SkullKast: 103 - The Kentarou Miura Timeline

[Walter]

Episode 103: The Kentarou Miura Timeline (1h 53m)

I gathered the crew all together to see how we're coping with COVID-19. And with no Berserk to feed our hunger, we go through Kentarou Miura's complete history, which you can also explore, too. We cap off this discussion with our thoughts on the current hiatus, and what Duranki could / should / might do for Berserk.

Stay tuned through the end credits for about 20 minutes of game talk: covering Half-Life: Alyx and Doom, mostly.

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[Salty Kenny]

The worst thing about being a Berserk fan, is that we only get a new podcast only so often.

 

[TheWillOfT]

Really missed the podcast and it was a truly nice listen. Really like the layout of the Miura timeline.

Regarding the hiatus i have some thoughts. I feel like Miura is really the type of mangaka that respects his idols and really takes their word to heart so i want to highlight something Tetsuo Hara said to him in an interview: “When you get past 50, your wisdom and experience goes up, so I want you to keep going at it! On the other hand, your body becomes more frail, so don’t think that you can do everything by yourself. Leave it to the guys in their twenties to power through things. Your role should be to guide them.” Miura-sensei has already been drawing Berserk for 27 years. Savouring this message from his idol, Hara-sensei, he felt renewed excitement!''

I think this specific comment and obviously Miuras own consideration eventually pushed him to the direction we are in now. Like you guys said, obviously the main point of the series is to push the new magazine of Young Animal Zero, but i feel like Miura took inspiration and eventually really wants to offload more of his work to his assistants, which brings me to tweet that the assistant wrote recently

杉本英輝 on Twitter

“僕は新人です。 まだアシスタントを始めてから数ヶ月です。 実際にベルセルクの仕事をしたのはほぼ皆無です。 誤解している方いると思うので、訂正させてください。 今までのベルセルクの絵を描いていたのは三浦建太郎先生や上司達であり僕ではありません。 僕はまだ新人です。 絵が下手です。”

twitter.com

He has been there for a few months and has not even touched one Berserk manuscript yet. Miura truly does not even let these guys draw the dust

Basically the big question i have are. How long till Miura eventually starts giving these guys more responsibility?

Based on the natalie.mu interview the only comparison point we have is the Miura sketch and the finished product

In general i like the plan my selfish wish is that Duranki won't end up being a long running series, but how all of this will progress in terms of length, how Berserk is affected long term and workload management is to be seen i guess.

 

[Aazealh]

Basically the big question i have are. How long till Miura eventually starts giving these guys more responsibility?

It's not going to be next month, that's for sure. The process as it was described is something that takes years. It's long term.

In general i like the plan my selfish wish is that Duranki won't end up being a long running series, but how all of this will progress in terms of length, how Berserk is affected long term and workload management is to be seen i guess.

Yeah we got it dude you want Duranki to end this year. If it does though that means this whole plan was a failure, and that's not actually what you want to happen.

 

[Cavalier]

So good to hear you guys again. I really enjoyed the episode and it was great hearing the entire crew assembled. I really enjoy the timeline breakdown and all the bits of information surrounding every release. I enjoyed the hiatus talk as well, and to hear the various views on it. As a newer fan I appreciate the veteran perspective.

I'd love if you guys continued the re-read project. I remember Walter saying it was a very intense process for you all, but I truly miss listening to those brilliant breakdowns.

Berserk has seen an up-tick in popularity on youtube, and while I appreciate their enthusiasm, it just doesnt compare to the fantastic depth of quality of your analysis and just raw impressions of all the many, many great moments.

If you guys do resume the re-read project I'd love to hear more about your own personal reactions to when you first read some of the big moments. Hope you guys are all doing well, and hope to hear you all as soon as you can. Thanks as always guys, top shelf podcast as always

 

[Walter]

I think this specific comment and obviously Miuras own consideration eventually pushed him to the direction we are in now.

I recall that comment too, and while I do know what you mean, you might be deriving too much meaning out of one comment. After all, we've been in hiatuses for quite a while--well before this interview.

So good to hear you guys again. I really enjoyed the episode and it was great hearing the entire crew assembled. I really enjoy the timeline breakdown and all the bits of information surrounding every release. I enjoyed the hiatus talk as well, and to hear the various views on it. As a newer fan I appreciate the veteran perspective.

Thanks!

I'd love if you guys continued the re-read project. I remember Walter saying it was a very intense process for you all, but I truly miss listening to those brilliant breakdowns.

The reason re-read podcasts have been grueling for us is because I try to make them worthwhile for listeners. It would be pretty easy to record a series of us doing page-by-page takes, saying "This is interesting" or "I really like this panel here." But that would be pandering and lazy.

