New interview with Mori about Miura, Berserk and more

[Vitris]

【連載】中山淳雄の「推しもオタクもグローバル」第80回 『ベルセルク』継承-高校時代以来の無二の親友三浦建太郎、その意思を継ぐ漫画家森恒二 | gamebiz

白泉社ヤングアニマルで連載中の『ベルセルク』、その壮大なファンタジー物語は42巻合計で6000万部(以下続刊)、『ハイキュー!!』に次いで歴代漫画コミックスで売上部数34位という位置にある。白泉社としては青年向けコミックス歴代No.1の販売数作品であり、まさに物語が終局に向かおうという段階で33年にわたって連載を続けてきた三浦建太郎氏が、志半ばに逝去したのが2021年の話だった。訃報から1年、作…

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A couple of things that I could gather from a rough translation:

1) he has a rough idea of how many years and volumes it will take to finish the project

2) Miura still had to decide some things about the story, and he's struggling every day trying to understand how to fill certain gaps; he brings the episode that he's currently discussing about with Studio Gaga as an example. Both Mori and the interviewer compare this to deciphering the Bible

3) people often complain on Twitter about him because they think he'll add whatever he wants in the manga, but he says that this is impossible because he wouldn't be capable to draw nor write Berserk.

 

[Patrick]

If he thinks that it's impossible for him to write Berserk then he really should have just given us a bullet point list of what's left for the story.

Not the stupid shit he's been putting in the manga. All it's doing is just ruining the series legacy.

 

[guuuuuuuuts]

This part jumps out at me:

The final stage is really amazing. There is still a lot of difficulties, and there was a place where Miura was not decided. It is better not to put it in... the talkative episode.

 

[Arthur]

Studio Gaga probably just used his name to slap legitimacy onto the "continuation" because he was... Miura's best friend! And he's an established mangaka! But he's not actually working on the continuation. It's just a glorified consultant position. He seems to be stern about not adding anything in that he doesn't remember from Miura. SG are already filling in the gaps without a proper examination of the previous material, and outstretching the parts that don't need to be stretched.

What a shitshow. I'm seriously not ready for how much worse it could get.

 

[Vitris]

There is still a lot of difficulties, and there was a place where Miura was not decided. It is better not to put it in... the talkative episode.

I don't think he's talking about only one particular element or episode, but multiple ones. My translation mentiones "multiple areas where Miura still hadn't decided", but I could be wrong since he does briefly mention a particular episode. But even Miura himself said that he still had to finalize multiple details about the plot's future in his last interview.

Studio Gaga probably just used his name to slap legitimacy onto the "continuation" because he was... Miura's best friend! And he's an established mangaka! But he's not actually working on the continuation. It's just a glorified consultant position. He seems to be stern about not adding anything in that he doesn't remember from Miura. SG are already filling in the gaps without a proper examination of the previous material, and outstretching the parts that don't need to be stretched.

I'm really confused as to what exactly their process of writing is and how much Mori is really involved. Sometimes he talks like he has no saying in what SG is doing because he feels like he's already done his job by simply telling them how the story would've gone, and sometimes he talks as if he's working as hard as he can trying to decipher what Miura would've done.

 

[Goat]

I'll be waiting for a proper translation. But...

2) Miura still had to decide some things about the story, and he's struggling every day trying to understand how to fill certain gaps; he brings the episode that he's currently discussing about with Studio Gaga as an example. Both Mori and the interviewer compare this to deciphering the Bible

...to me, this sounds scary to say the least.

 

[Domeniko]

he had 2 choices:
let berserk end with 364
or
release the rest of what he knows to the public as a sort of exhibition type deal like vagabond
he chose the third and worst possible choice which wasnt even a choice: continue in manga form but not actually because he only supervises it he doesnt actually do anything except tell them bits he knows from miura...ontop of that the suits actually dictate when it releases and how it releases they probably also have their hands deep inside the project controlling it, its not a good work condition

 

[Aazealh]

I saw that interview yesterday, and I have to say it was not a pleasant read.

As time has passed and Mori has done more and more of them, it's become hard to shake the feeling that he's not very reliable. Even beyond his involvement with the Continuation, it often feels to me that he's self-aggrandizing and recounting events imprecisely, yet in a way that feels voyeuristic. He also makes assertions that seem to come down to his opinion. It's almost like he's still trying to compete with his deceased friend instead of upholding his memory. I guess part of that might be rooted in a desire to establish his legitimacy as the figurehead of the Continuation, but it's unseemly.

