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Creators Offer Condolences for Berserk Creator Kentarou Miura's Passing

posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda & Kim Morrissy
Fairy Tail, Hajime no Ippo, Vinland Saga, Fire Force, March comes in like a lion, Negima, Black Lagoon creators & more respond to 54-year-old's passing

Artists, writers, and other creators have offered their condolences and reactions to the recent passing of Berserk manga creator Kentarou Miura. Miura passed away on May 6 at 54 years old.

Hakusensha posted an official English translation of Miura's obituary on its website. The obituary reads as follows:

Manga artist Kentaro Miura passed away at 14:48 on May 6, 2021 due to acute aortic dissection. He was 54.

We would like to express our deepest respect and appreciation for his artistic work and pray that his soul rests in peace.

Miura's family held a funeral.

Kentaro Miura worked on his series Berserk, and many other popular stories for Hakusensha over the years. Berserk is currently serialized in the Young Animal comics, and Dur-An-Ki has been on the Young Animal Zero, starting two years ago.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers for having loved his works. Please accept our most heartfelt condolences on his passing.

Hakusensha

All personnel in the Young Animal Editing Department are deeply disturbed and saddened by the sudden death of Kentaro Miura.

We have been at a loss as to how to cope with this painful reality. We just cannot find the words to be honest. Our memories of him are delightful and filled with his smile from the times when we were together; he always talked so happily about his favorite comics, cartoons, and movies. We had honestly never seen him angry or upset. He was a happy person with the heart of a young boy.

We would like all his fans and persons related to imagine him smiling joyfully and pray silently with us for the repose of his soul. We appreciate your kind understanding.

Sincerely, Young Animal Editing Department


Hajime no Ippo creator George Morikawa shared a photo of Miura's tribute drawing of Hajime no Ippo character Takemura given to him. Miura previously worked with Morikawa as an assistant. Miura's written message in the illustration reads "Back in college, I worked with you as a short-term assistant, and I was worried my lack of skill would hold you back. I learned many things, and this is both an apology and a thank you!"

Morikawa added his comment on Miura's passing:

I'm going to be a bit emotional, but let me reminisce a little bit. When I started my first weekly serialization without even a single assistant, he came to help me. He was 18 and I was 19. We were at some art college, and he came up after a lecture with sketchbook in hand. I didn't know how extensive his drawing skills were, so I showed him some of my work and told him to get as close to this as he could. What he showed me was astounding, and definitely belied his age.

After he drew more, I had already become deeply interested in him, and we only stopped drawing to talk about manga. When I asked him to show me some of his drawings in his sketchbook, and it stopped my heart and gave me goosebumps. Within were drawings of fairies, a certain brand, a swordsman wielding a huge sword; the beginnings of what would later be Puck and Guts, all drawn in thick lines. It was too much. "What is all this?" I asked him. "They're what's inside my head," he answered. "I want to get better, so I thought I should draw them." How long had he been saving this up in his head?, I wondered. Berserk was already there, in those drawings.

The months passed by, and I started serializing Hajime no Ippo, and it wasn't long after that Berserk started. Miura shared some stories of difficulty with me, but I was confident that his manga would be a hit. Kentarou-kun had poured his strength and confidence into this long-awaited serialization, after all. The world would soon be as astonished as I was when I first saw his drawings. He had a completely refined artistic skill and drew with all his soul, and I had nothing but the deepest respect for every new chapter of Berserk.

We only worked in that short time, but it was my pride and honor to have met him. Forgive me for speaking so much, Kentarou-kun. One day, I'll go and read that last chapter of yours.


Susumu Hirasawa, who composed the music for the 1997 television anime adaptation of Berserk, wrote on his website:

Miura no longer exists in a physical space. From now on, we won't be able to talk with each other about unresolved matters. He will always occupy a part of my mind regardless of time or space. Miura. Once again, I hope that we can get along earnestly.


Dark Horse Comics, the publisher of Berserk and some of Miura's other works in North America, tweeted:

Miura-sensei was a master artist and storyteller and we had the great privilege of publishing several of his finest works, including his masterpiece, Berserk. He will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones.


Hiro Mashima, the author of such manga as Edens Zero and Fairy Tail, tweeted:

Berserk is what allowed my youth to remain with me. Even at my age, I'd still get excited at each new volume that came out. Now I am stunned in grief. May Miura-sensei rest in peace.


