Publisher Hakusensha announced a “new chapter” of the Berserk manga, which will also pay tribute to the series’ late author, Kentaro Miura.
A new chapter of Berserk manga will be serialized in Young Animal magazine
According to Anime News Network, the new chapter will pay tribute to author Kentaro Miura, who died suddenly in May at the age of 54 from an acute aortic dissection. The content and author of this new chapter have yet to be announced, so it’s unclear whether publisher Hakusensha will continue the series with a new author or whether this new chapter will be based on Miura’s unreleased work. The new release will feature a full coloring page and will also come with a poster featuring some of the most iconic scenes from the Berserk manga. The issue will also come with a booklet titled “Message to Miura”, which contains comments from fans and other manga and anime creators who have been touched by his work. Miura. The new chapter will be published with the 18th issue of Hakusensha’ magazine, where the Berserk manga has been serialized in recent years. The issue will go on sale in Japan on September 10.
Berserk tells the story of Guts, a powerful warrior with a giant sword who roams the land as he seeks revenge against an old comrade who took everything from him. Miura’s epic was first published in 1989 and has since sold over 50 million copies worldwide. The dark fantasy series has spawned numerous anime and game adaptations, and is considered by many other modern authors and artists to be a huge influence on their work. Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama has stated that Berserk is a major influence on his series, as has Castelvania producer Adi Shankar. The news of Miura’s sudden passing in May was greeted with sympathy from entertainment industry professionals.
Interestingly, Hakusensha describes the memorial chapter as just the “latest” release in the Berserk series. Fans are currently divided over whether the series will continue without Miura; some want Guts’ journey to be brought to a definite conclusion by another author, while others argue that Berserk has been so closely defined by Miura’s vision that no other creator can able to continue his legacy.