Anyway, what I found notable about the project:

- Mori emphasizes that taking part in the Continuation was necessary for him to overcome his grief and be able to draw his own manga again. Says he's doing it for himself as much as for Miura.
Sounds touching, but it also casts a a new light on his motivations. What was best for him isn't necessarily what was best for the series.

- Mori's got an idea of how long it'll take to complete the project, and how many volumes it'll be.
This is similar to what he had said in a previous interview, that "it wouldn't take 10 years". But given how they've slowed the story to a crawl recently, this means little in my opinion. I wish he'd either give concrete numbers or stop talking about it.

- Mori admits that with only what he knows, the story doesn't make sense. So the people involved in the project (I'm guessing him, the editor and Kurosaki) speculate together to "strengthen" the "original work".
This won't surprise anyone who's read my posts on each episode. It's plain to see that they're making things up and minsinterpreting a bunch of stuff. It's good of Mori to admit it, even though I doubt he'd be willing to reveal just to what extent they're doing it. But it's clear at this point that his original promise when the project started is moot ("I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about. I will not flesh it out. I will not write episodes that I don’t remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me.").

- Mori says it's "hard to fill the void left by Miura".
The understatement of the millennium.

- Mori says that he could never create or draw Berserk with what abilities he has, and then specifies that "[Creating] SF is a special skill".
As if the fantasy setting was the problem. Talk about being deluded. Maybe he was misquoted?

- Regarding the final part of the story, "there are still many difficult questions to solve, and there are things on which Miura had not yet made up his mind." Mori says he's racking his brain every day trying to figure out whether to include them or not and how to connect them to the current part of the story they're discussing.
So much for "knowing everything up to the end". This is again just a confirmation of what we already knew from all the inconsistencies. I appreciate his honesty on the matter, but it really makes me wonder why this project was greenlit. He should have stuck to his original idea and done an illustrated summary.

 

[Vitris]

- Mori admits that with only what he knows, the story doesn't make sense. So the people involved in the project (I'm guessing him, the editor and Kurosaki) speculate together to "strengthen" the "original work".
This won't surprise anyone who's read my posts on each episode. It's plain to see that they're making things up and minsinterpreting a bunch of stuff. It's good of Mori to admit it, even though I doubt he'd be willing to reveal just to what extent they're doing it. But it's clear at this point that his original promise when the project started is moot ("I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about. I will not flesh it out. I will not write episodes that I don’t remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me.").

- Regarding the final part of the story, "there are still many difficult questions to solve, and there are things on which Miura had not yet made up his mind." Mori says he's racking his brain every day trying to figure out whether to include them or not and how to connect them to the current part of the story they're discussing.
So much for "knowing everything up to the end". This is again just a confirmation of what we already knew from all the inconsistencies. I appreciate his honesty on the matter, but it really makes me wonder why this project was greenlit. He should have stuck to his original idea and done an illustrated summary.

This makes me wonder: is there any real reson for this forum as a whole to keep reading this "continuation" anymore? I know that we're all trying to extrapolate what little is left of Miura's ideas, but it's becoming more and more unrealistic as more episodes come out, and it will be even worse if Mori decides to outright not include things that Miura still hadn't made up his mind about.

 

[Domeniko]

Berserk continuation feels like an unnecessary sequel, something forced, in order to reap the benefits that come with it. Passionless project, but I can't say they aren't trying, they just might not be the right fit to take the helm

 

[Scott Rugeles]

Berserk continuation feels like an unnecessary sequel, something forced, in order to reap the benefits that come with it. Passionless project, but I can't say they aren't trying, they just might not be the right fit to take the helm

If there is no-one who knows what Miura had in mind, is anybody really the right fit to continue Berserk?

 

[Goat]

Anyway, interview after interview, I understand less and less how the creative process that leads to the episode's creation is practically conducted.

 

[Aazealh]

This makes me wonder: is there any real reson for this forum as a whole to keep reading this "continuation" anymore? I know that we're all trying to extrapolate what little is left of Miura's ideas, but it's becoming more and more unrealistic as more episodes come out, and it will be even worse if Mori decides to outright not include things that Miura still hadn't made up his mind about.

