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ベルセルク [Berserk] #21
Berserk Volume 21
Guts, the feared Black Swordsman, is on the rampage — and it's personal. Mozgus, the malefic master Inquisitor of the Holy See, in his murderous campaign against heretics, has captured Guts' former lover Casca and has her at the ready to be burned at the stake in the Tower of Conviction, little knowing that Casca's demonic Mark of Sacrifice is drawing hideous dark powers to the Tower. It'll take everything Guts has and more to defeat Mozgus — who is much, much more than a man — and even if he can, will he be able to save Casca from the hordes of Hell amidst the inquisitor's disintegrating citadel?
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2001
225 people are currently reading
1431 people want to read
About the author
Kentaro Miura
372 books2,744 followersKentarou 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
July 2, 2023
Is faith made only for a handful of chosen people, in this issue we see Saints become demons, and whores become saints, you feel while reading a furious attack on radical religious acts, but you can feel as well that the writer wants to present that the real faithful people are those who are kind, and care for everyone like Luca.
If i was a more experienced English reader i would write more about the projections from the real world, and real history used in Gantz, But sadly i am not.
This is crazy, and the end of each arc is so special, you can get some of the best quotes from this manga.
why is it that zodd always loses one of his horns, while fighting the skeleton king , i think they are trying to tell us that they are that close, but the skeleton king is just a tiny bit better.
We also witness this issue the reincarnation of Griffith, What will he do now that he reincarnated in his previous human form, i don't know but he still have the allegiance of the apostles for sure.
I love how the prophecies are waived, and i love how they come to be true in the end, its just beautiful.
Isidro proves once again to be of great help, and even Serpico got to help out this issue.
This is the first issue we actually see some real team work, since the days of the hawk band each member of the group contributed to the fights.
Farnese decides to give up her faith, and follow the black swords man, i don't know to what end or purpose, she thinks he might be her personal prophet, and saint we will see.
Guts is unstoppable as ever, he is just so good at looking invincible, fuck Griffith! Guts is the real deal, only problem is Griffith looks like a bloody angel, and that is why we are so attracted to him.
Azan left for the holy see,but is this the last we see of him?
Luca and her girls, and their new patron i think their role is over in the manga, as well as Nina and Joachim of course.
Did the wish of the egg shaped apostle come true?
Will they use the kushan to make Griffith become good again?
Will Griffith and Guts ever fight side by side again?
Is Griffith lost forever in his new state of Divinity?
I hope all my questions gets answered in future volumes.
If i was a more experienced English reader i would write more about the projections from the real world, and real history used in Gantz, But sadly i am not.
This is crazy, and the end of each arc is so special, you can get some of the best quotes from this manga.
why is it that zodd always loses one of his horns, while fighting the skeleton king , i think they are trying to tell us that they are that close, but the skeleton king is just a tiny bit better.
We also witness this issue the reincarnation of Griffith, What will he do now that he reincarnated in his previous human form, i don't know but he still have the allegiance of the apostles for sure.
I love how the prophecies are waived, and i love how they come to be true in the end, its just beautiful.
Isidro proves once again to be of great help, and even Serpico got to help out this issue.
This is the first issue we actually see some real team work, since the days of the hawk band each member of the group contributed to the fights.
Farnese decides to give up her faith, and follow the black swords man, i don't know to what end or purpose, she thinks he might be her personal prophet, and saint we will see.
Guts is unstoppable as ever, he is just so good at looking invincible, fuck Griffith! Guts is the real deal, only problem is Griffith looks like a bloody angel, and that is why we are so attracted to him.
Azan left for the holy see,but is this the last we see of him?
Luca and her girls, and their new patron i think their role is over in the manga, as well as Nina and Joachim of course.
Did the wish of the egg shaped apostle come true?
Will they use the kushan to make Griffith become good again?
Will Griffith and Guts ever fight side by side again?
Is Griffith lost forever in his new state of Divinity?
I hope all my questions gets answered in future volumes.
February 26, 2021
Griffith is back, shinier and prettier and more charismatic than he ever was. Yet we know better. We know what he truly is, and what dark future he promises to the world. There's some cruel irony at work here, everyone thinking he'll save them - seeing him as their shining saviour - when in truth his re-emergence sets the countdown for an even greater despair.
