Yes. He ate healthy and exercized regularly. What he suffered is the equivalent of a stroke, but rarer and more lethal. It just happened; one day he was fine, the next he was gone.
Uncertainty about Berserk's future
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Yes. He ate healthy and exercized regularly. What he suffered is the equivalent of a stroke, but rarer and more lethal. It just happened; one day he was fine, the next he was gone.
Well, he was the script supervisor for the 97 anime. It's another instance of Miura involving himself to ensure that it was done right.
These things take a lot of time, years if anything. Most important thing for me is that they choose the most respectful route for Miura and his legacy. What he would have wanted, if he ever left a word in regards to such a possibility is what should be the priority. Have to be patient and look forward to the next thing, which is the Exhibition.
Wasn't he the executive supervisor of the 2016 anime? That one didn't go so great.
Well, we do know Miura was a perfectionist and that when it came to Berserk he did almost everything himself, even at the very end. Based on that, there isn't much of a basis for anyone to speak about the merit of his assistants' work outside of his supervision.
Sorry, but what panel do you mean and how do you know it's their work?
I know for a fact (including a post in this thread that was deleted) that a number of "fans" are rather unkind, selfish and immature. They just want a conclusion to the story so they can mentally check that box and then move on to something else. The quicker the better.
The difference here seems pretty simple. In 1997, he actually talked about his involvement in it. In 2016, he never said anything other than what he contributed (episode 3's scenario). So that title seems to have been more of a marketing decision.
Indeed, he spent time on single pixels. His perfectionism is the reason he is irreplaceable. I would hope that he distanced himself a bit more in duranki to give his assistants a chance to work.
This one, I assumed it was some assistant work, since it requests comments on the panel.
These are casuals that barely got into berserk, I would hardly consider them "fans". The no matter what attitude is sure to end in disaster.
My stance is much simpler. If it was Miura's wish, I would love to see his work continued no matter the flaws. If that was against his wishes, I would be more than happy to appreciate the already great 30+ years worth of work.
Nah, that's a misinterpreted comment. He joked that with digital, he was tempted to zoom in to the point where he'd draw dot by dot, but he didn't really do that.
Hahaha no, absolutely not. That's just a common mention to the readers, it's present in every episode and for every manga published in Young Animal. It's just the address to send fan letters to. There's no meaning to it, and actually I'm pretty sure that specific panel was entirely drawn by Miura with no input from the assistants. I guess maybe I should post some pictures to try to explain what they did exactly, if that helps people understand...
Sure, whatever. But they are vocal about it. The people pestering Young Animal's staff on Twitter (like the link you posted) aren't reasonable, respectful fans.
I would love nothing more than for a cache of hundreds of drawings from Miura's sketchbooks to be published alongside notes that would allow us to piece together what he intended for the remainder of the story. If a truly talended writer could put it down into words faithfully in a series of novels, accompanied by hundreds of perfectly imitated illustrations from Miura's assistants based on said sketches, even better. That's my dream scenario, but it's likely to remain just a dream.
I couldn't possibly condone a "no matter the flaws" approach. It would be a desecration. This is the real risk here, beyond not getting an ending: for Berserk to be sullied.
Oh really now? That is interesting. But doesn't this particular panel feel a bit off? The art besides Casca in the panel feels so weird. It's apparent to me in Gut's arm, there is just no detail. It just felt too different from Miura's usual art.
The link I shared was in no way supporting what these people do. It was just to share a piece of information that I came across.
To elaborate, since I am now the original poster of this thread, I don't necessarily want Berserk to continue or want it to be left as it is, I was just frustrated with the silence from the Young Animal Magazine, although I am not blaming them for said silence either, I'm just impatient at this point.
Well sure, it's got a novel effect on it, meant to show that Casca's hallucinating. It's experimental (meant to evoke charcoal I think?), but if anything that's more proof that Miura did it himself. The assistants weren't given that kind of leeway.
If there was anything left behind by Miura, I’d like (want) to see just that.
