Berserk and the Power of Tragedy in Storytelling.

What is there to say about Kentaro Miura’s Berserk that hasn’t already been said? A sprawling epic of dark fantasy that has inspired everything from Dark Souls to Castlevania. The impact of this series cannot be understated. In its native Japan, the late Kentaro Miura’s sublime artwork is often on display in prestigious art galleries, yet it seems to be relegated to a close knit hardcore fanbase in the West and I think that’s a shame.

Berserk began life in the August 1989 issue of Monthly Animal House magazine, it’s as old as I am and after 33 years in print, countless video games, two separate anime adaptations, 3 movies, a mountain of merch and 370 chapters of manga and counting, newcomers would be forgiven for not knowing where to start with Berserk.

I found myself in that position in my mid-teens. I had a cursory knowledge of anime having watched Dragon Ball Z a few years earlier but it once I reached my college years (16–17 in the Uk) a few new friends broadened my horizons with titles such as Full Metal Alchemist, Hellsing, Death Note and Bleach among others.

I was hooked. I devoured FMA, adored Hellsing and was captivated by Death Note and after all that, I wanted more. Friends recommended Berserk, mostly for its art, which was and is stunning. However, when I read the first pages of Berserk, I must…