Young Animal announces a continuation of Berserk by Studio Gaga, supervised by Kouji Mori

RaffoBaffo

Ex-Newser of the late Berserk Chronicles
I expected the continuation, since I read, in this very Forum, that YA sells a considerable amount more when Berserk is in the Magazine.

I think this solution is the lesser evil.
 
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That about sums up my feelings. I really want to be jumping for joy for this, but alas, I've been disappointed too many times and can only feel a sense of trepidation now. The limbo Berserk was suspended in is over now, and now we have to face a future I'll always have doubts in.

I appreciate Mori's humility and respect to his old friend, but if I'm reading his message correctly (and the translation is accurate), it makes it sound like he's just going to produce the cliffnotes version of the story. It's admirable that he intends to only make what Miura directly told him about, but I don't know if that'll really be enough to create a full story. Or if those initial ideas Miura had will truly work when pen is put to paper. I know from experience how easy it is to think you've got everything in a story plotted out, only to realize once you've written far enough that a plot point that seemed perfect in your head isn't going to work with what you've written. So you go back and refine and revise it into something that will work. It's a normal part of the process of creation, and ignoring will always be to the story's detriment.

Still, this is probably the best case scenario Berserk could have gotten. It's in the hands of a personal friend of Miura who might have understood him and/or his work better than anyone. I feared that if Hakusensha ever decided to hand the reins of Berserk to anyone, it would be that hack, Makoto Fukami, who seems to have become their go-to guy for all the side projects of late. I also have to echo the previous sentiments: I would have preferred this continuation to be treated as a separate series of sorts with a slightly different name just to make it clear that this is not Miura's Berserk going forward (and to keep from tainting its legacy if it turns out to be crap). But I guess one can't get too greedy.
 
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I would have preferred this continuation to be treated as a separate series of sorts with a slightly different name just to make it clear that this is not Miura's Berserk going forward
Honestly from how much respect they have for Miura and the fact they know it's not going to be exactly as he would have intended, I think the decision to make it a direct continuation could've been from the higher ups of Hakusensha.
 
Not only Miura had a bit of style change going digital but this will possibly push it even more so Im not sure about this decision at all. Im afraid that lack of real Berserk, Miura's soul behind this story will be visible. I think it should be left untouched.
 
In this moment, I don't know what to think about this news.

Before to say something, I want to read and to see the new episode.

I will wait June, 24.
 
Mori-san is clearly not doing this for the money. He has the option to drag out certain parts, since his role will only be in deciding the direction of the story and dialogue, not in art - meaning that he can effectively make money - possibly more money than he made off Holyland and his other manga - by simply supervising a manga carefully illustrated by a team of other people. He doesn't even want to shoddily expand on parts of the story he doesn't properly remember. He clearly agreed to hop on this train because he genuinely cared for what his dear old friend would've wanted, and thought it would be in character for Miura-san to want a continuation after all that he told him prior to his passing.

That being said, this obviously won't be on par with the product we would've actually gotten had the author not passed tragically last year. The new storyboard artist said as much. However, rather than sit around waiting for fanfiction or more of that dreadful 2016 anime to pick up where Miura-san left off, we're getting the story told just the way that Miura-san envisioned it during the time he wrote the Eclipse 23 years ago. This is more than I ever expected, and I'm excited for it - I hope for the best but prepare for a disappointment nonetheless. This isn't some soulless cashgrab like Dragon Ball Super or Boruto, it's something that Kouji Mori only hopped on once he saw that the artists at Studio Gaga were more than well equipped enough to take on the job - and although I thought their work on episode 364 was off at points when I first saw it, when I purchased the tankoban proper this year, I couldn't really notice much of any degradation. Even if the story won't be quite on par, it'll feel like the same Berserk - or the closest possible thing. They're also properly addressing Kentaro Miura as the original author rather than pretending he's somehow involved in this from beyond the grave, so I disagree entirely with the whole "They're just piggybacking off Berserk for the money/fame" angle. The fact that it's 6 chapters bundled together is another pleasant surprise.
 
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Well i have to admit that i'm both excited and scared like many others have pointed already Berserk without Miura isnt Berserk and i do think that maybe they should separate the Miura's version from this continuation, but i many to put my hopes in Kouji, after all he was Miura's friend and from his message it seems he wants to do this as a way to honour his friend, he say it himself is not gonna be perfect but is the best we are going to get, who would have tought that Berserk or even Guts major struggle would be to continue without his creator.

On other topic: i dont know if i'm double posting (i hate to use my phone to post replies) so in case i did i apologice and please remove the post, thanks.
 
For those that don't know me too well...this series is everything to me. It quite literally saved my life. I've been reading it since I was 8. Never mind that I think its the best piece of fiction I've ever experienced...I love it with all my heart and soul. When Miura died I felt like a part of me died with him

I've been up all night crying tears of joy. This means so much to me. I know they'll do a great job. It's his best friend and his own studio of artists who he personally trained. Whatever happens I will support it 100% and I am so grateful for this
 
Knowing how Berserk ends has been a goal in my life since about 2010, around the time they got to the Fantasia arc. I definitely don't see howo this will do dishonor to Miura's legacy. Even if it isn't on par, they will definitely try their best, and the story will be roughly intact.
 
I am very happy about this. I always though that 364 ending was too much of a cliffhanger for it to be final so I was always hoping they would announce something like this. I just want to know where things will be going from here and I 100% trust Miuras assistant because obviously Miura trusted him aswell.
 
