Thank You, Miura
It's impossible to share a single "favourite" image from Berserk because there are just so many. But this one encapsulates what Berserk is to most of us.
It is a dark story. Very graphic and gorey. Not a story to read if you want to escape. But through the character Guts, Kentaro Miura showed us the power of human strength and resilience, how to keep going when you're at the end of your tether, how to never give up regardless of what life throws at you. Guts, The Struggler, went through it all and came up stronger, more principled, and kinder hearted.
As soon as you enter this place you know exactly what I like because the main banner image is of Guts. If you browse through my site, most of my reviews or analyses are about Berserk. I could talk about it for hours. And not only me, but through my essays I was able to join a kind, intelligent community of fellow Strugglers. We laughed and cried and debated and predicted together. When a new chapter dropped, the timeline was so fun and filled with excitement. I can only hope to be a fraction of the author he was; a writer that genuinely makes people excited for what is coming next.
Miura died a painful death in more ways than one. He never got to see the end of his life's work. He suffered an aortic dissection. He was unprepared, and he left his studio unfinished. And with it, he creates an unrepairable void. I can imagine his work chair still warm, a desk with half-drawn panels, open books of sketches and notes, wet ink in a vial, the hum of a fridge, an unlocked door, a mug of coffee now congealed.
To say I am upset is an understatement. But I am also grateful.
His work doesn't disappear. Even now, the beautifully bound Deluxe volumes sit on my shelf for me to read whenever I want to. There is still a community. The podcasts and the discussions won't cease to be. There is still more to write about. One day, when we're all healed, we'll have the strength to discuss headcanons and what could have been. We might speculate what happens now: will Studio Gaga finish it off? Will Hakusensha publish the final drafts as a special edition volume? Will Berserk ever remain an unfinished masterpiece, the true ending only known between Miura's soul and God?
Communities all over the world came together to pay tribute. Artists and readers and writers and casual fans all had something to say. It was heartwarming to be united with so many others in our grief. It made me feel not alone, and it reminded me that Berserk doesn't end with Miura's death. He gave us something irreplaceable: family, companions, bonds.
I was up early and decided to check Reddit yesterday morning, and my heart dropped when I saw the news on r/all. I didn't believe it so I went on Twitter, and there it was. Number One Trending worldwide. It even made CNN. It was the worst news to wake up to. I cried. Today I woke up and asked myself... Did Miura really die? Did that actually happen? But rather than absolute sadness, I was hopeful. More people began drawing tributes, writing poems, sharing songs. And with that hope, I gathered the strength to write about him.
I had two Berserk essays planned for this month onwards, but I'm not quite there yet. For now I'll just re-read and remember, and enjoy the story that was given to us.
So thank you, Sensei, Thank you for sharing your life with us.