I’d probably give a continuation a fair chance but if it’s bad I’d probably lose interest quickly. It’d be important for them to publish it under a different name (so that “Berserk” is clearly finished) and they should explicitly advertise it as another authors fiction, though. Berserk sold way too good to not do anything with it and to keep damage low that’d probably be my favourite solution. Hakusensha is still a business and morals are not always too important with businesses, otherwise they wouldn’t have greenlit the novel in its final state for example. If given a different name, the damage will probably be pretty low as it’d be easy even for casual fans to distinguish between the original and whatever (fan) fiction followed afterwards.
I’d probably give a continuation a fair chance but if it’s bad I’d probably lose interest quickly. It’d be important for them to publish it under a different name (so that “Berserk” is clearly finished) and they should explicitly advertise it as another authors fiction, though. Berserk sold way too good to not do anything with it and to keep damage low that’d probably be my favourite solution. Hakusensha is still a business and morals are not always too important with businesses, otherwise they wouldn’t have greenlit the novel in its final state for example. If given a different name, the damage will probably be pretty low as it’d be easy even for casual fans to distinguish between the original and whatever (fan) fiction followed afterwards.
While many casuals are indeed behaving like they never grew up and have fast-food mentality, unfortunately many longtime "fans" have been selfish and immature as @Aazealh stated. These past few months, social media, facebook, youtube, forums etc. are like a toxic wasteland with dumb zombies, at first I got angry reading comments, now I mostly just sigh and move on
. It's healthier that way
I understand the agony that many feel and I sympathise with them, but the situation I describe above is something else entirely. Sure, it's not all bad, but the offensive ones are loud enough to bum you out, and they hit different.
It's a problem in every fandom, always has been, not just in Berserk's. People should be more understanding and appreciative in general, but it is what it is.
The healthier way is not to read them in the first place.like a toxic wasteland with dumb zombies, at first I got angry reading comments, now I mostly just sigh and move on
Oh, I don't anymore, roughly after the first month I was done. Now if I stumble upon something iffy I mostly skip it.
Even if Miura's assistants really were chomping at the bit to continue the story where it left off and see Berserk to its end, I don't imagine them being willing and able to wait long for Hakusensha to give them the go-ahead. It's been two months since Miura left us and there still hasn't been any word what the series' fate will be. Now, I don't know what the nature of Studio Gaga's employment is/was, but these guys can't sit on their hands forever; unless Hakusensha is writing their checks, they'll need to find work elsewhere sooner or later, assuming they haven't already, and that's potentially going to take them out of the running for any theoretical continuation.
Do you think there is a chance Miura wrote down, or told a close associate, what should be done if for some reason he "couldn't finish" Berserk? My guess is even if this existed, he would have never expected it to be so soon.
I'll mention I am also in the camp that it likely shouldn't go on, beyond a few illustrations. Even the ideal scenario with images and a novelization sounds risky. If you were asked to consult on such a project would you do it?
I did not post in the tribute thread but this has been a tough situation to accept, though I know I am not alone. It has been an existential reminder on good days and downright dejecting on bad days.
I think it's possible, yes. It's not guaranteed at all, but it's possible. And of course he definitely did not expect to die at 54. Reading his interviews from a few years ago, he clearly planned to work for at least 15 more years.
Of course, how could I not. Better me than some other guy. That will never happen though.
Yeah.... I think we all know how you feel...
I agree with a lot of the sentiment and opinions given here. Berserk simply ended, the Griffith post shows that even at this points we've had a partial closure on a lot of themes and stories.
Second, I would wait for a few more months (or a couple of years...) for a response from the publisher. I assume they are being respectful of the situation, but given that Berserk is followed and read by so many people, I think that they will issue some kind of statement about what happens to Berserk now.
Even so, I think that everyone there throughly enjoyed Berserk and has a lot of ideas on how the story could've ended. It's not a replacement, but maybe in the future we could have some kind of thread or open discussion on how we think the story could've ended. No idea will be as good as Miura's of course, but I would be nice knowing what's on everyone's mind. I repeat, even if it's just an attempt, it's no small feat to try and bring a conclusion to Berserk.
