ベルセルク 42 [Berserk 42]

ベルセルク [Berserk] #42

by Kentaro Miura, 三浦建太郎, Studio Gaga (Illustrator)

烙印の宿命から逃れ、妖精島で穏やかな日々を過ごすガッツとキャスカ。しかし、黒髪の少年が、その無垢な姿を変えた時、束の間の平穏は崩壊する。絶叫するキャスカ！　大剣を振るうガッツ！　再会する災厄、対峙する絶望。溢れ出た闇は全てを飲み込み、押し寄せる!!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Horror, Seinen, Fiction, Dark Fantasy

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2023

About the author

Kentarou Miura (三浦建太郎) was born in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1966. He is left-handed. In 1976, at the early age of 10, Miura made his first Manga, entitled "Miuranger", that was published for his classmates in a school publication; the manga ended up spanning 40 volumes. In 1977, Miura created his second manga called Ken e no michi (剣への道 The Way to the Sword), using Indian ink for the first time. When he was in middle school in 1979, Miura's drawing techniques improved greatly as he started using professional drawing techniques. His first dōjinshi was published, with the help of friends, in a magazine in 1982.

That same year, in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum in high school, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets, as well as having his first dōjinshi published in a fan-produced magazine. In 1985, Miura applied for the entrance examination of an art college in Nihon University. He submitted Futanabi for examination and was granted admission. This project was later nominated Best New Author work in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Another Miura manga Noa was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine the very same year. Due to a disagreement with one of the editors, the manga was stalled and eventually dropped altogether. This is approximately where Miura's career hit a slump.

In 1988, Miura bounced back with a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, as an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves (王狼, ōrō?) based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken. It was published in the monthly Japanese Animal House magazine in issues 5 and 7 of that year.

In 1990, a sequel is made to Ourou entitled Ourou Den (王狼伝 ōrō den, The Legend of the Wolf King) that was published as a prequel to the original in Young Animal Magazine. In the same year, the 10th issue of Animal House witnesses the first volume of the solo project Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga titled Japan, that was published in Young Animal House from the 1st issue to the 8th of 1992, and was later released as a stand-alone tankōbon. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. At this time Miura dedicates himself solely to be working on Berserk. He has indicated, however, that he intends to publish more manga in the future.

In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk are also released. In 1999, Miura made minor contributions to the Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. 2004 saw the release of yet another video game adaptation entitled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Record of the Holy Demon War.

Since that time, the Berserk manga has spanned 34 tankōbon with no end in sight. The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk.[1]

Miura provided the design for the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, whose voice is taken from the Japanese singer and actor, Gackt.

Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. due to acute aortic dissection.

Reviews

[aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5

Read all forty-two volumes in eight days, which definitely resulted in my already poor eyesight getting even worse, but it was worth it!

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

حکایت همچنان باقیست...
دلم خیلی به حال گاتس می‌سوزه. بیچاره‌تر از این آدم وجود نداره توی مانگاها

طبق قولی که دادم، فردا یا پس‌فردا یه ریویو کامل و مفصل برای کل مانگا توی ولیوم اول می‌گذارم. امیدوارم بخونید.

[Angelika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nae good.

Things take an absolutely gut-wrenching turn. This volume does succeed in landing some massive blows to the stomach, just as Miura had probably intended all along. I truly haven't felt such anguish since The Eclipse.

Most importantly, we get to see Guts at his lowest, undergoing a serious mental breakdown. We've never seen him so depressed and defeated. The struggler overcome with apathy is something new.

Had Miura lived long enough to properly convey the Elfhelm's downfall himself, this volume would've been an iconic piece of literature, on god. But sadly enough all this potential is unrealised due to utterly dry and soulless storytelling provided by Mori and Studio Gaga.

The impact of the events unfolding is not given nearly enough space to resound properly, it's maddening. The flow is so fast-paced it's like reading a bullet-point synopsis rather than a real narrative.

The legendary island is obliterated and its major figures simply disappear into thin air. But we're not afforded much time to dwell on that. The climax of the whole chapter unfolds very abruptly and then somehow the drama just peters out.

In general the main concern now seems to be simply pushing the plot forward and wrapping the whole Berserk thing up so the readers get to know how it all ends. Well, that's fine, I appreciate being offered some closure some time in the future, but it pains me to see that the manga will probably become merely a shell of what it was.

I understand the intention of playing it safe and respectful. But I really don't feel like it would hurt anybody if some liberties were taken in fleshing out the story just a little bit more so that it makes for a better reading experience.

To sum up: life sucks, death sucks, Guts is just a little puppy and I wanna hug him so badly :((((

[Samane⚘️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

دوستان قرصی چیزی میزی دارین بدین من بخورم این پایان رو که حتی نمیشه اسمشو گذاشت پایان فراموش کنم 😭.

[Hiba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this manga is a masochist act of self torture. There's no other way to describe it. Seeing what became of Guts and Casca, and everyone else, shattered my heart to pieces.
It is unfinished, but in my head I've already made up events that would all amount to a happy ending for everyone.

