Kentaro Miura— Creator of Hugely Popular Manga ‘Beserk’— Has Died
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Kantar Miura who created the huge, global best-selling manga comic Beserk has died. He was 54 years-old.
One of the greatest artists in the entire medium; rest in peace Kentaro Miura and thank you for BERSERK pic.twitter.com/ANsmagArYx
— Nibel (@Nibellion) May 20, 2021
Miura’s work had an indelible influence on video games, anime, and other manga.
CNET reported the news after the editorial department of Young Animal Comics released a statement on Twitter announcing Miura’s death. He died on May 6 as a result of acute aortic dissection, according to the official statement. “We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Dr. Miura’s painting work and pray for his soul,” the message concluded.
【三浦建太郎先生 ご逝去の報】
『ベルセルク』の作者である三浦建太郎先生が、2021年5月6日、急性大動脈解離のため、ご逝去されました。三浦先生の画業に最大の敬意と感謝を表しますとともに、心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。
2021年5月20日 株式会社白泉社 ヤングアニマル編集部 pic.twitter.com/baBBo4J2kL— ベルセルク公式ツイッター (@berserk_project) May 20, 2021
Miura was best known for his acclaimed dark fantasy manga Berserk, which began serialization in 1989. The manga series tells the story of Guts, a lone mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the “Band of the Hawk.”
The Guardian: The Japanese artist was best known for Berserk, which he wrote and drew. It first launched in 1989 and has been running ever since. Set in a world inspired by medieval Europe, it follows the story of the mercenary Guts, a warrior with a huge sword and an iron hand, and Griffith, leader of the mercenary Band of the Hawk. Dark, violent and humorous, Berserk ran to 40 volumes with more than 35m copies sold worldwide, according to its Japanese publisher Hakusensha. It was also adapted into anime TV series, films and video games.
Berserk’s influence was unreal. No exaggeration to say we might not have gotten some of these characters the way they are if it wasn’t for Miura’s work. pic.twitter.com/ML2VdZ0ffb
— Dante Redgrave (@DanteRedgrave87) May 20, 2021
His US publisher Dark Horse Comics, describing Miura as a “master artist and storyteller”, said he had suffered acute aortic dissection and died on 6 May. “He will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”
Guts served as a template for many heroes that came after him. The ridiculously big sword he wields in the Berserk manga arguably started a trend in anime, which spread to characters like Cloud Strife and Ichigo Kurosaki.
More than 50 million copies of the series’ books have been sold, including paper and electronic versions. It has been translated into many languages, and published in 15 countries and regions including the United States and France.
Fans on Quora answering the question: Why is Berserk considered to be the best manga? replied: “Several things. It has been running since 1989. The world is developed though not truly unique is different compared to many others. It’s a dark fantasy story that is about the life of the main character, Guts. The most unique feature of the Guts is his over-sized sword, which he is the first one (to my knowledge) be wielding long before Cloud and his Buster Sword. To me, the biggest thing is the story is contiguous enough that there are few things where it leaves you wondering what happened.”
Another said: 1.The gripping story line that takes you to a different world. 2. It’s characters design, detailed art work, brutal emotional scenes, differentiates itself from traditional manga. 3. Unique character developments 4. Its Berserk
And yet another: Let’s see: HugeAss sword: Check / Philosophical themes: Check / Hardcore Nature: Check / OHGODWHATTHEFUCK!! Eldritch Abominations: Check / Low Virtue signalling(also known as moralfagottry): Check Guts isn’t a saint afterall
IGN: “Its influence can be seen in video games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Final Fantasy, as well as contemporary manga and anime such as Demon Slayer, Castlevania, and Vagabond. Berserk also spawned several adaptations of its own, including two anime series, a film trilogy, and various video games.”
Balmung’s dark knight memorial to Berserk author Kentaro Miura. I love this community. pic.twitter.com/QYveSkQ9Go
— Oz! @ 5.5 (@localhyurzen) May 20, 2021
Kotaku: Miura, a native of Chiba, first started drawing manga as a boy, with his debut work printed in a school publication. Miura would later cite Disney, Paul Verhoeven, the first Hellraiser, and artists ranging from Bosch to M.C. Escher as influences. He was an award-winning manga creator, and while Berserk was his most famous and successful work, he worked on various manga projects over the years.
Rest in peace, Miura. Thank you for your amazing work that’s touched so many people’s lives. I know personally that Guts’ perseverance has spoken volumes pic.twitter.com/KnoGeZ1YYD
— pereden (@perepereden) May 20, 2021
So yeah, Kentaro Miura the creator of #Berserk died. His artwork is beyond amazing and the story he crafted is one of the fundamental and most influential pieces of media. So much of what I’ve consumed has been his works and works influenced by him like Dark souls. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/6hBQdjjBUz
— Zimzilla99 (@OG_Zimzilla99) May 20, 2021
Berserk’s editor at Dark Horse, Chris Warner, has described the series as “a harrowing dark fantasy of monumental depth, complexity and audacity”, whose “astonishing visual tapestry is like nothing else in graphic fiction … While the horror and violence are at times disturbing and unquestionably adult, Miura still manages to produce genuine emotion and plenty of humour,” said Warner, while announcing in 2017 that more than 1.2m copies had been sold in North America.
