Today, on the first anniversary of Kentaro Miura’s death, fans commemorate and honor the loss of one of the greatest manga artists in history: the creator of our beloved epic manga series Berserk. The questions that are going through everyone’s mind today are again: “Will the? officially Berserk manga continue?” “Will Guts finally get his happy ending?” “Will Guts finally kick Griffith’s ass in an epic showdown?”
An entire year has passed and Hakusensha’s Young Animal Magazine, the magazine that serialized Berserk, has not yet made an official statement about the cancellation or termination of Berserk by another manga artist. While that’s not confirmation, it gives fans hope that the series could be eventually have a revival.
Miura was the writer, illustrator and draftsman for Berserk, but he did have a team of talented assistants in his own Studio Gaga. Now, after his untimely passing, these students of the late master mangaka may have a chance to prove their mettle as they finish the legendary series.
Berserk became a global pop culture phenomenon
Berserk began publishing in 1989 in Monthly Animal House, later renamed Young Animal, and was one of the longest-running mangas. Berserk’s gripping story of one man’s struggle to rid the world of demons and often controversial subjects made it a global pop culture phenomenon. Throughout his career, Miura set the bar high not only for himself, but for the entire world of manga with his unparalleled skill in the pages of his manga, utilizing extremely time-consuming artistic skills such as pointillism, stippling and shading.
Hakusensha Editorial released a letter to his fans in the Young Animal Magazine issue, showcasing the latest chapter Miura produced #364: “We are sorry to inform you that at this time there is no information to share about The Future of the Berserk Series One thing we can promise you is that as Young Animal, the publisher who worked with Kentaro Miura on Berserk, our number one priority will always be placed on him – what he would think if he were still around us.”
Perhaps, to honor Miura’s devotion to Berserk, it’s best to let the series come to an end under his trusted protege. Miura’s love for his character Guts was evident in his work and it seems only natural that Miura would want Guts to have his “happy ending” eventually.
There are speculations about how many notes and sketches Miura left behind. Do his protégé and Studio Gaga know how Berserk should end?
Miura’s assistants are up to the task when given the chance
If there was zero chance of a revival of the manga, an official cancellation statement would probably have already been issued. Studio Gaga member Akio Miyaji tweeted on May 21, 2021 that he “would” [his] best” to work on a possible posthumous continuation with the other members of Studio Gaga – Yoshimitsu Kurosaki, Shinshu Hirai and Arihide Nagashima. These assistants were trained (specifically in the Duranki manga) and trusted by Miura, so if given the chance to continue his legacy I think it would be in good hands.
Chapter 364 was most likely completed by Miura herself in the first place and any sequel to this chapter should be done solely by Studio Gaga. Rumor has it that Miura’s crew is currently working on a Berserk Chapter 365 that would serve as their official audition to get the right to continue their teacher’s epic story under Young Animal, but only time will tell if Berserk has a future. has.
Must-Read Fan Strip Continues Berserk’s Story After Chapter 364
Chapter 364 ended with a huge cliffhanger that changed everything and fans screamed for a conclusion. One fan stood up to take on that massive challenge. Artist @theophiasco has posted his version of Berserk’s ending on his Twitter account. The fan-created manga follows right after the dramatic end of Chapter 364 and begins to tell in Casca’s POV.
The art style is different compared to Miura’s, but great in its own right. The comic has a very professional look to it and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into it. Theo’s “cinematography” seems to be on point with some cool angles and dramatic panels. The manga isn’t finished yet, but is still a must-read for any die-hard Berserk fan curious to see how the manga would have progressed beyond Chapter 364.
You can read the rest of the fan-created manga in this Twitter thread:
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