Berserk: The Flame Dragon Knight novel

[osamamii]

hello, well today they released two photos:
1- is the cover art for volume 39 ( which is amazing )
2- the other one is for the upcoming novel, and you were right all along guys, it's about Grunbeld.
If Miura alone wrote the story it would have been exciting news for all of us. ( at least that's the case for me )

[Aazealh]

Here's the relevant info for those interested.

「小説 ベルセルク 炎竜の騎士」のタイトルで、北方の小国の守護者・グルンベルドのオリジナルストーリーを書き上げる。三浦による描き下ろしの挿絵も掲載される。

It is, as we feared, about Grunbeld's origin story ("the protector of a small northern country"). The book is written by Makoto Fukami and will feature illustrations by Kentarou Miura.

hello, well today they released two photos:
2- the other one is for the upcoming novel, and you were right all along guys, it's about Grunbeld.
If Miura alone wrote the story it would have been exciting news for all of us. ( at least that's the case for me )

Of course it was about Grunbeld, there was absolutely no doubt that would be the case given the title. Also, the illustration above is nothing new, it was done for the Trading Card Game over 10 years ago. However I do believe that the book will also feature original illustrations.

[jackson_hurley]

Damn it, now I'm gonna have an internal battle whether I should buy this shit or not. I'd do it for the illustrations but other then that... It would be impossible for me to read it for a while. So I hope at least to have new illustrations.. I'll wait a bit and see what it looks like when it comes out.

Thx for the heads up.

[Aazealh]

Damn it, now I'm gonna have an internal battle whether I should buy this shit or not. I'd do it for the illustrations but other then that... It would be impossible for me to read it for a while. So I hope at least to have new illustrations.. I'll wait a bit and see what it looks like when it comes out.

I expect Miura will have briefed Fukami on the key parts of the story, but it's definitely not going to have the level of quality we are used to. The fact Miura provided original illustrations for the backstory also strongly legitimizes it. Therefore, even if we get something in the manga down the line (which could be years from now), this will remain the reference. I can't say that I am satisfied with this turn of events. I almost wish Grunbeld would land at Skellig in episode 351, just so there'd be some sense to this beyond a tie-in with the anime...

And as for whether or not we'll get an official release of the book in English (with the usual mediocre quality we've come to expect), I wouldn't venture myself to make a guess.

[jackson_hurley]

I almost wish Grunbeld would land at Skellig in episode 351, just so there'd be some sense to this beyond a tie-in with the anime...

This, would be great indeed. Though I fear the reason is for the latter. 

And as for whether or not we'll get an official release of the book in English (with the usual mediocre quality we've come to expect), I wouldn't venture myself to make a guess.

Hence my internal conflict. I'll probably get it for the drawings anyway since we all know the art is awesome. 

[NightCrawler]

(...)

I prefer to believe your reasoning, that all this side stuff is fuel for the main thing, but yeah, it ain't pretty, especially for us older fans, that got sucked into the manga on the shoulders of higher quality adaptations. I can't even imagine anyone wanting to read Berserk after watching these latest godawful animations.

[Griffith]

it ain't pretty, especially for us older fans, that got sucked into the manga on the shoulders of higher quality adaptations. I can't even imagine anyone wanting to read Berserk after watching these latest godawful animations.

I can't even watch them and I've been a fan for like 17 years! It's cold comfort that the '97 anime, which also got me into the series, looks a lot better now than it was once regarded when it was just it vs. the manga.

[Aazealh]

This, would be great indeed. Though I fear the reason is for the latter. 

I didn't really mean it in a hopeful way. Like I said earlier in the thread, I read Berserk for its masterful storytelling first and foremost. So I do not want, under any circumstance whatsoever, to see that storytelling be offloaded to someone other than Kentarou Miura. But it's what's going on here. And to me that's the first real, serious blow against Berserk in the fifteen or so years that I've been following the series.

And the fear I expressed early on in this thread is still very tangible: that this isn't a one shot, that it's only the beginning. What's next? The Skull Knight? Zodd? Written by whatever third rate guy is willing to give it a shot? I am not happy about this. To be honest I'm very disappointed. Of course we still don't have many details so there are ways this outlook could change, but I feel like the writing is on the wall. I may be wrong, but I don't believe Miura would have greenlit this book without meaning for it to have some legitimacy.

I'll probably get it for the drawings anyway since we all know the art is awesome. 

Actually I'm curious about that. The official press release says it will have "a lot of illustrations by Miura", but it also calls this a "novelization" and the online shops categorize it as a standard novel and not a "light novel" so far. Makes me wonder what format it will take. Wait and see, I guess.

[jackson_hurley]

Of course, of course. I'm the type to wait a bit and see the results before rushing to get it. Especially when it's not completely done by Miura himself.

