You didn’t must be a Berserk fan to mourn the premature passing of Kentaro Miura, the writer/creator/artist accountable for one of the in style—and bloodiest—fable sagas in manga. However the ones Berserk enthusiasts can take some convenience that the hit collection shall be returning to the Younger Animal manga mag to proceed Miura’s tale, however it’s most effective due to the writer’s shut pal Kouji Mori—the one particular person to whom Miura instructed all the tale of Berserk, from begin to end.
It seems that, it wasn’t a very easy choice for Mori, who created the collection Holyland, to make. However between the entreaties of the workforce of Studio Gaga, Miura’s studio that produced Berserk, and the conclusion that his pal Miura would need the saga of the cursed swordsman Guts instructed in its entirety, Mori accredited the accountability. He issued this commentary by the use of Young Animal, which used to be additionally launched in English:
“Just about 30 years in the past, Miura known as me and mentioned, ‘I wish to communicate to you about drawing a coarse draft.’ I went to his place of business simply to speak as we all the time do, however Miura appeared extra severe than same old. ‘I wish to draw the Eclipse,’ he mentioned. I sensed it will be onerous paintings, however couldn’t consider it when I used to be trapped indoors for every week… In that very second, the storyline for Berserk used to be finished, till the very remaining bankruptcy,” Mori’s commentary reads partly.
“Surprisingly, the tale for Berserk went on precisely as we mentioned on the time, with nearly no adjustments. I persevered to speak to Miura ceaselessly, each time there used to be a large episode. We did so ever since we had been scholars, consulting each and every different whilst operating on manga.”
“I think people with good intuition would realize by now that I know the story for Berserk up to the very end. Still, I cannot say that I can draw it because I know it. That is because only the genius Kentaro Miura can write a masterpiece like Berserk.”
Mori goes on to explain that plans were underway to at least finalize the current chapter of the manga, when he was approached with the full remaining manuscript for the series, and a request from Miura’s staff to help them finish the entire story helped finalize his decision about how best to relate Miura’s plans for Berserk having been given the full picture.
“However, a great responsibility has fallen on me.
“While he was alive, Miura said, ‘I haven’t told anyone other than you, Mori, about the story in its entirety.’ And that was the truth. It is too big a responsibility. I thought, should I talk to fans about it through an interview? Or should I publish an article with some illustrations? But that wouldn’t convey the scenes that Miura described to me, or the lines of Guts and Griffith…
“Just when I was trying to decide what to do, I received a message,” Mori’s statement continues in part. “‘The staff are saying they will finish the last chapter that was left behind, so can you take a look?’”
“The last few pages of the chapter were incomplete. Some did not even have the characters drawn on them. I took a look at the manuscript, without expecting much. Desperation can push people to create miracles—There it was, the completed manuscript for Berserk.
‘Mr. Mori, will you let us do it?’
Miura’s apprentices, who Miura had been so proud of while he was alive, asked me straight.”
Mori concluded by stressing to fans that he will not add to Berserk’s story beyond what was laid out to him by Miura and in the current manuscript—and that while he fully understood fans’ skepticism at anyone but Miura concluding the series, he hoped that fans would support the endeavour. “I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about. I will not flesh it out. I will not write episodes that I don’t remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me,” Mori concluded. “Of course, it will not be perfect. Still, I think I can almost tell the story that Miura wanted to tell.”
“The talent Miura’s apprentices have are real! They are brilliant artists. Many of you may not be fully satisfied with the Berserk written without Miura, but we hope everyone’s thoughts will be with us. We ask you for your continued support.”
The fact that it’s been over a year since Miura passed away of an acute aortic dissection, back in May of last year, implies that everyone involved really struggled over the decision, which they absolutely should have. Right now, the plan is to produce six new manga chapters to finish out the current manga arc, “Fantasia Arc/Elf Island Chapter,” then use Mori’s information, conversations Miura had with his staff and the editors at Young Animal, and then notes and unused characters designs the author left behind, to complete the series as close to what Miura had hopefully intended as possible.
Obviously, it would have been best, and most satisfying for fans, if Miura had been able to finish Berserk on his own terms, with his own pen. But given the circumstances, it appears the manga will continue in the best possible manner.
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