Returning old member

Franz

It's a dolphin.
Hung around from 2003-2006 reading the scans from Skullknight and Band of the Hawk (RIP?), eventually started buying the Dark Horse releases to support Berserk stateside and to have physical copies. Somewhere along volume 27 I tapped out, either because Dark Horse hadn't released further, or I just grew out of it.


I always remained a fan of the series and checked in over the years to see if it was (hopefully) finished so that I could buy up and close out. I gotta say...still pretty bummed it's ongoing only because it's hard for me to stay vested for decades especially when an author has a leisurely pace. Within the past few months I saw Berserk on Netflix, took a peek, and got excited with the show opening featuring characters from the Conviction Arc. Naturally I was disappointed at the outcome. I've only seen clips of the 2016 anime and understand why it's considered shitty, but I'm still curious to see how the manga is interpreted.


So now my interest has been reignited and I return, rapidly approaching volume 39 and likely to lurk here. :carcus:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
That avatar, I'll never forget. :ubik:

The breaks definitely aren't for everyone, but I've long since made my peace with them. The only somewhat annoying element to me as a fan is the "not knowing" factor. I understand that breaks need to happen for Miura to create the series as the pace he prefers, but I'd prefer a more predictable schedule, even if it's comparably slim (9 releases a year / 1 volume a year). Maybe we'll get there soon enough.

I've only seen clips of the 2016 anime and understand why it's considered shitty, but I'm still curious to see how the manga is interpreted.

If you mean how the manga is perceived, I think those of us who remain are pretty psyched about where the series is and will shortly be headed. The past 3 years have included Miura delivering some of the longest running promises. And as we pass those milestones, the future is ripe with possibilities. He's likely setting the stage for the foundation of the series conclusion. So yeah, it's a pretty exciting time to be a Berserk fan, I think.

BTW: What did you think of how Xenosaga ended up, and did you ever jump into Xenoblade Chronicles 2?
 

Franz

It's a dolphin.
I should have clarified — As long as there's some general end in sight, or rough outline planned, I'm okay with breaks. I typically dislike it when authors, showrunners, etc just mindlessly wander and cash in on the hype. A general plotline shows that you've taken consideration in making your stories count. I have the same worries with The Walking Dead graphic novels too. I'm glad to hear that Miura's possibly got it set up for conclusion. When I wiki'd the past release schedule it looked rather grim, never mind the note about how one of his big inspirations ran 100+ volumes.

I thought I'd check out the SK podcast as I struggled w/my account info the other day, but tapped out about 3/4 through for fear of any big spoilers. Glad to see you and SK are going strong.

Walter said:
BTW: What did you think of how Xenosaga ended up, and did you ever jump into Xenoblade Chronicles 2?


Well, I'll put it this way: I struggled through Episode 2, never purchased Episode 3. Years later, I'm almost finally through selling my complete Xenogears (which I still love) and Xenosaga merchandise collection. What a waste of money in hindsight! Never even blinked at Xenoblade, though Intangir from Zenosaga.com I believe played through those which he generally liked. I'd be happy to drone on in a PM, haha.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Franz said:
I should have clarified — As long as there's some general end in sight, or rough outline planned, I'm okay with breaks. I typically dislike it when authors, showrunners, etc just mindlessly wander and cash in on the hype. A general plotline shows that you've taken consideration in making your stories count. I have the same worries with The Walking Dead graphic novels too. I'm glad to hear that Miura's possibly got it set up for conclusion.

We're of the same mind. Once a show diverts its natural trajectory because it suddenly experiences a season 2-3 ratings bump (LOST), it's all downhill from there. I've never gotten the sense Berserk did that though. Walking Dead, I was way into the comics until around 100 or so. Don't give 2 shits about the show (I don't like their version of Rick). I just lost interest when it became pretty clear to me that the writer seemed attached at the hip to the show, and the writing for the comic seems to have suffered since then.

When I wiki'd the past release schedule it looked rather grim,

For reference, I maintain a release schedule for the past 20 years. It's simple, and not pretty, but it's easy to digest the whole history of the series' breaks at a glance: http://www.skullknight.net/release

never mind the note about how one of his big inspirations ran 100+ volumes.

I tend to think Berserk's Guin Saga inspiration comes from its fantasy stylings (it's a western-fantasy written by an easterner), not necessarily the series' sheer length. Also, Guin Saga is first and foremost a novel, not a manga, so there's not a good 1:1 between it and Berserk in regards to length.

I thought I'd check out the SK podcast as I struggled w/my account info the other day, but tapped out about 3/4 through for fear of any big spoilers. Glad to see you and SK are going strong.

Thanks! Yeah we dont hold back on spoilers, so you may as well catch up and then plow through.

