Berserk Hiatus for 19+ Weeks—A New Record

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Walter

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It looks like we're in the midst of a record-breaking hiatus for Berserk, folks.

The latest information on Young Animal releases indicates that the May 10 issue will once again not include a Berserk episode. May 10 is 19 weeks after the release of Episode 333. So, we're looking at May 24 (21 weeks) at the earliest for Episode 334—a new record for the series. In three instances over the course of the series, Miura has gone as long as 19 weeks on a break, but never longer than that: http://skullknight.net/images/eps.htm

I've always thought it was strange that 19 weeks was consistently the high-water mark for breaks. It could just be an incidental number—the result of a conflation of factors—but the fact that Miura adhered to that duration as the maximum over the years somehow seems significant to me. In spite of his daily workload or the section of story he happened to be working on, it almost seemed like he was keeping his own personal deadline even well after his print deadlines had long since lapsed. Well, now we're in uncharted waters, because the new big number is 21.

To put this in the context of volume releases, Volume 37 came out in March and has everything that’s been released so far. That means there are currently no episodes queued up for Volume 38. So we’re probably looking at Volume 38 coming in mid-2014 at the earliest—which would also make it the longest duration between volumes.

I don't think anyone can justifiably question Miura’s dedication to Berserk. That’s not the issue here. If anything, he's TOO dedicated to making his series great at the cost of a consistent schedule. When Miura responded to our interview request in 2009, he talked about how he works 15-16 hours a day, taking no holidays. In another interview, he said that on average he’s able to produce about a page of art per day.

We presume these breaks are taken so that Miura can chart the story out during this critical upcoming juncture in the series, and of course keep producing the art at his own pace. And I understand the argument that it takes time to plot out the big-picture elements in a complicated story like Berserk. But is that truly the hurdle keeping him from releasing Episode 334? Is there something especially significant about this episode that has to be nailed down to keep consistency with the course of the future he's still plotting? I'm very interested to know the reason, even though an answer will very likely never come. Has he been ill? It sure would be ungrateful to complain about a delay if he was suffering from some illness or physical setback…

Without much information to go on, we're left to guess at the root cause, but there’s also no reason to assume the worst. We're just going to have to wait, and that's all that can be done. Berserk will continue, and we'll be here when it's ready.
 
Well, it's not unusal for manga artists to burn out a bit when they get older, the slow down and take off time for other stuff in their lifes. That happens a lot. With the unmatched high quality art of berserk these slow downs result in huge breaks between releases. Personally the current pace is almost unbearbale for me. I can't imagine he's still working that much hours a day when there are hardly any new chapters, I also can't imagine the current events take so much planing, when they are probably planned out for years allready. It's okay for me, as an excited reader I can't bear the breaks but as an admirer I can understand there are probably thinghs in his life he set back for Berserk for years and he might catch up on those at the moment. Just assumtions of course.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
Silly thought here (and probably very very very unlikely), could he be working on an entire volume?! Do mangaka work like that sometimes? I doubt it but the thought entered my mind as I was reading this and since the last preview we got, it was said (I think) that it was a preview from vol 38, meaning it could be place anywhere (I think again) in the volume, meaning maybe a whole new volume next year?! Again I think it's very unlikely but while we wait, I have nothing else to talk about and it's boring at work... Thoughts?
 

Walter

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Re: Berserk Hiatus for 19+ Weeks—A New Record

Tsundere said:
I can't imagine he's still working that much hours a day when there are hardly any new chapters,
You mean episodes. Chapters are denoted as larger portions of the story.

I also can't imagine the current events take so much planing, when they are probably planned out for years allready.
Not the _current_ events, but the near future events. Gracefully implementing a solution to Casca's predicament, plotting out Guts' future once Casca is restored, the future for Falconia, the unveiling of the God Hand's plan... there's tons of stuff that's still up in the air. Tons of things yet to be revealed.

jackson_hurley said:
Silly thought here (and probably very very very unlikely), could he be working on an entire volume?! Do mangaka work like that sometimes?
I don't think it's very likely at all, especially considering that Berserk is published in Young Animal (is one of their anchors). It wouldn't work. However, we do know that Miura often submits a series of episodes to Young Animal. They will have a backlog of episodes which they will publish until they run out. And that's generally when the breaks occur.
 
You mean episodes. Chapters are denoted as larger portions of the story.

Yes, noob mistake ^^

Silly thought here (and probably very very very unlikely), could he be working on an entire volume?! Do mangaka work like that sometimes?

They often bulk episodes. After the last break I was expecting a stream of new epsiodes but then we only got a single one followed by this record-hiatius. At least I'm positive there must be some material for a longer phase of constant publications after this break.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
Walter said:
You mean episodes. Chapters are denoted as larger portions of the story.
Not the _current_ events, but the near future events. Gracefully implementing a solution to Casca's predicament, plotting out Guts' future once Casca is restored, the future for Falconia, the unveiling of the God Hand's plan... there's tons of stuff that's still up in the air. Tons of things yet to be revealed.
I don't think it's very likely at all, especially considering that Berserk is published in Young Animal (is one of their anchors). It wouldn't work. However, we do know that Miura often submits a series of episodes to Young Animal. They will have a backlog of episodes which they will publish until they run out. And that's generally when the breaks occur.

