Few manga have reached the same razor-sharp peak of critical and commercial success that Kentaro Miura’s genre-defining dark fantasy epic Berserk has. Berserk‘s addictively engaging narrative, which follows the ever-evolving conflict between the cursed swordsman Guts and the fallen revolutionary Griffith, has captivated manga readers for almost four decades. The only issue that most Berserk fans have with the series is the months-long gap that tends to sprout up between the release of new chapters. For those who want to know, here’s why new Berserk chapters take months to arrive.
Why Is There a Months-Long Hiatus Between New Berserk Chapters?
Berserk is one of the longest-running manga ever produced, but the length of the series is not tied to the amount of chapters under its belt. As of the latest Volume, the total number of Berserk chapters is 379, meaning that Berserk is technically two-thirds shorter than One Piece, despite the former coming out almost a decade before the latter. That’s because, as mentioned above, Berserk chapters often take months to come out.
Month-long gaps between the release of new chapters have been a defining element of Berserk since the earliest days of its run, but the issue became more and more prominent as the series continued. While no official reason has been given for this, Miura admitted in a 2019 interview with the website Otaquest that he wanted his art to be as detailed as possible and that his dedication to that goal had acted Berserk’s release schedule.
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In the same interview, Miura also elaborated that his decision to transition from traditional pen-and-paper to digital tools had also slowed down the release of new chapters of Berserk, as he essentially had to re-learn how to draw from scratch. He also acknowledged that more recent story arcs like the Fantasia arc, set on the densely-populated magical island of Elfheim, were proving to be a little more than he could chew as an artist.
Berserk’s already-perforated release schedule became even more strained after Miura unexpectedly passed away in 2021, leaving the task of continuing Berserk’s story to his long-time apprentice Kouji Mori. While the release of new Berserk chapters has streamlined significantly under Mori, they still tend to be released months apart, with the length now being chalked up to Mori’s desire to stay true to Miura’s vision.
How Do Berserk Fans Feel About The Series’ Frequent Hiatus
Surprisingly, most Berserk fans have never been particularly bothered by the time it takes for new chapters to drop. While some fans have expressed frustration over having to wait months for the story of Guts and Griffith to progress, many others have praised Miura and Mori’s dedication to their craft, with some arguing that the amount of time it takes for new chapters to come out compliments the slow-burn nature of Berserk‘s plot, giving readers time to ponder the potential consequences of Guts’ and Griffith’s choices and the uncertain fate of those pulled into each character’s orbit.
