Been a little while coming, right? This is the hardest video I've ever had to make.This is also some of the most I've ever enjoyed making a video. Videos like this are only possible because of the support I get on Patron, so if you’d like to kick in a dollar to help me make more stuff like this, Id really appreciate it! www.patreon.com/Supereyepatchwolf (also this video was dinged for copyright twice before it even went live so THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT… Also you can go on a date with skull knight) I want to thank my patrons for there patience and support during this video, you guys are the ENTIRE REASON I can make stuff like this. I cannot over state how weird the idea that people are finally going to watch this video is to me, but I really hope you get something out of it. I am wiped. Im going to go eat pizza, and watch wrestlemania, and sleep for two days.
Wow this is long I’m going to watch all of it now and all in one sitting but I’ll finish it eventually good stuff.. I’m one of those guys who prefers 10 to 15 minute video but then there’s some chills and videos that your mind watching all of it yeah one of them keep up the good work
As my art teacher wrote to me when we talked about the news: "I think that even if he had have lived longer, Berserk would still have remained unfinished. The real pursuit of perfection lasts a lifetime... and he is an example of it." I think we should spread the message of this work and be thankful of what he gave us. He inspired me to draw comics, and I will forever be grateful. It is thanks to him that I discovered this world, and i will never forget that.
Agreed. I've been familiar with berserk for 20+ years and I think like 3-5 years in I realized that this guy (Miura) was likely never gonna finish his story... but I felt compelled to follow along regardless. I think part of me came to that conclusion because around that time Nujabes died unexpectedly. I felt the same way as that when Miura passed.
I first learned of Miura's passing from a retweet of the end of a thread about it, that didn't directly mention his passing but said something along the lines of "even though Berserk's story will never be finished..." My first assumption was not that the man had died, but chosen to retire from Berserk and leave it the unfinished masterpiece many of us already assumed at that point it would always be. I was devastated that wasn't the case, but my first thought when I believed it was? "Good for him."
I was assaulted as a little boy and it’s so hard to find media that takes male survivors seriously. When I read berserk for the first time I was intrigued by the story but when I got to “wounds” and Guts finally overcame his fear of intimacy, I cried hysterically for the whole night. It touched my soul in a way no other manga ever has and probably ever will.
You're strong man. "Wounds" is absolutely beautiful and very healing to read and empathize with the characters inside of it. Take care of yourself bro.
It's unbelievable how Berserk is missing a third of its story and still manages to be one of the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Rest in peace to the true legend, Kentaro Miura.
If Kentaro has trust in his friend to continue the story, I trust him too. Kentaro was an INSANE perfectionist. If he was willing to give the control to this guy, there's no chance he wouldn't be able to keep up the amazing work.
I would assume he's storyboarded out the story to the end with minimal sketches and notes. They aren't just making up the story now, they're finishing it as Miura wrote it. The chapters since Miura passed away are really good, it's not like a new author taking over. And the art matches, too. I wonder if I would be able to tell if I just read through without knowing when the change happened.
I don't like anything about how things went. I didn't get this mad (and sad) even while watching game of thrones season 8. Don't get me wrong, I know that the people working on berserk are very talented and care about it, but they have ruined it really fast, really hard. The series had no reason to go that route, we already went through it and now we're doing it again, wasting time, without a lesson to learn, but plenty of plot holes and wasted potential. I know that it's contradictory to give up and drop the series, but I think it's the better choice now.
@@achillepalermo2354 Very vague and non descriptive. Again if Miura trusts his friends and assistants to finish it that means he wants people to reach the end of his work.
@@pondscvm alright I'll explain myself and list my problems but only with chapter 365 because otherwise it would tske to much time : There just isn't enough foreshadowing for this moment, it's there but not only it's less than what's needed compared to a moment as massive as that but it's also not enough to make anyone see it coming, it could just be retconning and we wouldn't know it. And it's not just foreshadowing there literally isn't any preparation for these moment it just randomly happens without following any structure or build up that could make it even more emotional and if that is not a red flag I don't know what is. It also makes the pacing terrible. The moment itself doesn't have a reason to happen narratively, we have already reached the low point of the story and the best thing to happen would be starting to fight back and that's where the story was going, on top of that we're almost back to square one so these last hundreds of chapters have been mostly ruined. And there isn't a reason for this to happen, there is no lesson to learn here because guts and the others made no mistakes, they had no way to know that the moon child was Griffith and even the best mage in the world couldn't realize it so everyone else can't be blamed for anything, they also just couldn't defeat Griffith or stop him, it's not like there was a better strategy that could have defeated him, the lesson that they obviously want to teach in the future is to always keep struggling but not only we already learned it before, now they've made a good counterpoint to it, they've shown that improving yourself is near impossible because random things can just undone your progress with no difficulty or reason to do so and that you won't learn anything from them on how to improve yourself. The eclipse is the polar opposite of this, we were ready for it despite how climactic it was because we already knew that it was going to happen and the entire arc was building up to it so obviously you should have a lot of preparation for something like losing most of the progress we did in hundreds of chapters. And the lessons to learn were clear just like the mistakes of the characters : trusting Griffith and choosing someone's dream over your own happiness. I think that this whole chapter is a good summary of why even "realistic" stories are never truly like real life because you can't make a good story that way. And Griffith's motivations also don't make any sense because it's already established that Griffith does not care anything about casca or guts anymore, he said it himself. He can't just be lying because he actually just left them and the transformation took all the humanity he had left. This could be explained by saying something, like that it's a separate shard of Griffith's soul that's more emotionally human and that somehow became the moon child but they don't explain anything even in the chapters afterwards. We're just left wondering why he did it. Guts launching himself at Griffith is equally as stupid even if it doesn't feel like it, not only because it erases the character development about him thinking less about Griffith but it's objectively not what should have happened because guts would think about casca first like he did at the end of the conviction arc but even more easily because now casca is sane and suffering while in the conviction arc all she had to do to stop guts was to just exist while still being insane. Also, the moon child doesn't exist anymore as a character so he's completely ruined.
The fact that Miura said "nah" to working on Fist of the North Star and then went on to create one of the greatest manga of all time is a testament to the value of passionate auteurs with vision and a drive to make something incredible on their own.
I can get what he was thinking. His publisher basically told him that people liked his North Star knockoff so why not go work on Northstar? He probably didn't he was being that obvious in his use of Northstar's tropes and so this hit him like a ton of bricks. he was only 22 and he didn't want to just be known as a guy writing a knock off manga. (think about all the blatant knock off isekais that basically try to one or two things different but they don't really have passion behind them.) so he did what all great writers do. Make a god damn outline and try to stick to it lol
@@Poormrworry and that led to people taking creative inspiration from Miuras work through many artistic mediums nowadays. He followed his own intuitive path as an artist and even in his passing he is forever immortalized through his creative vision being forever etched into this world through Berserk. It's quite inspirational.
Not FoTNS, just an all-new project with the writer of FotNS. That's a far less enticing deal, honestly. FotNS was defined more by its art style and character designs than its story, not that the story was bad but it wasn't groundbreaking for the genre. Why abandon something very personal and special that you've spent years cultivating for a collab project where the story is supplied by a less ambitious writer than you are? Of course Miura would choose to stay with Berserk.
@@Diwasho i still prefere the adventures of Kenshiro but Berserk is indeed a great work. Maybe being inconplete will enhance its legendary status even more.
I work at a game publisher and let me say no project like this is ever really alone. Miura is the bones and blood of the story but he also has assistants and publishing staff and people in his life giving him feedback and relationships that shape his sight of the world. Miura is no doubt the master of our age but even people with as much skill and vison as him has people bybhis side.
For those bummed about the Manga never reaching the end... Remember that Miura taugh us that something broken or incomplete can still be beautiful and deserving of love
The day I found out Kentaro Miura died, my dog died the same morning, I was a senior in high school and my parents still made me go to school even after waking up to find out that my dog died, my teachers berated me for being a heap of tears the entire day, when I returned home I sat on my bed and went on to Instagram, the first thing I saw was an edit of the Berserk anime from the 90s with Little Dark Age over images of the eclipse, I thought it was pretty cool but the final few seconds were a message reading RIP Kentaro Miura, I quickly looked online to find that it was true, the two greatest lights in my life went out that today, my dog who had brought me so joy ever since I was a child and the author of a book series which helped bring me out of depression to understand that life wasn't always grim, it had it's downs but that didn't mean it couldn't go up. I doubt anyone will read this but I just wanted to share my story, thanks if you did
I didn't know what Berserk was until today. Who Kentauro Miura was before yesterday. Yet, it seems to resonate with lots of people, their lives, and their hardships. I'm sorry to hear about your loss, even if one year has passed. May your path be one of strength and love.
Berserk helped me reclaim repressed memories and process the trauma of a childhood assault. And when loved ones confided in me regarding similar trauma, it helped me lay down my anger and desire for violent revenge, instead focusing on living a good life while being there for the people I love. I owe Miura a lot, maybe more than any other artist or author.
It's helped me in similar ways too! After lots of childhood trauma I tried really hard to be okay and build a good life, and for about 10 years I did, although looking back now I think I was still in survival mode. Then around 2017 a whole new bunch of trauma took all that progress I made and just destroyed it, and me. Since then I've struggled with addiction, depression, and self isolation, and have basically been constantly dissociated from life. I haven't felt anything really. I don't miss people or love people or feel sadness or anger I'm just a big blah. But reading Berserk has, for the first time in a long time, made me want to feel again, and live and experience life instead of just distracting myself from it. I've been in recovery for 9 months and am in therapy and I have a long way to go still, but I finally have the motivation to do it. I want to feel the emotions that Berserk makes me feel, IRL. Well, not the really horrific emotions lol but everything else.
I hope John knows that we don’t expect anything from him for a while. I can tell that this video was emotionally draining. But good lord, it is the best tribute and sent off to Kentaro Miura anyone could ever ask for. You did good Wolf. Take a rest now.
I also want to say he doesn't have to keep one-upping himself. Not every video has to be super deep. He can chill out and just do one on something silly. A short video for example on this great new omelette recipe he found or a cool wrestling mask whatever the fuck he wants! Something fun he wants to do. He doesn't have to keep putting out 11/10 videos.
"People will find reasons to dislike you, they will find reasons to dismiss and diminish you, but get good enough at something and what they cannot do is ignore you" Damn John well said
When Casca came back, I didn't fucking care how the story would end after that, all I could feel was the relief that at least she was okay and that she still loved Guts after everything. Thank you Miura for making this cruelly beautiful story with these beautiful characters.
I am on the same BOAT. I forget about Griffith the moment saving Casca was again on the table, and I at least think Guts did too. Killing Griffith became a side quest after that... It won't bring more happiness to Guts, his happiness was already there.
@@Puerco-Potter And I think that was probably Miura's intention. Hell, by the time they were on their way to Elfheim, I didn't care about Guts getting his revenge. All I wanted was for him and Casca to be happy and free.
Miura taking the gamble to make his own story instead of working with the guy who made fist of the north star is one of the most inspiring and human things I’ve ever heard.
To me, the most special part of Berserk was always it's tenderness. Despite how vile and despicable the world is, there is always a small comfort to be found or a small mercy to alleviate your troubles. I think there's something wonderful to know that even if everything around you is cruel and feels like it will eat you alive, there will still be something or someone you adore to keep you afloat.
That's the whole structure behind the best fiction which is considered 'grimdark'. As bleak as everything is, it only makes the light that people create, that people fight for, that they build amongst themselves and together, shine all the brighter. EDIT: putting in an edit to say that while 'grimdark' as a term does originate as a tagline for Warhammer 40,000 it has since taken on a life of its own to refer to fiction like A Song of Ice and Fire and The First Law. Taken in bad faith, it's pessimistic art, but usually its fans and adherents will argue that it optimistic in the sense that it gives its characters agency as contrasted to mere hope. Hey, that's the kind of thing that happens when your artistic movement-lite is named after a marketing tagline which was then used as a snarl word, before being embraced as a way to view and produce art.
@@mitcharendt2253 Read, no, but The Black Company is on my TBR. Biggest priority right now after some short stories to cleanse the palate is Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, which I've had pitched to me as having a similar thematic thrust to Berserk, where the protagonist's interiority focuses on healing the self against bleak circumstances.
Miura wasn't ahead of his time - he simply was a thoughtful man and a genius in visualising emotion and character growth through his art - in kinship with Goya and Dürer, is where I see him!
I know people say "Don't be sorry because it's over, be happy that it happened" but I can't help but feel both when I think about Kentaro Miura and Berserk.
@@ilyabykov2437 LMAO. That is some nihilistic shit, my dude. Everything matters to someone. It only takes one person to appreciate something for it to have everlasting value.
Stories are a way for authors to outlive their own deaths. An incomplete story serves to remind us that the author's life wasn't properly concluded either, and that's hard to bear.
It still worth to keep on reading. Yes sadly Miura passed away but his best and closest friend Kouji Mori is continuing it. True their private conversations and materials left by Miura, Kouji Mori has a good grasp on how Miura would proceed and end the manga. While the first chapter done under Kouji Mori supervision felt like a step down in quality he brought it back up on the subsequencial chapters. One of the few mangas that what is going to happen next keeps being a unpredictable amazing surprise.
@@doolenny9458 Didn't the his first chapter came out a year or so after Miura death? That is a very long time for mourning affect your work... And 1 month later he was over the mourning... Probably impossible to say for sure why his first chapter was a down in quality but I doubt it was due to mourning.
@@vitor900000 true it depends on how long it took to make(since berserk art is insane) Prob just a case of first chapter for him was a struggle to make and he slowly got better
@@Schnozo69 ... Yes... I know... I said it on my comment. I even said the name of his friend. Kouji Mori. Not sure why you replied with things I already said but ok I guess...
I started reading after Miura died. Yet I still felt the sense of loss hit me HARD after I read chapter 364. No other manga had gotten me this invested than Berserk. RIP Miura you absolute legend.
Same. And honestly when I finished 364 my heart went out to those that have followed Berserk for years (especially the god damn boat years) and to hear the news.
@@The_Blue_Otaku And that news absolutely floored me! Not going to pretend I am familiar with Kouji Mori's works, but having Miura's best friend supervise the story and Studio Gaga do the work, I am absolutely stoked for it.
