Kentaro Miura’s Berserk is one of the greatest series in the Seinen genre. It has fans worldwide with a popularity that other series’ can only think of. The dark and grim plot gives it an adult vibe, along with Guts’ everlasting suffering. Guts’ journey can make anyone cry because he barely ever saw the face of happiness.
The grim story has never been kind to him, and at one point, even Miura sensei thought it to be, too. Even though he is a human, he has to face adversaries with various magical powers. So, he had to work harder to come out victorious. While most of the mangaka preferred to provide their protagonists with power-ups, Kentaro Miura refrained from doing so.
Power Ups Were Not A Cheat Code In Berserk
Being a Seinen manga, Berserk did not follow the Shonen logic. In most of the Shonen manga, the protagonists always get power-ups or new transformations whenever they are backed by a stronger antagonist. One of the classic examples is Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Whenever Goku was losing, he would get a new transformation that would help him pick up an easy victory over the opponent.
But Kentaro Miura did not follow that logic. He wanted to have an original flavor in his magnum opus. When asked about power-ups against God Hand, he said-
“The boost becomes even more necessary. As Guts, being human can only improve his body and mind, I torture my mind every time to find a solution. Because I can not give him an ultimate weapon or the ability to fly across the sky.”
The mangaka wants the protagonist to improve his physical and mental state instead of focusing on over-the-top transformation. Guts had a dangerous journey and traversed most of it by defeating enemies himself. The only help he ever got was from Schierke and the Berserker Armor, with the latter having grave side effects after its use. Miura sensei always avoided the Goku treatment.
Kentaro Miura Tried To Make Berserk As Authentic As Possible
Kentaro Miura indeed avoided the Goku treatment, but that does not mean he never gave any power-ups to Guts. The addition of Schierke and the Berserker Armor gave the protagonist a significant boost in his abilities. Schierke is a small girl who wants to be a witch. Through her, the mangaka introduced magic. On the other hand, the Berserker Armor helps in ignoring the pain and focusing on the enemy in front.
Even though the latter eliminates the pain sensation, the user may feel massive cramps after taking out the armor. Combining both of them is an advantage for Guts. But still, it is less compared to what Goku got. Miura sensei wanted to give Berserk an authentic identity, and he accomplished it before passing away in 2021. Akira Toriyama’s policy of tough opponents leading to new transformation is good for Shonen but not for Seinen.