Well, I'll put it this way: I struggled through Episode 2, never purchased Episode 3. Years later, I'm almost finally through selling my complete Xenogears (which I still love) and Xenosaga merchandise collection. What a waste of money in hindsight! Never even blinked at Xenoblade, though Intangir from Zenosaga.com I believe played through those which he generally liked. I'd be happy to drone on in a PM, haha.

HA! You think you can escape a public conversation about Xenogears on my forum?! :ganishka: Xenogears is still my favorite story in a game. There are things that game does that few if any have ever attempted (a story spanning thousands of years, and for central characters, centuries). I was excited about Xenosaga's release, but by the time I had a chance to play it, I really didn't enjoy it. I dropped out halfway through 2, and based on that experience skipped everything until Xenosaga Chronicles 2, after I read some good things. That game is alright. It has more in common with Monster Hunter than Xenogears ... but it's alright!

Forgive an old man dwelling on the past, (run along, young'uns!) ... but to this day, I maintain that Xenogears should have been a manga or an anime, because the story is what carries the game. It'd have reached a more appropriate audience, had staying power (it's tough to convince people to play a 100h+ PS1 game these days), and the gameplay always held that game back rather than lifted it up. I would bet that Takahashi made it a game because that was the professional medium he worked within, so that's where his story ideas would naturally be realized. Also, Square was riding a wave back then post FF7 and seemed to greenlight everything, whether it made sense or not :ubik:
 

Franz

It's a dolphin.
Walter said:
Yeah, LOST was in particular what I was referencing. Once they set the number of seasons they really got back on track. Same disease has spread to The Venture Brothers.

Walter said:
For reference, I maintain a release schedule for the past 20 years. It's simple, and not pretty, but it's easy to digest the whole history of the series' breaks at a glance: http://www.skullknight.net/release

Aha, that's where I saw it! Yeah, that barren 2013 is quite scary.


Walter said:

Lots of Xeno stuff
You've nailed it - the story is what kept me coming back after the fighting style hooked me in. Replayed the hell out of that game (and dove in head-first with the merch, what a pain in the ass importing), especially once PSX emulation made the game run quickly, smoothly, and beautifully. Amazing what a decent video card did for the game textures.

But yeah, with a hugely in-depth history, a manga would definitely have worked. For that same reason is why Xenosaga blew. They stretched the very first chapter into 3 games and diverged from the things you loved in Xenogears. I'm relatively sure I did finish Episode 2, but the standard monster battles lasted fucking forever that it was a huge chore.
 

Fancypantaloons

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
Welcome back Franz! Good to see old members of the forum coming back, so I can get to know them through their comments!
 

Franz

It's a dolphin.
Fancypantaloons said:
Welcome back Franz! Good to see old members of the forum coming back, so I can get to know them through their comments!


As long as you don't look at my old comments, yeesh. (#douche) And thanks!
 

Fancypantaloons

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
Franz said:
As long as you don't look at my old comments, yeesh. (#douche) And thanks!

That happens. I found some old forums where I used to "hang around" back in 2009 and, damn! I was a childish asshole! It's a weird moment in life but I guess that's advancing. I guess it would be wrong to look back at those old comments and say "ha! I was and still am awesome", at least mine comments. :ganishka:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Fancypantaloons said:
I found some old forums where I used to "hang around" back in 2009 and, damn! I was a childish asshole! It's a weird moment in life but I guess that's advancing. I guess it would be wrong to look back at those old comments and say "ha! I was and still am awesome", at least mine comments. :ganishka:

People regret their past Internet behavior!? :isidro: As even-keeled as I now strive to be, I kind if miss the old spark, really. Better to be brash than boring, maybe. :guts:
 

Fancypantaloons

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
Griffith said:
People regret their past Internet behavior!? :isidro: As even-keeled as I now strive to be, I kind if miss the old spark, really. Better to be brash than boring, maybe. :guts:

Well, I really was an asshole, I could not stand myself from those years. But hey! Now I'm fine.... :carcus:
 

Franz

It's a dolphin.
I wouldn't say I was a dick. I just used expressions and replied to things that in hindsight are cringy or sounded off about shit that I literally could not give two fucks about now.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Franz said:
I wouldn't say I was a dick. I just used expressions and replied to things that in hindsight are cringy or sounded off about shit that I literally could not give two fucks about now.

It's hard for me to look back at older threads, for sure. But I can still remember the excitement of those times, so I can't say I REGRET any of my particular stances. Usually I just chuckle :void: and sometimes I surprise myself for being clear-thinking even when I was just a kid. So it's not all bad.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
You've always been pretty even-keeled, at least verbally. Like instead of bothering with the protracted pissing contest you'd wisely disengage, or if that option wasn't accepted... eliminate the problem. :carcus:

It used to take Aaz and I days of embarrassing quote posts to reach the same conclusion. :mozgus:
 
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