Guts and Food

DoM

I'm a llama!
We are not shown many of the crew's meals, but every time we see them eating, Guts is just having a small bowl of soup or very small dishes. This is very surprising considering that someone Guts' size should eat quite a lot to keep in shape, not to say anything about the enormous amount of energy he spends in fighting (and what fighting!).

What do you think about Guts' alimentation during his travels with his companions? Is he undernourished, or do you think he is enjoying feasts off screen? This last point is probable but I would really appreciate a scene with Guts having a real meal commensurate to his size and lifestyle, from time to time.

What are your thoughts about the way the issue of food and feeding in general is dealt with in the Manga?
 

CnC

Ad Oculos
DoM said:
What are your thoughts about the way the issue of food and feeding in general is dealt with in the Manga?

A bit of suspension of disbelief is needed, I think. Unless it's really important to the narrative, things like haircuts or other bodily functions are typically ignored in many of these types of stories. Once you start asking yourself how many calories one can burn wearing all that armor and equipment and being able to swing a huge sword efficiently on a nightly basis you're probably getting a little too hung up on the details.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
CnC said:
things like haircuts or other bodily functions are typically ignored in many of these types of stories.

What about nails?! When does he cut them?! I mean it's not something we do on a regular basis (well okay semi-often but still). :guts:

No offense to you DoM, I just wanted to add a funny bit. :serpico:
 
Oh ya, totally true getting pretty worried now... Haven't seen Guts defecate for like 23 volumes now. Must have some backage up in there. Poor guy's gonna need mad x-lax. Note: just because you don't see them do everyday activities doesn't mean they don't, trust me I think they can manage on their own and I for one prefer not to waste valuable pages on crap, literally.
 

DoM

I'm a llama!
jackson_hurley said:
No offense to you DoM, I just wanted to add a funny bit. :serpico:

Yes it is no problem ;)

Of course I am not saying it is absolutely needed and that the story can't do without it.

However, I think that feeding and managing to get a meal on the table is an important part of everyday life. This is why in my opinion, while not absolutely necessary it would make and interesting add to the general "ambiance" of the series if from time to time a panel or two (just a page for exemple) was be dedicated to it. It would add more "life" to it if the expression makes sense.

Also as I said in my above post : we are shown some of the meals in the manga. But what strikes me is that while we often see Isidro eating to his contentment, we rarely see Guts do it : he always sits back like he is not hungry or have a small bowl of soup.

To sum my thoughts up : I do not want every meal to be shown to us, and I do not think there is a gap in the story because we are not shown them. But when I think about Guts situation, I can't help but feel very hungry for him, considering all the energy he consumes in fights and all. And as feeding is very important in keeping a good physical condition, in my opinion it would be nice to see Guts having a great meal from time to time (or at least once :guts:), which wouldn't cover up the rest of the story since it might be done in just one or two panels ;)
 

Scorpio

Courtesy of Grail's doodling.
DoM said:
This is why in my opinion, while not absolutely necessary it would make and interesting add to the general "ambiance" of the series if from time to time a panel or two (just a page for exemple) was be dedicated to it. It would add more "life" to it if the expression makes sense.

Also as I said in my above post : we are shown some of the meals in the manga. But what strikes me is that while we often see Isidro eating to his contentment, we rarely see Guts do it : he always sits back like he is not hungry or have a small bowl of soup.

To sum my thoughts up : I do not want every meal to be shown to us, and I do not think there is a gap in the story because we are not shown them. But when I think about Guts situation, I can't help but feel very hungry for him, considering all the energy he consumes in fights and all. And as feeding is very important in keeping a good physical condition, in my opinion it would be nice to see Guts having a great meal from time to time (or at least once :guts:), which wouldn't cover up the rest of the story since it might be done in just one or two panels ;)

While I guess it doesn't cover Guts' appetite, there are a lot of references made in the manga about the group as a whole eating things. It's been highlighted on several occasions that Serpico is an accomplished chef, and there are many scenes where various group members are tasting his food- even Guts, when it was required to show that his sense of taste was numbing because of the armor.

So yea, Guts may not be getting the necessary nutrients he would need in real life, one just needs to have some suspension of disbelief (as CnC said). Personally, I would find it tedious if the various characters in Berserk were shown eating average meals instead of getting to the story/action. Just how long do you want Guts and co to stay on the boat, anyway?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
DoM said:
We are not shown many of the crew's meals, but every time we see them eating, Guts is just having a small bowl of soup or very small dishes.

If you look closely, it's usually broth or gravy with meat/vegetables and not just soup.

DoM said:
This is very surprising considering that someone Guts' size should eat quite a lot to keep in shape, not to say anything about the enormous amount of energy he spends in fighting (and what fighting!).