But I agree with you. I might not have been into the serie for as long as you, but I'm all down to get my info about the characters I like from the creator himself rather then a sketchy second or third party writer.

And to be honest I'd prefer it in the manga for obvious reasons stated somewhere above.

[Aazealh]

また、39巻の発売と同時に『ベルセルク』初のノベライズ『小説ベルセルク炎竜の騎士』が登場！
新生鷹の団・グルンベルドの物語を深見真(TVアニメ『ベルセルク』シリーズ構成)が書き上げる完全オリジナルストーリー。三浦建太郎描き下ろしイラストも満載！

小説ベルセルク炎竜の騎士
小説：深見真原作：三浦建太郎
B6判・定価：本体780円＋税
6月23日発売白泉社刊

There are some details from the press release (above) that I didn't mention earlier but that I believe are worth posting about.

The book will be in a B6 format, meaning the same size as a volume of the manga. Like I said before, the book has been continuously referred to as a novel (小説) and not a light novel (ライトノベル) so far.
The press release also specifically says the book is a "fully original story by Makoto Fukami". It lists Fukami as author of the book while Miura is credited as the author of the work it's based on.
The announcement does however say that the book will feature numerous illustrations by Miura. How many that actually means is unknown.

[Walter]

The press release also specifically says the book is a "fully original story by Makoto Fukami". It lists Fukami as author of the book while Miura is credited as the author of the work it's based on.

Whew, thanks for looking into that. Suddenly things are not so ambiguous about Miura's level of involvement. Seems like the novel is shaping up to be "based on a panel by Kentarou Miura."

[Tama]

This is unfortunate, hopefully this won't set a precedent for things to come, but like Aazealh said it's a real possibility. I'd be curious to know if the reason for this is because Miura feels he doesn't have enough time presently or in the future, to create these backstories for the side characters. Or if it's more about marketing the anime and other merchandise that's recently come out. Either way I hope at the very least character's like Skull Knight will be in manga form, he's such a important and mysterious figure through out the story and I've always looked forward to seeing it drawn and told solely by Miura.

[Aazealh]

I'd be curious to know if the reason for this is because Miura feels he doesn't have enough time presently or in the future, to create these backstories for the side characters.

Like I said earlier on in the thread, I don't think Grunbeld's backstory would take up too much time for him to tell. In fact, like Walter just mentioned, so far the book sounds like it's based on a single panel from the manga.

[Kaladin]

The illustrations alone will be worth the purchase. From your guys' knowledge, has this Makoto Fukami written anything notable from the past? i guess it doesn't really matter because this will most than likely not get localized.

[MrFlibble]

I'm looking forward to its 2020 translation. So long as the author doesn't make any canon destroying mistakes I don't mind.

And the fear I expressed early on in this thread is still very tangible: that this isn't a one shot, that it's only the beginning. What's next? The Skull Knight? Zodd? Written by whatever third rate guy is willing to give it a shot? I am not happy about this.

The fact that they're starting with Grunbeld and not Zodd I think implies that they're not going to novelize Zodd's origin story, it's likely to just be the elite war demons, Locus, Grunbeld, Rakshas and Irvine.

[Walter]

The fact that they're starting with Grunbeld and not Zodd I think implies that they're not going to novelize Zodd's origin story, it's likely to just be the elite war demons, Locus, Grunbeld, Rakshas and Irvine.

Are you saying that if they were going to do Zodd, they'd have started with him because he's a more popular character? That's not very convincing. They probably don't have every step of this novel plan scripted out. The decision to do Grunbeld first may have been opportunistic. Perhaps Fukami had an idea about Grunbeld's past, because he was the one in charge of the anime script, and he decided to embark on this novel project. Even at this early stage, I think there's a very real possibility of novels for many other characters, including Zodd.

[Sancho]

Are you saying that if they were going to do Zodd, they'd have started with him because he's a more popular character? That's not very convincing. They probably don't have every step of this novel plan scripted out. The decision to do Grunbeld first may have been opportunistic. Perhaps Fukami had an idea about Grunbeld's past, because he was the one in charge of the anime script, and he decided to embark on this novel project. Even at this early stage, I think there's a very real possibility of novels for many other characters, including Zodd.

It's true that there could be other novels after this for other apostles like Locus (let's hope not though), but i doubt it would feature Zodd. He's one of the most iconic character of the series, one of the fated final enemy for Guts, after Griffith, and very likely he's going to die in that last battle. I find hard to imagine that Miura, or anyone at Hakusensha who work as manager or editor for Berserk would allow his backstory to be revealed outside the manga. Let alone Skull Knight. I think we can rest easy for at least both of them.

