Berserk Volume 1

(Note that I saw the anime series before I read the manga, so consider this as you read on.) Berserk, both anime and manga, is one of the most violent and bloody series out. Yet it's also very deep and well-plotted, with a unique anti-hero, that being Guts, a.k.a. The Black Swordsman, a man who loves to hate, cares nothing for those around him, and wants nothing more than to swing his massive, horse-cleaving sword around. The sight of blood doesn't bother him, he shows no emotion, and will even blow the face off of a lover (though in all fairness, she was a demon as well). And to help him in this matter is the demon-calling brand on his neck, essentially feeding his blood-lust. When demons aren't coming for him, he's going after them. His main goal, however, are the mysterious demons of the Godhand, and continually haunting his dreams is a deformed baby-like creature that crawls toward him endlessly. Alongside Guts is the elf Puck, who helps Guts in times of need, whether he wants it or not. Everyone else who helps him usually ends up dying, so supporting characters are few. Guts cares only about himself, and had not Puck had its own motives it surely would have abandoned Guts to do what he would with his life. Guts's journey in volume one takes Guts from between the legs of a demon lover, and follows him as he enters a city dominated by corrupt soldiers who follow the lead of an evil snake demon. Beyond that, it shows Guts in his everyday life of endless wondering and fighting. He meets a priest and his daughter, and must fight a hoard of undead, and soon after enters another city, locked in the terror of an Inquisition, where falsely accused heretics are being slaughtered. By the end of this volume, a key point in Guts's past is shown, an evil charm known as a Behelit. Though surely Berserk is one of the best and most entertaining, and I'd like to recommend it to everyone, I can't. I will only recommend this to mature readers (the book recommends 18+), because it has some partial nudity and gore on nearly every page. Not only that, but children are shown being killed. If you believe yourself mature enough to understand that this is only a story, then pick this up. Otherwise, leave Berserk for adult readers. Also, if you saw the series and would like to better know the history of Guts, then pick this up, because the first season of the anime jumps pretty far ahead from where the manga is. The anime and manga start in nearly the same spot, but the manga continues from there and later gets into the story with Griffith, while the anime goes almost immediately to that dramatic point.

I was first introduced to the Berserk series by way of a videogame for the Sega Dreamcast console entitled "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage." i had no concept of what it was, all i knew is that it involved a guy with a metal hand with a crossbow and cannon inside, who weilds a sword bigger than he is, while fighting vicious demons 10 times the size of his sword. A couple of years later i stumbled upon a dvd at the local video store which addorned the same great character on its cover. i had to check it out. What i found was the begining of an obsession with the best series ive ever witnessed in any form of media. watching the first episode of this dvd reinstilled all of the emotions i felt when i first played the game. I was in a state of pure awe as i watched Gatsu (Guts, as he's reffered to in America) tear through his enemies in the same quick, brutal and over the top fasion. The first episode was nothing more than a devise to draw you into the intricate story waiting ahead. that one episode let you know that this would be a dark, violent story centering on hordes of demons and their intent of making guts their sacrifice no matter what the cost. i quickly began watching the rest of the series, and came to find that there was far more going on here. Set in the middle ages in the midst of a great war, the Berserk anime quickly shed the dark and hopeless feel of the first episode and videogame. It showed a variety of things i was not expecting. First and foremost, it concentrates on an excellent story of relationships in a world where life is death. the main characters in this story are very well fleshed out, and it allows you to see what they want out of life and how they hope to acheive their goals. It also shows that these characters have different agendas which their relationships stem from and also how they intermingle in a story of fate, sacrifice, love, hatred, hope, and hopelessness. This was by far the best anime series ive ever seen. ive never been draw into a world quite like i have been with Berserk. the anime leaves us in a place before the first episode in a sort of transitional period in the story. it didnt even begin to touch upon the Gatsu we know from the first episode or videogame, it shows us what created that entity. When i learned that no more episodes were planned for the anime series i was desperate to find a way to continue on with Gatsu, as Berserk has become quite an obsession of mine as well as everone i show it too. i found that they had finally started releasing English text versions of the original Manga from which the anime was based. The manga series, i have found,is far superior to the already stellar anime. So many details were taken out of the anime due to the already dense story as well as even darker details which in no way could be shown on TV. this series is a must have. if you are even remotely intrigued by the dark ages, human relationships, demons or the afterlife, swords, actio