Meanwhile, Guts is starting to make friends again. He's not really opening up yet, but it's only a matter of time now.
Meanwhile, Guts is starting to make friends again. He's not really opening up yet, but it's only a matter of time now.
June 22, 2025
crying tears of joy and despair💔
March 11, 2022
بالاخره آرک فالکون هم تموم شد، دقیقاً مثل آرک قبلی باید بگم دوست داشتم ولی در حد گولدن ایج نبود، طراحیها همچنان عالی، داستان هم الان سر جای خودش قرار داره، آخر این آرک گریفیث حضور عجیبی داشت از آخر هم معلوم نشد گاد هندز قصد انجام چه کاری دارن دقیقاً
May 18, 2024
ما هیچ ما نگاه
گریفیث واسه چی ظهور کرد این وسط
گریفیث واسه چی ظهور کرد این وسط
December 21, 2025
tak właśnie przeczuwałam, że małpa wróci
za to Isidro to jest super chłopak
za to Isidro to jest super chłopak
May 18, 2024
همممم
آرک تموم شد؟! انتظارش رو نداشتم و هایپم خراب شد با این حال خوشحالم این مازگاز فشاری به درک واصل شد.
آرت هم بینظیر.
آرک تموم شد؟! انتظارش رو نداشتم و هایپم خراب شد با این حال خوشحالم این مازگاز فشاری به درک واصل شد.
آرت هم بینظیر.
May 29, 2023
Casca is about to be burned alive buy Isidro saves the day. Mozgus and Guts battle it out.
The Egg uses the Demon Child in a ritual to become Griffith's vessel - so Griffith is back! He looks very beautiful and perfect. Although of course we know he's an awful person and literally a demon.
The Tower of Conviction comes tumbling down.
Guts and Casca flee as Zodd makes an appearance. They head back to Godo's home with the blacksmith and the elf cave.
The Egg uses the Demon Child in a ritual to become Griffith's vessel - so Griffith is back! He looks very beautiful and perfect. Although of course we know he's an awful person and literally a demon.
The Tower of Conviction comes tumbling down.
Guts and Casca flee as Zodd makes an appearance. They head back to Godo's home with the blacksmith and the elf cave.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2021
و اینم از جلد بیست و یکم مجموعه مانگا شاهکار برزرک...
این جلد ادامه و پایان ارک اغاز ایین رو کاور میکرد که نسبت ارک قبلی ارک طولانی بود و من مثل تمام ارک های برزرک دوستش داشتم و گریفث(از گفتن اسمش هم متنفرم)به داستان برگشت و فکر کنم از جلد بعد در ارک جدید داستان دوباره شخصیت های اصلی گلدن ایج رو در بر بگیره.....
نکته جالبی که در مورد برزرک هست اینه یک سری حالت هایی رو به نمایش میزاره که توی دنیای خودمون خیلی زیاد دیده میشه مثلا اینکه گریفث رو همه به صورت یک شاهین سفید و یارشون میبینن اما در اصل گریفث خود شیطانه یا گاتس رو همه به صورت یک ادم شیطان صفت میبینن اما وقتی بشناسنش میفهمن که مثل یک فرشتس...
«این نکته بود که توی این ارک خیلی زیاد دیده میشد»
مانگای شاهکار تکرار نشدنیه برزرک رو به هیچ عنوان از دست ندید....
Rate:5/5
این جلد ادامه و پایان ارک اغاز ایین رو کاور میکرد که نسبت ارک قبلی ارک طولانی بود و من مثل تمام ارک های برزرک دوستش داشتم و گریفث(از گفتن اسمش هم متنفرم)به داستان برگشت و فکر کنم از جلد بعد در ارک جدید داستان دوباره شخصیت های اصلی گلدن ایج رو در بر بگیره.....
نکته جالبی که در مورد برزرک هست اینه یک سری حالت هایی رو به نمایش میزاره که توی دنیای خودمون خیلی زیاد دیده میشه مثلا اینکه گریفث رو همه به صورت یک شاهین سفید و یارشون میبینن اما در اصل گریفث خود شیطانه یا گاتس رو همه به صورت یک ادم شیطان صفت میبینن اما وقتی بشناسنش میفهمن که مثل یک فرشتس...
