Berserk (manga)

See also: Berserk (homonymy)

is a Manga of Heroic fantasy of Kentaro Miura which was adapted in an animated series in 1997.

Started in 1989, Berserk is always in the course of publication with the Japan. Each new chapter leaves in prepublication in the magazine Young Animal . The rate/rhythm of exit of each volume is of approximately 6 months (Volume 31 left in October 2006).

Etymology

At the Viking S, the Berserkir are warriors inspired of a divine rage.

The adjective berserk exists in Norwegian still nowadays, for example in the expression “in berserk Viking”, “an exaggerated warrior”. “ In berserk man ”, it is a frantic man, even a Amok. This “exaggerated” side can be inspired by a god, but also come from a so violent desire of revenge which it removes any feeling with that it affects. Certain Scandinavian phantoms are to berserkir.

This divine rage in fact was caused by the shamans Viking which got drug necessary to the warriors. The accounts of the Middle Ages describe symptoms very close to those of 'Angel Dust (or PCP): disproportionate force, insensitivity to the blows and the wounds, not of feeling of pain, continues to advance in spite of the wounds.

For a possible source of inspiration of this title, to see the page Berserker.

The draftsman also quotes the Romance S of Heroic fantasy of the series Guin Saga like works influencing his work.

Universe of Berserk

The manga as the animated series proceeds in a fantastic medieval universe, with some elements inspired of the XVIIIe century (the costumes of Griffith become count evoke vaguely those of Lady Oscar , even of the culture Mormon E of the XIXe century (the costume of “noble” which removed Casca can make think of those of the Mormons of The Scarlett Letter of Nathaniel Hawthorne). However, on the level of the military techniques, various elements make think of an action being held during one time similar to that of the medium of XVe century: the use of the Precision balance S and primitive guns on the battle fields, the absence of Arquebus and the end of a war centenary between the kingdoms of Midland and Tudor which is not without pointing out the Guerre One hundred Year old.

The protagonists of the history are Guts (main character), a young mercenary with the life massacred before to have begun it, and the members of the Troop of the Falcon which collects it: Judo, Rickert, Pippin (a colossus, as its name does not indicate it), Casca (the girl of the team) and especially, Griffith , a character fascinating and extremely ambiguous. Owner of pendentive called “Béhérit” or “the Egg of the Conqueror”, that certain commentators brought closer to the magic ring of Tolkien, Griffith is animated of a supernatural ambition which will lead it to its loss. The animated series (taking again the first 13 volumes of the manga) begin with a flashback which will last throughout the 25 episodes: it is about the history of the meeting of Guts, tormented hero, and of Griffith, chief of the Brigade of the Falcons, a band of mercenaries to the pay of the Empire of Midland. From this meeting will be born an ambiguous friendship, but nevertheless efficient: the presence of Guts, warrior to the disproportionate sword, will quickly appear essential to the ambition of the Griffith young person, swashbuckler and tactician out-par. Animates is thus the account of the rise and the fall of the Troop of the Falcon, and the relation between Guts and Griffith, particularly complex, between relation of interest (Griffith uses the force of Guts), mutual respect (both are considered mutually as soldiers), and major affection (each one needs the presence of the other in an unexplainable way). Particularly raw, the animated series is however less than the manga which is shown without concession in its way of presenting the things: the pedophilia, homosexuality, the child murder, the inceste, the rape and the many massacres return a particularly dark image of the human heart, whose Griffith is for this reason most perfect representing. In filigree thus a reflection appears on the man, divided between his monstrosity (monsters being a physical representation on behalf of shade which sommeille in each man), its violence (the world of berserk is a world devastated by several wars), its ambition (magazine with wonder by the dream and the Machiavellism of Griffith), its desires (in particular sexual), and the will inherent in all to seek to make the good, and this sometimes with the detriment of the others.

characters of Berserk

Berserk present like all manga a string of very varied characters, but all affected by the pitiless world in which they live, which it is a humble peasant, or a monstrous apostle.

The characters of Berserk are listed in a principal page, which itself brings back to the bonds towards descriptive pages. The four main characters are entitled also to their individual page.

Artefacts of Berserk

  • Artefacts Sylvains

  • the Béhérit S

Berserk , a manga gore?

Because of violence which animates the characters and of the topics who are approached, Berserk was often classified in the series “gore”. This term applies indeed to certain volumes of the manga (for example N °2) which make alternate scenes of torture, battles, monsters with tentacles sticky and invincible, etc… It is less true for the animated series, which puts in scene “traditional” combat more and insists more on the personality of the protagonists (what does not want to say that the manga does not do it, nevertheless, animates it covering one shorter period, it condenses more). The series thus remains rather addressed to more than 16 years (in France, the volumes are plasticized and is mentioned For Public Informed ).

Rewards

In 2002, Berserk was seen rewarded in Japan by the outstanding commendation award with the ceremony for the Prix Tezuka, behind Takehiko Inoue with its Vagrant who received the first price. In 2007, it receives the price of best the Seinen with the Japan Expo.

Animates

The executive producers of the animated series are Yoshiko Nagasaki and Mitsuru Oshima; the musics are of Susumu Hirasawa.

In a general way, animates it is very faithful to the episodes of the manga that the scenario writers chose to adapt (i.e. with the long flash back covered by volumes 4 to 13): the scenes are included until in the visual angles.

When animates it makes a modification, it is rather in the direction of a purification (to make clearer one complicated situation); it also modifies the order of appearance of certain events. To note that the end of episode 25 calls a continuation which never left, and much of elements are left outstanding.

Titles of the episodes

Notes and references of the article

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