Be forewarned that this review is heavily biased, I love Berserk more than my own mother. Hands down the greatest manga I've ever read and the best anime I've ever seen. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. It helps to get into the series having seen the anime, since it takes place before the first three volumes, but in volume four it gets around to the events of the anime (After all, the manga came first) but seeing it makes the transition smoother. So volume 1-3 is stuff after the ending of the anime, 4-13 is a long flashback that parallels the anime with some new details, then the rest of the series picks back up at the volume 3 time frame. So anyone who saw how the anime ended at a cliffhanger (a second season isn't likely) will be thrilled to know that it was just the prologue to the real story. Berserk is amazing. It has everything, style, action, gore, romance, an intricate plot that keeps you turning pages like a maniac, and some of the best characters in fiction history. You really feel for these people and laugh, cry, and bask in victory along with them. I'm so excited I'm forgetting my usual writing skills and typing without a single breath trying to wrap up all the greatness that is Berserk in a single review! BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY! Unfortunately the manga is being printed only one volume every three months and up to volume six is out in America, but in Japan there is currently 28 volumes! It'll take forever for us to catch up, so I suggest learning to read Japanese like myself (I'm doing it mostly for Berserk, although it's just a useful skill to have in general, I found a great book that makes it fun) or finding some translations of the dialogue online and use in conjunction with the Japanese manga. Watch one episode of Berserk or read this manga and you'll be absolutely hooked. It will consume your thoughts and your life. If Kentaro Miura dies before he finishes the series (It still has a way to go) I will die beside him, for Berserk is the reason for living. Praise it. I go to sleep at night with Berserk stuff cradled in my arms. I could go on forever. If you don't buy this you are missing out on the greatest thing to ever grace this earth. Buy the anime. Buy the manga. Buy the T-shirts, the action figures, the toilet paper. My rant ends here.

I remember reading just about every Berserk book that came out in 2000. I was addicted to the series. The deep characters with emotional back stories, the character designs in general, the plot that has no happy ending from what I could see, and the drawing style. But back then, it cost about 3 times as much as this little graphic novel here for just one issue. Luckily, Berserk has been getting popular, and Dark Horse picked it up for US shores. And I'm impressed. This is one of very few Japanese comics that is properly translated. I still have some older Berserk comics from when they were first printed, and the translation is dead-on. But enough about that, I'm sure you want to know what Berserk's about. It follows the story of Guts (or Gattsu as so many purists insist), wandering the land for revenge. While the full story isn't even close to being revealed in this issue, I insist that you watch the animated series before getting into the books. Where the series is available on just 6 discs, the books are currently up to volume 27. We've got a ways to go. But Guts is a mercenary unlike any other. He doesn't help others, but he isn't quite a bad guy. He's just looking out for himself. And in the world of Berserk, that's probably the smartest thing you can do. There are bandits, demons, zombies, and spirits everywhere just waiting to attack. And to make matters worse, Guts has a brand on his neck that attracts these demons. It causes him pain or bleeds whenever he's about to be attacked. But Guts is a one-man army. In just the first part of this volume, he blows a hole through a monster's head with his hand-cannon, lops people in half with his 7-foot sword: The Dragonslayer, picks off bandits in groups with his automatic crossbow attatchment, and more. Really, you don't get any cooler than Guts as far as main characters go. Upon entering a town, he encounters a small fairy: Puck. Puck follows Guts around, curing his wounds, and in hopes of seeing lots of action because Guts "seems interesting". Honestly, if it weren't for Puck, Berserk would almost be unreadable. Don't get me wrong here- I'm not saying that it'd be a bad series. But I mean that the whole story would just be too depressing. This is one of those rare times where comic relief is a good thing, and Puck is used mostly for just that. Plus he isn't there every 2 pannels. Just whenever a situation is very dreadful, or when he's actually needed. Puck saves Guts many, many times in the course of Berserk, he even saves him more than once in this volume alone. I'd have to say getting him out of prison counts for something. The two continue on in search of someone who knows the man Guts is seeking revenge on. I'm not going to be throwing names around here because the story's so good, that it'd be a pity to ruin anything for you. None the less, this graphic novel IS very brutal. When someone gets cut in half, their upper body gets hurled a few yards as blood pours out from both halves. Arrows

The detail of the drawings is magnificient. The story is well thought out and fascinating. The characters are complex and thoroughly developed. And, there's true suspense--bad things happen to good people and good things happen too--in this extra dark story you never really know where it's going till after it gets there.Most mangas I read for 'fun'--the story is predictable & the characters are 2-D but it's cute or pretty, entertainment popcorn if you will. This one, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next chapter in the story and I truly care about the characters. In a vast manga collection, this one is a standout.Berserk isn't for everyone. The violence quotient is off the scale and all of it is depicted in full detail--the squeamish should avoid this title like the plague. It's also not a manga for the impatient. It's nearly three volumes in before the story proper starts to unfold. It is all eventually tied together so that the plot and character decisions make sense--but readers have to spend a good long time wandering about in the dark before that happens.If you're tired of boyscout heroes and you're always looking for something new and different, Berserk is a must read. Words can not describe the brilliance that is this manga. Best just read it yourself, or watch the anime, which is very similar--it just moves along a lot faster at the expense of some of the details found in the comic.FYI: Berserk is up to 25 volumes in Japanese and the story is still on going. Many of the major plotlines are still unresolved, so the series could still go off track in the later chapters--but through volume 25 it's very good.Dark Horse's edition had perfectly decent translations. Not translating the sound effects was a little cheap, but I don't think it made much difference. Most of the sounds you could guess from context anyway.