«این نکته بود که توی این ارک خیلی زیاد دیده میشد»
مانگای شاهکار تکرار نشدنیه برزرک رو به هیچ عنوان از دست ندید....
Rate:5/5
Read
August 28, 2023I'm always conflicted when it comes to supposedly most impacting volumes of the series. On one hand (presumably God Hand), the art and vision — not to be split into different animals — become grander as the series goes on. On the other, Nina's repetitive arc, Isidiro himself and one tonal inconsistency atop another shakes the whole foundation.
September 17, 2019
oh lawdy did I really read this arc that quickly?!
June 4, 2018
yesss it feels so good to finally bask in the greatness again.
January 26, 2026
Berserk Vol 1 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 2 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 3 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 4 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 5 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 6 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 7 ★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 8 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 9 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 10 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 11 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 12 ★★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 13 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 14 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 15 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 16 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 17 ★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 18 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 19 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 20 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 21 ★★★★
Love the consistency of how good this is.
Berserk Vol 2 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 3 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 4 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 5 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 6 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 7 ★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 8 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 9 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 10 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 11 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 12 ★★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 13 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 14 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 15 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 16 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 17 ★★★ ½
Berserk Vol 18 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 19 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 20 ★★★★
Berserk Vol 21 ★★★★
Love the consistency of how good this is.
September 4, 2021
Uuuugh this asshole again
June 21, 2017
The Mozgus versus Gutts battle was not as interesting as one would hope, but the resolution of the Egg of the Perfect world was satisfying. Furthermore, this volume ended with arcs that had a sincere positive ending and real character development for someone other than Gutts and Casca. The mystery of the Skull Knight and Zodd deepens, but the birth of the child and he rematerialization of what appears to be Griffith born from the fetus of Casca and Gutts child casts a long shadow. Clearly the world of Berserk has massively changed.
August 19, 2024
آرت: الله اکبر این همه شکوه، الله اکبر این همه جلال.
داستان: مجموعهای از رویدادهای رندم و بدون روابط علت و معلولی که به خاطر گل روی آرت این ولوم خیلی گیری بهش نمیدیم.
داستان: مجموعهای از رویدادهای رندم و بدون روابط علت و معلولی که به خاطر گل روی آرت این ولوم خیلی گیری بهش نمیدیم.
January 10, 2009
Q: Is Berserk insanely epic or epic-ly insane?
A: It is both!
A: It is both!
May 1, 2023
A solid ending to this arc.
March 17, 2021
We've hit review dump #2.
After Vol 8 it was going so well. I had a slight trepidation about what was about to transpire because I could tell something was about to severely wrong. However, the characters and the plot were so enticing that I trudged forward.
By all accounts, the plot has been so interesting and has not failed me. Although, I will say that I wish Miura was a little more transparent about the basis for his world-building because I literally have no idea what the fuck is going on. I'm trying to figure out how all various kingdoms and the demon creatures fit in. Not to mention, where the fuck the egg is coming from. (And why an egg).
But it's an interesting story. And the cast has been fairly good as well.
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I think I started to tap out around vol 12. I'm always here for a good lil bit of depravity, but after vol 12, I think gore and the bloodshed took up more of the space than the plot itself. At some point, the series just started contending for the award for the most amount of bloodshed one can fit in a volume. The bloodshed wasn't getting us anywhere, there seemed little direction the MC's thoughts
It is possible I've gotten soft.
That being said my frustrations in the series are starting to spring as the bloodshed seems so purposeless. The MC's actions are so out of scope and there's so little direction for where the book will go (I don't mean in an arc, but rather what the conclusion of the story will be). Some of the characters just lost their flavor and at this point, the whole series seems to be bent off vengeance. And for a lot of the story, I'm just confused because I really can't wrap my head around the world-building.
I do want to say this series probably isn't my cup of tea, but will I continue? Maybe, just not for the next couple of days.
After Vol 8 it was going so well. I had a slight trepidation about what was about to transpire because I could tell something was about to severely wrong. However, the characters and the plot were so enticing that I trudged forward.
By all accounts, the plot has been so interesting and has not failed me. Although, I will say that I wish Miura was a little more transparent about the basis for his world-building because I literally have no idea what the fuck is going on. I'm trying to figure out how all various kingdoms and the demon creatures fit in. Not to mention, where the fuck the egg is coming from. (And why an egg).