I found Berserk at a time when I was feeling alone, angry, betrayed, and utterly hopeless. It may sound silly, but seeing Guts go through such a horrific trauma and still heal and let people back into his life helped me feel like I could do the same. To me, this story is about healing in a world that harms you.
I realized when you talked about casca getting molested as a kid why it destroys casca so much at the eclipse, the one man who saved her as a child became the man who abused her. The entire worldview she's built up to this point is shattered and she reverts to that kid. Im realizing im probably not the first to think of this i just thought it was wild at the time.
Since Miura's death I've been more distant from Berserk, something about it felt bitter. This helped finally digest some of those feelings, thank you John, from the bottom of my Berserk loving heart
Appreciate that you went back and said that the idea Miura was always a genius, devalues his work. As an artist, the immense conflation of skill with natural talent, can cause people to imply quite often that art is just this thing youre good at, or youre not, when its something that artists spend years of their lives trying to master.
@@sloshed-rat To reach miura's level you need to max both your talent and hard work. The guy was insane with the amount of work he put in to make his art this good.
Powerful stuff. I always saw the aspects of "invest in others and you will be lifted to greater heights", but I never considered the messages about choosing your own happiness over obsessive dreaming. Wonderful video, this is gonna stick with me.
Thank you for going in-depth about the misconceptions running around about Miura's lifestyle. Beyond the circumstances of his passing, it comforts me to know he tried to put his health first in the past few years. As someone who struggles to draw and looked up to him, this means a lot.
I personally love the idea of Guts letting go of his revenge to focus on a peaceful life and Griffith trapped in his shining city of lies. Having what happens next left a mystery to a degree. But I'm intrigued to see where it continues to go with the new chapters. Casca was healed for the most part and that was extremely important to see, I'm glad we got that.
"People will find reasons to dislike you, to dismiss or diminish you, but get good enough at something, and they cannot ignore you" I don't know if that's a quote or you came up with it yourself but it's beautiful and I feel this on so many levels.
I find that, while the last chapter doesn't work as an ending on a plot level, it kind of works on an emotional level. Griffith, as the Moon Child, spends time with both Guts and Casca, and sees how happy they are now. And as he turns back into Griffith, he starts to cry. Even after all of the hardship he has put them through, even as he reaches ever closer to his impossible dream, they have something that he will never have.
@@lucylavoie9649 Yea, well, for me the moon child is not Griffith himself, i don't forget during the eclypse they was saying he can feel N-O-T-H-I-N-G now. For me.. that's from the r*** Casca had with Griffith.. Maybe it's for saying even if he the child of griffith he choose Guts, and he is deeply sad he come from a monster like him? Or maybe the child just a way for griffith army to enter there? We can't know.. And that's killing meee 😥😥
Let's take a moment to admire and appreciate how great Duane Johnson's work as english translator was for Berserk. If you've read the fan translations that are out there, you know there are some ways the text in the series can pretty easily start seeming bizarre and unnatural. But in the Dark Horse translations the story bursts off the page with so much poetic energy and emotion
There's a reason so many amateur fan translators exist: a lot of people forget that knowing what words in another language mean does not automatically give you the ability to make a person who speaks your native language feel the same thing the native speakers of the source material felt, and as such they remain perpetual amateurs. It's extremely difficult to do well.
"The day will come when you will need to find the strength to choose your own happiness over your dreams" That really hit me wolf. I'm going through some things. Thank you.
Been through it, you'll dig out eventually. But once you do, whichever decision you make - make your peace with it then and there. That's the best advice I can give.
Whenever I think of Berserk and Miura now, I’m reminded of a quote from that other great unfinished fantasy epic, Discworld: “No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence.” RIP Miura-sensei; I know you’re up there in Metal Heaven, sitting between Frazetta and Two Gun Bob himself, kicking back beers.
Dr. Hiriluk from one piece said something along the lines of “a man dies twice. Once when his heart stops beating, and once again the last time someone says his name.”
The presence of Isidro allows Guts to mentor someone the way he's never been mentored, for example, there's a bit where guts explains to Isidro that he should be using smaller weapons, something Gambino never did for Guts.
I love how the gang was like a second (maybe third?) chance for Guts to have a family and love a happy life. I know fans don't really like the "lighter" tone the series got ever since Fantasia happened, but I think it's a natural endpoint to the message it was bulding up to that moment
@@victorhugocosta1127 I always assumed it was being done intentionally to create a contrast with the past, the present, and what I assumed would be a hyper dark future. I assume Falconia was going to turn out to be a sort of abattoir.
i wonder if miura found someone in his team of editors who he treated like a student lol...maybe his team of editors who helped him ease his load on berserk were the inspiration for guts' gang in the second half of the story.
Dude, I literally got 1:19:00 into the video the first time, took your advice, and have read berserk up until the most recent chapter (373) over 1 year... I wanted to finish this vid properly. The doc is excellent, by the way, and I've become a true convert of the ways of Berserk, partly thanks to yourself. I truly cannot thank you enough. Now I'm gonna finally enjoy the second half of this. Nice one, dude
This episode was beautiful, that final send off talking about the message and about taking care of yourself started to get me choked up. You're an incredible essayist and thank you for all the work you do.
I’ve wanted to read berserk for a while but never had the motivation to do so, but goddamnit I need to hunt this down either by pdf or physical because by god I can’t keep putting it off anymore!
A fitting send off for, in my opinion, one of the greatest stories ever written. I’m just glad I was around to witness it in my lifetime. Thank you, Miura.
As someone who had never heard of Berserk until Miura’s death, this might be the greatest video I’ve ever watched on this platform. Thank you for the work you put in into your videos
I know you didn’t say anything for how Isidro lifts weight off Guts but I think Isidro relieves Gut’s childhood trauma. This is because Guts can be a Father/Teacher figure to him in a positive way and avoid the Gambino route. Isidro looks up to raiders captain without knowing it’s Guts. Isidro seems like Guts if he went down a different route so they both can be warriors but Guts can prevent the pain that he went through from happening to Isidro.
Guts and Isidro needs to bond now more than ever since Casca has been kidnapped by Griffith/Femto and Isma had vanished into the Astral World like a ghost!
"If you invest in the people around you, they can pull you back from anything." That was powerful, and stuck with me, and I kinda needed to hear it today. Wonderful video essay. Thank you.
"I don't know how I'm going to top the Garfield video" You already topped it with this man. I knew next to nothing about Berserk before today (aside from the fact that it was apparently similar to dust sans??) but the story you told here both of Guts and Kentaro really felt heartfelt and genuine. As funny as the Garfield one was, I love hearing you talk so passionately about the stuff that you love. Plus that bit about the "Dreams vs. happiness" hits really fucking hard. Take your break for as long as you need man, you made the Berserk video and it turned out amazing. Whatever you do next I can't wait to see it, and I hope you enjoy making it too.
"People will find reasons to dislike you, they will find reasons to dismiss you and diminish you. But get good enough at something and what they cannot do is ignore you" Love this!!
As Tolkien crafted his masterpiece, Miura went beyond words on paper, his illustrated storytelling is monumental, that will be told and remembered for many generations to come. Thank you, rest in peace.
Berserk came into my life when I needed it most and impacted me in ways I can never truly express. Miura, thank you for changing my life for the better, the masterpiece of story you crafted got me and many others through intense hardships... And thank you for creating this masterful video, showcasing the legacy and beauty of Berserk!
Some stuff Eyepatch probably didn't know was Miura was a fan of Devil man and Violence Jack was where the origin of the Dragon slayer being called a slab of iron speech came from
"The storyteller may fall silent, the music may cease, but the story will not end. Be it tragedy or comedy, as long as there is applause, the story will not end. It is just like the multitude of human lives. Warm blessings to we who were not rewarded, and we who are still on our way. Our travels continue on." This is the final paragraph of the visual novel Fate Stay Night, I found it appropriate to this context.
Regardless of his assistant's tweets, I would say it's pretty obviously a problem in the anime art community to be worked to death. Far too many anime taking hiatus or have taken hiatus due to creators feeling generally burned out. The US is notorious for overworking people, and our creators are churning out so much content, it's ridiculous, and they all see extremely happy and healthy by comparison. The Shonen Jump style of churning out content mills hasn't been good for the health and happiness of a lot of artists. It's not just artists either. Humans were not meant to work so much, we did not evolve for the 80 hour work week. There's no way a man dying at 54 was at peek physical health. Content creators, performers, athletes, and most of all the working class who make this world turn all need to stop and breathe more often. Dying at 54 is a tragedy, and while it should not overshadow the celebration of Miura's life, it should not blind us to a very real problem people are dealing with worldwide.
Your one of the FEW people that I've seen actually take in deep account of the circumstances surrounding his death. Others may say it, but I think more people need to acknowledge this and not pretend it doesn't exist.
Oh absolutely, the high stress is directly linked to premature death. Even when we're not working we're living in a culture that makes you feel bad if you're not constantly trying to make money in some way, how can you monetize every second of your day? How much can you earn? How much can you produce? I actually worked myself into a mental institution. Its such a crushing feeling to always feel that pressure to be doing more and that you're not doing enough
I’ll never forget when I found out Muira died. I sat there feeling so weird that someone I never met that changed how I view story telling was gone forever.
I'm 40. I saw berserk on vhs fansub way back during the summer of 2000 immediately following my high school graduation. I was 18. My store manager at blockbuster video introduced me to it. He was 29. Today he would be 51. I think what you young people forget is that this stuff (anime, manga, etc) has been around for a lot longer than you realize. Your fandoms are built on top of the ones we created just as ours were built on top of those that came before us. The era of an older person being out of touch, like your comment suggests, is over.
Anytime I feel down or depressed I come back to this video as something that is comforting. Hope everyone is winning the battles they don't talk about.
Thank You. Years ago i struggled with depression, i was alone, no therapy or friends, had no objectives in mind or to guide myself, i was but a pulp of a human being slowly degrading and waiting for the end, literally. But then i came across with WHY SHOULD YOU WATCH/ READ BERSERK, in august 2016. Back then, i kind of thought Berserk was stupid thanks to the scene in which Guts cut off his own arm, but, that video had me convinced and what i saw after watching and reading it was pure, pure magic. The pages were beautiful, the writing stunning but Guts was just, everything, he inspired me to power through depression and presented me with a new look on life. Things were still pretty hard back then, i was still depressed and alone, but now i saw things differently, and i told myself that if i struggled, maybe, but just maybe, i could "See the sun rise again", and so i did. Thanks to you i got into Berserk, and thanks to Miura, my life changed: I discovered writing and psychology as my passions and now, almost six years later after reading Berserk, i've beaten depression and i find myself in a pretty good college, my family now approves of me and i have a lot of friends. The journey was tough, i had ups and downs, but that video saved me, Berserk, saved me. ...and again, thank you eyepatch wolf, now i can see the sun rise again.
About 15 minutes into this video, I found myself asking a question, internally, in that way that somewhat bypasses actual words and so I can only approximate as "how was he able to talk about this?" From the moment of Miura's death being announced, I've tried dozens of times to express my feelings about Berserk, each time failing and having to walk away. And with that question I realized, even as you were recapping the intricate emotional clockwork precision of intertwining fates leading to the tragic but inexorable and unavoidable ending of the Golden Age Arc, that I was not, even at that moment, over Miura's death. I'd not come to terms with it yet. I'll not bore you with the detailed account of my relationship with Berserk, stretching back decades now. You were one of us, that much is clear, waiting for each new installment, trapped in that maritime purgatory for close to a decade, and just as neither of us knew Miura personally, both of us were touched by his art in a way that extended over years, intertwining itself with our own lives. And when you began to talk about the Eclipse, and you mentioned how, deep down, we all knew that this was what Griffith was capable of, I couldn't help but draw a parallel to all of us fans knowing that Miura could pass without finishing Berserk, that it was a tragedy we all had considered, even if we hoped otherwise. The story seemed too grand, too far from completion, for a single creator's lifetime. None of which changed the fact that, just like the Eclipse, the news of his passing shook me to the core. And I felt guilty, to an extent, mourning the death of the comic rather than the man, because it's all I could do, because it is all I knew of the man. And I still feel that guilt, even writing this. But as your video drew to a close, as you found within the comic itself AN ending, if not THE ending, I suddenly understood how you were able to come to grips with what I had not, and even as my eyes filled with tears, I realized that you have helped me come to grips with it as well, in a way I couldn't before, and for that, more than anything else, I want to offer my sincerest thank you.
I should consider myself fortunate then that I picked up the manga shortly after his death. I would not have wanted to mourn his passing that way, but I feel as though I still would've had I been in your place. I don't think I like what that says about me.
It is often hard to wrap my mind around the fact a human being drew some of Miura's drawings. The man was just on another level. It's genuinely remarkable. I'm still not over Miura's passing. I keep coming back to this video to grieve all over again.
After I've heard of Miura's passing, I couldn't bring myself to re-read berserk for a long time. Then one day I just opened a page, and then some. There's this scene after Guts killed Gambino where he escaped, got shot in the back, fell down his horse, and landed on a puddle. What he saw after waking up is a beautiful starry skies. That's it, that's where I bawled my eyes out for some reason. Then he's attacked by some wolves, ready to give up living. But he instictively defended himself with a sword in hand. Something he will do many times in the future.
I weeped for the first time in ages when I heard of Miura's passing, I'm still reeling from it tbh. Berserk had such a profound effect on my life, I was never big into manga but when I read the series after watching the '97 anime I literally couldn't put it down. I've never been so engrossed in another fictional property like it before, it is easily one of mankind's greatest achievements and has amplified my appreciation of life. Truly something I will take to the grave with me, I'm so happy I could experience something like this during my lifetime. Rest in power Miura!
Read whole manga in 4 days -Cried on Eclipse - That 370 chapter hits even worse than Eclipse - Listen to some berserk ost and it feels like blessing from the god Can’t wait for 24th December to see next chapter
For me, there's one line that sums up "Berserk" perfectly, and it's one I've tried to bear in mind when my own life gets dark. "Remember the reason you are here! The reason you are fighting now! A human soul could never take this much pain if you didn't CARE!"