Well... That's up to each individual I think. I wouldn't blame anyone who told me they weren't going to read it anymore. In fact I know of several people who did stop. But at the same time, as a Berserk-focused community we can't just pretend it doesn't exist, that would be ridiculous. So we have to address it, but be clear-sighted about what it is and isn't.

It's a difficult position to be in. Personally I've settled on trying to methodically point out the main problems with each new episode. It's not a fun thing to do, but it feels useful as a way to put those developments in perspective. I think people should also stay mindful of the fact the continuation is different from Miura's Berserk, since Hakusensha chose not to differentiate them.

Anyway, one fact I want to point out is that they omitted things right from the beginning. Look how they expedited the island's demise and immediately wrote off anyone associated with it. Given how many things Miura had been setting up for it (right until the end!), there's simply no way he planned for it to go like that.

 

[Parkus]

Here I was trying to cling to some hope, something to support the continuation, just to see this pop up, at least we see now why the episodes apart of the continuation are the way they are

 

[Vitris]

I think people should also stay mindful of the fact the continuation is different from Miura's Berserk, since Hakusensha chose not to differentiate them.

Well, at least we can say that almost everyone in this forum has already differentiated one from the other, and it's not like Mori and Studio Gaga are making it hard to do so.

 

[Patrick]

This makes me wonder: is there any real reson for this forum as a whole to keep reading this "continuation" anymore? I know that we're all trying to extrapolate what little is left of Miura's ideas, but it's becoming more and more unrealistic as more episodes come out, and it will be even worse if Mori decides to outright not include things that Miura still hadn't made up his mind about.

There isn't. I dropped this manga at episode 373 and still haven't read episode 374 nor episode 375.

The shit Mori and Studio Gaga have been making isn't Berserk, and I refuse to acknowledge it as Berserk.

 

[cijhho123]

It's almost like he's still trying to compete with his deceased friend instead of upholding his memory.

I thought exactly the same, Mori's recent interview ranges from "Miura and I were like twins" to "We are mangaka-rivals to the very end!" - I just don't know how to feel about this knowing he's directing the continuation...

I personally read episode 375 only yesterday, which is the first time I've ever waited more than a day to read the newest release, and even when I finally got to reading it I just felt empty, I will continue to financially support the manga out of my love to Berserk and Miura, but reading it is simply hollow now.

 

[Walter]

A small but noteworthy detail about this interview is that it was timed with the release of Mori’s latest volume (D. Diver #1). And while his friendship with Miura is a natural topic to bring up in an interview (they'd be remiss if they didn't ask about him), it was very uncomfortable to me how Mori went into details about Miura's life that he never shared before. I can't see any way around the fact that he is leveraging his relationship with Miura to promote his new book.

And all of that is part-and-parcel with the fact that Miura and Mori were lifelong friends, and they each knew each other very well. He clearly has a lot of memories that fans would like to know, right? So for a Berserk fan it makes this very difficult to read.

 

[Arthur]

I'm really confused as to what exactly their process of writing is and how much Mori is really involved. Sometimes he talks like he has no saying in what SG is doing because he feels like he's already done his job by simply telling them how the story would've gone, and sometimes he talks as if he's working as hard as he can trying to decipher that Miura would've done.

This is speculation from my part but I think he was probably forced into that "consultant position" by the higher ups at Studio Gaga. From the way he talks, it doesn't seem like he ever wanted to be involved in the project. Weren't they the ones who approached him first?

 

[Aazealh]

This is speculation from my part but I think he was probably forced into that "consultant position" by the higher ups at Studio Gaga. From the way he talks, it doesn't seem like he ever wanted to be involved in the project. Weren't they the ones who approached him first?

That's not how he presents it... He's always said the assistants asked him to let them continue the series, and because he was impressed by the way they finished episode 364, he decided to do it like that. In his version of events, Akira Shimada from Hakusensha simply offered full support. Maybe there was more to it than that, but he's never said so publicly at least.

And just to clarify, there's no "higher-ups" at Studio Gaga. It was originally Miura's company, "Gaga" literally meaning "my drawing" in Japanese. He must have set it up because he needed/wanted a legal structure to employ his assistants. Since he passed away it's just become synonymous with the assistants themselves, but they're not the ones calling the shots. It's Hakusensha that does, as the publisher, through its label Young Animal Comics. That's the company both "Studio Gaga" and Mori answer to.

