Berserk Volume 41

So I've read through all the Berserk available as of 2/15/2023.

It was absolutely incredible.

One of the reasons I started reading it was enjoying the Dark Souls games so much and hearing about how this was a major influence on the way their worlds were constructed. Not only is that certainly validated but I noticed a lot of things that have clearly influence many of the Japanese Role Playing games I've played over the years, most obviously the buster sword from Final Fantasy VII is absolutely Guts' sword from Berserk.

Ignoring the story, the art alone in this manga is outstanding. There are panels that are just absolutely bursting with horrible monstrosities that are fascinating to look at. There are also moments of light and tenderness and just the fascinating way that Griffith is portrayed. The character is adored by most to a degree almost of worship and is illustrated in such a way that I too was in awe of this person.

The story itself is complicated and perhaps at times problematic. Sexual violence is frequent and the most horrific monster-murdering possible happens in every volume. Female characters are certainly over-sexualized but are also given long, complicated, decades-long arcs of growth and transformation.

There are many characters in Berserk, all of which get their own arcs, but the main intrigue follows Guts and Griffith. Through their adventures the themes of destiny, responsibility, ambition, sacrifice, reliance on others, comradery, and others are explored through grim, violent adventures.

The series to me is one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever encountered and quite an accomplishment for Kentaro Miura. I look forward to seeing what his proteges put forward to end the story as he had imagined.