When I found out Miura died I literally broke down in tears. His story changed my life. Berserk was the comfy blanket that warmed me up when I felt like I was a walking corpse. Crippled by depression and anxiety, I literally lost myself in the chapters of Berserk. When Miura died, a little bit of myself died too.
I broke down into tears near the end of the video when the connection was made between Guts on the hillside and Miura shifting to take better care of his health and happiness. I wasn't expecting it to hit me that hard, but it did. A strong lesson to live by. Rest in peace Miura.
There’s something seriously wrong with I’ve watch this video 3 times now I’ve cried every time, it’s not about making a video better than the Garfield one just keep speaking from that heart that’s what we’re here for
God I cried at the moment when you mentioned that Miura was taking care of himself and was looking for his own happiness. I hope you do too. Great video 👍👍
dude, almost two hours long and all I've done during that time was cry like the day I read the last chapter. This is an excelente tribute and I hope more people can get into Miura's work.
I'm frustrated. Eyepatch Wolf has literally gotten so good at convincing me to watch Berserk that I can't watch the rest of the video because spoilers. Damn it.
Read it. Don't watch it. You will not appreciate the journey without it. It's... It is a special kind of magic that it was halted when it was. The significance of the hurdle it got over was... It was EVERYTHING to us fans. We got the one thing we wanted more than the story ending.
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 the 97' anime is actually quite good, and more than anything it's a great pitch for reading the manga to see what happens.
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 I think everyone should watch 97 anime, see if they like it, and then read the Manga. The 97 anime basically acts as a preview to the manga
@@scout360pyroz I actually started doing both and immediately got the impression I should be reading it. Probably gonna still watch it just for time's sake, but the manga's in the queue for sureski.
Hey John, coming here from 2024. Thank you for making this video. I'm hiding in a cupboard at work, silently sobbing. Its works like this that help me get through the hard times. Thanks for being yourself dude💜
I hope that one day the assistants will come together to finish Berserk. It wouldn't be the ending we needed but all of us, the readers, the people involved in its creation, and most importantly Miura himself deserve closure. Berserk came to me at one of the darkest points in my life and helped me cope. Seeing the struggle and the absolute hell that Guts went through showed me that I can overcome anything. I will always be grateful to Miura for creating such a masterpiece that provides a light in the dark to so many.
I'm with you. Japan should have a plan for when manga hits this point. Mangakas get sick. We should get our closure. When the God of manga died japan should have started to make plans.
@@dopeasschiller Ah yes, the dying wish of every creative who has ever lived, "fuck everyone else, I'm doing this exclusively for me, I hope it never gets finished and that if I die it dies with me" Very smart
@@dopeasschiller I agree with your message but not terms. Neither “deserve” nor “crazy” factor in here. Miura’s dead and Berserk reemerging as some homunculus of itself is an unhealthy wish. What’s there is there, and I hope others can find closure in what exists.
I'm feeling emotional over a manga I never read and I think that is Wolf's special power, because things like these happen with pretty much all of his videos.
I don't think Griffith was ever fake or phoney. His feelings and desires may have been darker than people realised, but they're genuine. Griffith is a strongly emotional person and that's exactly why he does the things he does. That's exactly why his betrayal is so impactful in my opinion.
Isn't that repeating what he said in the video about him already saying directly how much he would sacrifice, that he literally was telling them all along just how much he would sacrifice? Though on a base level, no, he very clearly had times of being fake or phoney. His politicking, the arrangement with the princess...it was definitely in service of his dream rather than a man following his heart. Did that extend to his friends? Less so. But I think its safe to say that there is a reason why his friends didnt quite realize the true scale of his priorities and where their worth sat.
@@FFKonoko I think you should consider whether he is phony or not from Griffith's own perspective. I think he truly believed that The Band was willing to sacrifice themselves for his goal, Eclipse or otherwise. My point is basically, that I don't feel like Griffith ever wore a mask towards the members of the band. And yes, during the later part of the Golden Age Arc, he politicked among the nobles. The Band can clearly see through this though and Griffith even includes Guts in his schemes. The difference between this and being phony is basically the difference between not seeing the whole painting because you're standing to close to it vs not seeing the whole picture because it's covered. I'm saying, it wasn't covered.
He is a very well written and complex character. Utterly evil and unforgivable, but complex. Honestly, that's probably the best kind of villain. Where they're not at all morally complex, they're out and out evil, but they're still a very engaging and well rounded character.
True, he desires power than friendship, so for us its heartwarming your friends rescue you. he was so broken that sacrifice your friend for power is okay for him
I watched the first 10 or so minutes of this video around May 2022, before going "I should really read Berserk before i watch this." And I did. And it is my favorite manga of all time. I'm so hopeful and enthusiastic for where it's going, and I cannot wait to see how the new team tries to create a path through the ending of Miura's magnum opus. I love this manga such an unfathomable amount, it's so tough to recommend to people because I feel like everyone knows it as "the sexual assault anime" and I will fight tooth and nail to change everyone's mind on that because it is so much more and handles it so intelligently that I physically cannot allow that perception to stand. Love me Berserk Love me Guts Love me Miura 'ate me Griffith 'ate me Behelith 'ate me Eclipse Simple as.
As a rape victim it really made me feel seen and understood, seeing my issues treated so respectfully and brutally honestly. And I hate that Goblin Slayer seems to be the one getting more attention.
@@lesigh3410 not to mention GS did it for shock value/hentai bait Berserk weaved these terrible acts into the story and tackled it all with the brtual reality many like yourself know
@@neinja66469 Exactly, I fucking hate how often people just use it for shock value or comedy but then get all squeamish when the trauma stemming from being raped gets portrayed in a realistic manner. Deadass had some psycho treat me saying that GS just had the rape victims exit stage left after their obligatory rape scene in the same manner as people who argue that gay characters need to have their social issues brought up - "Not everything needs to be representation." It's ludicrous.
Almost every Discworld fan knows how you feel man. We knew this guy we didn't know but whose work and world had a massive and powerful impact on how we look at the world around us was dying - how he was literally losing the part of him that allowed him to create in the way we had loved at an advanced rate. It felt like a sick joke. It still does. We know how you feel about the idea of a world continuing and the conflict in needing that world but also feeling it is finished because it was the expression of that human's creativity. I happily read all of Berserk after watching part one of this - and part two was very powerful. Just know that people out there do get it.
Man all the cameos in Raising Steam and, the, uh, That Death Scene at the start of Shepherd's Crown hits really, really hard. Those later books really do suffer from being written by a man with alzheimers but the cameos and that death scene really felt like Pratchett trying to wrap up as much as he could before it all ended. It's hard to get through those ones in places.
@@aethertag1530 It's amazing how those last few books feel now, coming back to them years later. Pratchett at the twilight of his life still wrote rings around lesser authors. There's something to them, too - a strange kind of... not peace, exactly? Like, Pratchett doesn't do peace, he's too angry and funny, but... like... almost a sort of understanding? An acceptance that this was his life, and he lived it well. I don't fucking know. It's hard to talk about Pratchett. How do you encapsulate someone who was so much?
Yup. I remember being texted about Pratchett's death while I was at work, and half convincing myself that my boyfriend was wrong so I wouldn’t break down at the office. Then I got home, confirmed it, and cried on and off for five hours. I told two friends and we cried together, grieving an author we never met yet felt we knew thanks to their beautiful, life-changing work. Discworld fans get it.
Berserk ended with Guts and Casca encountering a teary eyed Griffith. I was left speechless when I saw that panel. This was a moment I've been waiting for for like a decade, and now that it's finally here, it ended just as soon as it begun. A moment frozen in time, of our main characters confronting their worst demons.
I think it is more powerful that Miura died because he IS Guts in his story. So that means that Guts died. And if Griffith can already get emotional, that means that Griffith would mourn Guts' passing and could even be brought back. He could make a sacrifice and let Casca have a child while also bringing the world together since he has had his Kingdom, and he would be remembered. That makes the most sense to me since the Berserker armor is slowly taking away Guts and eventually Guts' heart may not be able to take it anymore. Just like Miura's.
@@casedistorted Griffith can only feel the emotion of the moonlight boy y know. It isn’t his feelings. And he only felt it acouple seconds after his transformation, so after like 10 secs he won’t feel a thing to guts
Life doesn't have "endings". It absolutely never does. We die, like Miura did. And moments like Caska's tearing smile remembering guts are all we can cling to. That is what makes them precious. I will fight with tooth and nail for those moments. And I will end my days with a smile as they come to mind. Thank you, Miura. Thank you, John.
One of the two greatest manga I’ve ever read, Vagabond being the other one. Thank you for this love letter to the series and RIP Kentaro Miura. His legacy shall never die
I just started Vegabond but it seems really lame so far, just boring male fantasy stuff, I don’t see anything interesting about it from the first 3 volumes
A friend once told me "Berserk is our time's Canterbury Tales. A definitive work that will last for ages, one that will never be completed, yet who's reach and impact will be studied for ages."
I think it's amazing how Berserk fans seem to feel Miura's death as though he was in their life. And the truth is, he was. His art was filled with himself and was truly pure in that. If Miura left anything in this world, it was one of the best examples of how to create.
John, I hope you know you think far too little of the impact your videos have. I think your ability to like certain things so much to dedicate videos this detailed and well thought out, and then execute them in in such a unique, attention keeping way, and you speak with such conviction so earnestly and with such pathos and affection and brutal honesty, that it can't help but make your Audience care too. I might never have seen Akira without your videos. I'd still have no idea what berserk is about, without your videos. There is so much art and media and storytelling that has infinitely impacted the way I draw and write characters and a creator in general, I would not have ever seen or even know existed, without your videos. I have ADHD I physically cannot independently seek to learn and understand something without caring about it very deeply. So believe me when I say, I seriously think without your videos I would not be as good an artist as I am now and hope to be in the future, because I wouldn't know who Junji Ito is, or Satoshi Kon, or the creator of berserk, and I wouldn't know what they did or why I should care about it, without your videos. And if you think about it, these great creators spent so much of their lives and sacrificed so much of their time on this earth to their work, and because of the work you do, it can be appreciated by entirely new audiences that it would have been just another book on the shelf for, or not even know about it to seek it out. Now if I see a copy of berserk on the shelf, I will be very excited. Now, I have my list of Satoshi Kon movies I've been checking off my list to see. The way you talk about this media you care about, and how you can make people care about it and understand it in entirely new ways as to why it's good, what makes it good, it makes those sacrifices these incredible creators made even more meaningful and truly appreciated because you make videos to help people understand not only the whole of what made the media good, but about the human being behind that media and how their dedication to something in their life, mattered and made a difference. I'm not in a position where I can go to film school right now like I want to, that's my dream, but because of the things I learn from the videos you make, my stories and my art have been getting better and better even though I don't have access to a traditional means of learning how to make good art or write good stories. I don't watch two hour videos, ever. My attention craps out at the 30 minute mark, no matter how much I want to pay attention and understand the content. I'm a neurodivergent person, I physically can't make myself maintain attention on something dense or uninteresting. But the way you talk about things, and the passion and emotion in your voice as you talk about it, it makes me hang on every word. I won't even notice it's a two hour video because I'm that thoroughly interested from start to finish. That's not a talent many people have John. I think you should be proud of that. Your work matters and it impacts people you might never know, in ways you might never understand. I know when you go home for the holidays and your people ask you what your job is and you say "UA-camr", it might not sound like that much. But I want you to know that it does matter, and the hours and hours of your time you spend creating videos like these, does matter. And sure, the day may come where you want to move on and do something else, and any video could be your last on this channel. But if that day does come, honestly, good for you. It can't take away the work you've done and the videos you have made, and it can't take away all the things I learned from, and because of those videos. Personally I prefer if the creators that inspire me choose to put the pen down someday and enjoy the life they have and the world they made their content for. Rather than work themselves into the ground night and day to keep on creating and then leaving this world suddenly with no satisfying conclusion, and no matter how great their work was, the memory will always be colored in sadness because the passionate creator became a tragedy. All things will and should come to an end. It's better that we get to choose how it ends and have the ability to see how our legacy is going to live on without us, and have some control over it and ability to reap the rewards of it, before officially clocking out. That to me, is a happy ending. Having made a craft you're proud of and being able to sit back and watch people enjoy it. But of course that'll all come when youre damn good and ready! For now feel free to keep making videos because I certainly love watching them! You do good work, John! Don't let dumb tedious internet comments cut you too deep!! (Though I understand how they can sometimes 🥲) I know even a little negative feedback can cut through a sea of compliments and positive feedback, just keep putting it into perspective! There's so many people who do love your work and the perspectives you share! Don't forget that! You matter, and so does your work. 👍
Everyone quotes this, but the guy literally worked so hard on Berserk without vacation days that he became ill for long stretches of time which began his body's decline. Sorry to say, but he worked himself to death.
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 bruh he died by overworking himself ain’t nothing changing that but the manga industry hiding that fact 🤷🏽♂️ he was a slav3 at the end of the day. Oda is definitely trying to avoid that by going on breaks every other month
There isn’t a single other UA-camr out there that conveys emotion through the videos as well as you. This video has actually helped me come to terms with end of Berserk and Miura’s passing in some way. Thank you
Honestly, the "ending" we have now is kind of fitting. I'm happy that a whole hell of a lot of lingering plots were fixed up, and the stopping point we have is open-ended enough for fans to speculate basically forever about how it could possibly have truly ended.
I really think people are taken this as an ending where there was no intention for it to do so. Literally an awful ending with so many issues and plot holes. It's like people can't accept when their favourite manga does bad.
@@KeelanJon The author is dead... what do you mean the manga did bad? The hell? Obviously this isn't an adequate ending. But given the situation, all I'm saying is that I'm quite content with it. It can be seen as a pretty great ending as it actually does resolve a lot and we finally see Guts seeing Griffith again. It's unfortunate we'll never really see what is supposed to happen next, but that's fine by me.
@@callmeinstead I know the authors dead, but studios don't just write on a whim, these things are planned due to resource needs. It's literally one of the biggest unsatisfying endings in history given the mangas long standing run time. You're entitled to your opinion, but imagine waiting 30 years to watch Griffith cry and to be ever one page away from Guts cutting his head off. Crazy 🤣
Seeing the arcs play out, and hearing the mention of Griffith being trapped in a dungeon... and what comes next... ...it's easy to understand where Fear & Hunger sprouted from.
