[This is my review for Berserk volumes 1–7]
So, this is the last volume of Berserk for me, at least for a while. I borrowed these from my buddy who is a huge fan of the series, and if he had more books, I would probably keep reading. Sadly, only the first seven volumes were published here in Russia before the publisher abandoned the project, so that's all that my friend has in borrowable paper format.
I can't really decide how I feel about Berserk, honestly. It has a lot going for it: the artwork is phenomenal, the action is solid, and it's very readable overall. This manga never feels like a chore to read, the stuff happens all the time and holds the reader's attention really well.
On the other hand, for all seven volumes, Berserk didn't manage to surprise me even once. Every plot, every dialogue, every event is extremely predictable and clichéd. You have probably seen, heard or read this story hundreds of times before. It's a story about a brooding hero who is on a quest for revenge, he's practically unstoppable in battle, he is a loner and a bit of an asshole, but later we realise that he has a good heart after all. There is no twist on top of that, all is as it seems. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is one of the reasons this series doesn't grab me.
It's a very masculine book, too, and it comes with all the bad stuff usually associated with such books. The main character literally has a sword that's three times his height, it's hilarious. Huge abs, naked bodies and giant flaming demons with horns are all over the place. There's also a lot of rape (and child rape at that), and a lot of homophobic and misogynistic slurs (many of them come from the main character), all of which may be considered natural for the world where the book is set, and yet all these things feel unnecessary and aren't handled particularly well, in my opinion. There's also a moment in this book where a strong, competent woman warrior (the only female character in the book who has at least some depth), who was also the commander of an army for a long time, loses a fight because she's having her period. And of course, this is the moment where the main character steps in and saves her. Seriously, was this manga written in the 19th century?! Because sometimes it feels like it was!
So here I am. Not really enjoying this book, not really hating it. I think it's just not my thing. Continuing reading would mean that I'd have to order the rest of the volumes, and there are a lot of them (38 and counting!) — this is a huge financial commitment to a series I don't really love. Who knows, though, if I somehow get my hands on the following volumes, I might still give them a read.