A gloomy, grim, imposing, embittered individual, one-eyed, with a mechanical arm and a long black cloak that hides a strange white weapon called "the Dragonslayer" (calling it a sword would be an understatement for how thick and large it is). The past he bears is, to say the least, terrifying. The flying, fairy-like creature that constantly accompanies him on his journey as a sort of guardian angel with healing powers is a point of light for him. The curse he carries is a mark, in every sense. The woman he loves, the will to face the darkness outside and inside himself, and the revenge he wants to fulfill push him to continue fighting. We will see Gatzu, "The Black Swordsman," (as he will be nicknamed at some point) be born, grow, change, regress and evolve, both together with and because of what he will experience (and what we will experience with him) and who he will encounter as the splendid plot progresses.
The main enemy is of a complexity, ambiguity, and depth rarely found elsewhere in an antagonist.
Set in a medieval era with strongly supernatural, horror and fantasy features, yet at the same time real and raw (an example being the way it handles the Inquisition), the Comic (the capital letter is necessary in this case) is a work with a structure and plot that is simply perfect, strongly characterized by almost maniacal psychological depth of the characters, even the secondary ones.
There is no trace here of the clear-cut division between Good and Evil, there are no heroes, no antiheroes, no "good" and no "bad," there are just people thrown into a grand fresco who will react, each in their own way, to what they will face; victims and oppressors, weak and strong, protagonists and secondary figures, creatures (calling them monstrous is an understatement) that are merely reflections of human despair: all have a fundamental importance in the complex mechanism devised by Miura.
The artwork, of rare beauty and precision, moves with incredible fluidity between majestic battle scenes where it really seems to see the characters move, moments of absorbed and deep reflection and intimacy, and spectacular ensemble scenes.
Deep, engaging, moving, exciting, passionate, violent (never gratuitous, always functional to the story and setting), without any sort of "filter": everything a "true" and extreme story like this requires is addressed and shown.
Everyone will be able to recognize and empathize, in some way, with Gatzu's angry, desperate, and vital search for an oasis of peace in a universe of darkness like the one represented here: because facing our demons by fighting is one of the things that gives meaning to our life.
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By tonysoprano
Berserk is such a complex manga that a single review would not be enough to describe its grandeur and the imposing nature of the topics handled with ease.
Berserk is a masterpiece within a masterpiece, partially reflecting our lives, depicting them with faces different from our own, capable of moving us, making us laugh until we collapse, but also provoking anguish, terror, hatred, fear, despair, sadness, and dark moments.