A part of me died twenty-six years ago when someone a little older than me, enraged with puberty, took a year from my life to humiliate, abuse, and force "manliness" on me. No one helped and eventually I learned to rely on myself over parents, cops, teachers, and all who claimed to understand and control the world. I recognized Guts in Gambino's clutches. I understood the eternal horror of the Eclipse, the trauma that tears and exhausts, and will likely only end whenever I pass on. This doesn't mean that peace isn't possible. There are moments that took work, slow healing, and recognizing that whatever it is I had to do to survive is something I could help foster in others without needing to experience the depths I did and still do. So I come across this exchange between Guts and Gedfring in one of the last chapters: Guts - Thanks for the warning, but I don't die easy. I don't need looking after by some guy who doesn't know if he's alive or dead. Gedfring - Then in the end, you must determine what to make of your fury. Whether it is to be the breath that keeps you alive, or the hellfire that consumes you from within. And this is it. This is the end of Berserk. Nothing more need be said. I thank the memory and work of Miura for this and all the illuminating stories which led up to it.
I like to think that Guts and Casca spend the rest of their lives happily on that island with their magic kid. I know it's fuck Griffith and all that but still, I want Guts to be happy
If I may carry on with the "Miura as Guts" metaphor for a while, I think it would actually be quite poetic for the story to continue under new people. There definitely was a time where Berserk was about Guts, alone, improving his craft and finding his own way. But for years now, thats not what Berserk has been about. If anything, that goal has only proven to be destructive for Guts, damaging his health and reducing him to a mad dog. Instead, its only once he let people into his life and started to rely on them that he has managed to find some sort of happiness and peace. And that's really what Berserk has been about for nearly 15 years now: letting go of your individualistic dream and embracing a community. Therefore, it would feel right for me for Berserk to continue under Miura's friends and assistants because just like the only way for Guts to keep going is by relying on his friends, the only way for Berserk to keep publishing was to become a team effort. And maybe if Miura had learned that lesson some years earlier, he still would be with us today. Hopefully Guts doesn't make the same mistake.
The morning we found out Miura died, I had family texting me and calling me to make sure I was okay. Even my in-laws were checking on me, because EVERYONE knows how much Berserk meant to me. I have a tattoo of it, so much merchandise I couldn’t even count the dollars I’ve spent, and when I went to Japan, I scoured for Berserk. It still doesn’t feel real. Rest In Peace, Miura.
"It doesn't feel real" That comment summarizes the feeling perfectly. This thing and person you're so intimately familiar with; a genuine legend among legends who's life work should have been heralded as a hero among manga and praised for its writing and artistry. One you joked about for years, cheekily saying "He will die before he ever finishes this manga". It was meant as teasing; a clear adoration of the author and his dedication to his craft shining through because you knew he was the GOAT, and no single other author even came close. And then the day came. People told you "Miura died" and the statement was so unbelievable that you immediately thought it was a joke; it was April 1st and you simply lost track of time. But you didn't. And he had. And now, every time you think of that masterpiece he created, every time you see his work, you won't think of "Oh boy, I wonder what's gonna happen next", you're gonna think "What was gonna happen next". You are no longer looking at a person's work, you're looking at their legacy. And that changed for us in real time. Miura, you absolute fucking legend, I hope wherever you are that you're doing well and that your wife will recover from this tragedy. I don't care if the story remains unfinished, I just want people to recognize you and your work.
This video made me appreciate Berserk even more, and helped me come to terms with the situation in a more uplifting way than I thought possible. Seeing the panel of Casca remembering guts again and the way you portrayed it brought a huge emotional smile to my face.
When I first found Berserk it was something of a surreal moment that I didnt understand until later in life. I was drawn to the story but I couldnt find out why, couldnt understand how it had me so emotional. I was reading the golden age arc and when the story of Guts and Griffith came to a head and Guts leaving on his own it dawned on me. During high school my best friend and I did everything, but I was the new guy, he already knew everyone and had all these connections but he took me under his wing. Over the years I found nothing I did was ever better then what he could do. Art, writing, games, martial arts, he was simply gifted. I worked hard to be good at something, to prove to myself I had worth. He had gotten to a point where he was used to getting things handed to him, where I got used to working for everything I ever had. We drifted apart, and he eventually killed himself, and I now have a wife and family. There was something there that I never realized, something underneath that I guess my subconscious picked up on, but my eyes never saw. This is the connection I felt to Guts and Griffith during the golden age arc. I now understand Berserk in a way I never thought I would, and it is something I treasure just as I treasure the time I had with my best friend.
Miura's art looks like and feels like it would be hell to draw let alone to make with out a drive or a passion for what he was doing mad respect for this man
I lean away from drawing details, so seeing Miura art is: “OMG... is beautiful “ “No way in hell I am drawing anything like that...” And the occasional “Remember is not real... IT IS NOT REAL *IT CANNOT HURT YOU* next page NOW!!! XD
Not me sobbing by the end of this video 🥲 you're the first person I've seen make a connection between Guts giving up his dream and resting instead of fighting, and Muira starting to go on lengthy hiatuses, but damn. That's poetic and I hope he got some joy in the time he took off from his dream writing his masterpiece. Berserk ending with Casca's mind healed, Guts surrounded by his found family, and Griffith still alive, is perfect imo. Although I trust in his friend and assistants to finish it and do it justice, so I will continue reading as long as I can!
By the end of this video I was just laying on my couch sobbing (that's a good thing though.) I started reading Berserk when I was a teenager (I'm 36 now) Berserk had been with me for more than half of my life. It's hard for me to remember a time before Berserk. It made such a huge impact on me. It greatly influenced my art and writing. Miura became my idol and I wanted to make dark mature manga (with heart) like him. On the day I found out about his death, I cried. I probably cried off and on for about a week or so after that. I felt like his death would leave a void that would never be filled and unfortunately I still feel that's the truth. Even if someone continues the manga, even though I will probably check it out, I know it won't feel like the true Berserk. I really feel like Miura's soul can be felt in the manga. I hope that what you said was true though. I hope that in that last 10-15yrs of his life, he was taking care of himself. I hope he was getting to spend some time with family and friends. I hope he was getting to do things he loved. I hope he was happy. RIP Kentaro Miura
As someone who has never read Beserk, this video made me incredible emotional. It's so obvious that you have a great love for this story, its characters, and its author, much like so many others do. I think I'll be giving Beserk a read soon. Thank you John.
Isn't it beautful, the ripples in the great water we all live in together? Emotions and inspirations travelling generations and mediums to reach people in profound ways? I was always told I'd love beserk, read it sparingly, but played and fell in love with dark souls. Seeing now, just how much inspiration Miyazaki drew from Miura, and watching this video, I'm compelled to read it fully and finally appreciate it. My hope is to find the fire to commit to some of the shitty things I've struggled to finish creating.
He is speaking with the love and passion of the whole community, the art and story of berserk only gets better as you read more of the medium and understand how fucking amazing it is I have read berserk 3 years after entering the manga world and every time I finish another manga I understand how incredible everything in berserk is... I haven't dealt with a death this close to my heart for a long time but the point of the story is what keeps me anchored and thankful. RIP
As a person who's very first childhood crush was General Grievous from Star Wars, holding the dating sim of skull night hostage on your patreon was.. upsettingly effective
: As a person who's very first childhood crush was Eric Idle from Monty Python's Flying Circus, this statement I'm seeing is...incredibly silly. And a bit suspect, I think.
The idea that Guts' prowess in battle is his way of forcing himself to be acknowledged by the world is made even more obvious and beautiful by the size of his sword, as is the fact that it seemingly grows with him. In a way, Guts is that sword, it's his sense of self and security, and what he is best known for. I especially like the connection you draw between the art of berserk and Guts' fighting style, as it goes beautifully with my personal view that all things made and done by people is art and as such contains a piece of your soul.
I never really thought about the parallel between Guts' journey and priorities and the events in Miura's life, probably also because he wasn't someone letting much to be know about himself, but that is quite fascinating.
Been a little while coming, right?
This is the hardest video I've ever had to make.This is also some of the most I've ever enjoyed making a video.
Videos like this are only possible because of the support I get on Patron, so if you’d like to kick in a dollar to help me make more stuff like this, Id really appreciate it!
www.patreon.com/Supereyepatchwolf
(also this video was dinged for copyright twice before it even went live so THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT… Also you can go on a date with skull knight)
I want to thank my patrons for there patience and support during this video, you guys are the ENTIRE REASON I can make stuff like this.
I cannot over state how weird the idea that people are finally going to watch this video is to me, but I really hope you get something out of it.
I am wiped. Im going to go eat pizza, and watch wrestlemania, and sleep for two days.
Thanks mate ive been waiting for this
Thanks so much for this video and hope you enjoy all the wrestling this weekend like me
John its an hour 50, go make yourself some tea and put your feet up I think you earned it at this point...
Wow this is long I’m going to watch all of it now and all in one sitting but I’ll finish it eventually good stuff.. I’m one of those guys who prefers 10 to 15 minute video but then there’s some chills and videos that your mind watching all of it yeah one of them keep up the good work
Thank you very much for this.
As my art teacher wrote to me when we talked about the news: "I think that even if he had have lived longer, Berserk would still have remained unfinished. The real pursuit of perfection lasts a lifetime... and he is an example of it." I think we should spread the message of this work and be thankful of what he gave us. He inspired me to draw comics, and I will forever be grateful. It is thanks to him that I discovered this world, and i will never forget that.
Couldn't agree more.
yes.
that's true
Agreed. I've been familiar with berserk for 20+ years and I think like 3-5 years in I realized that this guy (Miura) was likely never gonna finish his story... but I felt compelled to follow along regardless. I think part of me came to that conclusion because around that time Nujabes died unexpectedly. I felt the same way as that when Miura passed.
I first learned of Miura's passing from a retweet of the end of a thread about it, that didn't directly mention his passing but said something along the lines of "even though Berserk's story will never be finished..."
My first assumption was not that the man had died, but chosen to retire from Berserk and leave it the unfinished masterpiece many of us already assumed at that point it would always be. I was devastated that wasn't the case, but my first thought when I believed it was? "Good for him."
I was assaulted as a little boy and it’s so hard to find media that takes male survivors seriously. When I read berserk for the first time I was intrigued by the story but when I got to “wounds” and Guts finally overcame his fear of intimacy, I cried hysterically for the whole night. It touched my soul in a way no other manga ever has and probably ever will.
You're strong man. "Wounds" is absolutely beautiful and very healing to read and empathize with the characters inside of it. Take care of yourself bro.
@@Jay3R142 thanks man, it’s getting easier
I hope you’re healing as well and I’m glad Berserk helped you. Sending love and thoughts.
Lol you girl
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It's unbelievable how Berserk is missing a third of its story and still manages to be one of the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Rest in peace to the true legend, Kentaro Miura.
That ending 🗑🗑🗑🤷🏽♂️
@@BigtimeSCARFACE You 🗑🗑🗑🤷🏽♂️
Hope there’s 365..
its hot trash overrated af read better manga
@@BigtimeSCARFACE Your Father: 🏃💨
If Kentaro has trust in his friend to continue the story, I trust him too. Kentaro was an INSANE perfectionist. If he was willing to give the control to this guy, there's no chance he wouldn't be able to keep up the amazing work.
I would assume he's storyboarded out the story to the end with minimal sketches and notes. They aren't just making up the story now, they're finishing it as Miura wrote it. The chapters since Miura passed away are really good, it's not like a new author taking over. And the art matches, too. I wonder if I would be able to tell if I just read through without knowing when the change happened.
I don't like anything about how things went. I didn't get this mad (and sad) even while watching game of thrones season 8. Don't get me wrong, I know that the people working on berserk are very talented and care about it, but they have ruined it really fast, really hard. The series had no reason to go that route, we already went through it and now we're doing it again, wasting time, without a lesson to learn, but plenty of plot holes and wasted potential. I know that it's contradictory to give up and drop the series, but I think it's the better choice now.
@@achillepalermo2354lol what the hell are you talking about?
@@achillepalermo2354 Very vague and non descriptive. Again if Miura trusts his friends and assistants to finish it that means he wants people to reach the end of his work.
@@pondscvm alright I'll explain myself and list my problems but only with chapter 365 because otherwise it would tske to much time :
There just isn't enough foreshadowing for this moment, it's there but not only it's less than what's needed compared to a moment as massive as that but it's also not enough to make anyone see it coming, it could just be retconning and we wouldn't know it. And it's not just foreshadowing there literally isn't any preparation for these moment it just randomly happens without following any structure or build up that could make it even more emotional and if that is not a red flag I don't know what is. It also makes the pacing terrible.
The moment itself doesn't have a reason to happen narratively, we have already reached the low point of the story and the best thing to happen would be starting to fight back and that's where the story was going, on top of that we're almost back to square one so these last hundreds of chapters have been mostly ruined. And there isn't a reason for this to happen, there is no lesson to learn here because guts and the others made no mistakes, they had no way to know that the moon child was Griffith and even the best mage in the world couldn't realize it so everyone else can't be blamed for anything, they also just couldn't defeat Griffith or stop him, it's not like there was a better strategy that could have defeated him, the lesson that they obviously want to teach in the future is to always keep struggling but not only we already learned it before, now they've made a good counterpoint to it, they've shown that improving yourself is near impossible because random things can just undone your progress with no difficulty or reason to do so and that you won't learn anything from them on how to improve yourself.
The eclipse is the polar opposite of this, we were ready for it despite how climactic it was because we already knew that it was going to happen and the entire arc was building up to it so obviously you should have a lot of preparation for something like losing most of the progress we did in hundreds of chapters. And the lessons to learn were clear just like the mistakes of the characters : trusting Griffith and choosing someone's dream over your own happiness.
I think that this whole chapter is a good summary of why even "realistic" stories are never truly like real life because you can't make a good story that way.
