"Rage is where a man goes when he can no longer handle sadness" Berserk is one of the most powerful manga I have ever read. Guts is such a phenomenal character. Many people think of Berserk for the brutal fights and gore, but the most truly impactful parts are the quiet moments where Guts is alone with his thoughts. I cannot recommend this series enough Marco
Some of my favourite scenes from the manga are when Guts and Casca are talking over the lights of the encampment and when Guts witnesses Griffith defining what he considers a true friend to the princess on the backdrop of the water fountain
What many people think of Guts is his rage, his brutality, his power, but what this theme captures are those quieter moments, those that make Guts a character beyond his capability for violence.
I mean, the whole story is about "what terrible masks men have to wear to hold on to their values, while in reality they would like to be as soft and sensitive as everyone else" this theme repeats itself in the big three (Vagabond, Vinland)
@@trateler5709 yeah, that's the point. He is reacting to the song on its own without much perspective. This gives him a unique viewpoint on how the song is structured.
Guts is ruthless, but he was also a broken man. He didn't have a biological parent but an adoptive dad, who was abusive oftentimes then *betrayed* Guts's trust but still a dad nonetheless; then he found a surrogate family in the form of the Band of the Hawk, then rose in rank and fell in love with Casca; then his surrogate family got butchered and eaten by demons and his best friend *betrayed* him; then he assumed a persona of brutality and vengeance to hunt down the culprits that took everything away from him; then he lost Casca and had to find her; then he found ANOTHER surrogate family in the form of Isidro, Farnese, Serpico and Schierke, and he began to heal; and then he lost Casca AGAIN and dropped to rock bottom. However, he is still ALIVE and his love for Casca still burns brighter than ever. He will still struggle.
This is the theme song of a man that survived hell, and despite all the struggle, trauma and scars he's gotten and no matter how broken he is, he never gives up on living. A time to rest, a break to breathe. A momentary victory against his cursed fate. Broken, but he survived.
This was composed and sung by a seasoned individual from the Japanese music industry, Hirasawa Susumu, forever going against the mainstream norms. He rarely composed for anime in general but was asked to compose for Berserk due to Kentaro Miura the author being a massive fan of his music and that is the same for Satoshi Kon who also was a massive fan who had Hirasawa compose for many of his films. Hirasawa is kind of an enigma of a musician, starting his musical career early in the 70's as a progressive rock musician and did a hard shift towards techno pop not only to change as soon as that genre became popular. Swinging from one side of the musical genre spectrum to another, never really settling into one clear cut archetype and establishing really his own distinctive soundscape that can really be expressed by calling it "Susumu Hirasawa". Now in the ripe ol' age of 70 years old, managing to keep his aetherial high tone voice intact plus his keen sense in composition and performance with the guitar. But what's the craziest is how tech fluent he is and has been, providing his music online before the turn of the century online and allowing fans to watch is concerts live through their PCs decades before live streaming concerts was even a concept to the industry. Even giving the fans at home interact with the concert through his special concerts where the audience had ways to influence the outcome of which songs may played and how the whole performance unfolded... On the topic of Hirasawa, I'd love to see a reaction to his compositions for Satoshi Kon's from either Millenium Actress or Paprika, Lotus and Parade would be wonderful choices.
Oh thats so cool! Being both on the cutting edge of technology and so far ahead in terms of sound of the music. Yeah he is definitely a legend. And well yeah I wish his other music would be as popular as this one, well at least in the west, I don’t really know that much how popular he is in Japan though
His eulogy for Miura was short, but poignant. "Miura no longer exists in a physical space. From now on, we won't be able to talk with each other about unresolved matters. He will always occupy a part of my mind regardless of time or space. Miura. Once again, I hope that we can get along earnestly. I hope we meet again, and you can tell me the end of the story."
@@opethium647 He tries to keep a low profile in Japan, labeling himself as a "Stealth-Major". Really due to him knowing that his music is obscure and that not everyone can come to enjoy it. So he asks his fans to not really suggest his music to others. Even with that said, he is quite known by the industry musicians and quite a lot of now popular musicians mentioned that Hirasawa is one of their influences, the notable two are Kenshin Yonezu and Gen Hoshino.
@@everforward5561 I also love his analogy of Guts' sword being a penis, always found it funnier than someone would blatantly say that in japanese culture
Berserk is probably like the best representation of the dark fantasy genre and Guts story is really one of the indominatable human spirit that is stuck in a vicious cycle. Its a great manga, definitely worth reading and the original 90s adaptation of the anime is probably the best adaptation of the manga so far. Unfortunately, the author passed away not too long ago so the work probably won't ever be completed to what the author had in mind but its still worth checking out nonetheless. Berserk has also been the main inspiration for Fromsoftware's demon souls and dark souls game franchises which on their own basically created the soulslike genre of games. So its a very influential piece.