In a joint interview with the Animate Times website published last month on April 14, Miura and Cestvs: The Roman Fighter manga creator Shizuya Wazarai shared a conversation regarding both of their long-serialized manga ( Cestvs: The Roman Fighter has been in serialization for over 20 years, and Berserk for more than 30 years):

Miura: Do you know how the story will flow until the ending of Cestvs?
Wazarai: That's the question, isn't it? laughs* Now let me just ask directly, how much of Berserk have you gone through now?
Miura: I've been planning to start wrapping it up soon. laughs* Just thinking of wrapping it up without expanding the story further.
Wazarai: And here I am not even halfway done with my story idea. What are we going to do with ourselves?
Miura: At this point, it's just question of our continued health, right?
Wazarai: Like, whether your life will run out before you ever get to finish it.
Miura: Well, they say humans can live up to 100 years old now, and some people can keep on working no problem until they're 90, if they're careful about it.


Adam Deats, the assistant director on Netflix's dark fantasy animated series Castlevania, tweeted:

Kentaro Miura has passed away.

I cannot express how important Berserk has been to us as a source of inspiration for Castlevania. A quarter of our team drew from it for inspiration. It defined what dark fantasy was for us.

I'm crushed. RIP, Miura.


Rei Hiroe, the creator of action manga series Black Lagoon, tweeted:

When I woke up, Kentarou Miura had passed. Ahh.. So Berserk will be unfinished... It was a solid fantasy and a great manga. It's one of the few manga that I've continued to buy since way back, so I'm shook. You did well, may you rest in peace. R.I.P.


Hebi-Zou, the creator of the Heaven's Design Team manga, tweeted:

When I went to Germany, I asked the students who were studying Japanese what manga they liked, and the most common answer from the male students was the same across the universities. 'Berserk!!' 'Berserk!!' It was a manga loved around the world, and so was its creator. Thank you so much.


Singer Yoshino Nanjō, who voiced the character Sonia and sang the theme song "Issai wa Monogatari" with Nagi Yanagi in the second 2017 cours of the television anime adaptation of Berserk, tweeted:

I was shocked upon hearing the news. I was cast as Sonia and performed the ED alongside Nagi Yanagi for Berserk, one of Kentarou Miura's works. I was truly happy that I was able to be involved in such a wonderful work. Thank you so much. I pray for your happiness in the next world.


Love Hina and Negima creator Ken Akamatsu shared that Miura was a fan of his character Yue Ayase and that whenever she ended up in a sexual situation he would get so excited he would send Akamatsu a letter via fax.


The official Twitter account for Dx2 Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation smartphone game, which had a collaboration with the 2016-2017 Berserk television anime, tweeted:

Our staff is like-minded in our sorrow at the sudden news of his passing. We are incredibly grateful to have been able to make a Berserk collaboration happen. We pray for Miura's happiness in the next world.


The official Twitter account for the March comes in like a lion anime series shared two end card illustrations that Miura drew for the series during its television run.

The series' creator, Chica Umino, shared how she is struggling with news after finding out two weeks ago.

Nothing has felt real for the past two weeks. I've been at my desk this whole time, and randomly the memories will come flooding back. Whenever I'm drawing, it feels like the two of us are chatting together.


Vinland Saga manga creator Makoto Yukimura wrote:

I just learned about Kentaro Miura's death. At the same time, my fans are tweeting about my health. Thank you very much. I will take care of my health and will surely complete the Vinland Saga series. I'm very shocked. I can't put it into words. It was a tremendous job. I think drawing was his life.


Fire Force and Soul Eater creator Atsushi Ohkubo wrote:

Beloved across generations, Berserk was the Bible of my friend group. I had just binged the entire manga... It feels like yesterday when my classmates and I rushed to go see Miura-sensei at an event in Shibuya. You left us too soon!

Sources: George Morikawa's Twitter account, Susumu Hirasawa's website, Dark Horse Comics' Twitter account, Hiro Mashima's Twitter account, Animate Times via Hachima Kikō, Adam Deats' Twitter account, Rei Hiroe's Twitter account, Hebi-Zou's Twitter account, Yoshino Nanjō's Twitter account, Dx2 Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation game's Twitter account


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