I for one, will be reading Berserk periodically, it's just too good a story and I always see new details that I missed in the art, story and the worldbuilding.
Second, I would wait for a few more months (or a couple of years...) for a response from the publisher. I assume they are being respectful of the situation, but given that Berserk is followed and read by so many people, I think that they will issue some kind of statement about what happens to Berserk now.
Even so, I think that everyone there throughly enjoyed Berserk and has a lot of ideas on how the story could've ended. It's not a replacement, but maybe in the future we could have some kind of thread or open discussion on how we think the story could've ended. No idea will be as good as Miura's of course, but I would be nice knowing what's on everyone's mind. I repeat, even if it's just an attempt, it's no small feat to try and bring a conclusion to Berserk.
I for one, will be reading Berserk periodically, it's just too good a story and I always see new details that I missed in the art, story and the worldbuilding.
Ever since I heard about the disappearance of Master Miura, every morning as soon as I wake up I grab my smartphone and wander on the internet hoping to find some news that says that the master is still alive... that it was all a stupid joke, an April Fool's joke extended because it was too funny... or that he ran away for a while, like Hideo Azuma did, faking his death, just to be alone and rest his mind.... All the stupidest and most absurd possibilities just because I can't accept that he's gone... that Guts's gone...
It still hurts a lot and it doesn't go away... like for many of you, Berserk accompanied me throughout my teenage years. Even though he didn't exist, I loved Guts like he was my friend and I suffered with him every time...
Having to accept that I will never know if all Guts's efforts will be rewarded... it hurts even more...
It's no use fooling yourself. As many have said, Miura left no manuscript of the story. Even he didn't know, before he died, how the events would evolve... he waited for the right moment to bring out what he thought was right for the story... and that's exactly why he made Berserk WONDERFUL.
Sorry for the depressing post....
It still hurts a lot and it doesn't go away... like for many of you, Berserk accompanied me throughout my teenage years. Even though he didn't exist, I loved Guts like he was my friend and I suffered with him every time...
Having to accept that I will never know if all Guts's efforts will be rewarded... it hurts even more...
It's no use fooling yourself. As many have said, Miura left no manuscript of the story. Even he didn't know, before he died, how the events would evolve... he waited for the right moment to bring out what he thought was right for the story... and that's exactly why he made Berserk WONDERFUL.
Sorry for the depressing post....
That's about all I'd want as well. Let it be a tribute to Berserk and Miura, since the two are utterly inseparable.
I don't know, I don't see it being much different from when the prototype episode was included in volume 14. Unless Miura was adamantly against it being made more widely available. All I've heard was his reasoning for removing it from the collections being that it set the limits too definitively.
We can take bets if you want.
Publishing the Prototype (a self-contained story) allowed people to see how Berserk matured into its current form.
Episode 83 is something Miura removed from the story, and I don't see why it would be reintroduced out of order.
I'm...quite conflicted on this particular discussion. Very jaded, even. Perhaps that is in large part due to my tendency to love things while they're great before they sell out and are inevitable and quickly ruined. Starting off, I recognize the sheer impossibility of a continuation of any kind from a practical perspective. Regardless of the information, comments, outline, notes, ideas, and so on that Miura left behind, even if said notes were as perfect as the ones left behind by say, author Robert Jordan in the case of the wheel of time series, Berserk simply ceases to be Berserk when it is not created by Miura. Also, given that Miura's style of allowing the story to dictate its own direction, such as in the romance of gut's and casca, any sort of finale or ideas almost certainly isn't as nailed down as in the case of wheels of time so any people attempting a continuation will be working with limited information, even in the best-case scenario.
With that knowledge in mind, and especially as a long-term fan of the series, and as a fan of Miura, it becomes very, very, VERY tempting to write off the idea of continuation in any fashion. Ideally, we'd get a volume 41 and it'd contain any chapters that were unfinished, say if 364 and 365 were at least outlined. As well as a formal release of the notes, ideas, etc so we have at least a small taste of whatever could have been, and calling it quits there for all time.