[Dream.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

جزیره الف ها نابود شد، کاسکا دوباره دزدیده شد و گاتس بدبخت افسرده و منزوی شده

[Arman Keshavarzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despair despair despair.

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Écroulement

Ici, on observe l'irruption de Griffith et de Zodd à Elf Helm dévastée, qui sombre bientôt.
À peine Casca recouvre la raison et commence à faire le bilan de ces années passées sous l'identité d'Hélène que le groupe de Guts doit déjà se séparer de cette dernière... À peine les différents habitants de l'île rencontrés (plus entrevus que croisés pour les habitants des sous-sols de l'île), il faut déjà s'en séparer : l'île est engloutie, tandis que les créatures de ce cycle de Fantasia qui nous sont devenues familières s'évanouissent soudain...

Curieusement, les signes avant-coureurs de l'effondrement m'évoquent un sabbat... Est-ce que la mort du grand cerisier en est cause ? Le rapt de Casca s'apparenterait à un sacrifice ?... Est-ce que Griffith a seulement emprunté l'apparence de l'enfant lunaire à cette occasion pour infiltrer l'île ? L'enfant est-il lié à Griffith de toute éternité suite à l'Éclipse ? L'évanouissement des créatures fantastiques de l'île est-il dû à la chute de l'arbre, qui favoriserait des créatures des couches inférieurs du monde astral ?... Beaucoup de questions à l'issue de ce tome dont le rythme paraît fortement précipité.

[Melika Kalhor]

و بالاخره تموم شد... چقدر غمگین که هیچ وقت نتونست همچین شاهکاری رو تموم کنه

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't really say much about this volume, it just seems to be a huge transition to the next part of the story, and hopefully the last. Yeah, some shitty things happen, mostly, and some things are left unsolved. Some old friends and enemies as well will reappear.
I liked it, but it's nothing extraordinary, really. I'm looking forward to the conclusion yet again.

[♡ Maddie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn you, Griffith!!

[Mohamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

first volume after Kentaro Miura’s passing (bless his heart and may he rest in peace), and the story is still good but it’s hard not to notice the change in artwork, to put it lightly. i understand it must be hard picking up Berserk, it’s probably some of the most massive shoes i can imagine having to fill, so i do still have to give credit for honoring his legacy

EDIT: I think the website I used on my iPad might be the reason the quality didn’t look great but after looking on my computer it’s actually still great - style is different sure but now at least it isn’t a jarring difference

[Agnese Rosengren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho iniziato a leggere Berserk a settembre dell'anno scorso e per tutto questo tempo è stato un fedele compagno di viaggio, una costante nelle mie giornate e una storia a dir poco spettacolare.
Volume dopo volume, Berserk è diventato una parte importante di me, tanto che è diventato in poco tempo uno dei miei manga preferiti.
D'ora in avanti sarà strano aspettare un nuovo volume per poterlo leggere, ma per continuare questa avventura mi sembra il minimo che possa fare. Miura ha creato un capolavoro e il suo staff lo sta portando avanti con un amore e un rispetto che mi commuovono.
Berserk è semplicemente un capolavoro, non c'è altro da aggiungere.

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

?????

[Zahra Naderi · Rating 5 out of 5]

تویی تمام ماجرا که رفته‌ای ولی مرا
به حال خود نمی‌گذاری
صدای قلب من چرا غمت نمی‌کُشد مرا
چرا هنوز ادامه داری

[Tonika]

what do I do now?

[bailey elizabeth smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

WELL NOW WHAT

[Shreyashi Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn I just completed all vol 42, will be eagerly waiting for the next chapters 😭. Always a struggler. 🙃

[Caleb Succo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course it will never be the same without Kentaro Miura 🖤, but Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga do it with utmost respect. It’s good to be back in the world of Berk.

[Evan]

Reading this felt very weird. You can tell immediately that the series is different and that something is missing. The pacing also shifts from very slow and deliberate to a mile a minute. The setup from the end of Volume 41 is wrapped up almost immediately and in every chapter since then, I can't shake the feeling that we're speedrunning to the end of the series.

On the one hand, I prefer Koji Mori only sticking to what he heard directly from Miura over trying to fill in the blanks. But so much of the series up until this point has been about really taking its time to get you invested in its characters and the world. So the transition into the pace of going a mile a minute is a little jarring at first.

While I've been enjoying the new chapters and I think the series is in good hands with Koji Mori, whether or not they stick the landing is still up in the air for me. It's been four years since Miura passed and this volume contains most of the new chapters that we've gotten in four years.

[Sol]

It's been years but it still doesn't feel real. He's gonna come out of hiatus any day now and finish it. He came back after the boat hiatus, he'll come back this time too. You can't just toil at your life's work for 40+ years and then die with it unfinished. It doesn't work like that, right?

[LordTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

That Berserk feel is so back

[Momo Kinda Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[Marco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Logging in manga on Goodreads is a fucking nightmare, but I understand it's a limitation of the format.

Berserk is one of the most influential pieces of fiction ever written. It has touched the hearts of so many people either directly or indirectly and its legacy on both Japanese and American media can not be overstated in the slightest. Reading Berserk is one of the best and most enjoyable journeys I've had the pleasure of living. Even though I read the manga at the beginning of last year, I still think I can dish out a pretty fair review.

Before continuing, I think it's fair to start off with the bad. Some people can be turned off by the inclusion of rape in the story. In my eyes, there only two instances in which rape is actually relevant to the story that Miura wanted to tell, but many - and I mean way too many - other times it's simply used for shock value with increasingly diminishing returns for the reader. Throughout the first 15 volumes I believe that Miura completely fumbles the bag with this dimension of the story, a fact he himself would later come to recognize and apologize for.

I also believe, even though the line work is beautiful to look at, that most of the action in Berserk is hardly serviceable to the story or distracts from the beauty of the main characters' emotional conflicts. Rather, I guess, the fights with the Berserker Armor are just not as interesting as the ones Guts had when he didn't have it. He would often push himself to his limits, - morally and practically - and evolve throughout his fights. After he gets the armor, though, the fights tend to follow very similar beats and tons of pages are wasted on Guts using the armor on barely sentient creatures with barely an interesting impact on the story (looking at you Sea God).

When Berserk is good, it's great, however. The personal conflict that Guts has to go through throughout the story is nothing short of marvellous. People will comment on the Eclipse and Griffith's character study to point out Berserk's greatness but I believe the story really shines when it sheds some light into Casca's and Guts' traumas. Guts' journey from closing off his emotions to slowly opening up while he struggles to define his sexuality and role vis-à-vis Casca is a fantastic journey that is always supported by Miura's beautiful line work in capturing characters' expressions and emotional states. The dialogue, the general moods, and ambiance of Berserk have no equal in the industry and I do not believe it will ever be topped.

To me, these are the aspects that make Berserk so great. It's not the fights nor Guts' "badassery". It's his struggle to find love and be loved in such an unrelenting and unforgiving world. It's his contention towards finding a place, emotionally, where he can love back the people who care so much for him and are willing to trust him despite his rough exterior.

In my opinion, the best chapters in the whole series are the "Spring Flowers of Distant Days" mini-arc, which was interestingly put in the middle of one of the worst arcs the series has to offer. If anyone wants a small, quick glimpse of what Berserk has to offer then they should definitely read those chapters. Berserk always leaves the reader with a feeling of sadness, pain, and desperation with a faint echo of hope on the horizon.

Many have tried to replicate it, but I don't think any author has succeeded to capture the complex emotions that Miura has. Berserk is a story that makes you want to live your life to the fullest; to feel every emotion a human can possibly experience. That, to me, is the hallmark of any fantastic work of art.

[Jazz Stofberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

read all of berserk in two weeks, on to something light hearted

[alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

well. it’s a cursed endeavor. it’s a loving endeavor, too, but cursed nonetheless. we all know it. i wonder if there’s some other way to finish the story (that they’ll never do, i know) that isn’t literally finishing the manga… could they just. write the story out in prose or something. the manga is inimitable. and i can’t read it seriously, though i wish i could. even if it was fleshed out more, i would know it wasn’t miura. so what’s the point? why not just release the plot details to us and then let us do with that what we will? i can’t know what it’s like to be in miura’s friend’s position; i don’t think i’d do this, though.

in terms of the actual meat of this: i don’t like it. LOL. everything is moving at an insane pace so that it all gets wrapped up- understandable, but cursed, no? everything is too extreme and out of character. god, i wish miura was still here, and had lived a beautiful, easy life. his story deserves so much better. and it’s something no one on earth can give it! i don’t know. i guess we’ll see what happens.

[Niy · Rating 3 out of 5]

They are not drawing the scenes dark enough, especially not the scene where Guts is trying his absolute hardest to hit Griffith with his sword. His stance was not radiating enough rage/pain/determination. The scenes where he feels defeated after Griffith takes Casca are good though. I don’t like how fast the story is going, it feels way too rushed. Also don’t like how Casca didn’t fw guts at all and couldn’t look at him without getting ptsd but now all of the sudden she misses him and wants to get back. Where is the consistency?

[Dr Rashmit Mishra · Rating 5 out of 5]

So , first of all , clarification. I read it in separate chapters since I couldn't find any dark horse version of the volume .

This was an important issue since here is the point where Mori took over , and i gotta say i didn't notice any significant change.

The story was superb as usual but it was a hard read seeing the shell of the man Guts has now become .

[Ostrava · Rating 5 out of 5]

We'll have to see if what's happening now lives up to Miura's vision. For now, let's enjoy what we have...

[Oleg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Глибиною втрати та розпачу ми близькі до 9..