Yeah I knew about the backlog of episodes but I was wondering if "my scenario" was possible at some point. (even though unlikely like we both said)
 
Re: Berserk Hiatus for 19+ Weeks—A New Record

Before reaching later parts of the series, I had assumed burnout. But after having read up through later volumes, that wouldn't make sense since the art and storytelling have not dipped in quality at all. He began this series in his early 20s. I believe that after upwards of 20 years of working on this series and now that he's well into his 40s he may not be able to write and illustrate at the same speed he used to.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
It's no big deal to me. I don't think about the series too much, even though I come to the forum basically every day.
 
As many have said, Miura's quality of work has remained consistent up until the latest episode, so I doubt that it's due to him "burning out". If anything, I believe he's more concerned about the milestone he's reaching in the story and making sure that he maintains the quality that he is renowned for. I have said it quite a bit recently, but we are reaching a critical point that fans have waited on for many many years, whereby Casca may be "healed" and we're due to be introduced to a new land that we have have only heard about up until now.

When taking that into consideration, I think that the next batch of episodes will be quite an extensive one and we could be in with a really big treat. Or at least, I hope.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
Maybe he is working on something bigger then we think. Something soooo unplanned that it will throw us out of our chairs. The return of... Theresia! :ganishka:
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
jackson_hurley said:
Maybe he is working on something bigger then we think. Something soooo unplanned that it will throw us out of our chairs. The return of... Theresia! :ganishka:
Fuck, that would actually be great.
 
I'm jealous of the people who will be born 20 years from now and have this entire series at their fingertips, completely unaware of these breaks, while the rest of us are stuck in the present waiting.

What else is there to say, really?
 
I don't care about how long the breaks are. If you look at Miuras fantastic art you know that it takes some time to draw it - even with other people involved. Also He has a life besides Berserk. :carcus:
 

NightCrawler

Aeons gone, vast, mad and deathless
Of course Miura wants to take his time as well. Berserk is his life, in every sense of the word. I don't think he has a plan of finishing it anytime in the next 15/20 years. The story has expanded in such a way that there's a myriad of storytelling paths he can choose. He has an established fan-base, he's probably more than financially safe. I understand his position of comfort, but that increases the chances of Berserk never being finished.
 
Thanks for bringing it up Walter, good statistics. The hiatus doesn't bother me but it's remarkable none the less. I'd be OK even if he took a year off. Hope he isn't ill.

I apologize if I missed seeing it on the board during my search, quick question - does Miura do all the backgrounds and inking, etc. all by himself with no help? Either way, his art style and dedication is unquestionably remarkable.

Walter said:
Berserk will continue, and we'll be here when it's ready.

This.
 
I wonder, is there no journalism covering these issues in Japan?
Or maybe there is, but we are so far away (in distance and in language) that we don't have access to it?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
NightCrawler said:
I understand his position of comfort, but that increases the chances of Berserk never being finished.

I don't think that's really a risk barring exceptional circumstances. Miura's a perfectionist above all, but like you said Berserk is his life. He would never leave it unfinished. I'd bet anything on this.

IncantatioN said:
does Miura do all the backgrounds and inking, etc. all by himself with no help?

No, that's what the assistants are for.

Arles said:
I wonder, is there no journalism covering these issues in Japan?

Probably not. Honestly it's hardly anything worth covering. If you read YA regularly you get the updates in time.
 
It is sad to see such long breaks but I'm sure there is a good reason for it. For someone who is so dedicated to his work, I hope he is not ill and takes time off to relax. Even if that means we have to wait longer, the quality of Berserk for me has only gotten better, and since this is one of the best stories I have ever read I don't mind the schedule. Of course I am as anxious as everyone else to see the new upcoming events... :guts:
 
A couple more weeks won't be too bad, hopefully........

But having to wait 20+ weeks for one or two episodes would feel underwhelming. I would like to see 3 or 4. That would make this hiatus feel like it was well worth the wait.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
JoeZeon said:
A couple more weeks won't be too bad, hopefully........

But having to wait 20+ weeks for one or two episodes would feel underwhelming. I would like to see 3 or 4. That would make this hiatus feel like it was well worth the wait.

It also doesn't help that the second half of the year is riddled with Japanese public holidays, which interfere with the magazines being published.
 
With the long breaks I'm glad YOUNG ANIMAL hasn't come down on him with contract obligations. Like a specific number of episodes need to come out ever-so-many issues. YA seems to give him a pretty good free reign over his releases, so it seems sometimes. Thankfully. The waits are always necessary and always worth it. Its not about the breaks, its about taking the time to get it right.
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
I'd like to think that it's the other way around and Miura's got YA by the balls. Everything else in that magazine is SHIT.

Except Nana To Kaoru.
 

Grail

Feel the funk blast
Gobolatula said:
I'd like to think that it's the other way around and Miura's got YA by the balls. Everything else in that magazine is SHIT.

:ganishka: My thoughts were along the same lines. I don't know that there's anything Young Animal could do to put that much pressure on Miura, based on the other stuff I've read in that magazine. As far as I'm concerned, even if Miura wanted to take a few months off just to relax and watch cartoons, I would say it's very well deserved! :casca:
 
19+ week absence, just to be watching cartoons? :schierke:
If I remember it right, last year Miura did say something or the other about planning to do a story arc that would shed light on the God Hand :schnoz:
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
Johnny Apples said:
If I remember it right, last year Miura did say something or the other about planning to do a story arc that would shed light on the God Hand :schnoz:

Yeah but I doubt we're there yet. It seems to me that there is a more important part, 2 more important parts, before seeing that which is : Elfhelm and Falconia...
 
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