But then my mind begins to wander. I begin to think about the coldness of the world, and how often it is that things we love are ruined. As die-hard fans of Berserk, we like to sort of pretend that it's our baby. A special thing for us. And at least as it pertains to the communal aspect of things, it absolutely is. Many of my closest friends are berserk die-hards IRL, it's a way we spend time just chatting, and enjoying it as a means of forgetting the troubles of daily life. For that it absolutely is special to me. This is why it's difficult for me to say this, but it is true. As much as Berserk is special to us, it's also true that Berserk is also a product. A product produced for profit. Make no mistake, on Miura's end, it was undoubtedly driven from the perspective of producing incredible art and an incredible story, that came from a passion that was more real than we could ever know.
But that passion...that love, does not change the fact that Berserk was, ultimately, a product produced for profit. A product that was at least in part, owned by individuals apathetic about the intrinsic value of the artistic process. When you awaken to that realization, it starts to become clear how it is that abominations such as the Grunbeld novel, the terrible and unpolished musuo game, or the 2016 anime even came to be. They weren't created out of a desire to create art as was the incentive in the case of the manga proper, they were produced with the aim of financial gain. With that in mind, a great sense of fear begins to instantly set in.
The choice might be made to do this the way some may want it to be done, release volume 41 with the unreleased chapters that likely exist, release the story outline that might exist for the future, and call it a day. But what if that isn't the end? What if Berserk is to continue as an IP? Who is to say that because the correct call was made today to stop the publication, that said call wouldn't be reversed in 20 years? When all the passion that drove it's initial creation, when all the DNA that made up that creation, and when all the comments made on its future narrative have begun to fade from memory? Make no mistake. I do not want this to occur. But when you sit there and think about how many copies of manga Berserk has sold, 50 million, and how that number is only going to increase. How popular this series truly came into vision on Twitter when the terrible news was delivered, even from the limited perspective of a fan forum.
So is that Berserk's fate? To become the Japanese Watchmen? A series divorced from its original artistic intent, out of the hands of its original creators? For a lack of better terminology, a walking talking skeleton that only pretends to be what its name indicates it is? Surely no, right? Japan is different than America, we say. But then I'm reminded of how things such as Dragonball GT were produced, or how Evangellion's rebuild films came into being, or how Boruto was produced. Or most notably at all in the case of this series, how Berserk 2016 was allowed to exist at all in the state it ultimately hit us. These series and works were created not because of the author's original intent to continue, rather they were plainly due to a financial incentive. Wretched tales in most of these cases and many, many more. Make no mistake, profit is a universal language, a language that eats authors' intents and produces garbage.
I'm not saying that this is certainly Berserk's fate. But what I am saying is that a disturbingly realistic possibility exists for it to be. Imagine for a moment, another soulless anime adaptation produced in 5 years, followed by a few video games that range from bland to worthless, followed by downright horrific live action films something like 12 years from now, before finally, ultimately, 20 years later just resulting in a manga that is only named berserk, but is for certain, not berserk.
When I look at it like this. When I think of how terrible a fate may await this series I love. I begin to warm, however begrudgingly, to the notion of an """""official""""" continuation produced by the assistants within the next couple of years time. The way I see it is, if Berserk is going to be forced to continue in some fashion or another, I'd personally rather it be produced with at least slivers of that original DNA remaining, rather than all of that being cast aside, and Berserk GT or Berserk Doomsday clock being produced decades later without any care at all, tarnishing the name of Miura's magnum opus. At least with a """""official""""" continuation, people who actually knew and understood the inner workings of the production of Berserk would have a dictate in the manner in which it is continued. People who knew and loved Miura more than we, as western fans, could ever hope to. People that we could at least have a modicum of faith in producing a work that at least vaguely resembles the story we all fell in love with. It would not be Berserk. But it would also not be Berserk GT. If these are my sole options, I know what path I am going to take.
