Chasing the emotional dragon/recommendations post Berserk.

It's been quite some time since I read berserk for the first time, I went to it completely blind with no idea what the story had in hold. After reading I view it as one of the greatest stories ever told, and almost nothing I've read/watched/etc consumed after has seemed to match the climax or emotion Berserk provided for me.
I recall reading Gantz shortly after and closely feeling very similarly to how I felt with Berserk but not the same.
What have you read that has sparked a similar feeling compared to Berserk? Obviously there is some empty feeling that resides since the story isn't complete.
Preferably manga related, but always down to try something new (preferably with an ending :guts:).
 
Hello! For me too, Berserk is the best story I have ever read so far, but there is always some interesting and well written titles to try!
Feel free to look up the summaries on the internet, they are all of various genres.

Mugen no Juunin (historical, revenge, fantasy)
Urasawa Naoki’s Monster (realistic thriller)
Dorohedoro (fantasy, inter dimensional horror)
Vinland Saga (historical, redemption)
Vagabond (historical, it’s been a looong while since I checked it out, but I’m pretty sure it’s not over)
 
Hello! For me too, Berserk is the best story I have ever read so far, but there is always some interesting and well written titles to try!
Feel free to look up the summaries on the internet, they are all of various genres.

Mugen no Juunin (historical, revenge, fantasy)
Urasawa Naoki’s Monster (realistic thriller)
Dorohedoro (fantasy, inter dimensional horror)
Vinland Saga (historical, redemption)
Vagabond (historical, it’s been a looong while since I checked it out, but I’m pretty sure it’s not over)
Thank you for the suggestions favole! I've always been super curious about reading Dorohedoro (I've watched the anime and really loved it) All these titles seem fascinating! I will add them to my list :casca:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I don't think I've read anything similar to the emotional rollercoaster that Berserk provides, or is even similar to Berserk in a significant way. However,
I did get a few Berserk "feelings" from bits and pieces of "The Kingkiller Chronicle" (Book 1 is "The Name of the Wind").

The inciting incident for the story is a massacre that's similar to the Eclipse, complete with its own version of the God Hand, who lord the events over a weak human (admittedly, nothing like Guts :guts: ), who then strikes out on a quest for revenge. Beyond that, the series starts as a frame story, where the main story is a long flashback explaining how both the character AND the world came to be in the circumstances they're in at the start of the story.

Although it's a novel, not a manga, and it's not finished (10 years since book 2), so it's a stretch to meet your qualifications. Still, it's probably the only thing I've encountered that reminded me of aspects of Berserk.

For manga, I really like Vagabond and Blame, but I don't think either are very similar to Berserk. They're just good series.
 
Thank you for the suggestions favole! I've always been super curious about reading Dorohedoro (I've watched the anime and really loved it) All these titles seem fascinating! I will add them to my list :casca:
Haha, Dorohedoro is really a series I walked into casually and then I read the whole thing in record time, because I couldn't stop needing to know what would happen next. I actually never watched the anime tho', so I don't know how accurate it is or which parts of the story it covers. The artstyle in the manga is quite something though, so I would definitely advise to read it.

Same with Mugen no Juunin (Blade of the Immortal in English), for which I couldn't stop reading until I finished it. Its anime is... really not good however, that I know, so make sure to read it instead of watching it.

Of course, they are really different series from Berserk, but they're really cases of creating a lot of hype and keeping the readers on the edge of their seat, so it might be what you're looking for. :)

I don't think I've read anything similar to the emotional rollercoaster that Berserk provides, or is even similar to Berserk in a significant way. However,
I did get a few Berserk "feelings" from bits and pieces of "The Kingkiller Chronicle" (Book 1 is "The Name of the Wind").
I actually read this book series way before I read Berserk and I'm not good with cross-references, so I never noticed before! How interesting, now that you mentioned it!
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
I'd suggest the manga Battle Royale. It's only 15 books and it's a real emotional roller-coaster with lots of sex and violence turned up too 11. It's not really similar to Berserk in any way other than being a manga. I guess if I had to relate it to something in Berserk I would say that Nina's character and her small story in the Conviction Arc reminds me of some elements in Battle Royale. Many of the characters have extremely heightened emotional breakdowns and intense fear/hate/dread. Lot's of conflicted betrayals and friendly backstabbing. The main villain is also truly wicked.

The other manga that I always throw out is Eden: It's an Endless World. A not so distant futuristic sci-fi story that takes place during a period of global chaos due to an outbreak of a mysteriously lethal disease (very relevant now isn't it) that hardens the skin and turns everything inside into slush. The worlds politics change and new shadow governments begin consolidating power. The artwork is very good and done in a realistic fashion. Eden has some of the best action sequences I've ever seen. Usually involving shootouts, often with cyborgs or humans with sophisticated implants, allowing them to go full T-1000 with hidden blades in their arms. But it also has some incredible hand to hand stuff too. It's really got it all. It's my favorite manga after Berserk.
 
I'd suggest the manga Battle Royale. It's only 15 books and it's a real emotional roller-coaster with lots of sex and violence turned up too 11. It's not really similar to Berserk in any way other than being a manga. I guess if I had to relate it to something in Berserk I would say that Nina's character and her small story in the Conviction Arc reminds me of some elements in Battle Royale. Many of the characters have extremely heightened emotional breakdowns and intense fear/hate/dread. Lot's of conflicted betrayals and friendly backstabbing. The main villain is also truly wicked.

The other manga that I always throw out is Eden: It's an Endless World. A not so distant futuristic sci-fi story that takes place during a period of global chaos due to an outbreak of a mysteriously lethal disease (very relevant now isn't it) that hardens the skin and turns everything inside into slush. The worlds politics change and new shadow governments begin consolidating power. The artwork is very good and done in a realistic fashion. Eden has some of the best action sequences I've ever seen. Usually involving shootouts, often with cyborgs or humans with sophisticated implants, allowing them to go full T-1000 with hidden blades in their arms. But it also has some incredible hand to hand stuff too. It's really got it all. It's my favorite manga after Berserk.
Thanks so much Oburi! Definitely going to read both of these
 

Fancypantaloons

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
I have not encountered anything like Berserk, but I have experienced other manga that have had an impact on me in a similar way to how Berserk impacted me, but on different levels of course. I keep thinking about them from time to time. These are Beck and Aku no Hana. They are not like Berserk in any way other than how I received them emotionally and at certain times in my life, but beyond that they are great manga in my opinion.
 
Top Bottom