Describing something as 'peak fiction' is kind of overplayed, but there is no avoiding it here. Marco recently played through the Silent Hill 2 Remake, and the original SH2 is one of the pieces of media that really showed me what fiction can achieve in terms of artistic expression, emotional impact, and playing with expectations. Berserk is that but on an even greater scale, and I recommend it to literally everyone who asks me for something to read. It's worth every second. Edit: Also, the art is absolutely phenomenal. The effort that man put into every frame of Berserk is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
New chapters are actually being written based on the instruction left behind by Mr. Miura for the people who were helping him. Not only that, but they're really good so far as well.
@@_Uptilt It is, without a doubt, peak Dark Fantasy. And I've read sooo many "grimdark" series. After so many years, I still think Berserk is top tier, right next to the greats.
I think Miura's quote from the first volume says it best, "Man takes up the sword in order to shield the small wound in his heart sustained in a far-off time beyond remembrance".
"What are you thinking about?" "Oh, nothing." (actually thinking about a lot) That's what this track makes me think of. It feels like looking deep within yourself and trying to find something, but you're not really getting there, and you don't even quite know what you're looking for in the first place.
When my father died, I listened to that song for the entire night up to the next morning at 6AM. I felt like this was the song that understood me the best somehow. Like an universal cry for nostalgia and sadness.
The aquatic quality of this piece reflects the changing mental state of Guts, who always observes the world around him and finds a solution. The voices in this song show that he contemplates, reflects and acts as if it were his primary survival instinct. This is a man who never gives up in the face of the cruelty of the world.
The artist of this, Susumu Hirasawa is, in my opinion a genious. Guy has built his own lazer motion systems in his shows, has powered a gig by just solar power alone, does interactive concerts and is a very good guitar player. I absolutely love his music and he's a genious.
If you keep reading you will definitely see why this song fits Guts' character, how he appears in the first couple of volumes is only one facet of his character that will get explained very well as time goes on
It always amazes me how just by knowing music you can decipher Guts’s character I don’t know anything about music, that’s why it’s so interesting and almost magic how easily you decode his life and struggles just by this theme. And also brings light of how good of a composer is Susumu Hirasawa for creating a piece that encompasses Guts’s being so completely. Every fact I learn makes me understand that art is fundamental to the human experience and exploring it makes us grow as people.
This is literally everyone’s reaction to his theme the first time. And then when you really get into berserk it becomes one of the best damn tunes ever
When I first started the manga I was like "Oh cool man with big sword and megaman arm shagging demons" and now that I'm all caught up I'm like "I need to treasure all my loved ones in my life and express my emotions more to connect with them and cherish every second I spend with them"
one of my favourite youtube videos is a looping version of this theme with rain noise. it's just such wonderfully relaxing, calming background noise. when things are rough I can sit back and listen to it for an hour and be better.
This theme for me feels like weeping at the inevitable, and the silent sting of a nostalgic joy long gone away as you settle into the darkness, and the fire fades.
Berserk 97 is quite good and the music is absolutely amazing and unique and perfect for the introspective themes that are the foundation of the brutal violence of the action scenes. Guts is human. There is no other way to accurately describe him
I recently started berserk last month and im almost caught up, originally i didnt think much of this song when i first heard it after seeing guts overcome challenges and learning to accept others this just destroys me internally
Despite the violence he's mired in, Guts ultimately just wants to find peace for himself and those he cares for. He refuses to stop struggling against the evil forces that wish him dead and chase him to almost every corner of the world.
"The man who would be my friend must have his own reason for living, beyond me." I think about this quote all the time and everytime I watch someone react to this song.
"And so I think he's looking for someone to lean on, to be like 'hey, you're OK.'" Aaaand now I'm crying again. Yes, Guts' story is one of a man who quite literally can't escape his demons, every single one of them brought on by someone else. Someone who has been forced to survive via spite and animal rage for his entire life. Someone who withholds forgiveness for himself, because has forgiveness ever gone in his favor? Could he ever connect with someone without them being dragged down into his hellhole of a life? Worst thing is he knows for a certainty that death will only drag him into something worse.
Berserk is one of the greatest fantasy stories ever written. It's a tale of loss, of man struggling against the impossible, of the value of revenge balanced against love, of dealing with pain and sorrow by finding meaning in even the worst of lives. Berserk at its core is a tragedy, a cautionary tale of man's ambition and common cruelty and evil but it's also quite hopeful in people's ability to unite and overcome the worst of what makes us. The early parts of the story are the aftermath of the events that shaped Guts, it then goes back to tell of his origin and why he is like the way he is, and it is immensely understandable. It then continues with this greater understanding of the character dealing with the evils of his world but also attempting to recover and regain what Guts lost. The story takes time to humanize even the greatest of monsters, to show the very human flaws that created them and even how the most disgusting and reprehensible people can still have tiny sparks of goodness in their hearts. I highly recommend sticking with the series as Berserk is so much deeper than what it seems on the surface.