And Griffith's motivations also don't make any sense because it's already established that Griffith does not care anything about casca or guts anymore, he said it himself. He can't just be lying because he actually just left them and the transformation took all the humanity he had left. This could be explained by saying something, like that it's a separate shard of Griffith's soul that's more emotionally human and that somehow became the moon child but they don't explain anything even in the chapters afterwards. We're just left wondering why he did it.
Guts launching himself at Griffith is equally as stupid even if it doesn't feel like it, not only because it erases the character development about him thinking less about Griffith but it's objectively not what should have happened because guts would think about casca first like he did at the end of the conviction arc but even more easily because now casca is sane and suffering while in the conviction arc all she had to do to stop guts was to just exist while still being insane.
Also, the moon child doesn't exist anymore as a character so he's completely ruined.
The fact that Miura said "nah" to working on Fist of the North Star and then went on to create one of the greatest manga of all time is a testament to the value of passionate auteurs with vision and a drive to make something incredible on their own.
I can get what he was thinking. His publisher basically told him that people liked his North Star knockoff so why not go work on Northstar? He probably didn't he was being that obvious in his use of Northstar's tropes and so this hit him like a ton of bricks. he was only 22 and he didn't want to just be known as a guy writing a knock off manga. (think about all the blatant knock off isekais that basically try to one or two things different but they don't really have passion behind them.) so he did what all great writers do. Make a god damn outline and try to stick to it lol
@@Poormrworry and that led to people taking creative inspiration from Miuras work through many artistic mediums nowadays. He followed his own intuitive path as an artist and even in his passing he is forever immortalized through his creative vision being forever etched into this world through Berserk. It's quite inspirational.
Not FoTNS, just an all-new project with the writer of FotNS. That's a far less enticing deal, honestly. FotNS was defined more by its art style and character designs than its story, not that the story was bad but it wasn't groundbreaking for the genre. Why abandon something very personal and special that you've spent years cultivating for a collab project where the story is supplied by a less ambitious writer than you are? Of course Miura would choose to stay with Berserk.
@@Diwasho i still prefere the adventures of Kenshiro but Berserk is indeed a great work. Maybe being inconplete will enhance its legendary status even more.
I work at a game publisher and let me say no project like this is ever really alone. Miura is the bones and blood of the story but he also has assistants and publishing staff and people in his life giving him feedback and relationships that shape his sight of the world. Miura is no doubt the master of our age but even people with as much skill and vison as him has people bybhis side.
For those bummed about the Manga never reaching the end... Remember that Miura taugh us that something broken or incomplete can still be beautiful and deserving of love
nerd.
@@ivonlee5482 not as nerdy as the mom that your pole dances on!
@@ivonlee5482 With pride!
@@ivonlee5482 And?
@@ivonlee5482 that nerd is more Mentally prepared for life than you, "Chad"
The day I found out Kentaro Miura died, my dog died the same morning, I was a senior in high school and my parents still made me go to school even after waking up to find out that my dog died, my teachers berated me for being a heap of tears the entire day, when I returned home I sat on my bed and went on to Instagram, the first thing I saw was an edit of the Berserk anime from the 90s with Little Dark Age over images of the eclipse, I thought it was pretty cool but the final few seconds were a message reading RIP Kentaro Miura, I quickly looked online to find that it was true, the two greatest lights in my life went out that today, my dog who had brought me so joy ever since I was a child and the author of a book series which helped bring me out of depression to understand that life wasn't always grim, it had it's downs but that didn't mean it couldn't go up. I doubt anyone will read this but I just wanted to share my story, thanks if you did
i hear you
I feel you, bro.
Stay strong 🖤
I hope you're well mate.
I didn't know what Berserk was until today. Who Kentauro Miura was before yesterday. Yet, it seems to resonate with lots of people, their lives, and their hardships. I'm sorry to hear about your loss, even if one year has passed. May your path be one of strength and love.
Berserk helped me reclaim repressed memories and process the trauma of a childhood assault. And when loved ones confided in me regarding similar trauma, it helped me lay down my anger and desire for violent revenge, instead focusing on living a good life while being there for the people I love. I owe Miura a lot, maybe more than any other artist or author.
Now that's the kind of stuff I like to hear.
Damm this manga is so special.
Im so sorry you’ve gone through that, but I’m so glad this show helped you grow into the person you are today ❤
It's helped me in similar ways too! After lots of childhood trauma I tried really hard to be okay and build a good life, and for about 10 years I did, although looking back now I think I was still in survival mode. Then around 2017 a whole new bunch of trauma took all that progress I made and just destroyed it, and me.
Since then I've struggled with addiction, depression, and self isolation, and have basically been constantly dissociated from life. I haven't felt anything really. I don't miss people or love people or feel sadness or anger I'm just a big blah.
But reading Berserk has, for the first time in a long time, made me want to feel again, and live and experience life instead of just distracting myself from it. I've been in recovery for 9 months and am in therapy and I have a long way to go still, but I finally have the motivation to do it. I want to feel the emotions that Berserk makes me feel, IRL. Well, not the really horrific emotions lol but everything else.
I hope John knows that we don’t expect anything from him for a while. I can tell that this video was emotionally draining. But good lord, it is the best tribute and sent off to Kentaro Miura anyone could ever ask for.
You did good Wolf. Take a rest now.
Well said.
I also want to say he doesn't have to keep one-upping himself. Not every video has to be super deep.
He can chill out and just do one on something silly. A short video for example on this great new omelette recipe he found or a cool wrestling mask whatever the fuck he wants! Something fun he wants to do. He doesn't have to keep putting out 11/10 videos.
"People will find reasons to dislike you, they will find reasons to dismiss and diminish you, but get good enough at something and what they cannot do is ignore you"
Damn John well said
maybe he'll get there one day
Now I'm motivated
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Fuck yeah dude 🙌
When Casca came back, I didn't fucking care how the story would end after that, all I could feel was the relief that at least she was okay and that she still loved Guts after everything.
Thank you Miura for making this cruelly beautiful story with these beautiful characters.
I am on the same BOAT. I forget about Griffith the moment saving Casca was again on the table, and I at least think Guts did too. Killing Griffith became a side quest after that... It won't bring more happiness to Guts, his happiness was already there.
@@Puerco-Potter And I think that was probably Miura's intention. Hell, by the time they were on their way to Elfheim, I didn't care about Guts getting his revenge. All I wanted was for him and Casca to be happy and free.
@@tailedgates9and that really made the taking of Casca by Griffith hurt that much more
Thanks for spoiling
Miura taking the gamble to make his own story instead of working with the guy who made fist of the north star is one of the most inspiring and human things I’ve ever heard.
especially since he was inspired by that manga.
To me, the most special part of Berserk was always it's tenderness. Despite how vile and despicable the world is, there is always a small comfort to be found or a small mercy to alleviate your troubles. I think there's something wonderful to know that even if everything around you is cruel and feels like it will eat you alive, there will still be something or someone you adore to keep you afloat.
That's the whole structure behind the best fiction which is considered 'grimdark'. As bleak as everything is, it only makes the light that people create, that people fight for, that they build amongst themselves and together, shine all the brighter.
EDIT: putting in an edit to say that while 'grimdark' as a term does originate as a tagline for Warhammer 40,000 it has since taken on a life of its own to refer to fiction like A Song of Ice and Fire and The First Law. Taken in bad faith, it's pessimistic art, but usually its fans and adherents will argue that it optimistic in the sense that it gives its characters agency as contrasted to mere hope.
Hey, that's the kind of thing that happens when your artistic movement-lite is named after a marketing tagline which was then used as a snarl word, before being embraced as a way to view and produce art.
@@WarMomPT Never actually thought about it that way, thanks Mom.
@@WarMomPT have you ever read Glen Cook? His work is some of the best and most overlooked, he was a huge influence both Asoif and first law.
@@mitcharendt2253 Read, no, but The Black Company is on my TBR. Biggest priority right now after some short stories to cleanse the palate is Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, which I've had pitched to me as having a similar thematic thrust to Berserk, where the protagonist's interiority focuses on healing the self against bleak circumstances.
@@mitcharendt2253 I'm reading Black Company now! Finished the first book but I have yet to read the second
Berserk is peak, Miura was truly ahead of his time when he wrote this masterpiece. Gone too soon, may he rest in peace.
Berserk is peak beyond peak rarely has any manga ever got me emotionally invested and as Sad as Berserk
berserk is garbage one of the most overrated manga i read back in the day
@@alitavanpelt8961 Bait
Miura wasn't ahead of his time - he simply was a thoughtful man and a genius in visualising emotion and character growth through his art - in kinship with Goya and Dürer, is where I see him!
@@alitavanpelt8961 gr8 b8 m8
I know people say "Don't be sorry because it's over, be happy that it happened" but I can't help but feel both when I think about Kentaro Miura and Berserk.
"He died doing what he wanted, no matter what, right? I bet he was happy".
Doesn't matter that it's happened if it's over.
@@ilyabykov2437 LMAO. That is some nihilistic shit, my dude. Everything matters to someone. It only takes one person to appreciate something for it to have everlasting value.
Stories are a way for authors to outlive their own deaths. An incomplete story serves to remind us that the author's life wasn't properly concluded either, and that's hard to bear.
@@ilyabykov2437 nothing would matter because everything ends. Hell our comments would not matter because they have enfs
It still worth to keep on reading. Yes sadly Miura passed away but his best and closest friend Kouji Mori is continuing it. True their private conversations and materials left by Miura, Kouji Mori has a good grasp on how Miura would proceed and end the manga.
While the first chapter done under Kouji Mori supervision felt like a step down in quality he brought it back up on the subsequencial chapters.
One of the few mangas that what is going to happen next keeps being a unpredictable amazing surprise.
Really well put!
And I his defense he was writig it while moarning his. Est friend
@@doolenny9458 Didn't the his first chapter came out a year or so after Miura death?
That is a very long time for mourning affect your work... And 1 month later he was over the mourning...
Probably impossible to say for sure why his first chapter was a down in quality but I doubt it was due to mourning.
@@vitor900000 true it depends on how long it took to make(since berserk art is insane)
Prob just a case of first chapter for him was a struggle to make and he slowly got better
@@Schnozo69
... Yes... I know... I said it on my comment. I even said the name of his friend. Kouji Mori.
Not sure why you replied with things I already said but ok I guess...
I started reading after Miura died. Yet I still felt the sense of loss hit me HARD after I read chapter 364. No other manga had gotten me this invested than Berserk. RIP Miura you absolute legend.
Same. And honestly when I finished 364 my heart went out to those that have followed Berserk for years (especially the god damn boat years) and to hear the news.
@@nickwimmer6954 **I Got Some Good News** Berserk is returning and it's being worked on by Kōji Mori a close friend of Kentaro Miura
@@The_Blue_Otaku And that news absolutely floored me! Not going to pretend I am familiar with Kouji Mori's works, but having Miura's best friend supervise the story and Studio Gaga do the work, I am absolutely stoked for it.
@@nickwimmer6954 Chapter 365 is comming out on the 24th later this month
Welcome to the family brother. Miura sensei touched so many people through Beserk.
I found Berserk at a time when I was feeling alone, angry, betrayed, and utterly hopeless. It may sound silly, but seeing Guts go through such a horrific trauma and still heal and let people back into his life helped me feel like I could do the same. To me, this story is about healing in a world that harms you.
I realized when you talked about casca getting molested as a kid why it destroys casca so much at the eclipse, the one man who saved her as a child became the man who abused her. The entire worldview she's built up to this point is shattered and she reverts to that kid. Im realizing im probably not the first to think of this i just thought it was wild at the time.
Since Miura's death I've been more distant from Berserk, something about it felt bitter. This helped finally digest some of those feelings, thank you John, from the bottom of my Berserk loving heart
This is the same for me.. I doubt I'll read it again before I get the physical novels
I agree, it’s been hard to read knowing hes gone
Miura is with us all.
That panel of Casca smiling when asked about Guts never fails to make me cry. Incredible video, I loved revisiting Berserk with you.
I didn't even read the manga and i my eyes blurred in tears. Congrats to Super Eyepatch Wolf, and RIP KENTARO MIURA.
An hour and a half about how great Berserk is? I'm down for this Echo chamber 😁
Wdym by echo chamber
Imma just fantasize that you're collabing with Studio Taka rn
@@Mike-hl9ec an echo chamber is when everyone is saying the same thing
@@Mike-hl9ec Many people watching this (myself included) are already Berserk fans.
We're basically just watching someone justify our opinions, lol
Like Berserk Yu Yu Hakusho abridged will forever remain unfinished :(
Appreciate that you went back and said that the idea Miura was always a genius, devalues his work. As an artist, the immense conflation of skill with natural talent, can cause people to imply quite often that art is just this thing youre good at, or youre not, when its something that artists spend years of their lives trying to master.
Art is a skill. For some it comes naturally, for others it takes time and dedication. The key is to never give up on it
agreed, Miura put his life into his art and Berserk.
@@sloshed-rat To reach miura's level you need to max both your talent and hard work.
The guy was insane with the amount of work he put in to make his art this good.
@@ghosthunter0950 Actually what Miura had wasn't talent..... it was something much more powerful.... OBSSESSION! SHEER, UNRELENTING OBSSESSION!
Hearing that Miura propably turned his life around made me really happy.
Powerful stuff. I always saw the aspects of "invest in others and you will be lifted to greater heights", but I never considered the messages about choosing your own happiness over obsessive dreaming.
Wonderful video, this is gonna stick with me.
lysm dada
It's the bread pees on itself guy
What the fuck you like berserk
Hey Andrew
Same. I don’t know how it didnt hit me until now. Gonna stick with many people I’m sure
Thank you for going in-depth about the misconceptions running around about Miura's lifestyle. Beyond the circumstances of his passing, it comforts me to know he tried to put his health first in the past few years. As someone who struggles to draw and looked up to him, this means a lot.
BR?
Provavelmente.
I personally love the idea of Guts letting go of his revenge to focus on a peaceful life and Griffith trapped in his shining city of lies. Having what happens next left a mystery to a degree. But I'm intrigued to see where it continues to go with the new chapters. Casca was healed for the most part and that was extremely important to see, I'm glad we got that.
shitty ending lol
@rrrr27010 could've been way worse, considering the type manga Berserk is. All in all not that shitty imo
@@lewanbroski504He means shitty in writing not that is fucked up
@@rrrr27010 it’s not the ending dumb. more goes on. if it’s the ending to you since miura passed, it’s still not the ending of the story 😭
"People will find reasons to dislike you, to dismiss or diminish you, but get good enough at something, and they cannot ignore you" I don't know if that's a quote or you came up with it yourself but it's beautiful and I feel this on so many levels.