But it's an interesting story. And the cast has been fairly good as well.
[image error]
I think I started to tap out around vol 12. I'm always here for a good lil bit of depravity, but after vol 12, I think gore and the bloodshed took up more of the space than the plot itself. At some point, the series just started contending for the award for the most amount of bloodshed one can fit in a volume. The bloodshed wasn't getting us anywhere, there seemed little direction the MC's thoughts
It is possible I've gotten soft.
That being said my frustrations in the series are starting to spring as the bloodshed seems so purposeless. The MC's actions are so out of scope and there's so little direction for where the book will go (I don't mean in an arc, but rather what the conclusion of the story will be). Some of the characters just lost their flavor and at this point, the whole series seems to be bent off vengeance. And for a lot of the story, I'm just confused because I really can't wrap my head around the world-building.
I do want to say this series probably isn't my cup of tea, but will I continue? Maybe, just not for the next couple of days.
December 17, 2021
Final battle between mozgus and guts. Their conversation and the overall allegory really makes one think. This volume is also a redebut for a major character, and what a reintroduction.
Despite so much dark things happening, Miura still manages to light us with hope somehow (although for a very short amount of time), and that's just brilliant writing.
But I wasn't impressed by the usage of sanskrit words, as they seemed inaccurate at times.
Despite so much dark things happening, Miura still manages to light us with hope somehow (although for a very short amount of time), and that's just brilliant writing.
But I wasn't impressed by the usage of sanskrit words, as they seemed inaccurate at times.
August 17, 2024
Reflets sur l'eau
'Je m'en vais avec une personne qui a les mêmes faiblesses et a commis les mêmes péchés que moi. Avec lui, j'ai l'impression qu'on pourra se donner mutuellement du courage et devenir meilleurs. Plutôt que quelqu'un à qui m'accrocher, j'ai besoin de quelqu'un à soutenir. Je vais vivre, oui, je vais vivre, car je voudrais te revoir. Je vais devenir quelqu'un qui pourra rire avec toi sans dépendance et sans calculs.'
'Je m'en vais avec une personne qui a les mêmes faiblesses et a commis les mêmes péchés que moi. Avec lui, j'ai l'impression qu'on pourra se donner mutuellement du courage et devenir meilleurs. Plutôt que quelqu'un à qui m'accrocher, j'ai besoin de quelqu'un à soutenir. Je vais vivre, oui, je vais vivre, car je voudrais te revoir. Je vais devenir quelqu'un qui pourra rire avec toi sans dépendance et sans calculs.'
March 7, 2022
This is Berserk in all of its glory, the perfect end to the Conviction Arc. The writing in these last two volumes specifically has really been so meaningful and symbolic, creating some really impactful lines and moments. The whole parallel to the Eclipse was just mind-blowingly well done. And the Guts and Casca moments literally made me so emotional ... to see Guts be able to hold Casca after all that time please I was a wreck.
Interesting how Miura ended this arc on a seemingly uplifting and positive note, but the playing field and the whole world have certainly changed with this ending.
“Since that day, I’ve worried I’d been wandering the night, but I had forgotten that this is a world upon which the sun does rise.”
Interesting how Miura ended this arc on a seemingly uplifting and positive note, but the playing field and the whole world have certainly changed with this ending.
March 13, 2022
Damn Griffith!!!!!
May 21, 2025
"Až potkáš boha, tak mu rekni, ať mi dá pokoj!"
March 23, 2023
Your faith can be your armor...but on the other side...is where you are most vulnerable
Another volume that's a masterpiece. The critique of religion, faith, blindness, and cowardice from humans is on point.
The fact that Griffith is back blown my mind
Another volume that's a masterpiece. The critique of religion, faith, blindness, and cowardice from humans is on point.
The fact that Griffith is back blown my mind
April 23, 2021
My god this portion of the story is staggeringly good. I don't have any words that could do it justice. When Miura is good, he's the best. I wish he was this good all the time, though.
February 4, 2021
OMG IT WAS SO GOOD???