 

[Arthur]

That's not how he presents it... He's always said the assistants asked him to let them continue the series, and because he was impressed by the way they finished episode 364, he decided to do it like that. In his version of events, Akira Shimada from Hakusensha simply offered full support. Maybe there was more to it than that, but he's never said so publicly at least.

And just to clarify, there's no "higher-ups" at Studio Gaga. It was originally Miura's company, "Gaga" literally meaning "my drawing" in Japanese. He must have set it up because he needed/wanted a legal structure to employ his assistants. Since he passed away it's just become synonymous with the assistants themselves, but they're not the ones calling the shots. It's Hakusensha that does, as the publisher, through its label Young Animal Comics. That's the company both "Studio Gaga" and Mori answer to.

Oh I got all the facts wrong, I meant Hakusensha... but yeah I can't really make sense of their writing process and creative decisions. I've seen better continuations than whatever they're trying to do here.

 

[eid]

I would've prefered if a summarized list of plot points Mori knew about was made and published in a book or in an exhibition art.
That way, at least, I would've enjoyed watching, reading and listening to dozens of fan theories stitching them up and hearing every diffirent individual theory and interpretation.

 

[A.C]

――:いつも、森さんと三浦さんで寸劇をしながら話のシミュレーションをしていたと聞きました。あのアクションシーンもやっぱり共同で決めていくんですか?

はい、ガッツの剣戟は基本的に僕がバーベルの10Kgシャフトを使ってシミュレーションした結果です。グリフィスに雪山で戦闘するときも、ガッツは踏み込みが基本3メートルで、すごい頑張って4メートルなんです(三浦がやると2メートルだったんですが笑)。20年以上前から設定は明確に決まっていました。

妖精塔が崩落するときもキャスカを連れてグリフィスが飛び去るシーンを三浦がやって、僕が奪われたガッツ役です。三浦が飛び立つシーンを演じて、僕が倒れ込んで剣に身体をもたれかかるシーンをやる。ドラゴン殺し(ガッツの大剣)もここでは縦じゃなくて横に倒れるな、とか。

This part, does it say that Mori and Miura used to simulate/enact important scenes from Berserk by doing skits, and that Miura and Mori simulated/enacted the scene where Griffith takes off with Casca when the island collapses, leaving Guts leaning against his sword, with Miura playing the part of Griffith and Mori the part of Guts? If so, does that mean that they had time to do a skit/simulation of this before Miura died or is there some nuance getting lost in machine translation that Mori simulated it himself in his mind after Miura's death or something? If the former (i.e. they actually did a skit of it while Miura was still alive) then that would confirm that the collapse of the island was going to happen, and happen pretty soon in the story.

 

[Aazealh]

This part, does it say that Mori and Miura used to simulate/enact important scenes from Berserk by doing skits, and that Miura and Mori simulated/enacted the scene where Griffith takes off with Casca when the island collapses, leaving Guts leaning against his sword, with Miura playing the part of Griffith and Mori the part of Guts? If so, does that mean that they had time to do a skit/simulation of this before Miura died or is there some nuance getting lost in machine translation that Mori simulated it himself in his mind after Miura's death or something? If the former (i.e. they actually did a skit of it while Miura was still alive) then that would confirm that the collapse of the island was going to happen, and happen pretty soon in the story.

The important part in that segment is that Mori is talking about things that happened "over 20 years ago". It means they enacted that scene of Griffith leaving with Casca back when Miura first created the outline for the entire story.

Mori only mentions the island's destruction (notably, the interviewer didn't get what he meant and wrote "tower" instead because the words sound the same) as a way to situate when it happens because he's talking about the Golden Age a sentence before. So I don't think it confirms anything in that regard. What it does suggest, however, is that the way the scene is portrayed in the Continuation is based on that original concept from the 90s and not necessarily on Miura's recent, final plans for how it would go.

 

[guuuuuuuuts]

This makes me wonder: is there any real reson for this forum as a whole to keep reading this "continuation" anymore? I know that we're all trying to extrapolate what little is left of Miura's ideas, but it's becoming more and more unrealistic as more episodes come out, and it will be even worse if Mori decides to outright not include things that Miura still hadn't made up his mind about.

It would be fantastic to understand the options being considered, especially to think of them apart from the continuation. I really, really hope that bullet point list is released as the series concludes.