Day 14: Berserk by Kentaro Miura

The whole month, we have been sharing, showcasing and reviewing new manga.  Faith has done an amazing job with her reviews.  For the last week of “May Manga Madness”, I wanted to share not only some of my favorite series, but thoughts on my favorite characters in these series.  To start things off, I wanted to shed some light on one of my favorite manga couples, Guts and Casca from the widely popular series Berserk.

Now when one thinks of Berserk, rage, violence, death and demons are usually the first things that come to mind. That and Guts is such a badass. For me, however, the first thing that comes to mind is the tragic love story between Guts and Casca. These two have the most romantic and consensual relationship in the whole series. Guts came to know Casca after joining the same army she helped command. At first, like a lot of new romances, their relationship was rocky and full of jealousy; more so in Casca’s case. She was incredibly jealous over Griffith’s, their leader, affection he showed towards Guts and wanted that for herself. Guts battled alongside her and even saved her a number of times and came to respect and admire her strength and prowess.

Over time, he fell in love with her as a whole person. Eventually, Casca returned those feelings.  It was beautiful seeing her go from someone who mistrusted Guts to falling in love with him. They way they are around each other and the adorable facial expressions they give always make me giddy inside.

But, since this is Berserk, their love was never meant to last. After a certain huge turning point in the story, we find Casca with a case of dementia and a fear of Guts. Guts, obviously still in love with her, sets off on a journey to find a cure for her memory and trauma. Much of the series shows Guts undying love and devotion for Casca even though she is in a state where she cannot return it to him. It was beautiful thing to see Guts and Casca’s affection grow for each other in the Golden age Arc. Here’s hoping that one day, they will live happily ever after.