With that all having been said, naturally I'm an extremely cynical individual, clearly, obviously, that hardly needs to be stated but I am choosing to anyways. I'm only like that because I was watching as Watchmen was ripped away from Alan Moore and turned into a series it was never meant to be, I was watching as Dragonball went from a series about struggling to overcome one's limits to a series predicated entirely on its ability to sell action figures and video games. Maybe we do exist in a happy timeline. One where Berserk is allowed to end the correct way. I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility because sometimes things we can make proper peace with do occur. But Berserk taught me to expect the worst from the world, so I wouldn't exactly call it confidence that this entire situation resolves in an ideal fashion.
Negativity aside, regardless of what happens, no matter how bad or surprisingly decent things may or may not turn out in the end, In my mind, in my heart, from the start of the black swordsman to episode 363(And beyond if any more are finished), this was always Miura's story. For having the means and the will to bring that story to life, Miura became a legend, a man who will never "Die" as he will never ever be forgotten. I will be able to take solace in that, no matter how grim the fate we may very well meet is, in the end.
With that knowledge in mind, and especially as a long-term fan of the series, and as a fan of Miura, it becomes very, very, VERY tempting to write off the idea of continuation in any fashion. Ideally, we'd get a volume 41 and it'd contain any chapters that were unfinished, say if 364 and 365 were at least outlined. As well as a formal release of the notes, ideas, etc so we have at least a small taste of whatever could have been, and calling it quits there for all time.
But then my mind begins to wander. I begin to think about the coldness of the world, and how often it is that things we love are ruined. As die-hard fans of Berserk, we like to sort of pretend that it's our baby. A special thing for us. And at least as it pertains to the communal aspect of things, it absolutely is. Many of my closest friends are berserk die-hards IRL, it's a way we spend time just chatting, and enjoying it as a means of forgetting the troubles of daily life. For that it absolutely is special to me. This is why it's difficult for me to say this, but it is true. As much as Berserk is special to us, it's also true that Berserk is also a product. A product produced for profit. Make no mistake, on Miura's end, it was undoubtedly driven from the perspective of producing incredible art and an incredible story, that came from a passion that was more real than we could ever know.
But that passion...that love, does not change the fact that Berserk was, ultimately, a product produced for profit. A product that was at least in part, owned by individuals apathetic about the intrinsic value of the artistic process. When you awaken to that realization, it starts to become clear how it is that abominations such as the Grunbeld novel, the terrible and unpolished musuo game, or the 2016 anime even came to be. They weren't created out of a desire to create art as was the incentive in the case of the manga proper, they were produced with the aim of financial gain. With that in mind, a great sense of fear begins to instantly set in.
The choice might be made to do this the way some may want it to be done, release volume 41 with the unreleased chapters that likely exist, release the story outline that might exist for the future, and call it a day. But what if that isn't the end? What if Berserk is to continue as an IP? Who is to say that because the correct call was made today to stop the publication, that said call wouldn't be reversed in 20 years? When all the passion that drove it's initial creation, when all the DNA that made up that creation, and when all the comments made on its future narrative have begun to fade from memory? Make no mistake. I do not want this to occur. But when you sit there and think about how many copies of manga Berserk has sold, 50 million, and how that number is only going to increase. How popular this series truly came into vision on Twitter when the terrible news was delivered, even from the limited perspective of a fan forum.
So is that Berserk's fate? To become the Japanese Watchmen? A series divorced from its original artistic intent, out of the hands of its original creators? For a lack of better terminology, a walking talking skeleton that only pretends to be what its name indicates it is? Surely no, right? Japan is different than America, we say. But then I'm reminded of how things such as Dragonball GT were produced, or how Evangellion's rebuild films came into being, or how Boruto was produced. Or most notably at all in the case of this series, how Berserk 2016 was allowed to exist at all in the state it ultimately hit us. These series and works were created not because of the author's original intent to continue, rather they were plainly due to a financial incentive. Wretched tales in most of these cases and many, many more. Make no mistake, profit is a universal language, a language that eats authors' intents and produces garbage.