December 18, 2018
This volume finishes the Conviction arc. In the previous one we met a group of witch hunters led by the alluring Miss Farnese de Vandimion (I must appreciate a fellow masochist, and also those lips), a zealous pseudo-Catholic who has trouble adjusting to the carnage caused by her inquisitorial comrades, although she . She's been tasked to hunt down our protagonist Guts, the black swordsman, because wherever he goes he leaves a trail of hundreds of bodies, which after the last arc included children.
Guts interacted with enemies that not only were human and just partly evil, but that he wasn't particularly interested in killing; an interesting change from the usual demons and demonic apostles. The author kept introducing interesting secondary characters I feared they were going to die at any moment, which wouldn't be rare in Berserk arcs, given that they usually involve hundreds or thousands of deaths. We have Serpico, miss Farnese's servant, a sly and competent swordman, who constantly gives the sense that he's just being dragged into all the mayhem against his wishes. Luca, the maternal, heroic and impossibly strong-minded head of a group of prostitutes who are trying to survive in a massive refugee camp.
One of my favorite moments in any recent fiction I've consumed was Luca barging into a and non-chalantly spanking one of her girls, who had just .
Related to them we have a corrupt Inquisitorial guard who is sick of all the heretic hunting and just wants to bring Luca home as his mistress. Also, the author introduced a child character, Isidro, an aspiring swordsman that not only was funny but also competent, saving Guts' ass a couple of times.
As the main enemies this time we have Father Mozgus and his torturers. He's the expected zealous douche, yet he is genuinely loved by his subordinates, as he raised them from poverty and misfortune. Mozgus truly believes he's saving the world through getting rid of heretics. In any Western fiction I'd expect any such character to turn to screwing prostitutes behind closed doors.
Guts gets involved in this mess because his old girl and fellow soldier Casca, that the Eclipse turned into a literal drooling moron, has wandered away into the refugee camp and will likely end up getting burned at the stake for her general witchy ways. Turns out that everything that happened during the apocalyptic Eclipse situation gave her
In the middle of all this, the God hands are trying to . From the best fiction you should expect the characters you like surviving by the skin of their teeth, and all the previously mentioned and more struggle with the appropriate nightmares.
I've consumed Japanese fiction since I was a child, but I still find fascinating how they consistently turn the European Middle Ages into an ominous, grandiose world of near invincible knights, impossibly big castles and world-spanning battlefields that often involve demons. In the West, most stories end up going through the irony/deconstruction shredder that turns grandiosity and heroism into a self-conscious joke.
Too many great moments to mention, but among my favorites were Guts fighting , the whole sequence with the multiplying black slime ghost demons, the Beherit , and Guts kidnapping miss Farnese, who almost
Fun times.
Guts interacted with enemies that not only were human and just partly evil, but that he wasn't particularly interested in killing; an interesting change from the usual demons and demonic apostles. The author kept introducing interesting secondary characters I feared they were going to die at any moment, which wouldn't be rare in Berserk arcs, given that they usually involve hundreds or thousands of deaths. We have Serpico, miss Farnese's servant, a sly and competent swordman, who constantly gives the sense that he's just being dragged into all the mayhem against his wishes. Luca, the maternal, heroic and impossibly strong-minded head of a group of prostitutes who are trying to survive in a massive refugee camp.
One of my favorite moments in any recent fiction I've consumed was Luca barging into a and non-chalantly spanking one of her girls, who had just .
Related to them we have a corrupt Inquisitorial guard who is sick of all the heretic hunting and just wants to bring Luca home as his mistress. Also, the author introduced a child character, Isidro, an aspiring swordsman that not only was funny but also competent, saving Guts' ass a couple of times.
As the main enemies this time we have Father Mozgus and his torturers. He's the expected zealous douche, yet he is genuinely loved by his subordinates, as he raised them from poverty and misfortune. Mozgus truly believes he's saving the world through getting rid of heretics. In any Western fiction I'd expect any such character to turn to screwing prostitutes behind closed doors.
Guts gets involved in this mess because his old girl and fellow soldier Casca, that the Eclipse turned into a literal drooling moron, has wandered away into the refugee camp and will likely end up getting burned at the stake for her general witchy ways. Turns out that everything that happened during the apocalyptic Eclipse situation gave her
In the middle of all this, the God hands are trying to . From the best fiction you should expect the characters you like surviving by the skin of their teeth, and all the previously mentioned and more struggle with the appropriate nightmares.
