Author: Kentaro Miura
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Format: Paperback
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ – ๐๐: โญโญโญโญโญโฃ
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โ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ก๐๐๐, ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐. ๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก. ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ.โโฃ
The quote above perfectly summarises Berserk.โฃ
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Have you ever read a story that plagues every waking moment of your life? A story that is not merely a work of fiction but an alternative reality we choose to ignore in order to survive?โฃ
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Almost as if the incomplete mirror youโve been staring at everyday has found its missing piece and is now reflecting something else entirely? โฃ
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Many queries spring to mind because of Berserk. Philosophical questions which address what it means to choose a path leading to struggle for happiness or dream to obtain our lifelong ambitions.โฃ
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If we select the path to happiness, is every struggle, demon chase, regret, heartbreak and loss worth surviving over a beautiful dream youโve longed for but unfortunately remains beyond your reach and will haunt you forever?โฃ
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Alternately, if we pick our dreams, would we demolish everything weโve built, every relationship weโve fostered, every moment of happiness, every struggle weโve overcome, and use them as the means i.e. a building block to obtain our ambitions?โฃ
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Berserk has been recommended to me before but I dismissed it as a shounen manga that merely focuses on swashbuckling action and fighting final boss character archetypes which was why it never appealed to me. Looking back on it, I think it was all about timing. Certain stories do not speak to you unless youโve experienced personal suffering that leads you to reliving moments you never thought youโd relate to in the first place. Another push to pick this masterpiece was the mangaka. Upon hearing about Kentaro Miuraโs passing which left millions of fans heartbroken, I slowly started to take notice of his workโs reception being much more than what I wrongly assumed it to be.โฃ
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After watching a few testimonials on YouTube and episodes of the anime, I had to give this manga a chance and unbeknownst to me I was in for the rockiest ride of my life.โฃ
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Unlike most fans I am fortunate enough to read all 364 chapters in one sitting but loyal Berserk audiences have been on this journey with Miura since 1989 which is commendable in every way. โฃ
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This isn’t a story I can easily recommend as at its core, Berserk is a violent grim dark fantasy filled with mature themes that is not for the faint hearted. I know I barely scratched the surface of this manga, especially the breathtaking art, intricate world building, unforgettable characters, profound characterisation of immoral characters, exploration of friendship, revenge, and other themes which need to be experienced first hand through reading the manga. Trigger warnings need to be researched prior to picking this up. โฃ
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There will never be another Berserk. Definitely not in terms of scope and mastery lengths that the mangaka has taken. If Miura wrote Gutโs journey as a novel, I believe that it would still be as impactful but of course the beautiful art gives the horror and gore that extra push. โฃ
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Disclaimer: One day, I hope to own all 41 volumes or the anniversary omnibus editions but I will settle with Volume 38 being my prized possessionโฃ
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BOUND BY WORDS 