I'm not saying that this is certainly Berserk's fate. But what I am saying is that a disturbingly realistic possibility exists for it to be. Imagine for a moment, another soulless anime adaptation produced in 5 years, followed by a few video games that range from bland to worthless, followed by downright horrific live action films something like 12 years from now, before finally, ultimately, 20 years later just resulting in a manga that is only named berserk, but is for certain, not berserk.
When I look at it like this. When I think of how terrible a fate may await this series I love. I begin to warm, however begrudgingly, to the notion of an """""official""""" continuation produced by the assistants within the next couple of years time. The way I see it is, if Berserk is going to be forced to continue in some fashion or another, I'd personally rather it be produced with at least slivers of that original DNA remaining, rather than all of that being cast aside, and Berserk GT or Berserk Doomsday clock being produced decades later without any care at all, tarnishing the name of Miura's magnum opus. At least with a """""official""""" continuation, people who actually knew and understood the inner workings of the production of Berserk would have a dictate in the manner in which it is continued. People who knew and loved Miura more than we, as western fans, could ever hope to. People that we could at least have a modicum of faith in producing a work that at least vaguely resembles the story we all fell in love with. It would not be Berserk. But it would also not be Berserk GT. If these are my sole options, I know what path I am going to take.
With that all having been said, naturally I'm an extremely cynical individual, clearly, obviously, that hardly needs to be stated but I am choosing to anyways. I'm only like that because I was watching as Watchmen was ripped away from Alan Moore and turned into a series it was never meant to be, I was watching as Dragonball went from a series about struggling to overcome one's limits to a series predicated entirely on its ability to sell action figures and video games. Maybe we do exist in a happy timeline. One where Berserk is allowed to end the correct way. I wouldn't entirely discount the possibility because sometimes things we can make proper peace with do occur. But Berserk taught me to expect the worst from the world, so I wouldn't exactly call it confidence that this entire situation resolves in an ideal fashion.
Negativity aside, regardless of what happens, no matter how bad or surprisingly decent things may or may not turn out in the end, In my mind, in my heart, from the start of the black swordsman to episode 363(And beyond if any more are finished), this was always Miura's story. For having the means and the will to bring that story to life, Miura became a legend, a man who will never "Die" as he will never ever be forgotten. I will be able to take solace in that, no matter how grim the fate we may very well meet is, in the end.
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I am curios, how would you guys feel about a continuation, if Miura's last wish was to finish Berserk, based on his notes?
I really don't think that Miura left a detailed roadmap of key plot points in the vein of Tolkien or Frank Herbert etc, that's just wishful thinking out of desperation. Even if he did, which would be of course a pleasant surprise because we'd at least have an idea about what he intended along the way, the task of replicating, reinforcing and depicting properly his ideas/characters and filling the many, many character/story gaps is impossible as has been already stated in some posts previously. The team involved would have to improvise A LOT. The notes, if they exist, would be a lot less compared to the new material required for the story to end. Just imagine the additions and the things they'd need to think and come up with for everything that Miura set up these 3 decades. So much is required to flesh out everything properly, if we start counting out everything, characters, plot points, factions and ideas that need expansion in general... it just can't be done. In comparison, the notes would be like they never really existed. Almost everything would be the team's work, with some general guidelines from Miura.
On the other hand, yes, Berserk is a product and a profitable one as we've come to know. So, realistically, more Berserk-related stuff are bound to be produced in time. As for an actual continuation, I think that the less riskier and less controversial choice would be to continue the story in anime form. That way, the manga remains intact and forever solely Miura's work as it should, without being exploited, and whatever the outcome from an anime adaptation would be quality wise, it would't be that important really. We'll always have the manga, everything else is not that important at that point.
On the other hand, yes, Berserk is a product and a profitable one as we've come to know. So, realistically, more Berserk-related stuff are bound to be produced in time. As for an actual continuation, I think that the less riskier and less controversial choice would be to continue the story in anime form. That way, the manga remains intact and forever solely Miura's work as it should, without being exploited, and whatever the outcome from an anime adaptation would be quality wise, it would't be that important really. We'll always have the manga, everything else is not that important at that point.
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