Manga Highlight!! Berserk!

       If you haven’t seen the original anime, it’s a must-see. If you've seen just the original 25-episode anime or the recent movies, then get excited because you've only scratched the surface of one of the most compelling written and beautifully drawn manga out there. Yes, you read correctly, manga (Just in case didn't know manga are Japanese comics). Berserk started as a manga on November 26, 1990 by Hakusensha in its Jets Comics. To date Berserk has 36 complete volumes and it’s still ongoing. The amazing illustrations and mind and behind the series Kentaro Miura, but that’s neither here nor there. We are here to talk about Berserk.

**** Warning! It’s not for the weak at heart, this story venture down the dark recesses of the mankind. This manga is definitely not for kids, at least under the age of 18. ****

The main character goes by the name Guts, which is more of statement then a name. Guts is literally the personification of the human will. First off, he was born from a corpse and raised by a group of mercenaries. He wields one of the biggest swords you will ever see, and it’s not just for show. He has a bad habit of cutting fully armored men and their mounts into piles of flesh. He's a master swordsman with a prosthetic arm cannon. Wielding a repeater crossbow and throwing daggers makes him a walking force of death and destruction.

NSFW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 This dark fantasy revolves around Gust’s life and his quest of revenge against higher beings that want to devour him….soul and body. After involuntarily leaving the band of mercenaries that raised him (Due to the fact that you’re going to have to read it to find out. What I’m not going to spoil it for the new readers) he sets out on his own. His quest leads him to many battlefields, until he meets a group of mercenaries called Band of the Hawk. After an ambush, a bet, and duel he is defeat at the hands of the Hawks leader Griffith and becomes a member and eventual leader of the Hawks’ Raider brigade. Guts gets caught up in Griffiths dream of one having his own kingdom and makes the Hawks his home. Their reputation on the battlefield gained them the attention of Midlands’s king. They are hired on to help end midlands 100 year war. Many events lead up to the Band of the Hawk winning the war; as a result they were given nobility by the king and given the coveted title of “white”.  An overheard conversation leads Guts to pursue his own dream of becoming a master swordsman. On the morning of Guts departure key members of the Hawks try to stop Guts from leaving for their own reason, including Caska (Guts rival and eventual lover). There he bids his farewell, but not without a fight. Griffith is pissed off, because he doesn't understand why guts would leave the group. Guts is the only person to make Griffith forget his dream, and consider him a close confidant and one might even say a friend. This leads to their final duel with Guts the victor. 

 Griffith is so depressed with guts leaving he ends up sleeping with the princess. The king finds out and Sh$t hits the FAN. The hawks are hunted down as criminals and Griffith is tortured for his crime. About a year later Guts finds out what happened to the Hawks and returns only to find out….. that this is where I’ll leave off.  Things get really interesting from that point. I left a lot of key information out so that it wouldn't spoil it for our readers new to the series. Like I said you should check it out. It’s unforgettable….trust me.