Berserk-Manga and Anime

[animefreak99]

yeah i know gantz is at the end of the world part, but berserk is where.. is this only the middle!!!

[Eladin]

i started watching, and wasn't entirely wowed right off the bat, but after a few episodes, i did find that it wasn't just some mindless "bad-arse warrior type kills tons of people in his quest to become more bad-arse" sort of animes. it actually, in fact had some story, and kept me coming back for more all the way to the repulsive (due to the fact that i found out after the fact that it was completely over for the anime) end. i have the 13th and 14th volumes in my wishlist at amazon, since that according to some internet sources say that's where the anime ends in the manga is somewhere in 13.
i do indeed plan on collecting them, because my lord...what a way to leave someone hanging.
i already bought those volumes for my brother for the holidays since we had a similar discussion on this not so long ago actually...

[Arakis]

I've always kind of felt that the Berserk anime was one big ad for the manga, given the massive cliffhanger ending and the various important points they don't bother to explain. While you can start collecting the manga at volume 13, I don't recommend skipping the first 12 volumes. 1-3 have quite a bit of "modern timeline" content that was never animated, including one very important main character. 4-8 are nearly verbatim with the anime adaptation, except for a few details here and there. 9-12, though, see some major differences, including some good character development and the introduction of two characters who become increasingly important to the plot in later volumes. Volume 11 is the biggest example of a reason not to skip, as its content was condensed into fifteen minutes of one of the episodes and I never felt it was handled very well.

Mind you, I'm biased because I'm the project translator. But I really do recommend you collect the entire run. They're kind of pricy, but it's one of the best manga out there so I heartily recommend it.

[Eladin]

you worked on it!? *bows*

dang...i was hoping to be able to make it out without having to necessarily get so many volumes, based on no other fact than that it's a pretty long running manga correct?
still going as well? i can't remember
it'll be a bit until i start up on the collection anyways, but that's good stuff to know.

[Romdeau]

Eladin, people question whether or not the Author (Miura) will finish in his lifetime because he works at a damn turtle's pace. Just wait and see, he will get hit one of these days by a bus and Berserk will forever be unfinished.

[Arakis]

Sadly, that outcome is all too possible... But let's not starting calling bus accidents. There was an episode of Lost where that led to an actual "accident" of that very nature. Yes, the manga is still ongoing and Miura is (these days at least) moving at a very slow pace. He seems to take very long breaks anymore, but that's partially explained by the insane amount of detail he puts into drawing massive armies and such. The latest compiled volume to be released in Japan is #34, and we're nearly up to that count here in the US. So...once we hit that mark, it's going to be the long waiting game of one volume every year...if we're lucky.

Despite the copious amounts of time I spend with Alteil, my main job is that of an anime/manga translator. I translate Berserk for Digital Manga/Dark Horse (along with Hellsing), and to this day it's my favorite project I've ever worked on. Well, Genshiken (the anime) was a lot of fun too.

I don't blame you if you don't want to buy vol. 1-12, but I at least recommend you borrow, rent, get from a library, or otherwise find a way to read them at some point. There are some exclusive factors therein that add a lot to the story. One of the biggest, I've always felt, was a little flashback Guts has of his childhood in vol. 9, and what it leads him to do. This was removed entirely from the anime, as was the event the flashback concerns, which is understandable as it deals with some very disturbing content. It's still a shame though because that was a huge character-building moment (and not just for Guts).

[Eladin]

Eladin, people question whether or not the Author (Miura) will finish in his lifetime because he works at a damn turtle's pace. Just wait and see, he will get hit one of these days by a bus and Berserk will forever be unfinished.

like that dude who was doing the Wheel of Time series of books? Robert Jordan? I think that was him...and i think that's something similar to what happened. part of the reason i never bothered getting into those books (other than them not sounding that interesting) was the fact that it's an unfinished series.

and for that very reason...i'll probably put off Berserk..at least for just a little longer anyways. i don't have so much a problem with someone taking time to do good work (and by good i mean work with a point, not like just to perpetuate a pay check for one project you know has enough of a following to guarantee one regardless of quality) which is what it sounds like is part of the issue. can't rush genius? arguably?
but it is on the list, and if i do plan on collecting it, i probably won't just skip the first 12 lol.

[Ginnazoh]

robert jordan passed away while working on the last book of the series and someone else took over after being asked by robert jordan's wife. then they decided to split his super long last book into 3 more books...so that entire series going to be a 15 book series, I knew there was a reason I gave up on that series after book 5...

I probably won't read berserk until the entire series is finished. I've had enough of waiting for new chapters after my experience of waiting a whole year for claymore...

[tropireno]

I completely love Berserk. Both the anime and the manga have different moods to them. I, myself enjoyed the anime much more than the manga(Puck is one ANNOYING little fairy).

Like others in this topic, I've stopped reading until all of the books are released. I can't wait to finish the story though.

[Ginnazoh]

puck...a midsummer's night dream

shakespeare reference?