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I'm glad they're doing this. I can understand why people might be skeptical and I agree that it might not fully work out. I do think they've earned the right to at the very least try, and Mori is both accomplished in his own right and was a personal friend of Miura. Even if it doesn't reach the same heights I think it will be at the very least a decent conclusion.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
I am actually very happy about this. I always though that 364 ending was too much of a cliffhanger for it to be final so I was always hoping they would announce something like this. I just want to know where things will be going from here and I 100% trust Miuras assistant because obviously Miura trusted him aswell.

Just to be clear, Miura had six assistants when he passed away, up from four, with the majority mainly working on Dur-An-Ki. They are probably all still working on this project. What's more important however is that it's supervised by Kouji Mori's, Kentarou Miura's best friend and fellow mangaka.
 

scroto

Mmm....You don't say?
In my opinion, this is the best possible scenario for a continuation. Studio Gaga staff retention and Mori leading the storyline will produce more Berserk and it will always be divisive amongst long time readers. You can't please everyone no matter how good the setup is. I'm cautiously optimistic it will be a satisfying continuation. I can't imagine any other team having a better chance at possibly fulfilling the hopes and wishes of literally millions of Berserk fans that have had a million wild theories over the last year since Miura's passing. Right now my big take away is that Its better than nothing. For the people in the back, let me state it again. It's better than nothing! Until this morning, my belief was that 364 would be the very last episode and there would be nothing more. I wish them the best of luck in this endeavor!
 
I have a question for you guys that I do think warrants some pondering. If you could, based on all your long years and experience as a reader of berserk, tell the new people helming the series something to guide them and stay on a path you believe to be the right one (or as close to right as they can, considering Miura's passing) for Berserk, what would it be?
 
I have a question for you guys that I do think warrants some pondering. If you could, based on all your long years and experience as a reader of berserk, tell the new people helming the series something to guide them and stay on a path you believe to be the right one (or as close to right as they can, considering Miura's passing) for Berserk, what would it be?
I doubt any of us could say anything to Koji Mori that he doesn't know already. In fact he likely knows much more about the manga than we do or ever will. But if I were to say anything I'd say what their message said, which is to make decisions based on if "Mr. Miura said so".
 
Woke up and yep, its not a fever dream. Its actually happening!

I wouldn't doubt that the decision to continue on was made a shortly after Mr. Miuras passing but was kept secret. I don't see a possible better scenario. Continuing to call it just Berserk is the right move too. Something like Berserk: Legacy, or Berserk X would just invite ideas outside what Miura had visioned. Doubtful the studio will want to do that.

I felt that all the characters I've grown with over the last 20 years I've been reading Berserk died when Mr. Miura died. This at least will give me the chance to know that their stories continued.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I have a question for you guys that I do think warrants some pondering. If you could, based on all your long years and experience as a reader of berserk, tell the new people helming the series something to guide them and stay on a path you believe to be the right one (or as close to right as they can, considering Miura's passing) for Berserk, what would it be?

Mori's mission statement was pretty much it, which is encouraging. At the same time, it's kind of like someone telling you how they'd theoretically do the impossible in a credible sounding way... it's still a lot easier said than done! The proof will be in the pudding, they can go in with the best intentions and everything can just look and feel completely off about the art and story, OR, it could be ok, acceptable, and best case, feel authentic, like we're being given genuine information from Miura via an intermediary. We'll see, it's a tall order, and I'll be reading with that in mind. I won't be expecting it to be seamless, but I also won't stick my head in the sand and give a thumbs up if it's just not cutting it. Part of me can't even believe I'm discussing this and wishes I wasn't. This better be good.


"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it’s that you can [continue the life's work of] anyone."
 

Kompozinaut

Sylph Sword
This is both extremely exciting and nerve wracking. Shortly after Miura's passing I had decided that they only way I would be happy with a continuation would be if Miura's close friends and contemporaries worked on the series. Nothing else would suffice. So on one hand I'm happy that Mori is taking the reigns, but on the other, I had already resigned myself to an incomplete--albeit "pure"--story and left the rest to my imagination. I'm very conflicted on this news.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Continuing to call it just Berserk is the right move too. Something like Berserk: Legacy, or Berserk X would just invite ideas outside what Miura had visioned. Doubtful the studio will want to do that.

I don't see how adding a subtitle would invite "outside ideas" any more than the current project does. It just depends on the people involved. The truth of the matter is that this is going to be something other than what Berserk has been so far. Differentiating it that way would merely make it easier for people to understand. Either way it won't change the end result.
 
Mori's mission statement was pretty much it, which is encouraging. At the same time, it's kind of like someone telling you how they'd theoretically do the impossible in a credible sounding way... it's still a lot easier said than done! The proof will be in the pudding, they can go in with the best intentions and everything can just look and feel completely off about the art and story, OR, it could be ok, acceptable, and best case, feel authentic, like we're being given genuine information from Miura via an intermediary. We'll see, it's a tall order, and I'll be reading with that in mind. I won't be expecting it to be seamless, but I also won't stick my head in the sand and give a thumbs up if it's just not cutting it. Part of me can't even believe I'm discussing this and wishes I wasn't. This better be good.



"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it’s that you can [continue the life's work of] anyone."
I have to be honest, when I first heard these news my first thought wasn't excitement. It gave me an overwhelmingly nauseous and fearful feeling. But all the positiveness I have for it, is that Koji Mori seems to be the main person involved in it's direction. That does not mean it will be any good or even not terrible but I trust his intentions and think that something that is done out of love for such a dear friend can never be a terrible mistake and without some sort of merit.
 
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