I think that's debatable. Guts has acquired his muscle mass over a lifetime of fighting, and it's directly related to his lifestyle. He's had a harsh life, and frugal meals are part of it. I don't think eating enormous amounts of food is a necessity, all that matters is the nutritional value of what he eats and how his metabolism processes it. Even though it looks small to you, it might very well be enough for him. Besides, he's often if not always seen eating in periods of travel or calm, not right after a taxing battle. Different needs for different situations. People on the road, traveling by foot, aren't going to be feasting every night, that's a given. Futhermore, in a world like the one he lives in, it's unlikely for anybody but nobles living in castles to always have plenty of food available. Some days you eat well, some days you don't. I don't see it as incompatible with his physique.

DoM said:
What do you think about Guts' alimentation during his travels with his companions? Is he undernourished, or do you think he is enjoying feasts off screen? This last point is probable but I would really appreciate a scene with Guts having a real meal commensurate to his size and lifestyle, from time to time.

Well he definitely eats off screen, but it's doubtful he ever gorges himself on food. His stark lifestyle pretty much makes the idea you seem to have of what a "real meal" is void. As for being undernourished, I don't think so, though he's lost weight after the battle at Flora's mansion. There's a reason he doesn't have an ounce of fat though, and that's because his eating habits are most likely quite austere. You also have to consider that in Asia, and particularly Japan (which, as you must know, is renowned both for its food culture and healthy eating habits), it's believed that you should leave the table while not completely satiated in order for the meal to be healthy. The current western conception of what a good meal should be isn't much of a reference.

Anyway, we have actually seen some bigger meals, and some more consistent food, though there wasn't a panel specifically showing Guts stuffing his face full of food. In volume 24, while spending the night at Flora's place, the group ate a nice meal. In an illustration that was featured in the 1998 calendar, we can also see Puck eating cheese and bread out of Guts' bag while he bathes in a pond.
 

DoM

I'm a llama!
You make a very good point.

Indeed Guts life has been harsh from the beginning and his body has been long used to do with what is available.
Nowadays very few people experience this lifestyle and it is hard to evaluate to exactly what extent the human body is capable in that direction (produce great amounts of energy on a daily basis from very small supplies, when it is used to it).

I have seen and read a few articles about Shaolin monks, and they could be a good example. From very early in life they train very hard every day without eating much (their meals consist of rice and vegetables if I remember correctly). With time their body has adapted to the lifestyle, but they are of course not the same size as Guts.

Considering that Guts has from time to time had opportunities to eat well, then it is indeed possible that he has managed to grow larger, and that with his body used to harshness it has managed to keep its shape, even on periods with low supplies. From what we have been shown in the manga though, and from what we know about Guts lifestyle and activities (fighting the ghosts and monsters every night), he must be at the extreme of the human body capabilities in that regard.

Anyway, in my opinion it is always interesting to think and discuss about such questions. Even if it needn't or shoudn't be shown directly in the manga itself, it drives a little apart from the "main plot" and "storyline" to imagine how the characters are living in between story events, with such question as "how and what do they eat? etc.. (yes, even "how and when do they cut their nails and hair!" ;) ), and give the universe a little more life.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
DoM said:
From what we have been shown in the manga though, and from what we know about Guts lifestyle and activities (fighting the ghosts and monsters every night), he must be at the extreme of the human body capabilities in that regard.

Well, he's an exceptional individual in every regard. :guts:

DoM said:
Anyway, in my opinion it is always interesting to think and discuss about such questions. Even if it needn't or shoudn't be shown directly in the manga itself, it drives a little apart from the "main plot" and "storyline" to imagine how the characters are living in between story events, with such question as "how and what do they eat? etc.. (yes, even "how and when do they cut their nails and hair!" ;) ), and give the universe a little more life.

Yes, even though such details are mostly unimportant in stories like Berserk, it's always nice to see small things of the sort here and there.
 
I think he probably eats a lot more than we've been shown. At least pre-eclipse Guts probably wouldn't have a hard time getting as much food as he wanted. The Band of the Hawk weren't poor, they were raiding places all the time. Then afterwards in his Black Swordsman days, I can't see it being hard for a guy with a giant sword and a repeating cross bow to kill a deer or two, and cook it over an open fire. Honestly if he can kill people easily, I can't see him having a hard time hunting. I just think it wasn't shown on screen because lets face it, we'd rather see him killing demons and fighting darkness than watch him kill a deer and stuff his face with food. Kind of like we don't always see puck healing him in detail, we still know it was done.