Guts is ruthless but he also is broken. His best friend becomes his worst enemy and r*pes his girlfriend and brainwashes her into leaving him. Berserk is a VERY dark medieval show.
The guts of the first volume is a broken man held together by rage and hatred, it is the glue that keeps him from falling appart and moving forward towards his goals.
my favorite moments of berserk are the moments of calm after the storm, when Guts allows himself a few moments of hope. When he can look out at the sunrise (not the sunset) and and finally breath. Keep reading, its hellish and painful, but its also so hopeful and peaceful. Berserk has helped me work through my some issues in my own life and taught me that if you keep your head held high during times of hardship, you'll be the first one to see the sun break through the clouds.
Glad to hear you are reading Berserk. You broke down the piece very well, I feel like Susumu Hirasawa really managed to capture lightning in a bottle with this piece, somehow encompassing Guts character in a very tragic yet hopeful way. Definitely recommend visiting this song again on your own time throughout the story, despite the simplicity and repetitiveness it just hits different when you get to know Guts more fully.
After reading and wacthing Berserk, this song feels like it traps something in my heart, something that makes me want to set it free but somehow brings some angst that if i set it free, it might leave a big hole in my heart.
I just finished/caught up with the manga last week. Its as if causality itself has played it role, and delivered this to me right on time. PS i read the manga with a music playlist that included the Guts theme. I would play it whenever he thought of Casca.... or when times he was alone.
The most impactful and wonderful piece from the Berserk OST has got to be Earth for me. The bagpipes are so serene and uplifting, it always fills me with life and appreciation.
It's something I think fits the more you learn about Guts as a deeply traumatised and struggling individual. While there are not a lot of good adaptations I urge you to read what's there of the series and check out the 97' adaptation where this theme originates.
The sound of underwater, too deep to reach the surface: such is Guts's grief keeping him drowning in agonising pain as the vocalists cry out louder and louder for help, but none comes He's suffered long but continues to fight with no end in sight. With the author's death, will we ever see the ending Guts was destined for?
while I had heard the song in the anime before, I remember logging onto Final Fantasy 14 in 2021 and seeing all the Dark knights lining the streets of Ul'dah and wondering "what's going on?". Looked it up and saw the Kentaro had passed away, then saw a video showing the same scene i had seen in Ul'dah with this track playing. Song hit me like a freight train then. still makes my eyes water to this day.
Susumu Hirasawa has done an amazing job creating such a splendid soundtrack. It can make you feel determined, angry, sad, angst or thankful(towards Kentaro Miura-sensei) with such easiness that you don't even realize the emptiness that you feel when the soundtrack or the chapter ends.
My man went in expecting a full on battle soundtrack, with deep rhythmic drums and aggressive, low string tones filled with the bones and blood of Guts' victims. >Piano starts playing >Clear visual confusion ensues. 10/10
Susumu Hirasawa transcends the concept of music. Listening to one of his pieces is like drinking a fine wine or gazing at a painting. His track “Rubedo” is a favorite of mine as well as his work for the Satoshi Kon film “Millennium Actress”
So I watched Berserk when I was 17/18 and I was always wondering why I felt emotional when this song came on while watching it. But, later in life I realised that this song speaks to his softer side that he can't let out. It's so powerful from it's simplicity
Love the whiplash you got! It describes Guts so well too. On the surface, he appears to be this no bullshot badass, but in reality, he's a broken man who suffered through all the worst in life, but still walks forward.
the more you learn about guts as you go through the story, the more this theme will really resonate with his character. from someone completely caught up, i still cant believe just how perfectly this song fits.
this piece is so so so dear to me. it made start reading the manga back then. i always come back to it from time to time, it's almost like a healing process. i suggest you return to it again once you read some more of the story!! it just grows on you every time. also, the entire ost from susumu hirasawa is one of a kind. "earth" would be my second favorite track from the show. a bit more uplifting and hopeful
I recommend reading through the 1st two deluxe editions of the manga to see if it's something you're interested in. The first one's kind of rough and a lot of youtube reviews say that they almost dropped the series during the 1st arc, but it's a classic, beloved series for a reason.
this song hits me hard. i was getting into the berserk manga in 2022 and was just finding the music before one of my close friends died. we lived a few hundred miles away at the time and i wasn't able to go immediately so my roommates headed there while i just sat at home alone for days, crying and listening to this song. it really did help to have this on repeat but hearing it now is bittersweet as hell. don't really know why i latched onto this song in particular but it just felt right and the fact that it's sorrowful and hollow is fitting. it'll always be an important piece of music to me and probably *a lot* of other people
I always look to the bonfire scene from the 1997 adaption of Berserk when thinking of Gut's Theme, it really shows the depth of his character outside the baddassery, its there I truly loved his character.
The bird yelling outside is a blue jay, if you have a bird feeder it's telling you it's either empty or there's another animal near it and it wants to be there! They love unsalted peanuts if you want to be friends!