Pretty much how I've lived my life.
You can’t force the world to exist on your terms, but you don’t have to let the world kill you on its.
Reminds of that Gandhi quote
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, and then you win"
Or something like that
When does he say that? I remember hearing it in the video but I just forgot and am having trouble finding it again X(
@@C4xR34 23:52
I find that, while the last chapter doesn't work as an ending on a plot level, it kind of works on an emotional level. Griffith, as the Moon Child, spends time with both Guts and Casca, and sees how happy they are now. And as he turns back into Griffith, he starts to cry. Even after all of the hardship he has put them through, even as he reaches ever closer to his impossible dream, they have something that he will never have.
The tears were just left over emotions from his human form.
@@bobbybalogne2565 or was it?
@@Bojoschannel I guess it's whatever we want it to be now.
@@TheAnimeAlliance Exactly. Whatever explanation would have followed may never be known, so all we have is the chapter itself
@@lucylavoie9649 Yea, well, for me the moon child is not Griffith himself, i don't forget during the eclypse they was saying he can feel N-O-T-H-I-N-G now. For me.. that's from the r*** Casca had with Griffith.. Maybe it's for saying even if he the child of griffith he choose Guts, and he is deeply sad he come from a monster like him? Or maybe the child just a way for griffith army to enter there? We can't know.. And that's killing meee 😥😥
Let's take a moment to admire and appreciate how great Duane Johnson's work as english translator was for Berserk. If you've read the fan translations that are out there, you know there are some ways the text in the series can pretty easily start seeming bizarre and unnatural. But in the Dark Horse translations the story bursts off the page with so much poetic energy and emotion
I never stopped to think about that but I've read some horrible fan translations so you've got a point.
There's a reason so many amateur fan translators exist: a lot of people forget that knowing what words in another language mean does not automatically give you the ability to make a person who speaks your native language feel the same thing the native speakers of the source material felt, and as such they remain perpetual amateurs. It's extremely difficult to do well.
The Rock!?
Vine boom eyebrow
My younger siblings died recently and this video genuinely has helped me come to terms with it.
Thank you for that.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Im sorry for you loss man
Losing family opened my eyes to how many live their lives around me with grief. Know you're not alone, we hate to live with grief, but we can do it.
Sorry for your loss 😞
"The day will come when you will need to find the strength to choose your own happiness over your dreams"
That really hit me wolf. I'm going through some things.
Thank you.
Hope you're doing better, my good man.
All the best to you, against whatever is your battle
Take care
Hope you are doing well king
@@KPol0 thank you fren, I hope you are too
@@phaethon-5068 thank you fren. I hope you are too
Been through it, you'll dig out eventually. But once you do, whichever decision you make - make your peace with it then and there. That's the best advice I can give.
Whenever I think of Berserk and Miura now, I’m reminded of a quote from that other great unfinished fantasy epic, Discworld: “No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away, until the clock wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life is only the core of their actual existence.” RIP Miura-sensei; I know you’re up there in Metal Heaven, sitting between Frazetta and Two Gun Bob himself, kicking back beers.
I love that quote.
Dr. Hiriluk from one piece said something along the lines of “a man dies twice. Once when his heart stops beating, and once again the last time someone says his name.”
He isn't in heaven. Miura is a ped*phile who advocated for CP videos being legal. Spoiler warning: He is in the deepest depths of hell
GNU Terry Pratchett
The presence of Isidro allows Guts to mentor someone the way he's never been mentored, for example, there's a bit where guts explains to Isidro that he should be using smaller weapons, something Gambino never did for Guts.
I love how the gang was like a second (maybe third?) chance for Guts to have a family and love a happy life. I know fans don't really like the "lighter" tone the series got ever since Fantasia happened, but I think it's a natural endpoint to the message it was bulding up to that moment
@@victorhugocosta1127 I always assumed it was being done intentionally to create a contrast with the past, the present, and what I assumed would be a hyper dark future. I assume Falconia was going to turn out to be a sort of abattoir.
he fixed his daddy issues
@@victorhugocosta1127 Lighter? What does that mean?
i wonder if miura found someone in his team of editors who he treated like a student lol...maybe his team of editors who helped him ease his load on berserk were the inspiration for guts' gang in the second half of the story.
Dude, I literally got 1:19:00 into the video the first time, took your advice, and have read berserk up until the most recent chapter (373) over 1 year... I wanted to finish this vid properly.
The doc is excellent, by the way, and I've become a true convert of the ways of Berserk, partly thanks to yourself. I truly cannot thank you enough. Now I'm gonna finally enjoy the second half of this.
Nice one, dude
Bro same lol
This episode was beautiful, that final send off talking about the message and about taking care of yourself started to get me choked up. You're an incredible essayist and thank you for all the work you do.
Berserk fighting game roster when
Jk, glad finding you in the wild Aaron
I’ve wanted to read berserk for a while but never had the motivation to do so, but goddamnit I need to hunt this down either by pdf or physical because by god I can’t keep putting it off anymore!
Nah, it was half assed. Miura clearly didnt even know how to end the series
A fitting send off for, in my opinion, one of the greatest stories ever written. I’m just glad I was around to witness it in my lifetime.
Thank you, Miura.
As someone who had never heard of Berserk until Miura’s death, this might be the greatest video I’ve ever watched on this platform. Thank you for the work you put in into your videos
I know you didn’t say anything for how Isidro lifts weight off Guts but I think Isidro relieves Gut’s childhood trauma. This is because Guts can be a Father/Teacher figure to him in a positive way and avoid the Gambino route. Isidro looks up to raiders captain without knowing it’s Guts. Isidro seems like Guts if he went down a different route so they both can be warriors but Guts can prevent the pain that he went through from happening to Isidro.
Guts and Isidro needs to bond now more than ever since Casca has been kidnapped by Griffith/Femto and Isma had vanished into the Astral World like a ghost!
"If you invest in the people around you, they can pull you back from anything." That was powerful, and stuck with me, and I kinda needed to hear it today. Wonderful video essay. Thank you.
"I don't know how I'm going to top the Garfield video"
You already topped it with this man. I knew next to nothing about Berserk before today (aside from the fact that it was apparently similar to dust sans??) but the story you told here both of Guts and Kentaro really felt heartfelt and genuine. As funny as the Garfield one was, I love hearing you talk so passionately about the stuff that you love. Plus that bit about the "Dreams vs. happiness" hits really fucking hard.
Take your break for as long as you need man, you made the Berserk video and it turned out amazing. Whatever you do next I can't wait to see it, and I hope you enjoy making it too.
what the hell is dust sans
@@hiroparadise8152 I really do envy you
"People will find reasons to dislike you, they will find reasons to dismiss you and diminish you. But get good enough at something and what they cannot do is ignore you"
Love this!!
i hope the 300 that liked this know he didn’t make this quote
Yeah that's what I do tbh
Wtf the moment I scrolled here he said this.
What are the chances in an hour and a half long video of this happening?
It was exactly on time too…
@@thatdude9091destiny.
As Tolkien crafted his masterpiece, Miura went beyond words on paper, his illustrated storytelling is monumental, that will be told and remembered for many generations to come. Thank you, rest in peace.
Berserk came into my life when I needed it most and impacted me in ways I can never truly express. Miura, thank you for changing my life for the better, the masterpiece of story you crafted got me and many others through intense hardships...
And thank you for creating this masterful video, showcasing the legacy and beauty of Berserk!
Can anyone recommend a place to begin reading on an IOS device be?
Same
Same. It changed me forever.
Waiting for the day you do something with Berserk Rickle 🙏
Some stuff Eyepatch probably didn't know was Miura was a fan of Devil man and Violence Jack was where the origin of the Dragon slayer being called a slab of iron speech came from
shouldn't you be posting lewds
@@Gumbocinno who said i wasn't
Hell yeah keep up the good work. Oh and Wolf is pretty cool too.
@@Gumbocinno Have I just been introduced to a new source of sauce?
yes, the apostles design characters from berserk inspired from devilman original manga/anime.
"The storyteller may fall silent, the music may cease, but the story will not end. Be it tragedy or comedy, as long as there is applause, the story will not end. It is just like the multitude of human lives. Warm blessings to we who were not rewarded, and we who are still on our way. Our travels continue on."
This is the final paragraph of the visual novel Fate Stay Night, I found it appropriate to this context.
Regardless of his assistant's tweets, I would say it's pretty obviously a problem in the anime art community to be worked to death. Far too many anime taking hiatus or have taken hiatus due to creators feeling generally burned out. The US is notorious for overworking people, and our creators are churning out so much content, it's ridiculous, and they all see extremely happy and healthy by comparison. The Shonen Jump style of churning out content mills hasn't been good for the health and happiness of a lot of artists.
It's not just artists either. Humans were not meant to work so much, we did not evolve for the 80 hour work week. There's no way a man dying at 54 was at peek physical health. Content creators, performers, athletes, and most of all the working class who make this world turn all need to stop and breathe more often. Dying at 54 is a tragedy, and while it should not overshadow the celebration of Miura's life, it should not blind us to a very real problem people are dealing with worldwide.
Your one of the FEW people that I've seen actually take in deep account of the circumstances surrounding his death. Others may say it, but I think more people need to acknowledge this and not pretend it doesn't exist.
Agreed. He might have stopped, but that can still have serious negative effects on your body for the rest of your life
Oh absolutely, the high stress is directly linked to premature death. Even when we're not working we're living in a culture that makes you feel bad if you're not constantly trying to make money in some way, how can you monetize every second of your day? How much can you earn? How much can you produce? I actually worked myself into a mental institution. Its such a crushing feeling to always feel that pressure to be doing more and that you're not doing enough
So does that's mean Miura suffered before his death? :(
@@frog6054 He was suffering from it before he passed. Really feel sorry for him... Glad he was around when he was healthy.
I’ll never forget when I found out Muira died. I sat there feeling so weird that someone I never met that changed how I view story telling was gone forever.
You know just how legendary this masterpiece is when your 50 years old Art Teacher starts talking about Berserk.
goated art teacher
I mean he was in his early 20s when berserk began
That’s not that old lol
I'm 40. I saw berserk on vhs fansub way back during the summer of 2000 immediately following my high school graduation. I was 18. My store manager at blockbuster video introduced me to it. He was 29. Today he would be 51. I think what you young people forget is that this stuff (anime, manga, etc) has been around for a lot longer than you realize. Your fandoms are built on top of the ones we created just as ours were built on top of those that came before us. The era of an older person being out of touch, like your comment suggests, is over.
@@ciscornBIG no one's talking about an older person being out of touch tho
Anytime I feel down or depressed I come back to this video as something that is comforting.
Hope everyone is winning the battles they don't talk about.
Thank You.
Years ago i struggled with depression, i was alone, no therapy or friends, had no objectives in mind or to guide myself, i was but a pulp of a human being slowly degrading and waiting for the end, literally. But then i came across with WHY SHOULD YOU WATCH/ READ BERSERK, in august 2016. Back then, i kind of thought Berserk was stupid thanks to the scene in which Guts cut off his own arm, but, that video had me convinced and what i saw after watching and reading it was pure, pure magic. The pages were beautiful, the writing stunning but Guts was just, everything, he inspired me to power through depression and presented me with a new look on life.
Things were still pretty hard back then, i was still depressed and alone, but now i saw things differently, and i told myself that if i struggled, maybe, but just maybe, i could "See the sun rise again", and so i did. Thanks to you i got into Berserk, and thanks to Miura, my life changed: I discovered writing and psychology as my passions and now, almost six years later after reading Berserk, i've beaten depression and i find myself in a pretty good college, my family now approves of me and i have a lot of friends. The journey was tough, i had ups and downs, but that video saved me, Berserk, saved me.
...and again, thank you eyepatch wolf, now i can see the sun rise again.
Hang in there. Fight those depression monsters with your giant ass mind sword. I believe in you.
That was beautiful....
Woot woot! 🎉
dramatic ash
I actually started to cry reading this comment. It is so beautiful, dramatic and inspirational... Thank you, too.
I have such a rampant, unapologetic, unadulterated, complete adoration for Berserk.
Rest in Peace Miura.
I like your videos 😃
About 15 minutes into this video, I found myself asking a question, internally, in that way that somewhat bypasses actual words and so I can only approximate as "how was he able to talk about this?" From the moment of Miura's death being announced, I've tried dozens of times to express my feelings about Berserk, each time failing and having to walk away. And with that question I realized, even as you were recapping the intricate emotional clockwork precision of intertwining fates leading to the tragic but inexorable and unavoidable ending of the Golden Age Arc, that I was not, even at that moment, over Miura's death. I'd not come to terms with it yet.
I'll not bore you with the detailed account of my relationship with Berserk, stretching back decades now. You were one of us, that much is clear, waiting for each new installment, trapped in that maritime purgatory for close to a decade, and just as neither of us knew Miura personally, both of us were touched by his art in a way that extended over years, intertwining itself with our own lives.
And when you began to talk about the Eclipse, and you mentioned how, deep down, we all knew that this was what Griffith was capable of, I couldn't help but draw a parallel to all of us fans knowing that Miura could pass without finishing Berserk, that it was a tragedy we all had considered, even if we hoped otherwise. The story seemed too grand, too far from completion, for a single creator's lifetime.
None of which changed the fact that, just like the Eclipse, the news of his passing shook me to the core. And I felt guilty, to an extent, mourning the death of the comic rather than the man, because it's all I could do, because it is all I knew of the man. And I still feel that guilt, even writing this.
But as your video drew to a close, as you found within the comic itself AN ending, if not THE ending, I suddenly understood how you were able to come to grips with what I had not, and even as my eyes filled with tears, I realized that you have helped me come to grips with it as well, in a way I couldn't before, and for that, more than anything else, I want to offer my sincerest thank you.
And it led you to, as well.