I've consumed Japanese fiction since I was a child, but I still find fascinating how they consistently turn the European Middle Ages into an ominous, grandiose world of near invincible knights, impossibly big castles and world-spanning battlefields that often involve demons. In the West, most stories end up going through the irony/deconstruction shredder that turns grandiosity and heroism into a self-conscious joke.
Too many great moments to mention, but among my favorites were Guts fighting , the whole sequence with the multiplying black slime ghost demons, the Beherit , and Guts kidnapping miss Farnese, who almost
Fun times.
Read
September 13, 2022(Vols. 18-21)
Some of these volumes felt a bit too long, as the rape quota was filled pretty early on, and all this violence gets you a bit jaded (the torture scenes were really disturbing, but I just missed the more hellish designs from before). Also, pretty sure the expected reaction to an orgy with some pagan goat deity should not be "Again?? Ah but his dick is a snake lmao", but here we are!
That said, Vol 21 was a great conclusion with that Eclipse 2.0. Sure, it's no match for the catharsis of the original one, but the Eclipse worked well because of the tight setup, and this one manages to works well despite the messy one. And there are some truly iconic moments, like the panel of Guts striking down Father Mozgus and his flatface. That was damn satisfying. And his fist wings! I was reeling the whole time! Ah, and *insert mandatory sentence about the artwork still being to die for*
Some of the new characters introduced were interesting - Luca might have been the only genuinely kind character we've met so far, so she was a breath of fresh air. The new sidekick seems to indicate a new band forming up (which is promising, even if for now he adds up to the tonal inconsistency). I still don't care much for Farnese, but at least she's showing some slight growth, and even the foxy dude had a fun fight scene with Guts. Skully makes a longer appearance with Zodd, which was very mysterious, but who doesn't like a bit with our favorite skeleton? The only character who I'm genuinely confused about is Nina, who had a repeated arc of being a coward and then making bad decisions, without any significance to the story. Not sure if the point was to have a relatable character, but she was just so unsympathetic and uninteresting that I really wished we didn't spend so much time around her.
In any case, all of this was obviously overshadowed by the glorious final chapters, where we finally got a glimpse of the shiny Birdman himself! The original triangle feels closer now, although Casca is still gone (I can still hear her voice sometimes). The plot thickens, and I'm pretty hyped to see what's up with Griffith in the next arc!
Some of these volumes felt a bit too long, as the rape quota was filled pretty early on, and all this violence gets you a bit jaded (the torture scenes were really disturbing, but I just missed the more hellish designs from before). Also, pretty sure the expected reaction to an orgy with some pagan goat deity should not be "Again?? Ah but his dick is a snake lmao", but here we are!
That said, Vol 21 was a great conclusion with that Eclipse 2.0. Sure, it's no match for the catharsis of the original one, but the Eclipse worked well because of the tight setup, and this one manages to works well despite the messy one. And there are some truly iconic moments, like the panel of Guts striking down Father Mozgus and his flatface. That was damn satisfying. And his fist wings! I was reeling the whole time! Ah, and *insert mandatory sentence about the artwork still being to die for*
Some of the new characters introduced were interesting - Luca might have been the only genuinely kind character we've met so far, so she was a breath of fresh air. The new sidekick seems to indicate a new band forming up (which is promising, even if for now he adds up to the tonal inconsistency). I still don't care much for Farnese, but at least she's showing some slight growth, and even the foxy dude had a fun fight scene with Guts. Skully makes a longer appearance with Zodd, which was very mysterious, but who doesn't like a bit with our favorite skeleton? The only character who I'm genuinely confused about is Nina, who had a repeated arc of being a coward and then making bad decisions, without any significance to the story. Not sure if the point was to have a relatable character, but she was just so unsympathetic and uninteresting that I really wished we didn't spend so much time around her.
In any case, all of this was obviously overshadowed by the glorious final chapters, where we finally got a glimpse of the shiny Birdman himself! The original triangle feels closer now, although Casca is still gone (I can still hear her voice sometimes). The plot thickens, and I'm pretty hyped to see what's up with Griffith in the next arc!
June 29, 2019
This was wow.
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