[Walter]

It's true that there could be other novels after this for other apostles like Locus (let's hope not though), but i doubt it would feature Zodd. He's one of the most iconic character of the series, one of the fated final enemy for Guts, after Griffith, and very likely he's going to die in that last battle. I find hard to imagine that Miura, or anyone at Hakusensha who work as manager or editor for Berserk would allow his backstory to be revealed outside the manga. Let alone Skull Knight. I think we can rest easy for at least both of them.

Let's use a time machine and go back 2 weeks. I find your house and kick down your door and tell you: MARTY!!!!!! Instead of being revealed in the pages of the manga, Grunbeld's backstory would come to light in a novel NOT written by Kentarou Miura, used as a marketing arm to promote the series in the wake of the new anime?

Sounds crazy, right? Who would think that's okay? Well, it's happening, and now there's precedent.

[Aazealh]

So long as the author doesn't make any canon destroying mistakes I don't mind.

So you won't mind if it's just plain mediocre? Hard for me to understand that attitude.

The fact that they're starting with Grunbeld and not Zodd I think implies that they're not going to novelize Zodd's origin story, it's likely to just be the elite war demons, Locus, Grunbeld, Rakshas and Irvine.

It doesn't imply anything. You're straight-up guessing without anything to base it on.

It's true that there could be other novels after this for other apostles like Locus (let's hope not though), but i doubt it would feature Zodd. He's one of the most iconic character of the series, one of the fated final enemy for Guts, after Griffith, and very likely he's going to die in that last battle. I find hard to imagine that Miura, or anyone at Hakusensha who work as manager or editor for Berserk would allow his backstory to be revealed outside the manga. Let alone Skull Knight. I think we can rest easy for at least both of them.

See above. There's no ground for your confidence. Grunbeld isn't an unimportant character. Maybe there won't be another novel after this. Maybe there will be more. And if there are, it's not at all unlikely that they'll be about fan favorites, because that's what sells.

[Eluvei]

The fact Miura provided original illustrations for the backstory also strongly legitimizes it.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but as much as I like seeing new Miura art, I wish they'd just use some of the extremely ugly stills from the new anime series for this thing, and slap a "based on the anime" sticker on the cover.

[Walter]

LONG AGO, IN A NORTHERN COUNTRY... THERE WAS A BOY WITH BRIGHT RED HAIR.

[Aazealh]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but as much as I like seeing new Miura art, I wish they'd just use some of the extremely ugly stills from the new anime series for this thing, and slap a "based on the anime" sticker on the cover.

Same, although my real wish is that it didn't exist to begin with.

[Griffith]

Well, the fact that it is a relatively minor character like Grunbeld, more famous for his position and outsized appearance than anything intrinsically interesting about him (I mean, his fight with Guts confirmed he's kind of a bore), rather than like fucking Zodd, who Miura clearly has a lot invested in, or even someone like Rakshas who has personality galore, gives me relief that this is just some side crap Miura didn't care much about anyway. Otherwise I don't think Miura would have ceded the real estate if he intended to use it. I don't think all Apostles, especially now, need to get an arc. There isn't going to be a Grunbeld chapter focusing on an extended confrontation between him and Guts and their personalities (he had his moment). I think he's closer to cannon fodder than main attraction in the battles to come.

"HO HO HO, WE MEET AGAIN BLACK SWORDSMA*BLAAARRRGGGGLLLE*"

  "Is Zodd around?"

Of course, this could just be wishful thinking, and if this proves a success, a bad precedent in either case (stay tuned for the Berserk: The Night of the Moonlight Knight novel!).

[Aazealh]

Well, the fact that it is a relatively minor character like Grunbeld, more famous for his position and outsized appearance than anything intrinsically interesting about him (I mean, his fight with Guts confirmed he's kind of a bore) [...] I think he's closer to cannon fodder than main attraction in the battles to come.

Wow, you're harsh man! I really like Guts' fight with Grunbeld (including the way Guts calls out his bullshit attitude), and it's obviously an important moment in the story. We're not going to get an entire volume of content about him to be sure, but I don't think their rematch will be over in four panels either, as a side show for something else. I expect it to take place at another memorable time in the story and to not just be a walk in the park. That's sort of what the first confrontation promised as it ended.

You do raise a good point though. Given his screen time and role in the story, would Miura dedicate half an episode to a flashback of Grunbeld's past? Would he spend a page on it? Half a page? One panel? Does he already have an outline of his final fight and has decided there's nothing more to say? One would think so, given this book.

[Tama]

LONG AGO, IN A NORTHERN COUNTRY... THERE WAS A BOY WITH BRIGHT RED HAIR.

Ugh, I'm really glad I stopped watching season 2 after a few episodes. Imagine if that was the image in the book.