sabukaru Meets the Berserk Team
Few franchises single-handedly inspire generations of creatives like the manga Berserk has. Released in October 1989 in the magazine Animal House, and adapted several times into anime over the years, the series still continues today and echoes of its world can be found in countless different mediums. From video games, books, films and other manga, the world of Berserk has been constant source material for great reason.
This manga has everything. With unparalleled visuals, merging compelling fine-line detail with oppressive darkness both in shading and context, its artwork is visceral - literally and metaphorically. Painting us a picture of a grim and bleak world that we can feel, smell, see, and touch through its pages, it breaks the boundaries of manga, and seeps into the world of fine art. All the while developing truly loved and relatable characters, as they are placed into the lucid nightmare of Berserk's world.
For those who may not have ever dove into its story, we follow the main protagonist, Guts, throughout his journey as a lone mercenary with a brutal past. The story explores deep themes of fate, free will, trauma, and the nature of evil, blending action, philosophy, and horror in a powerful narrative that delves into the darkest corners of the human experience. We love it. So will you too.
Berserk's beauty lies within its imagination: a crooked and wicked world, character designs that sit on a knife edge of horror mangaka, and its melancholic story that is steeped in character development, unique lore, and mature themes of philosophy and humanity. It’s a vast and expansive world, one that creator Kentaro Miura has defined the dark fantasy manga genre with, and acts as the catalyst for so many critically acclaimed franchises that came after it.
Despite it being such a historic pillar within the community, you might assume that the dark and twisted story has come to a conclusion, but the manga is still running today. Despite the passing of the beloved Kentaro Miura in 2021, the torch has been passed on to Kouji Mori-san, a childhood best friend, to finish the series and honour the legacy of Miura. Alongside a closely knitted team of experts, we will finally learn the ending of Berserk someday.
It is no secret that Berserk is one of our favourite manga franchises of all time. We’ve written countless articles diving deep into it. So, it’s with immense pleasure that we were able to team up with Uniqlo UT to meet the team behind Berserk, talking to Akira Shimada, Miura's former editor and the current copyright manager,to go deeper than ever before in an exclusive interview.
Berserk is one of our favorite manga ever - we’ve written about it countless times before,and it’s been referenced numerous times in other bodies of work. But what were some early inspirations for you and the late Kentaro Miura when building the world of Berserk?
We get this question a lot, but it is quite the challenging one to answer. The reason being, Miura-san had started dreaming of becoming a manga artist at a very young age according to his mother. It would mean everything he’s experienced in his life would count as a source of inspiration for Berserk. That said, I believe meeting his best friend Kouji Mori-san is one of the more significant life events. Mori-san is the only person that Miura-san consulted about the entire story of Berserk until the very end, so that should give you an idea of what he meant to him.
One undeniable thing is the at times horrifying creatures in Berserk. Where do you find the inspiration behind these wicked designs?
I personally believe Miura-san excelled at transforming trivial things and ordinary experiences into entertainment. It can only be described as a gift from above, and I was often amazed by how things turn out in the story.
What are some of your favorite creatures and characters that have been drawn, and why?
I’m no different from fans around the world. Guts and Zod are characters in the realm of absolute. I would love to talk about my love for all the different characters from the series, but that would take ages, so let’s refrain from that. Although it doesn’t get as much attention as other named characters, the egg-shaped apostle/Crimson Beherit that triggered Griffith’s incarnation is one character that has had a lasting impact on me. The sadness, despair, and powerlessness that he felt, I think we people in this day and age have felt about our own world, as well. Although he was indeed an apostle, he did not reincarnate out of personal desire, but rather ensured to construct a perfect world through sacrificing his own body and the lives of those around him. In my eyes, his lamentation serves as an example of great character development.
Having one of the most intricate art styles, with each panel showing incredible depth, shading, and line work, how long does the process take from sketch to finished piece?
On Miura-san’s fastest, for 20 pages of which the storyboard has been completed, it took him 5 days to draw, 7 days to ink in, and 2 days to finish up. Those days, which I consider to be one of the happier ones, lasted for more than 10 years. The current setup allows us to not have any time constraints on completing the manuscripts, as to maintain the quality that has been upkept previously before the passing of Miura-san.
Compared to other manga series, Berserk’s anime and film adaptations are few and far between. What is it about Berserk’s unique and intricate world-building that makes it hard to translate into another form of media, such as animation?
Another difficult question to answer. To answer you soberly, it’s a matter of budget, time, human resources, passion of the creators, and the holistic quality of the source material that is the manga, but when you put it all in one word, I think it comes down to being a miracle.
Gut’s iconic sword, the Dragonslayer, is arguably one of the most important weapons in pop culture. It is the original huge, oversized sword, something that has become synonymous with manga and anime. Why was Gut’s weapon of choice such a central piece to his character?
Miura-san was very proud of The Dragon Slayer. He thought weapons like bow guns and rifles did not do a good job in expressing the handler’s emotions and inner thoughts. On the other hand, fists are by far the most expressive, but it’s been overdone by other manga series, so after many considerations, The Dragon Slayer ultimately came on top as the weapon of choice. Guts used a sword that was way too big for him since his adolescence, effectively training his entire life until he was able to properly wield it. After versing 100 men, Guts spoke of having nothing but the sword, and I think that resonated with a lot of fans. I believe this message struck the chords of all the fans who similarly strive to realize dreams that are too big for them.
