I haven’t finished the manga Berserk. And now, neither will its author mangaka Miura Kentaro. That wasn’t meant to be some cheap joke – this latest famous passing has thrown me off in a weird way. This man devoted his life to this manga. Over three decades – with no exaggeration, almost as long as I’ve lived.

The world he painstakingly imagined and drew. Hellish dreamscapes… the most intricate character designs. So many lines. So much motion.

And emotion too. Don’t let Berserk’s brutal aesthetic trick you. Yes it was violent angst, blackest grief and bitter dread. But it was also so much heart and soul. It dared to hope and be human in the face of overwhelming odds.

At its core, Berserk told a story of a scarred man fighting demons within and without. Defying fate itself to put his broken world right.

If you love storytelling or love hand-drawn artwork, please read Berserk. Sweet dreams, Miura. Thank you.