I try to ensure we have something unique to say about each episode we cover. Generating good conversation on new Berserk episodes is child's play, because they are fresh and the back-and-forth is fueled by our genuine excitement. But it's much harder to maintain that level of conversation for a podcast on a full Berserk volume—ostensibly 7-9 times the amount of effort—all on well-worn territory.

I also find that after countless re-reads, I have trouble intuiting the comprehension blind spots of the average reader. What I might find self-explanatory on a page often isn't for many readers, so I have to sort of guess at what falls between "worth explanation" and" too patronizing." And that process is pretty grating for me, because I feel like whatever I choose to say on the podcast, Miura had already communicated it more clearly on the page, with a visual aid!

 

[Cavalier]

Hey Walter thanks for your response bud. As a fellow podcaster I know how much more enjoyable reviewing and analyzing new stuff is as opposed to diving back in well worn territory and bringing something fresh to the table is.

I think what I enjoy most about the re-read is just hearing each of your subjective take on the big moments and you guys all have a unique perspective having spent so much time with the series. You guys do an incredible job of showing the sort of "ripple effect" of the big moments and how they color the moments previous to a big event, and what that moment sets in motion for the story afterwards as well. Its that kind of stuff I dont think anyone but you guys can do.

Overall I just enjoy hearing your own experience with the material, how it struck you emotionally or just your impressions about the meaning and significance of certain moments.

I think the uptick of Berserk content on youtube got me thinking about you guys and just the phenomenal work you do on the show. I remember waiting for the last volume of Berserk to come out and being almost as excited to listen the back catalogue of episodes spoiler-free. Anyway do what makes sense for your show I just miss hearing you guys!

 

[Aazealh]

Thank you for your enthusiam Cavalier, we appreciate it!

 

[DirtiestM]

Great to hear you guys. I've listened to almost all of the episodes (and some of them more than once). Every time I read your comments I hear your voices reading them in my head.

I liked when Griffith was like, "oh wait, Casca's back" and in general when he says something he knows will make Aaz sigh. One of my favorite lines out all the episodes was something from Aaz like, "and then Casca attempted to kill herself because she was tired". I've had a lot of good times listening to the podcast. I hope all of you stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[Oburi]

Great skullcast guys. Aaz talked about something that was floating around in my subconscious. That notion of Miura, with all his skill and mastery dedicated to his life's work, living a somewhat solitary existence which has, in some ways, been a big factor in Berserk's amazing success story wise. Nobody doubts his devotion to Berserk (well serious fans anyway), and the sacrifices he has made in his personal life to achieve maximum artistic output. Another more current example is Quentin Tarantino who recently got married and had been answering questions in many interviews about his 10 and done film making career plan. The idea being that he had already put his personal life on hold for so long so he could devote himself wholeheartedly to making movies and now maybe was the time to close one door and open up another while there was still time left. It's hard to feel impatient about an artists output when you know the sacrifices made and that maybe something is being lost in the artist for the sake of the work.
That's why somewhere in my head I was a little ... curious, i guess is the best word, since Miura has a sublime track record (never ceased to deliver before, why start now), about the development of the Guts/Casca relationship, now that Casca has woken up. Having a love affair fall apart and end in heartbreak like it did after a first date was easy to relate too and something most people understand on personal level. But now that we're in uncharted waters in regards to Guts and Casca, and I don't mean to paint Miura out to be some kind of eunuch hermit monk, but there is some, not much, but perhaps more than ever before, some trepidation about how Miura will develop this massive part of the story, given his own life choices and sacrifices. When he want's to start incorporating naval battles and huge wooden ships sailing over the ocean he would go out and get books and paintings and read the histories and study models and perhaps travel to actual real ships and take notes and sketches to make sure it's of the highest standard that we all know he holds for Berserk. That much is clear just from reading Berserk. But in this new department, one can only get so much from books and films. I'd like to imagine these long breaks are due to Miura "researching" the development of the Gut's and Casca relationship by having one of his own.
"Sorry babe, it was all for Berserk"
"You used me"!
"I used you for art"
I'm kidding of course. It's probably of no concern since like I said before Miura is and has been perfect, always exceeding expectations. Every note is perfect. But when Aaz talked about it here my ears did perk up since it was something that may have crossed my mind leading up to the inevitable reunion between these two that we all knew was coming. Then again, maybe there is no long term relationship blissful happiness for Guts or Casca in the works. Maybe it will be a tragedy to the end. Good can still defeat evil with such great a cost. It's not impossible.