I should consider myself fortunate then that I picked up the manga shortly after his death. I would not have wanted to mourn his passing that way, but I feel as though I still would've had I been in your place.
I don't think I like what that says about me.
It is often hard to wrap my mind around the fact a human being drew some of Miura's drawings. The man was just on another level. It's genuinely remarkable.
I'm still not over Miura's passing. I keep coming back to this video to grieve all over again.
“My body draining itself of impurity” is the most relatable but disgustingly accurate thing I think I’ve ever heard
If you find yourself in a position where you must describe dropping a deuce, you may as well make it epic. 💩
@@TopsideCrisis346 preach!
After I've heard of Miura's passing, I couldn't bring myself to re-read berserk for a long time. Then one day I just opened a page, and then some.
There's this scene after Guts killed Gambino where he escaped, got shot in the back, fell down his horse, and landed on a puddle. What he saw after waking up is a beautiful starry skies. That's it, that's where I bawled my eyes out for some reason.
Then he's attacked by some wolves, ready to give up living. But he instictively defended himself with a sword in hand. Something he will do many times in the future.
Bruh
Thanks for the spoiler
I was gonna read it...
You might want to repost this comment without the Gambino bit, I think Wolf left that spoiler out of the video for a reason
I weeped for the first time in ages when I heard of Miura's passing, I'm still reeling from it tbh. Berserk had such a profound effect on my life, I was never big into manga but when I read the series after watching the '97 anime I literally couldn't put it down. I've never been so engrossed in another fictional property like it before, it is easily one of mankind's greatest achievements and has amplified my appreciation of life. Truly something I will take to the grave with me, I'm so happy I could experience something like this during my lifetime. Rest in power Miura!
Read whole manga in 4 days
-Cried on Eclipse
- That 370 chapter hits even worse than Eclipse
- Listen to some berserk ost and it feels like blessing from the god
Can’t wait for 24th December to see next chapter
Same here, what a wild ride and masterpiece
dnc (do not care)
@@char1721 Shut up nerd
@@char1721 why did you even bother to add this comment if you don't care? Do you just enjoy shitting on people who do care about things?
@@char1721 You cared enough to leave a comment lol.
For me, there's one line that sums up "Berserk" perfectly, and it's one I've tried to bear in mind when my own life gets dark.
"Remember the reason you are here! The reason you are fighting now! A human soul could never take this much pain if you didn't CARE!"
Agreed!
In which chapter was that?
When I found out Miura died I literally broke down in tears. His story changed my life. Berserk was the comfy blanket that warmed me up when I felt like I was a walking corpse. Crippled by depression and anxiety, I literally lost myself in the chapters of Berserk. When Miura died, a little bit of myself died too.
I broke down into tears near the end of the video when the connection was made between Guts on the hillside and Miura shifting to take better care of his health and happiness. I wasn't expecting it to hit me that hard, but it did. A strong lesson to live by. Rest in peace Miura.
There’s something seriously wrong with I’ve watch this video 3 times now I’ve cried every time, it’s not about making a video better than the Garfield one just keep speaking from that heart that’s what we’re here for
Oops I thought I was already subbed don’t mind me, thank you super eyepatch wolf
God I cried at the moment when you mentioned that Miura was taking care of himself and was looking for his own happiness. I hope you do too. Great video 👍👍
dude, almost two hours long and all I've done during that time was cry like the day I read the last chapter. This is an excelente tribute and I hope more people can get into Miura's work.
I'm frustrated.
Eyepatch Wolf has literally gotten so good at convincing me to watch Berserk that I can't watch the rest of the video because spoilers.
Damn it.
Read it. Don't watch it. You will not appreciate the journey without it. It's... It is a special kind of magic that it was halted when it was. The significance of the hurdle it got over was...
It was EVERYTHING to us fans. We got the one thing we wanted more than the story ending.
The anime is garbage, please don't ruin your own experience by watching it, I BEG OF YOU!
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 the 97' anime is actually quite good, and more than anything it's a great pitch for reading the manga to see what happens.
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 I think everyone should watch 97 anime, see if they like it, and then read the Manga. The 97 anime basically acts as a preview to the manga
@@scout360pyroz I actually started doing both and immediately got the impression I should be reading it.
Probably gonna still watch it just for time's sake, but the manga's in the queue for sureski.
Hey John, coming here from 2024. Thank you for making this video. I'm hiding in a cupboard at work, silently sobbing. Its works like this that help me get through the hard times. Thanks for being yourself dude💜
I hope that one day the assistants will come together to finish Berserk. It wouldn't be the ending we needed but all of us, the readers, the people involved in its creation, and most importantly Miura himself deserve closure.
Berserk came to me at one of the darkest points in my life and helped me cope. Seeing the struggle and the absolute hell that Guts went through showed me that I can overcome anything. I will always be grateful to Miura for creating such a masterpiece that provides a light in the dark to so many.
I'm with you. Japan should have a plan for when manga hits this point. Mangakas get sick. We should get our closure. When the God of manga died japan should have started to make plans.
@@maverickhunter24 bro won’t even let the story die with the manga creator cuz he thinks himself getting closure is more important this shit is crazy
@@dopeasschiller Ah yes, the dying wish of every creative who has ever lived, "fuck everyone else, I'm doing this exclusively for me, I hope it never gets finished and that if I die it dies with me"
Very smart
We’ll just have to wait and see.
@@dopeasschiller I agree with your message but not terms. Neither “deserve” nor “crazy” factor in here. Miura’s dead and Berserk reemerging as some homunculus of itself is an unhealthy wish. What’s there is there, and I hope others can find closure in what exists.
I'm feeling emotional over a manga I never read and I think that is Wolf's special power, because things like these happen with pretty much all of his videos.
You should fix that 'I never read' part. Trust me.
Read it, seriously
You should read it, you'll tear your eyes out.
@Ty Bey same here, this manga completely changed how I see the world as a whole and also helped be struggle through things.
I don't think Griffith was ever fake or phoney. His feelings and desires may have been darker than people realised, but they're genuine. Griffith is a strongly emotional person and that's exactly why he does the things he does. That's exactly why his betrayal is so impactful in my opinion.
I guess I can agree on this, but there is no excuse for raping casca just to "provoke"
Isn't that repeating what he said in the video about him already saying directly how much he would sacrifice, that he literally was telling them all along just how much he would sacrifice?
Though on a base level, no, he very clearly had times of being fake or phoney. His politicking, the arrangement with the princess...it was definitely in service of his dream rather than a man following his heart.
Did that extend to his friends?
Less so. But I think its safe to say that there is a reason why his friends didnt quite realize the true scale of his priorities and where their worth sat.
@@FFKonoko I think you should consider whether he is phony or not from Griffith's own perspective. I think he truly believed that The Band was willing to sacrifice themselves for his goal, Eclipse or otherwise.
My point is basically, that I don't feel like Griffith ever wore a mask towards the members of the band. And yes, during the later part of the Golden Age Arc, he politicked among the nobles. The Band can clearly see through this though and Griffith even includes Guts in his schemes.
The difference between this and being phony is basically the difference between not seeing the whole painting because you're standing to close to it vs not seeing the whole picture because it's covered. I'm saying, it wasn't covered.
He is a very well written and complex character. Utterly evil and unforgivable, but complex.
Honestly, that's probably the best kind of villain. Where they're not at all morally complex, they're out and out evil, but they're still a very engaging and well rounded character.
True, he desires power than friendship, so for us its heartwarming your friends rescue you. he was so broken that sacrifice your friend for power is okay for him
I watched the first 10 or so minutes of this video around May 2022, before going "I should really read Berserk before i watch this." And I did. And it is my favorite manga of all time. I'm so hopeful and enthusiastic for where it's going, and I cannot wait to see how the new team tries to create a path through the ending of Miura's magnum opus. I love this manga such an unfathomable amount, it's so tough to recommend to people because I feel like everyone knows it as "the sexual assault anime" and I will fight tooth and nail to change everyone's mind on that because it is so much more and handles it so intelligently that I physically cannot allow that perception to stand.
Love me Berserk
Love me Guts
Love me Miura
'ate me Griffith
'ate me Behelith
'ate me Eclipse
Simple as.
As a rape victim it really made me feel seen and understood, seeing my issues treated so respectfully and brutally honestly.
And I hate that Goblin Slayer seems to be the one getting more attention.
@@lesigh3410 not to mention GS did it for shock value/hentai bait
Berserk weaved these terrible acts into the story and tackled it all with the brtual reality many like yourself know
@@neinja66469 Exactly, I fucking hate how often people just use it for shock value or comedy but then get all squeamish when the trauma stemming from being raped gets portrayed in a realistic manner. Deadass had some psycho treat me saying that GS just had the rape victims exit stage left after their obligatory rape scene in the same manner as people who argue that gay characters need to have their social issues brought up - "Not everything needs to be representation." It's ludicrous.
Where it's going? It's over
Almost every Discworld fan knows how you feel man. We knew this guy we didn't know but whose work and world had a massive and powerful impact on how we look at the world around us was dying - how he was literally losing the part of him that allowed him to create in the way we had loved at an advanced rate. It felt like a sick joke. It still does.
We know how you feel about the idea of a world continuing and the conflict in needing that world but also feeling it is finished because it was the expression of that human's creativity.
I happily read all of Berserk after watching part one of this - and part two was very powerful.
Just know that people out there do get it.
Man all the cameos in Raising Steam and, the, uh, That Death Scene at the start of Shepherd's Crown hits really, really hard. Those later books really do suffer from being written by a man with alzheimers but the cameos and that death scene really felt like Pratchett trying to wrap up as much as he could before it all ended. It's hard to get through those ones in places.
@@aethertag1530 It's amazing how those last few books feel now, coming back to them years later. Pratchett at the twilight of his life still wrote rings around lesser authors. There's something to them, too - a strange kind of... not peace, exactly? Like, Pratchett doesn't do peace, he's too angry and funny, but... like... almost a sort of understanding? An acceptance that this was his life, and he lived it well. I don't fucking know. It's hard to talk about Pratchett. How do you encapsulate someone who was so much?
Yup. I remember being texted about Pratchett's death while I was at work, and half convincing myself that my boyfriend was wrong so I wouldn’t break down at the office. Then I got home, confirmed it, and cried on and off for five hours. I told two friends and we cried together, grieving an author we never met yet felt we knew thanks to their beautiful, life-changing work.
Discworld fans get it.
Terry was the GOAT man
GNU Terry Pratchett
I think my favorite part of Berserk is seeing how an artist's art and storytelling styles change over the course of 3 decades, all in a single work.
Berserk ended with Guts and Casca encountering a teary eyed Griffith. I was left speechless when I saw that panel. This was a moment I've been waiting for for like a decade, and now that it's finally here, it ended just as soon as it begun. A moment frozen in time, of our main characters confronting their worst demons.
I think it is more powerful that Miura died because he IS Guts in his story. So that means that Guts died. And if Griffith can already get emotional, that means that Griffith would mourn Guts' passing and could even be brought back. He could make a sacrifice and let Casca have a child while also bringing the world together since he has had his Kingdom, and he would be remembered.
That makes the most sense to me since the Berserker armor is slowly taking away Guts and eventually Guts' heart may not be able to take it anymore. Just like Miura's.
@@casedistorted Griffith can only feel the emotion of the moonlight boy y know. It isn’t his feelings. And he only felt it acouple seconds after his transformation, so after like 10 secs he won’t feel a thing to guts
That is the worst thing. I wanted to see what happened next
Aged like milk
@@jackroberts2704 Nah. Kentaro Miura's Berserk is over. While I'm loving the current continuation of Berserk, it will never be the same again.
Life doesn't have "endings". It absolutely never does. We die, like Miura did. And moments like Caska's tearing smile remembering guts are all we can cling to.
That is what makes them precious.
I will fight with tooth and nail for those moments. And I will end my days with a smile as they come to mind.
Thank you, Miura.
Thank you, John.
One of the two greatest manga I’ve ever read, Vagabond being the other one. Thank you for this love letter to the series and RIP Kentaro Miura. His legacy shall never die
I just started Vegabond but it seems really lame so far, just boring male fantasy stuff, I don’t see anything interesting about it from the first 3 volumes
@@slothsarecool bruh
@@slothsarecool Are we reading the same manga
@@slothsarecool no girlfriends?
@@slothsarecool It's not a male fantasy. Musashi's life style is portrayed as destructive
A friend once told me "Berserk is our time's Canterbury Tales. A definitive work that will last for ages, one that will never be completed, yet who's reach and impact will be studied for ages."
I think it's amazing how Berserk fans seem to feel Miura's death as though he was in their life. And the truth is, he was. His art was filled with himself and was truly pure in that. If Miura left anything in this world, it was one of the best examples of how to create.
John, I hope you know you think far too little of the impact your videos have. I think your ability to like certain things so much to dedicate videos this detailed and well thought out, and then execute them in in such a unique, attention keeping way, and you speak with such conviction so earnestly and with such pathos and affection and brutal honesty, that it can't help but make your Audience care too.
I might never have seen Akira without your videos. I'd still have no idea what berserk is about, without your videos. There is so much art and media and storytelling that has infinitely impacted the way I draw and write characters and a creator in general, I would not have ever seen or even know existed, without your videos.
I have ADHD I physically cannot independently seek to learn and understand something without caring about it very deeply. So believe me when I say, I seriously think without your videos I would not be as good an artist as I am now and hope to be in the future, because I wouldn't know who Junji Ito is, or Satoshi Kon, or the creator of berserk, and I wouldn't know what they did or why I should care about it, without your videos.
And if you think about it, these great creators spent so much of their lives and sacrificed so much of their time on this earth to their work, and because of the work you do, it can be appreciated by entirely new audiences that it would have been just another book on the shelf for, or not even know about it to seek it out. Now if I see a copy of berserk on the shelf, I will be very excited. Now, I have my list of Satoshi Kon movies I've been checking off my list to see.
The way you talk about this media you care about, and how you can make people care about it and understand it in entirely new ways as to why it's good, what makes it good, it makes those sacrifices these incredible creators made even more meaningful and truly appreciated because you make videos to help people understand not only the whole of what made the media good, but about the human being behind that media and how their dedication to something in their life, mattered and made a difference.
