A review by rlobel
Berserk, Vol. 1 by Kentaro Miura

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Berserk volume 1 by Kentaro Miura is the start of an intriguing story that highlights a character with intense beliefs and perceptions of the world around him, driving him toward his vehement goals. As someone who mostly reads novels, Manga is definitely a new type of medium for me; however, when I stumbled across Berserk, I found myself wanting to learn more about its world and characters. Miura created a riveting epic fantasy, with a world inspired by medieval Europe, portrayed in a constant barbarous and remorseless nature. The Manga follows Guts, a mercenary, who is a questionable character as we get to know him. From the very first page, it is quite clear that Guts is not a hero because of the situations he puts himself in. As a fantasy, Berserk's world is filled with demons and higher beings, called apostles, that prey on the weak, and through the pages, we follow Guts as he hunts and fights these demons and apostles as a way to reach a higher goal of his. This first volume doesn’t reveal much about Guts except the importance of his values surrounding brutality and war that revolve around his belief that the weak deserve to die and those strong enough will fight until their death. Though there’s still yet to learn about what Guts’ goal is, it’s disclosed that he is searching for the five members of the Godhand. As a reader, we don’t know who or what that entails; however, it is implied that this goal of his has something to do with his brutal past that Miura has yet to unveil.

Berserk volume 1 was an enthralling start to this new adventure. The book had me on the edge of my seat with every page. Even though Guts is not someone to look up to, you can’t help but root for him, even through his monstrous traits. The illustrations were absolutely stunning with the angles that Miura decided to portray, and the fight scenes make the manga worthwhile. If Berserk was created as a novel, its story wouldn’t flow the same because the visual contrast of black and white, and the facial expressions that reveal an underlying portion of who Guts is make up how the entire story is perceived by each individual person. The only critique I have on this piece is that I wish it was longer so that there was more revealed about the plot. As someone who hates a rushed story, I’m glad Miura let us soak in who Guts is before revealing too much of the story before the time was right. However, to have this volume longer could have shown more of the plot that I’m so desperately wanting. Still, I’m excited to pick up volume 2 and continue on with this barbaric, yet thrilling adventure, and to learn more about Guts and what makes him truly tick as a gruesome fighter. Overall, Berserk had me hooked till the very end, and I have no choice but to give this volume 5/5 stars.
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