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Berserk is nothing short of a spectacular phenomenon in the history of the manga and anime industry. The massive success of the story has given birth to a whole franchise consisting of two incredible anime series, novels, and even video games. It is a dark and brooding fantasy that chronicles the epic journey of Guts, a lone mercenary.
Following the death of its creator, the late Kentaro Miura, confusion has arisen in the anime community about the status of the manga. Fans wonder about the future of the story and the continuation of the series in the absence of the mastermind behind the panels.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Berserk manga.
Is the Berserk manga over?
Based on the narrative alone, the Berserk manga has technically not ended yet. Although its mangaka Kentaro Miura passed away in 2021, he had no plans of concluding the manga. However, his untimely demise left the saga unfinished and fans were certain that it was the end of the line for the epic journey of the celebrated protagonist Guts.
In 2022 it was officially announced by Hakusensha, the publication which serializes the manga, that the story shall continue.
It has been decided that Koji Mori will work on the next Arcs in the story. Koji Mori played a seminal role in publishing the posthumous 364th chapter of Berserk, which was presented as a homage to the late creator.
Mori, in association with Miura’s colleagues and assistants, said that they would pick the manga up where it was left off and make sure to do justice to Miura’s vision.
Mori and the team at Studio Gaga, who is responsible for the illustration of the reboot, stated that they will draw inspiration from the content that Miura left behind. This includes character designs and a memorandum.
Mori happens to be the only person to whom Miura has previously relayed the ending of the narrative that he had dreamt of. Mori wishes to see it through and be faithful to his late colleague and friend.
When asked about his creative process going into the project, Mori stated that he would honor Miura’s wishes regarding the story and would not stray one bit from it. He was reported saying:
"I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about. I will not flesh it out. I will not write episodes that I don't remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me."
Before his death, Miura had published the manga up till Chapter 363 titled Leaping Monkey, which is part of the ongoing Fantasia Arc. Chapter 364 was published posthumously and was the last drawn work by Miura. The chapter titled A Tear Like Morning Dew, saw Casca’s memories come back to her and the return of Moonlight Boy. Everyone spends time with the boy and he surprisingly does not vanish with sunrise.
However, what looked like a cheerful day, would end with chaos as the Moonlight Boy turns into Griffith. Chapter 364 thus would have been a very bleak ending indeed, something that fans believed fit well with the dark ambiance of the narrative.
The reaction to the news of the manga’s return has been polarizing. Some fans are elated that Berserk still has a lot to offer and can't wait to see how the story concludes. However, others believe that Miura’s absence from the creative process will deeply affect the flow and might end up being a disappointment.
The series boasts a passionate fandom and whether they will be appeased with the ending remains to be seen.
UPDATE: The series was revived with the efforts of Koji Mori and others at Studio Gaga. The story entered a whole new arc in September 2023, following the trail of chapter 364. The manga is currently in production and only time will tell if Mori does justice to this classic work.
Stay tuned for more updates on Berserk and other popular anime shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Tokyo Revengers, Chainsaw Man, and more.
