this manga is brilliant and the best in its genre. No manga can captive u as this manga does .. If u past 2 or 3 volume than the real story starts... The best story i have ever read is the golden arc or guts youth or guts flashback arc ... N story keeps u interested till the end... The onli problem is its gettin drag now and the chapters are coming very late...
Trust me go pick this one bear the 2 or 3 volume and this will swallow u ...not for the weak hearted :-)

It took me a while to finally get around to reading it, mostly due to all the bad press, and admittedly I almost dropped it before finally arriving at the golden age arc.....that was the turning point. The gratitous violence with some very vague back story angst was a bit put offish, but, the golden age is a major turning point. It's clear why they based the anime on that arc rather then doing the entire black swordsman arc first (though, the way things turned out, I don't see why they bothered with the first episode, not only does it spoil the entire rest of the series, it makes the way they ended it all the more disappointing).

Now, RE-reading the first arc, a lot of what happens is so much better as you understand FAR more deeply the significants of his actions and makes it much better. However, I do agree that things have gone down hill of late. My enjoyment began to slip after the witch joins up. It wasn't bad before then, but that was the point where the story as started getting side tracked, which with the extreme wait between very short drawn out chapters, it's hard to keep interested in the story.

That said, the new OVA series that's getting kicked off in 2012 has got me excited again. I was always disappointed in how badly the first anime was handled, so I'm glad it's getting the Ultimate treatment. A lot of people have complained about them remaking the Golden Age arc first, but that's fine with me. The golden age, in my opinion was the best of the bunch by far. And since it's never been animated accurately in its entirety, I see no reason for people to gripe about it. The anime interpretation was horribly watered down and cut out quite a few things, some of which there was no reason to (like Silat or Wyald) beyond having a crappy budget.

When will this manga end.....although I like the story and the art, I wish it would end soon, and the mangaka should work on a new story instead of just dragging the same old thing. Its not like the release dates are weekly as well....it's already 31 years now.....

Well this manga is one of the best i've ever read, however i'm giving it an 8, because of the time that the releases are out. Because I read a chapter only once, by the time the author gives us another release i've already forgot the whole plot and the enthusiasm of the last release is already lost.

The only reason I gave this a 9 was that I rate out of enjoyment, not out of quality (what's the point of a top-quality manga if it's not enjoyable?) and that there were certainly some of the more disgustingly mature parts that I winced at. Plus, why on earth is the Pope in there? Weird.

But, it is still the best gore-fest hack'n'slash fantasy seinen out there. Hands down. Well, except maybe Blade of the Immortal, but that's only slightly fantasy and mostly samurai, and even then I'm torn between which is better. But Berserk is more epic, the enemies have those magnificent unique monster designs that are so characteristic of the East. Guts is a man truly torn between darkness, revenge, slaughter and love, friendship and life, and the way the manga simply builds everything up to occasionally bring it crashing down again is breathtaking. This is a journey and a half, and if you have a strong stomach for gore and/or rape as well as don't mind a few odd Japanese stereyotypes/perceptions of Western culture, this will blow your mind.

... Last updated on July 19th, 2012, 7:20am

Actually for a little while it has gone a little below its previous level, but there is one reason i have to give it a 10 : Guts's youth, from volume 3 up to volume 13. It is without a doubt the best story which has ever been and will ever be written /drawn. I have read it at the very least 15 times, and it keeps being as awesome as it was maybe not the first time where i literally couldn't take my eyes off the manga, but as the second time I read it.
Oh and don't misunderstand me : the chapters afterwards are still good. However they have more of a basic seinen feel, with a plot that does not seem to really go anywhere. I would usually lower the grade a little for that, but the first part is an absolute must read, so I don't. You can stop afterwards if you wish, but please read the first 13 volumes.


No matter what it is the first manga i would recommend to any one whos asks me "Hey, do you know a really good seinen ?". So if you don't have read it already, drop everything else right now and get down to work !

... Last updated on February 20th, 2012, 7:44am

This manga is fantastic. It has a great story with very, very great characters. Each character has so much depth. I remember in the past avoiding reading it due to how much gore there was in the beginning and the drawings were a bit shabby. Do not make this mistake.

I don't know why I avoided this manga for so long but I regret it. Guts is possibly THE best main character in ay manga so far. He's strong, doesn't complain or make dumb jokes and when he's getting his ass kicked (which happens often against apostles) he doesn't scream out " I'll never give up" or [insert generic and cliched shonen quote] he just gets up and shoves a sword up their asses!

The art is so good its actually kind of ridiculous, the story is so interesting that it took up about two whole days of my life while I was reading it and the battles....what can I say about the battles that hasn't been said about sex.... they're just amazing.

If you don't read this then you're missing out on a good chunk of manga heaven, but its not like you'll die if you don't read it

This manga is, without a doubt, in my top 2 and has been for the last 9 years. Initially I only saw the animated series and at the end of it I was like *_* so like a total FIEND I had to find the manga and keep up with it. Maybe I shouldn't even admit it, but during the few weeks I was catching up I was perpetually gloomy, morbid and nihilistic; all from this manga! My brain was HAUNTED by it 24/7, I would even dream about it at night (lol).

Albeit, yes, lately it is getting a tiny bit silly with all the goofy people who are suddenly joining the pack. But 95% of it is just so incredible and raw and teeth-grittingly powerful it doesn't even matter right now (I know it is just temporary). I sometimes get annoyed with how slowly the chapters are released, but the art is magnificently detailed so I wouldn't want that to be compromised.

I don't know why it took me so long to write this review, but Berserk is the most carnal and beautifully crafted manga I've ever read; both in the art and the story. As someone else had mentioned, it is the godfather of manga; this series has literally been running since I have been alive haha. It paved the way for so many of its genre. It is not labeled seinen without good reason, but I would definitely not limit the enjoyment of it to either gender. A must-read for all, but prepare yourself!

There's a reason why this series is rated so high despite the sheer amount of people who voted 1. It's not because of the hype, but the simple fact that this piece is undeniably good. Obviously, there are those who picked this up only to realize that seinen and bloodshed wasn't their cup of tea. If you're reading this, however, you've come here with an expectation in mind and I can guarantee you that you won't be disappointed. Take a chance. live a little, and experience this epic series.

... Last updated on June 29th, 2022, 7:36am