Guts is the perfect example of the man that wants nothing but a simple life. He wants calm. He wants love. Things he was willing to fight for, and it has always been taken away from him. The enigma is how he has the strength to keep going. To not give up. And I think it’s the rage that he uses as a crutch to keep going, and it’ll be so hard to give it up, if he is ever offered peace.
From birth guts has been struggling just to live another day, and later in the series his whole world just breaks apart. His intro is like the few quiet moments of peace he gets.
The sequencing and pace of Berserk to take you from "Man this Guts character is SUCH an ASSHOLE" to where I think most people who read it end up is incredible. Miura was a master of his craft
I'm so grateful that you have started the OG Berserk OST, and I can only recommend Murder, Fear and Forces for your introduction to the greatest Manga ever told.
I love Susumu Hirasawa, i actually bought all his CDs back in the day xD His Berserk osts are great (he did the composing for the games as well) and his solo albums have some fantastic songs as well. He also did the OST for the anime movie Paprika which is iconic at this point, especially the song "The Girl In Byakkoya". He made the music for a lot of Satoshi Kons anime projects (rip). My personal favorite song from his solo album is "Phonon Belt", cant believe its 15 years since i first heard it, this sent me down a rabbit hole of nostalgia ^^
oh boy, Guts is probably a contender for one of the most tragic characters to exist, this theme is one of the few that will actually get me emotional... I am pretty interested how or if you'll have a different reaction/approach to this theme once you get to know more about his story and what happens to him!
Wow. MacroWeebBall having only read the first Delux Vol and only seeing Guts rage. After listening to "Gutz Theme" you imedietly and correctly identify the hurt/cycle Guts is in. Incredible.
I love how going in blind, with how Guts looks and the name of the manga being Berserk you'd expect some kind of epic powerful melody full of badassery, and you get what is basically weeping.
"Rage is where a man goes when he can no longer handle sadness"
Berserk is one of the most powerful manga I have ever read. Guts is such a phenomenal character. Many people think of Berserk for the brutal fights and gore, but the most truly impactful parts are the quiet moments where Guts is alone with his thoughts.
I cannot recommend this series enough Marco
Ultimately it's a story about realizing what you want from life only after losing it and whether or not you are truly doomed to repeat it.
Yeah the series is really powerfull, made me cry a lot. One of the best manga I ever read. It's a beatiful story in a way.
Some of my favourite scenes from the manga are when Guts and Casca are talking over the lights of the encampment and when Guts witnesses Griffith defining what he considers a true friend to the princess on the backdrop of the water fountain
@brodericksiz625 Aye. There's a sad beauty in berserk.
Yeah, Berserk is truly a masterpiece, R.I.P. Kentaro Miura
What many people think of Guts is his rage, his brutality, his power, but what this theme captures are those quieter moments, those that make Guts a character beyond his capability for violence.
violence and anger are his mechanism against his fear of being alone/unloved i think. represents the state of a lot of broken men and even women.
I think that's why the original anime is so beloved. The studios know how to capture the manga's soul.
I mean, the whole story is about "what terrible masks men have to wear to hold on to their values, while in reality they would like to be as soft and sensitive as everyone else"
this theme repeats itself in the big three (Vagabond, Vinland)
I love the instant wliplash in your expression when you start the song, definitely not what someone would expect but it fits perfectly
Hard to understand guts without knowing the full story
@@trateler5709 yeah, that's the point. He is reacting to the song on its own without much perspective. This gives him a unique viewpoint on how the song is structured.
Guts is ruthless, but he was also a broken man. He didn't have a biological parent but an adoptive dad, who was abusive oftentimes then *betrayed* Guts's trust but still a dad nonetheless; then he found a surrogate family in the form of the Band of the Hawk, then rose in rank and fell in love with Casca; then his surrogate family got butchered and eaten by demons and his best friend *betrayed* him; then he assumed a persona of brutality and vengeance to hunt down the culprits that took everything away from him; then he lost Casca and had to find her; then he found ANOTHER surrogate family in the form of Isidro, Farnese, Serpico and Schierke, and he began to heal; and then he lost Casca AGAIN and dropped to rock bottom.
However, he is still ALIVE and his love for Casca still burns brighter than ever. He will still struggle.
"Guts is a harsh and brutal man."
> Hits the play button.
> Sad Guts theme starts playing.
*VISIBLE CONFUSION*
This is the theme song of a man that survived hell, and despite all the struggle, trauma and scars he's gotten and no matter how broken he is, he never gives up on living.
A time to rest, a break to breathe. A momentary victory against his cursed fate.
Broken, but he survived.
The day we lost Miura, the entire world cried out this song. You could probably hear it from space.
Yeah, I remember that. As sad as it was, it was also beautiful to see so many people come together to honor such a great artist.
Don’t remind me. When I found out, I played this all day!
"Forces" by Susumu Hirasawa is an amazing song. Also Berserk OST, I strongly suggest you go check it out.