I'm not in a position where I can go to film school right now like I want to, that's my dream, but because of the things I learn from the videos you make, my stories and my art have been getting better and better even though I don't have access to a traditional means of learning how to make good art or write good stories.
I don't watch two hour videos, ever. My attention craps out at the 30 minute mark, no matter how much I want to pay attention and understand the content. I'm a neurodivergent person, I physically can't make myself maintain attention on something dense or uninteresting.
But the way you talk about things, and the passion and emotion in your voice as you talk about it, it makes me hang on every word. I won't even notice it's a two hour video because I'm that thoroughly interested from start to finish.
That's not a talent many people have John. I think you should be proud of that. Your work matters and it impacts people you might never know, in ways you might never understand.
I know when you go home for the holidays and your people ask you what your job is and you say "UA-camr", it might not sound like that much. But I want you to know that it does matter, and the hours and hours of your time you spend creating videos like these, does matter.
And sure, the day may come where you want to move on and do something else, and any video could be your last on this channel. But if that day does come, honestly, good for you.
It can't take away the work you've done and the videos you have made, and it can't take away all the things I learned from, and because of those videos.
Personally I prefer if the creators that inspire me choose to put the pen down someday and enjoy the life they have and the world they made their content for. Rather than work themselves into the ground night and day to keep on creating and then leaving this world suddenly with no satisfying conclusion, and no matter how great their work was, the memory will always be colored in sadness because the passionate creator became a tragedy.
All things will and should come to an end. It's better that we get to choose how it ends and have the ability to see how our legacy is going to live on without us, and have some control over it and ability to reap the rewards of it, before officially clocking out. That to me, is a happy ending. Having made a craft you're proud of and being able to sit back and watch people enjoy it.
But of course that'll all come when youre damn good and ready! For now feel free to keep making videos because I certainly love watching them!
You do good work, John! Don't let dumb tedious internet comments cut you too deep!! (Though I understand how they can sometimes 🥲) I know even a little negative feedback can cut through a sea of compliments and positive feedback, just keep putting it into perspective! There's so many people who do love your work and the perspectives you share! Don't forget that!
You matter, and so does your work. 👍
"He died doing what he wanted, no matter what right? I bet he was happy."
RIP Miura, July 11, 1966 - May 6, 2021
Everyone quotes this, but the guy literally worked so hard on Berserk without vacation days that he became ill for long stretches of time which began his body's decline. Sorry to say, but he worked himself to death.
@@FazerGS He literally took Hiatuses that were nearly yearly
No way being a living $lav3 for millions just to have it end with his death means he was happy.
mid quote from a mid manga
@@justsomeguywholovesberserk6375 bruh he died by overworking himself ain’t nothing changing that but the manga industry hiding that fact 🤷🏽♂️ he was a slav3 at the end of the day. Oda is definitely trying to avoid that by going on breaks every other month
There isn’t a single other UA-camr out there that conveys emotion through the videos as well as you. This video has actually helped me come to terms with end of Berserk and Miura’s passing in some way. Thank you
Honestly, the "ending" we have now is kind of fitting. I'm happy that a whole hell of a lot of lingering plots were fixed up, and the stopping point we have is open-ended enough for fans to speculate basically forever about how it could possibly have truly ended.
I really think people are taken this as an ending where there was no intention for it to do so. Literally an awful ending with so many issues and plot holes. It's like people can't accept when their favourite manga does bad.
@@KeelanJon The author is dead... what do you mean the manga did bad? The hell? Obviously this isn't an adequate ending. But given the situation, all I'm saying is that I'm quite content with it. It can be seen as a pretty great ending as it actually does resolve a lot and we finally see Guts seeing Griffith again. It's unfortunate we'll never really see what is supposed to happen next, but that's fine by me.
@@callmeinstead I know the authors dead, but studios don't just write on a whim, these things are planned due to resource needs. It's literally one of the biggest unsatisfying endings in history given the mangas long standing run time. You're entitled to your opinion, but imagine waiting 30 years to watch Griffith cry and to be ever one page away from Guts cutting his head off. Crazy 🤣
@@KeelanJon you know it wasn’t… the ending, right? Like, it wasn’t finished.
@@harrylane4 Yes, but others seem to be acting like it is, and even convincing themselves it was an adequate ending.
Seeing the arcs play out, and hearing the mention of Griffith being trapped in a dungeon... and what comes next...
...it's easy to understand where Fear & Hunger sprouted from.
A part of me died twenty-six years ago when someone a little older than me, enraged with puberty, took a year from my life to humiliate, abuse, and force "manliness" on me. No one helped and eventually I learned to rely on myself over parents, cops, teachers, and all who claimed to understand and control the world. I recognized Guts in Gambino's clutches. I understood the eternal horror of the Eclipse, the trauma that tears and exhausts, and will likely only end whenever I pass on.
This doesn't mean that peace isn't possible. There are moments that took work, slow healing, and recognizing that whatever it is I had to do to survive is something I could help foster in others without needing to experience the depths I did and still do. So I come across this exchange between Guts and Gedfring in one of the last chapters:
Guts - Thanks for the warning, but I don't die easy. I don't need looking after by some guy who doesn't know if he's alive or dead.
Gedfring - Then in the end, you must determine what to make of your fury. Whether it is to be the breath that keeps you alive, or the hellfire that consumes you from within.
And this is it. This is the end of Berserk. Nothing more need be said. I thank the memory and work of Miura for this and all the illuminating stories which led up to it.
I like to think that Guts and Casca spend the rest of their lives happily on that island with their magic kid.
I know it's fuck Griffith and all that but still, I want Guts to be happy
If I may carry on with the "Miura as Guts" metaphor for a while, I think it would actually be quite poetic for the story to continue under new people. There definitely was a time where Berserk was about Guts, alone, improving his craft and finding his own way. But for years now, thats not what Berserk has been about. If anything, that goal has only proven to be destructive for Guts, damaging his health and reducing him to a mad dog. Instead, its only once he let people into his life and started to rely on them that he has managed to find some sort of happiness and peace. And that's really what Berserk has been about for nearly 15 years now: letting go of your individualistic dream and embracing a community. Therefore, it would feel right for me for Berserk to continue under Miura's friends and assistants because just like the only way for Guts to keep going is by relying on his friends, the only way for Berserk to keep publishing was to become a team effort.
And maybe if Miura had learned that lesson some years earlier, he still would be with us today.
Hopefully Guts doesn't make the same mistake.
Miura is not Guts. Miura is Berserk.
Bro died from some heart disease Fym having friends could have saved him tf
@@fakeaccount6319😂😂😂😂
Timestamps!
0:00 - 6:35 - intro/context
6:36 - 11:55 - beginning of berserk/guts bad
11:56 - 16:21 - miuras influences
16:22 - 1:16:40 - the Golden age
16:22 - 24:20 - start of guts' life
24:21 - 27:41 - meeting griffith/band of the hawk
27:42 - 36:46 - berserk is fun
30:47 - 33:17 - video game tangent
36:48 - 40:32 - casca
40:33 - 45:54 - casca & guts
45:55 - 53:56 - worldbuilding/visual storytelling
53:57 - 1:00:38 - berserks world is a nightmare
1:00:39 - 1:12:32 - griffith
1:12:33 - 1:16:40 - the eclipse
1:16:41 - 1:19:42 - conclusion
1:19:43 - 1:51:01 - pt 2 lol I didn't watch this part
Dating Sim:
8:14 - 10:03 - guts
38:22 - 40:33 - casca
1:01:30 - 1:04:40 - griffith
The morning we found out Miura died, I had family texting me and calling me to make sure I was okay. Even my in-laws were checking on me, because EVERYONE knows how much Berserk meant to me. I have a tattoo of it, so much merchandise I couldn’t even count the dollars I’ve spent, and when I went to Japan, I scoured for Berserk. It still doesn’t feel real. Rest In Peace, Miura.
is your tattoo the brand of sacrifice by chance?
@@me56ize Yes, it is! Though I plan to go in for a piece of Guts in her Berserker armor, when I find someone I trust enough to do it.
@@RenaRyuuChan sick
"It doesn't feel real"
That comment summarizes the feeling perfectly. This thing and person you're so intimately familiar with; a genuine legend among legends who's life work should have been heralded as a hero among manga and praised for its writing and artistry. One you joked about for years, cheekily saying "He will die before he ever finishes this manga".
It was meant as teasing; a clear adoration of the author and his dedication to his craft shining through because you knew he was the GOAT, and no single other author even came close.
And then the day came.
People told you "Miura died" and the statement was so unbelievable that you immediately thought it was a joke; it was April 1st and you simply lost track of time. But you didn't. And he had. And now, every time you think of that masterpiece he created, every time you see his work, you won't think of "Oh boy, I wonder what's gonna happen next", you're gonna think "What was gonna happen next".
You are no longer looking at a person's work, you're looking at their legacy. And that changed for us in real time.
Miura, you absolute fucking legend, I hope wherever you are that you're doing well and that your wife will recover from this tragedy. I don't care if the story remains unfinished, I just want people to recognize you and your work.
This video made me appreciate Berserk even more, and helped me come to terms with the situation in a more uplifting way than I thought possible. Seeing the panel of Casca remembering guts again and the way you portrayed it brought a huge emotional smile to my face.
When I first found Berserk it was something of a surreal moment that I didnt understand until later in life. I was drawn to the story but I couldnt find out why, couldnt understand how it had me so emotional.
I was reading the golden age arc and when the story of Guts and Griffith came to a head and Guts leaving on his own it dawned on me. During high school my best friend and I did everything, but I was the new guy, he already knew everyone and had all these connections but he took me under his wing. Over the years I found nothing I did was ever better then what he could do. Art, writing, games, martial arts, he was simply gifted. I worked hard to be good at something, to prove to myself I had worth. He had gotten to a point where he was used to getting things handed to him, where I got used to working for everything I ever had. We drifted apart, and he eventually killed himself, and I now have a wife and family. There was something there that I never realized, something underneath that I guess my subconscious picked up on, but my eyes never saw. This is the connection I felt to Guts and Griffith during the golden age arc.
I now understand Berserk in a way I never thought I would, and it is something I treasure just as I treasure the time I had with my best friend.
This will never not be one of the most beautiful pieces of UA-cam content I've ever seen.
Miura's art looks like and feels like it would be hell to draw let alone to make with out a drive or a passion for what he was doing mad respect for this man
I lean away from drawing details, so seeing Miura art is:
“OMG... is beautiful “
“No way in hell I am drawing anything like that...”
And the occasional
“Remember is not real... IT IS NOT REAL *IT CANNOT HURT YOU* next page NOW!!!
XD
You just can't fathom how good it is, and how he and his team actually got better by every chapter... I hope only the best for studio gaga
Hot dam this was a fantastic video, had me laughing and tearing up. You encapsulated the series perfectly
The entire last twenty minute segment of this video was a masterpiece, seriously your best writing. I was tearing up at the end.
Not me sobbing by the end of this video 🥲 you're the first person I've seen make a connection between Guts giving up his dream and resting instead of fighting, and Muira starting to go on lengthy hiatuses, but damn. That's poetic and I hope he got some joy in the time he took off from his dream writing his masterpiece.
Berserk ending with Casca's mind healed, Guts surrounded by his found family, and Griffith still alive, is perfect imo. Although I trust in his friend and assistants to finish it and do it justice, so I will continue reading as long as I can!
By the end of this video I was just laying on my couch sobbing (that's a good thing though.) I started reading Berserk when I was a teenager (I'm 36 now) Berserk had been with me for more than half of my life. It's hard for me to remember a time before Berserk. It made such a huge impact on me. It greatly influenced my art and writing. Miura became my idol and I wanted to make dark mature manga (with heart) like him. On the day I found out about his death, I cried. I probably cried off and on for about a week or so after that. I felt like his death would leave a void that would never be filled and unfortunately I still feel that's the truth. Even if someone continues the manga, even though I will probably check it out, I know it won't feel like the true Berserk. I really feel like Miura's soul can be felt in the manga. I hope that what you said was true though. I hope that in that last 10-15yrs of his life, he was taking care of himself. I hope he was getting to spend some time with family and friends. I hope he was getting to do things he loved. I hope he was happy. RIP Kentaro Miura
As someone who has never read Beserk, this video made me incredible emotional. It's so obvious that you have a great love for this story, its characters, and its author, much like so many others do. I think I'll be giving Beserk a read soon. Thank you John.
Isn't it beautful, the ripples in the great water we all live in together? Emotions and inspirations travelling generations and mediums to reach people in profound ways?
I was always told I'd love beserk, read it sparingly, but played and fell in love with dark souls. Seeing now, just how much inspiration Miyazaki drew from Miura, and watching this video, I'm compelled to read it fully and finally appreciate it.
My hope is to find the fire to commit to some of the shitty things I've struggled to finish creating.
He is speaking with the love and passion of the whole community, the art and story of berserk only gets better as you read more of the medium and understand how fucking amazing it is
I have read berserk 3 years after entering the manga world and every time I finish another manga I understand how incredible everything in berserk is...
I haven't dealt with a death this close to my heart for a long time but the point of the story is what keeps me anchored and thankful. RIP
Seconded, ive always found a reason to never begin it. After this, i have to experience it.
As a person who's very first childhood crush was General Grievous from Star Wars, holding the dating sim of skull night hostage on your patreon was.. upsettingly effective
: As a person who's very first childhood crush was Eric Idle from Monty Python's Flying Circus, this statement I'm seeing is...incredibly silly. And a bit suspect, I think.
That’s very weird, but damn do I respect that! 👍
You may have some things to work out if you loving a robot alien first
Edit: with a very annoying voice I might add
📸this will make a fine addition to my collection
The idea that Guts' prowess in battle is his way of forcing himself to be acknowledged by the world is made even more obvious and beautiful by the size of his sword, as is the fact that it seemingly grows with him. In a way, Guts is that sword, it's his sense of self and security, and what he is best known for. I especially like the connection you draw between the art of berserk and Guts' fighting style, as it goes beautifully with my personal view that all things made and done by people is art and as such contains a piece of your soul.
I never really thought about the parallel between Guts' journey and priorities and the events in Miura's life, probably also because he wasn't someone letting much to be know about himself, but that is quite fascinating.