Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Berserk, Volume 18

Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Berserk, Volume 18 by Kentaro Miura

35 reviews

souponthebarby's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This is a brutal series, there is no getting around that. No one in this is happy, and everything's awful. Horrid violence is the norm, and war is always going on in a fantasy setting. But it is CAPTIVATING. There's a glint of something more under the surface with Guts, even as he goes to act like he's nothing more than a violent dog off his leash, willing to bite at anything that moves. He and his massive sword are on the hunt for evil, and plans to stomp and slice it out, consequences be damned. Near the end of this collection, in what would be the third volume, we get the beginning of his story, from just after his birth to a child, and it's just as grueling as his adulthood. It doesn't excuse all he does, nor does the story seem to be trying to do that with the backstory. They just try to show why he's the near monster he is now, and we only see the beginning steps of it at that.

I've considered reading this for years and years and kept away because of the violence, but while that is brutal and crushing and disgusting, it at least feels like it does that in service of showing this awful world that they exist in. But if you feel like it would be a no go for you on that front, absolutely skip out. I think watching more horror movies over the years kinda made me ready for a story with this presentation. Now I finally did and I'm absolutely glad I did. This feels like if it's more than just the violence, it could be an incredible story.

Content Warnings

fantasyalreader's review against another edition

3.0

dark sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

whynterdesaina's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

sparksthemage's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

While often dark and mysterious, there is a bit of humor that keeps it a little light hearted and I think that's what makes it shine. It leaves a lot of questions and leaves you really wanting to know what comes next.

Content Warnings

jhugenroth's review against another edition

5.0

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

breadbummer's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

action_bastard's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Berserk is challenging, horrifying, inspirational and at times hopeful. I have never read anything that matches the brutal fantasy world created by Kentaro Muira. This will be remembered for generations as the genre defining epic of Dark Fantasy.

Content Warnings