Kentaro Miura’s Berserk may not have the same appeal as some of the most adored titles, such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, or Demon Slayer, but it is still considered a masterpiece by the otaku community. Surviving the test of time, the manga as well as the anime are a treat for every lover of dark fantasy.
One of the key reasons is that Miura-San’s magnum opus focuses on profound character development and raw human emotions. Each arc of the manga focuses on tapping deeper into the human psyche.
While the manga and anime were R-rated, fans would agree that the Lost Children Arc in the series was just too much to handle, even by Berserk’s standards.
Berserk’s Lost Children Arc Pushed The Boundaries of Being Disturbing
Berserk, the dark fantasy manga by Kentaro Miura, revolves around Guts, the Black Swordsman. Initially, the story would look like a lone mercenary seeking revenge, but as the narrative progressed, it transitioned into a story of a man battling his inner demons.
The mangaka does this beautifully as he focuses on blending dark fantasy with other important traits like character development and having a profound philosophical depth in the storyline. Naturally, the story would be more character-driven, where Guts is on a journey to battle monsters and his inner struggles.
Over the years, there have been several arcs like the Millennium Falcon, The Holy Evil War, The Golden Age, and many more. However, the Lost Children arc was just too much for the series’ reputation, which had already been pushing the limits of being too unsettling for some fans.
Every panel in the manga’s arc was horrifying to look at, with grotesque depictions of the kids and the creatures from the woods that were painstakingly rendered by artist Kentaro Miura. Consequently, it brought an alarming intensity to the arc, where the readers were traumatized, yet they could not stop going through the panels.
Despite the unsettling imagery of the children, the arc used this aspect to feature the suffering and brutality of the world. Guts symbolize strength and perseverance, and people can overcome these aspects if they choose to fight against them. As a result, the arc is very popular among the Berserk community.
Fans React to Berserk’s GOATed Arc
With so many aspects revolving around the Lost Children Arc, the fans could not catch a break as Miura-San elevated the arc with his creativity. Moreover, the primary theme of the arc is the corruption of innocence in the presence of brooding malevolence, which has made the readers contemplate the world and its unsettling ways.
Since the manga is full of such arcs, a fan decided to share a video on r/Berserk that rates the arcs of the series using meme clips. Moreover, the fan wrote a caption that said, “Lost children is wild even for berserk standards.” Fans of the community expressed similar opinions as they left their comments on the post.
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Miura-San wanted to hold more significance in his magnum opus because he ensured that his work featured more than the trivial ‘good vs. evil’ storyline.
It looks like the mangaka succeeded, as it is not hailed as one of the most complex and evergreen titles ever created.
You can read the Berserk manga on Dark Horse.