One of the most bangers of anime bangers to ever banger
Ayyyyaaaayyyy forces!
Sign is also a great one too, that was one of the tracks Hirasawa wrote for the PS2 game (and was used in the game's intro)
Just anything from Hirasawa is good.
Ash Crow is also great
This was composed and sung by a seasoned individual from the Japanese music industry, Hirasawa Susumu, forever going against the mainstream norms. He rarely composed for anime in general but was asked to compose for Berserk due to Kentaro Miura the author being a massive fan of his music and that is the same for Satoshi Kon who also was a massive fan who had Hirasawa compose for many of his films.
Hirasawa is kind of an enigma of a musician, starting his musical career early in the 70's as a progressive rock musician and did a hard shift towards techno pop not only to change as soon as that genre became popular. Swinging from one side of the musical genre spectrum to another, never really settling into one clear cut archetype and establishing really his own distinctive soundscape that can really be expressed by calling it "Susumu Hirasawa". Now in the ripe ol' age of 70 years old, managing to keep his aetherial high tone voice intact plus his keen sense in composition and performance with the guitar. But what's the craziest is how tech fluent he is and has been, providing his music online before the turn of the century online and allowing fans to watch is concerts live through their PCs decades before live streaming concerts was even a concept to the industry. Even giving the fans at home interact with the concert through his special concerts where the audience had ways to influence the outcome of which songs may played and how the whole performance unfolded...
On the topic of Hirasawa, I'd love to see a reaction to his compositions for Satoshi Kon's from either Millenium Actress or Paprika, Lotus and Parade would be wonderful choices.
Oh thats so cool! Being both on the cutting edge of technology and so far ahead in terms of sound of the music. Yeah he is definitely a legend. And well yeah I wish his other music would be as popular as this one, well at least in the west, I don’t really know that much how popular he is in Japan though
His eulogy for Miura was short, but poignant.
"Miura no longer exists in a physical space. From now on, we won't be able to talk with each other about unresolved matters. He will always occupy a part of my mind regardless of time or space. Miura. Once again, I hope that we can get along earnestly. I hope we meet again, and you can tell me the end of the story."
@@opethium647 He tries to keep a low profile in Japan, labeling himself as a "Stealth-Major". Really due to him knowing that his music is obscure and that not everyone can come to enjoy it. So he asks his fans to not really suggest his music to others. Even with that said, he is quite known by the industry musicians and quite a lot of now popular musicians mentioned that Hirasawa is one of their influences, the notable two are Kenshin Yonezu and Gen Hoshino.
@@everforward5561 I also love his analogy of Guts' sword being a penis, always found it funnier than someone would blatantly say that in japanese culture
@@tasogarerubica P-MODEL is great cuz i can hear or see his funny side, his truly such an enigma 😂
i subscribed around 10 minutes ago and already got a notification this is so peak
hi
@@Marcoweebball Pls upload more often
@@rachedsoussi9802 he already uploads quite often, don't overwork yourself Marco
@@Marcoweebballhi
Never thought I’d see the day of Marco giving his thoughts on Guts’s Theme… my life is complete
0:31 the confusion
Berserk is probably like the best representation of the dark fantasy genre and Guts story is really one of the indominatable human spirit that is stuck in a vicious cycle. Its a great manga, definitely worth reading and the original 90s adaptation of the anime is probably the best adaptation of the manga so far. Unfortunately, the author passed away not too long ago so the work probably won't ever be completed to what the author had in mind but its still worth checking out nonetheless. Berserk has also been the main inspiration for Fromsoftware's demon souls and dark souls game franchises which on their own basically created the soulslike genre of games. So its a very influential piece.
Describing something as 'peak fiction' is kind of overplayed, but there is no avoiding it here. Marco recently played through the Silent Hill 2 Remake, and the original SH2 is one of the pieces of media that really showed me what fiction can achieve in terms of artistic expression, emotional impact, and playing with expectations. Berserk is that but on an even greater scale, and I recommend it to literally everyone who asks me for something to read. It's worth every second.
Edit: Also, the art is absolutely phenomenal. The effort that man put into every frame of Berserk is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
New chapters are actually being written based on the instruction left behind by Mr. Miura for the people who were helping him. Not only that, but they're really good so far as well.
@@_Uptilt It is, without a doubt, peak Dark Fantasy. And I've read sooo many "grimdark" series. After so many years, I still think Berserk is top tier, right next to the greats.
The series is being finished by Miura's best friend, a man he essentially left instructions to the very end of the series.
I think Miura's quote from the first volume says it best, "Man takes up the sword in order to shield the small wound in his heart sustained in a far-off time beyond remembrance".
"What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing." (actually thinking about a lot)
That's what this track makes me think of. It feels like looking deep within yourself and trying to find something, but you're not really getting there, and you don't even quite know what you're looking for in the first place.
If you keep reading Berserk you'll understand why this song fits Guts perfectly 🥹
One of the best protagonists I've ever seen in all media.
