Berserk Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 by Kentaro MiuraMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my review of the entire series
Berserk is a Dark psychological supernatural fantasy chuck full of action, gore, sexual imagery, and emotional depth. It explores themes of, trauma, perseverance, will versus fate, and the nature of good and evil.
It’s set in a world heavily inspired by medieval Europe and follows Guts, an extremely formidable and experienced warrior on a relentless quest for vengeance against murderous demonic entities called Apostles, and their masters.
Apostles are former humans who have sacrificed something dear in exchange for demonic power from the “God Hand”, a group of near-omnipotent demonic gods who reside in another dimension and have manipulated the dark side of humanity throughout history. As we follow the traumatized Guts on his endless hunt, we are shown his past, the terrible life-long events that forged him into the brutal, unmatched warrior he is, and the unforgivable betrayal that set him on his rage-filled path of vengeance.
This is one of the most well-written stories I’ve ever read. It starts in a way that gets the reader instantly invested in the mysterious, but well-developed protagonist's journey and past. Why and how does he carry so many weapons, and swing that inhumanly large sword so well, what made him so uncaring and detached toward others, why is killing these monsters the only thing he cares about, and what could have scarred a man so much that he can't stand being touched.
Each and every character in this plot-driven story is equally as properly developed and relatable as the protagonist and other leads. People are weak in comparison to these monsters, which makes them capable of terrible things, often blurring the line between good and evil with their actions. The quality of world-building in this story is immaculate, the pacing is excellent and easy to follow despite its expansive nature. This is a very long stunningly detailed ongoing series that has spanned 42 lengthy volumes and I’ve hurriedly and gladly read and fully enjoyed them all, eagerly awaiting further releases
Not only is the story flawless, but the art is also unmatched. I can only imagine the amount of time and effort put into illustrating the extremely detailed panels of this book. Uneventful scenes look basic and are drawn a bit more simply than usual, but the art quality quickly and constantly skyrockets for action sequences, character/monster reveals, and massive landscape and scenery spreads, which is most of the book. The creator's affinity for medieval armor, weaponry, and building designs shines clearly, and the characters look realistic, with very expressive, detailed faces and bodily features.
The intricate depiction of monsters and gore in this book is borderline excessive. It’s littered with cosmic horror level monstrosities and profanities, graphic sexual imagery, and lots of spilled blood, guts and severed body parts, which add to the value and help paint just how dark and unforgiving this world is. Speaking of painting, Kentaro Muira’s mastery of shading and use of shadows with deep contrasty blacks, contribute heavily to portraying the feel and nature of this world to the reader. Considering how much work and time went into creating this otherwise perfect book, It’s hard to believe that a single author handled both the art and writing.
Berserk is an obvious passion project, and a master class in both storytelling and art that anyone who can get past its quite triggering themes and imagery would greatly enjoy. That being said, I have no complaints at all for this book and I strongly recommend it.
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