I mean yeah the series does kind of almost outline every living second of the man's life, but not literally every second, because if it did, the story would drag on way too long. Its already an enormously long and involved story, and its great because of that. The amount of time thats devoted to character development is another one of the things I love about Berserk because you really can get a feeling for these characters, they mean something to you.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Donald Shimoda said:
I think he probably eats a lot more than we've been shown. At least pre-eclipse Guts probably wouldn't have a hard time getting as much food as he wanted. The Band of the Hawk weren't poor, they were raiding places all the time. Then afterwards in his Black Swordsman days, I can't see it being hard for a guy with a giant sword and a repeating cross bow to kill a deer or two, and cook it over an open fire. Honestly if he can kill people easily, I can't see him having a hard time hunting. I just think it wasn't shown on screen because lets face it, we'd rather see him killing demons and fighting darkness than watch him kill a deer and stuff his face with food. Kind of like we don't always see puck healing him in detail, we still know it was done.

I mean yeah the series does kind of almost outline every living second of the man's life, but not literally every second, because if it did, the story would drag on way too long. Its already an enormously long and involved story, and its great because of that. The amount of time thats devoted to character development is another one of the things I love about Berserk because you really can get a feeling for these characters, they mean something to you.
So... basically what Aaz said above your post, only bigger and longer: The American Way.
 
Walter said:
So... basically what Aaz said above your post, only bigger and longer: The American Way.

Well actually our opinions on how much and often he eats are kinda different, we just agree that it'd be tedious to show every meal hes ever eaten.
 

Uriel

This journey isn't ov--AARGH!
CnC said:
A bit of suspension of disbelief is needed, I think. Unless it's really important to the narrative, things like haircuts or other bodily functions are typically ignored in many of these types of stories. Once you start asking yourself how many calories one can burn wearing all that armor and equipment and being able to swing a huge sword efficiently on a nightly basis you're probably getting a little too hung up on the details.

Fully agree.

Yet, for some reason, I've always thought they'd be a period of time where Guts sports a beard.
 

slayer81

Legendary pimp, slayer of evils
CnC said:
Unless it's really important to the narrative, things like haircuts or other bodily functions are typically ignored in many of these types of stories.
Hahaha, I was just wondering to myself the other day about whether or not Guts cut his own hair :guts:
 
A

avidwriter

Guest
slayer81 said:
Hahaha, I was just wondering to myself the other day about whether or not Guts cut his own hair :guts:

One might speculate and I'm sure it has come up before that the brand is somehow to blame. Honestly I don't even think about stuff like that. If Miura doesn't want Guts to get a beard then he doesn't. It doesn't bother me that we don't get to see Guts eat, shave or poop. :ganishka:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
avidwriter said:
One might speculate and I'm sure it has come up before that the brand is somehow to blame.

No, why would anyone think that? He wasn't born with the brand.
 
Manga is for entertainment and I don't think it would be too appealing to show Guts daily routine and personal hygiene.

I know I rather see effort put in elsewhere than in those things in the manga :serpico:.
 

slayer81

Legendary pimp, slayer of evils
avidwriter said:
One might speculate and I'm sure it has come up before that the brand is somehow to blame. Honestly I don't even think about stuff like that. If Miura doesn't want Guts to get a beard then he doesn't. It doesn't bother me that we don't get to see Guts eat, shave or poop. :ganishka:
Nah, just a passing thought that came to me, nothing I obsessed over. Anyone really into the story won't take the unnecessary energy and time to dwell on the "small stuff". The content in the series is too vast to be focused on Guts brushing his teeth.
 
slayer81 said:
Nah, just a passing thought that came to me, nothing I obsessed over. Anyone really into the story won't take the unnecessary energy and time to dwell on the "small stuff". The content in the series is too vast to be focused on Guts brushing his teeth.

Still would be funny, maybe Puck or Evarella will make a passing comment.
 
Although like other basic things we assume he does, it's true that it's not essential to the narrative for us to see. Besides if Miura went out of his way to include these smaller issues, he would need to clone himself now so when he dies, the second Miura would finish the series for us. ;D

Still it'd be nice to see him eat large meals when they do show characters eating. Even if it's trivial, it'd help justify the calories burnt and the heavy structure maintained.
 

KazigluBey

Misanthrōpos
I think a beard might give Guts a more haggard look, something that would fit with his current deteriorating state. Have some gray streaks in it as well.
 

slayer81

Legendary pimp, slayer of evils
KazigluBey said:
I think a beard might give Guts a more haggard look, something that would fit with his current deteriorating state. Have some gray streaks in it as well.

That is true. For instance, should he be captured, or trapped for a given time (Not saying it will happen, but just giving a scenario), it would pretty much be a given that he would have straggly beard, the gray being the visible effects of the Berserk armor. :beast:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
slayer81 said:
he would have straggly beard, the gray being the visible effects of the Berserk armor. :beast:

It only affected a specific patch of his hair, so there's no reason it would result in white streaks in his beard.
 
DoM said:
he always sits back like he is not hungry or have a small bowl of soup.

I always thought that was because he's got other things on his mind...like the fact that his life is a living hell. Depression can definitely affect someone's apetite.
 
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