Seeing gut so broken in the last chapters really hurts 😢
Yes absolutely, at least Someone need to read after eclipse to know full context of guts and what we as reader want to happen to him in the end
@@Balesart Broken but NOT dead. He will still struggle.
When my father died, I listened to that song for the entire night up to the next morning at 6AM. I felt like this was the song that understood me the best somehow. Like an universal cry for nostalgia and sadness.
Dam..
The aquatic quality of this piece reflects the changing mental state of Guts, who always observes the world around him and finds a solution. The voices in this song show that he contemplates, reflects and acts as if it were his primary survival instinct. This is a man who never gives up in the face of the cruelty of the world.
It almost feels like we're underwater, like Guts is somberly drowning in his pain and grief.
I’m so happy to hear Macro is starting his Berserk arc.
I hope he gets around to watching the ‘97 anime as well eventually.
The artist of this, Susumu Hirasawa is, in my opinion a genious. Guy has built his own lazer motion systems in his shows, has powered a gig by just solar power alone, does interactive concerts and is a very good guitar player. I absolutely love his music and he's a genious.
If you keep reading you will definitely see why this song fits Guts' character, how he appears in the first couple of volumes is only one facet of his character that will get explained very well as time goes on
It always amazes me how just by knowing music you can decipher Guts’s character I don’t know anything about music, that’s why it’s so interesting and almost magic how easily you decode his life and struggles just by this theme.
And also brings light of how good of a composer is Susumu Hirasawa for creating a piece that encompasses Guts’s being
so completely.
Every fact I learn makes me understand that art is fundamental to the human experience and exploring it makes us grow as people.
Without a fail. This song always makes me at least teary-eyed. When the male vocal comes in, I'm absolutely gone
Welcome to Susumu Hirasawa. His work for Berserk is all amazing. He collaborated a lot with Satoshi Kon, too--for example on the Paprika soundtrack.
Fear, Betrayal, Anger, Sadness, ..... acceptance. It's quintessential piece of the Struggler.
This is literally everyone’s reaction to his theme the first time. And then when you really get into berserk it becomes one of the best damn tunes ever
When I first started the manga I was like "Oh cool man with big sword and megaman arm shagging demons" and now that I'm all caught up I'm like "I need to treasure all my loved ones in my life and express my emotions more to connect with them and cherish every second I spend with them"
one of my favourite youtube videos is a looping version of this theme with rain noise. it's just such wonderfully relaxing, calming background noise. when things are rough I can sit back and listen to it for an hour and be better.
This theme for me feels like weeping at the inevitable, and the silent sting of a nostalgic joy long gone away as you settle into the darkness, and the fire fades.
This desrcibes the feeling I get from this song so well.
Greatly put ✊
Bro explained the deepness of guts within just 30 seconds of listening to the theme. You're crazy man
Berserk 97 is quite good and the music is absolutely amazing and unique and perfect for the introspective themes that are the foundation of the brutal violence of the action scenes. Guts is human. There is no other way to accurately describe him
I recently started berserk last month and im almost caught up, originally i didnt think much of this song when i first heard it after seeing guts overcome challenges and learning to accept others this just destroys me internally
Despite the violence he's mired in, Guts ultimately just wants to find peace for himself and those he cares for. He refuses to stop struggling against the evil forces that wish him dead and chase him to almost every corner of the world.
When the singing starts at 2:48 I get goosebumps every time
"The man who would be my friend must have his own reason for living, beyond me."
I think about this quote all the time and everytime I watch someone react to this song.
"And so I think he's looking for someone to lean on, to be like 'hey, you're OK.'" Aaaand now I'm crying again. Yes, Guts' story is one of a man who quite literally can't escape his demons, every single one of them brought on by someone else. Someone who has been forced to survive via spite and animal rage for his entire life. Someone who withholds forgiveness for himself, because has forgiveness ever gone in his favor? Could he ever connect with someone without them being dragged down into his hellhole of a life? Worst thing is he knows for a certainty that death will only drag him into something worse.
whenever this kicks in in the anime it truly gets to you, the most haunting anime soundtrack of all time for me
Berserk is one of the greatest fantasy stories ever written. It's a tale of loss, of man struggling against the impossible, of the value of revenge balanced against love, of dealing with pain and sorrow by finding meaning in even the worst of lives. Berserk at its core is a tragedy, a cautionary tale of man's ambition and common cruelty and evil but it's also quite hopeful in people's ability to unite and overcome the worst of what makes us. The early parts of the story are the aftermath of the events that shaped Guts, it then goes back to tell of his origin and why he is like the way he is, and it is immensely understandable. It then continues with this greater understanding of the character dealing with the evils of his world but also attempting to recover and regain what Guts lost. The story takes time to humanize even the greatest of monsters, to show the very human flaws that created them and even how the most disgusting and reprehensible people can still have tiny sparks of goodness in their hearts. I highly recommend sticking with the series as Berserk is so much deeper than what it seems on the surface.