You guys have defined the dark fantasy genre in modern times, creating one of the most intricate stories, a compelling and evolving world, and beautiful character design, sure to be a reference for forthcoming generations. What does it mean to be able to work for this franchise and being part of the team with the late Kentaro Miura?
I am very pleased with the recognition Berserk has received over the years, and I am sure Miura-san would have been as pleased, as well. I don’t say this out of the blue, because around midway through the production of Berserk, Miura-san worried about how well people would accept a medieval European style fantasy written by a Japanese person. In order to yield the best result, he devoted all his time and attention into creating the world of Berserk. I remember, after finishing writing the Misty Valley ordeal, Miura-san recollected how it was all okay now. To answer your question, my involvement in this work is something I consider to be a meaningful investment of my time and effort.
Known for its shocking moments, Berserk has made bold plot twists in its life span. Is there any that you regret making though?
When it came to concepting the storyboard, Miura-san went through a lot of hardship, and as mentioned before, even consulted Kouji Mori-san about it, constantly thinking about the direction of the story. However, once he started work on the storyboards, it took about 2 days until completing, so I don’t think he ever struggled with the very act of outputting. This was true for his entire career. However, this was an unusual case, but Miura-san once asked to cancel the story about Griffit’s descent into the ethereal world during the eclipse, after it got published in the magazine. It leads me to believe Miura-san really struggled to figure this story out.
With Beserk’s original creator, the late and missed Kentaro Miura, having been at the helm of the franchise since its inception in 1989, how in ways does the studio now work to not only continue his legacy but also honor it?
Kurosaki-san, who was the lead assistant of the studio, plays a central role in the production of the drawing these days. At the core, the drawings are carefully produced under the principles of quality over quantity, and how would Kentaro Miura draw it. This is made possible by Kurosaki-san’s involvement, who is not only a fan of the series, but also because I suspect he has thoroughly researched the material, as well. The Berserk team is able to continue producing the drawings because of his existence, and the quality of translations into different media formats have been upkept because of Kurosaki-san, as well. I don’t think there’s anyone that understands the physical mechanism of the Berserker armour as well as Kurosaki-san.
Reflecting back on working with the late Kentaro Miura, what were some of your favorite memories?
Having spent 25 years together, there are too many of them to choose from. Some memories have resurfaced upon looking back, and it was quite the joyous moment.
Help us humanize the mythological air around the Berserk author. Berserk and its world has inspired so many incredible bodies of work that came after it, most notably the work of Hidetaka Miyazaki and his video games such as Dark Souls. With such similar themes in both franchises, we are super interested in hearing if you are also fans of FromSoftware games, and ever find yourself seeking inspiration from them, too?
If it meant that Berserk had any hand in influencing a world acclaimed product of entertainment, I cannot feel anything but proud. However, I also understand that these products cannot be produced purely through the influence of the source material, so I do indeed recognize that it is the fruits of the hard work that the talented people involved put in. I myself enjoy FromSoftware games, and have all my respect for Miyazaki-san. The official ELDEN RING artbook that includes the concept art sits in one of the document shelves in the studio.
Speaking of video games, people are constantly asking for a new Berserk game to be released. If you were to ever do this again, what type of game would it be? What developer would you trust to honor the source material?
Manga has its own unique strong points, and I believe the same is true for video games. I think it’s safe to say we would rather be happier to see the strong points of the manga be translated into a video game than any other way. And it would be perfect if the game developers are people that the fans can entrust with the development of the game.
Societal structures, like religion and power dynamics, play a huge role in the story of Berserk - Have you approached these topics within Berserk as a reflection of the real world?
Considering how a lot of manga series are a product of one individual vision, putting the effort and time into producing it over a long period of time, I think it’s subject to both the changes of the real world that surround us, and the artist’s own inner world. This happens organically , the law of nature if you will, so whether one is consciously thinking about it or not, the result ends up being the convergence of two realities.
The story takes us through some of the most memorable locations in manga, all drawn beautifully to truly get a feeling of depth and lore. How important during the drawing process is the world around us? Is it just as important, or possibly even more, than the characters?
When it comes to creating products of entertainment, we believe the process of world building is as important as character development. Simply put, it is not a matter of superiority and inferiority. Both are equally as important.
Despite being packed full of action, there is a large focus on mature themes: sacrifice, betrayal, and trauma all play a huge role within our characters. How do you find the right balance between visceral action and bloodshed and these incredibly grounded themes?
I think Miura-san would’ve been pleased to hear that you have recognized there indeed is a balance in the themes. Miura-san thought of all the elements that compose the manga through and through, and truly struggled to strike a balance of it all. I think he took examples out of all the different world acclaimed products of entertainment to figure out a balance.
People love to theorize a happy ending for Guts, a character that has been through so much despair. Rather than spoiling the official end, what does a ‘happy’ ending look like for our protagonist, in your opinion?
Including myself, Kouji Mori-san, Kurosaki-san, and Young Animal editor Takamura-san are the only 4 people that know the complete ending to Berserk. All I can tell you about it is that it’s not a happy ending nor is it a bad ending. Nothing you can put into a mold we’ve grown accustomed to, but it’s truly a tremendous ending.
in collaboration with @uniqlo.ut, @uniqlo and @uniqlousa
words by Joe Goodwin
