’s allegiance , bringing her and the reader to tears and seeing her itinerary unfold while gumption learns to commit others . Berserkshows the rest of the party ’s similar bravery towards their comrade , like Serpico ’s faith in Guts in chapter # 215 and his skinny - self-destructive charge against the kelpy in chapter # 211 . Guts even recognize Isidro ’s growth as a fencer , communicating the male child ’s value to the team in chapter # 217 . in the end , I can never forgetBerserk’sSchierke , whose role is paramount to keeping Guts from falling into the abysm of his latent furor in the Berserker Armor .
The long and the short of it is that Guts has learned to entrust his friends and not to see them as cannon fodder . Guts get word his team for who they are : friends and comrade , just like the Band of the Hawk whom he had lose in the Golden Age Arc , in a beautiful gore from chapter # 221 . But perhaps most heartwarming is howBerserkis sustained by the Power of Friendship even outside its pages .
Berserk Continues Because of Friendship
Kentaro Miura’s Legacy Lives on
Berserk’screatorKentaro Miura tragically passed away on May 6 , 2021 , from an acute aortic dissection , swiftly taking him away from the world and his loving home and friends . It was a annihilating personnel casualty , yet his longtime supporter and fellow mangaka , Kouji Mori , would soon take on the chimneypiece to leadBerserk’spublication , with Miura ’s relay plans and character invention for the series ' eventual closing . People were cynical about such a modification , but in my humble persuasion , Berserkhas go along to impress me , andI gem every subsequent chapter exit .
Kouji Mori ’s one - shot preceded Studio Gaga ’s resumption ofBerserkunder Mori ’s supervision .
But the full-grown gut punch of the passage was Mori ’s memorial one - guess manga , Mori - chan Ken - chan . inner is a flowy , current - of - consciousness story with anecdotes about his mutual mangaka journey with Miura , admiring him as a rising Divine , appreciating Miura ’s patience even when Mori had his trouble as a Lord , and noting Miura ’s quirks and mannerisms while sharing his vision . It ’s a beautiful and fitting eulogyand crushes any doubts that Mori would n’t take the province of finishingBerserkas badly as possible . Miura never misplace sight of their connectedness , and in his passing play , neither did Mori .
With Mori carry onBerserkto its eventual stopping point as a way to honor Miura ’s wish , I think about how friendly relationship can be empowering and how Miura ’s kind words were reminiscent of Guts ' trust in his friends after in the serial . But I also cerebrate about the ephemeral nature of life andhow Miura ’s lessons can be used in our daily lives . I be intimate my supporter ferociously and like for everyone to get , succeed , and be glad , and while we ’re not living out the secret plan ofBerserk , a few Word of avowal can go a long way .
Berserkis a benighted phantasy manga serial by Kentaro Miura , first published in 1989 . place in a medieval Europe - barrack world , it watch over Guts , a lonesome soldier of fortune , and his struggle against demonic forces after his perfidy by Griffith , loss leader of the Band of the Hawk . The franchise has expanded into multiple anime serial , films , television game , and ware .
Summary
Berserk is a dark fantasy manga serial by Kentaro Miura , first put out in 1989 . Set in a medieval Europe - breathe in world , it watch over Guts , a only soldier of fortune , and his battle against demonic forces after his treason by Griffith , loss leader of the Band of the Hawk . The dealership has spread out into multiple anime series , films , video games , and ware .
seed : TV Tropes