Guts is ruthless but he also is broken. His best friend becomes his worst enemy and r*pes his girlfriend and brainwashes her into leaving him. Berserk is a VERY dark medieval show.
another song from berserk that is very underrestimated is earth. its awesome musically
My absolute favourite track of the soundtrack
So ominous yet fable-like
The guts of the first volume is a broken man held together by rage and hatred, it is the glue that keeps him from falling appart and moving forward towards his goals.
my favorite moments of berserk are the moments of calm after the storm, when Guts allows himself a few moments of hope. When he can look out at the sunrise (not the sunset) and and finally breath.
Keep reading, its hellish and painful, but its also so hopeful and peaceful. Berserk has helped me work through my some issues in my own life and taught me that if you keep your head held high during times of hardship, you'll be the first one to see the sun break through the clouds.
Glad to hear you are reading Berserk. You broke down the piece very well, I feel like Susumu Hirasawa really managed to capture lightning in a bottle with this piece, somehow encompassing Guts character in a very tragic yet hopeful way. Definitely recommend visiting this song again on your own time throughout the story, despite the simplicity and repetitiveness it just hits different when you get to know Guts more fully.
After reading and wacthing Berserk, this song feels like it traps something in my heart, something that makes me want to set it free but somehow brings some angst that if i set it free, it might leave a big hole in my heart.
the song you want for "no bullshit" from Berserk is "Forces" or maybe "Murder".
I just finished/caught up with the manga last week. Its as if causality itself has played it role, and delivered this to me right on time.
PS i read the manga with a music playlist that included the Guts theme. I would play it whenever he thought of Casca.... or when times he was alone.
The most impactful and wonderful piece from the Berserk OST has got to be Earth for me. The bagpipes are so serene and uplifting, it always fills me with life and appreciation.
It's something I think fits the more you learn about Guts as a deeply traumatised and struggling individual. While there are not a lot of good adaptations I urge you to read what's there of the series and check out the 97' adaptation where this theme originates.
You got it pretty accurate, Guts has a lot of trauma from multiple points of his life
The sound of underwater, too deep to reach the surface: such is Guts's grief keeping him drowning in agonising pain as the vocalists cry out louder and louder for help, but none comes
He's suffered long but continues to fight with no end in sight. With the author's death, will we ever see the ending Guts was destined for?
while I had heard the song in the anime before, I remember logging onto Final Fantasy 14 in 2021 and seeing all the Dark knights lining the streets of Ul'dah and wondering "what's going on?".
Looked it up and saw the Kentaro had passed away, then saw a video showing the same scene i had seen in Ul'dah with this track playing. Song hit me like a freight train then. still makes my eyes water to this day.
Amazing how much you were able to pick up on the emotional core of Guts’ character despite only having read the first collection.
Susumu Hirasawa's songs are always gorgeous, it would be awesome if you check his other stuff, he's a master craftsman when it comes to music
can I just say that this theme incorporates a transition of maximum pain into maximum peace for a maximum dedication?
you know Guts
Susumu Hirasawa has done an amazing job creating such a splendid soundtrack. It can make you feel determined, angry, sad, angst or thankful(towards Kentaro Miura-sensei) with such easiness that you don't even realize the emptiness that you feel when the soundtrack or the chapter ends.
My man went in expecting a full on battle soundtrack, with deep rhythmic drums and aggressive, low string tones filled with the bones and blood of Guts' victims.
>Piano starts playing
>Clear visual confusion ensues.
10/10
Susumu Hirasawa transcends the concept of music. Listening to one of his pieces is like drinking a fine wine or gazing at a painting. His track “Rubedo” is a favorite of mine as well as his work for the Satoshi Kon film “Millennium Actress”
I just got to the last arc of Berserk, and holy shit the art is so beautiful
So I watched Berserk when I was 17/18 and I was always wondering why I felt emotional when this song came on while watching it. But, later in life I realised that this song speaks to his softer side that he can't let out. It's so powerful from it's simplicity
The rage isn't who he is. This is who he is. The rage is the weapon he has to use against the world.
This song helped me grieve my dad. i had suppressed it for so long and this song helped me let go.
This theme alongside Hai yo, ash crow and my brother are imo the best berserk osts ive listened so far
Love the whiplash you got! It describes Guts so well too. On the surface, he appears to be this no bullshot badass, but in reality, he's a broken man who suffered through all the worst in life, but still walks forward.
the more you learn about guts as you go through the story, the more this theme will really resonate with his character.
from someone completely caught up, i still cant believe just how perfectly this song fits.
I’m so glad you reacted to this piece. It feels like it was made for you to break it down. Susumu Hirasawa is truly amazing.
this song feels like sitting with your thoughts and facing the pain
this piece is so so so dear to me. it made start reading the manga back then. i always come back to it from time to time, it's almost like a healing process. i suggest you return to it again once you read some more of the story!! it just grows on you every time. also, the entire ost from susumu hirasawa is one of a kind. "earth" would be my second favorite track from the show. a bit more uplifting and hopeful
7:37 you should read the rest of manga.... you'll understand why this theme is perfect for him
I recommend reading through the 1st two deluxe editions of the manga to see if it's something you're interested in. The first one's kind of rough and a lot of youtube reviews say that they almost dropped the series during the 1st arc, but it's a classic, beloved series for a reason.
Berserk is not for the weak, lol. I've seen people give up after the first few pages, but it's an INCREDIBLE story.
Damn, I was just listening to it randomly last night and woke up to the react of it.
Rest in peace, legend.
Susumu Hirasawa is an absolute genious.
this song made me read berserk and it was truly life changing this song really made me emotional and after reading berserk its enough to make me cry
this song hits me hard. i was getting into the berserk manga in 2022 and was just finding the music before one of my close friends died. we lived a few hundred miles away at the time and i wasn't able to go immediately so my roommates headed there while i just sat at home alone for days, crying and listening to this song. it really did help to have this on repeat but hearing it now is bittersweet as hell. don't really know why i latched onto this song in particular but it just felt right and the fact that it's sorrowful and hollow is fitting. it'll always be an important piece of music to me and probably *a lot* of other people
U need to listen the behelit music ! Susumu Hirasawa is so unique as a musician .
I always look to the bonfire scene from the 1997 adaption of Berserk when thinking of Gut's Theme, it really shows the depth of his character outside the baddassery, its there I truly loved his character.
MORE BERSERK PLEASE! you will not regret it, literal Peak anime OST
The bird yelling outside is a blue jay, if you have a bird feeder it's telling you it's either empty or there's another animal near it and it wants to be there! They love unsalted peanuts if you want to be friends!
Guts is the perfect example of the man that wants nothing but a simple life. He wants calm. He wants love. Things he was willing to fight for, and it has always been taken away from him. The enigma is how he has the strength to keep going. To not give up. And I think it’s the rage that he uses as a crutch to keep going, and it’ll be so hard to give it up, if he is ever offered peace.
So excited for you to enjoy the MASTERPIECE that is Berserk
I can't imagine a song fitting the character or the show better than this does and when/if you watch it, you'll know why.
Hell yeah, very nice video as always. I recommend old stories from made in abyss since you seemed to like kevin penkin :)
Finally, You're doing some Susumu Hirasawa, my favorite musician. Thank you!
Fun fact, the hunter's mark in Bloodborne is the brand of sacrifice from Berserk with the diamond removed and the symbol flipped upside down.
this song makes so much more sense after reading more berserk. keep reading, it's easily the best manga i have ever read. a true masterpiece.
If there was ever a song and a character that encapsulated the duality of man.
Its this song about this man
I just recently discovered this masterpiece for myself
whenever i play tabletop and things take a dark or sad turn i hear this song in my head
From birth guts has been struggling just to live another day, and later in the series his whole world just breaks apart. His intro is like the few quiet moments of peace he gets.
Berserk is peak, and this theme song is peak 🙏
This song perfectly encapsulates the life of a "Struggler".
The sequencing and pace of Berserk to take you from "Man this Guts character is SUCH an ASSHOLE" to where I think most people who read it end up is incredible. Miura was a master of his craft
I'm so grateful that you have started the OG Berserk OST, and I can only recommend Murder, Fear and Forces for your introduction to the greatest Manga ever told.
Just getting notified by youtube about a 3 day old video. Never change youtube
I love Susumu Hirasawa, i actually bought all his CDs back in the day xD His Berserk osts are great (he did the composing for the games as well) and his solo albums have some fantastic songs as well. He also did the OST for the anime movie Paprika which is iconic at this point, especially the song "The Girl In Byakkoya". He made the music for a lot of Satoshi Kons anime projects (rip). My personal favorite song from his solo album is "Phonon Belt", cant believe its 15 years since i first heard it, this sent me down a rabbit hole of nostalgia ^^
oh boy, Guts is probably a contender for one of the most tragic characters to exist, this theme is one of the few that will actually get me emotional...
I am pretty interested how or if you'll have a different reaction/approach to this theme once you get to know more about his story and what happens to him!
So happy you got to listen to this. Immediately thought of also hearing My Brother/ Dragonslayer, Forces and Hai Yo. Take it easy everyone.
Wow. MacroWeebBall having only read the first Delux Vol and only seeing Guts rage. After listening to "Gutz Theme" you imedietly and correctly identify the hurt/cycle Guts is in. Incredible.
this, my brother and hai yo are some of my favourite osts period. would love to see your reaction to the other two theyre insane
Hell yeah. This was one of the tracks I've recommended. It just hits the feels when you're into it.
4:07 Dog!
I love how going in blind, with how Guts looks and the name of the manga being Berserk you'd expect some kind of epic powerful melody full of badassery, and you get what is basically weeping.