Berserk and Vagabond are two of the best manga you can ever come across in your life; both are extremely well-written and will leave their imprint on you for the rest of your life.
However, both of the stories are completely opposite from each other; while Vagabond prioritizes self-improvement and the spiritual journey, Berserk shows the hard truth of life, where only the strongest survive.
Both of these series are immensely popular and have a fanbase of millions; both fall into the Seinen category and are often referred to as the best manga in the genre, alongside the Vinland Saga.
The authors have really given their all, and each and every character is very well written and the storyline of both of them will change you forever once you complete them.
Berserk was written by legendary author Kentaro Miura in 1999. Still, due to always prioritizing his love for the story, he never paid attention to his health and passed away in May 2021.
Vagabond is well known throughout the industry due to its unique and deep physiological characters and their journey, as well as its breathtaking art. The manga series began in 1999, but in 2010, due to the poor health of the mangaka, it went on hiatus.
Table of Contents
I. Berserk Manga
Plot
The plot of the story is based on Guts, a child who was born from a corpse. From the time he was born, he was termed lousy luck. He was taken in by a group of mercenaries who did not know what to do with the child.
Ever since he can remember, he has always seen people getting killed, whether it be the mercenaries or someone else. Growing up in this hell took a toll on the boy, who now started to lose his humanity and was influenced to become like them.
As a child, he was r*ped by one of the mercenaries. He trained rigorously to surpass everyone. After several expenditures, he came across the Band of Falcons, where he made some good friends, and just as he thought that maybe everything was going to be alright, his best friend decided to betray everyone and r*pe the love of his life in front of his eyes. Since then, Guts has only had one dream, and that is to kill Griffth.
Main Characters
Guts is the main character of the series, and Casca and Griffith are the supporting characters. Casca is the person Guts loves the most and wishes to protect her from the harm the world wishes to inflict on her. Griffith was his best friend; they both enjoyed each other’s company.
Griffith was the only one Guts ever trusted in his life, but his trust was broken and disintegrated by Griffith as he became the same thing he swore to destroy. The supporting characters are very well-written and crucial to the plot.
Each of them has a significant role in the story and is made with extreme caution to make sure that each of them has some prominence and not just for the fan show as well.
Dark & Gritty World: how dark this manga is
The world of Berserk is the epitome of hell on earth; children are getting murdered, women are getting used physically, and there is a lot of violence and blood all around.
The series is exceptionally gory and might cause trauma to people who are not up to the mark or do not have mental strength. The series theme is very dark, and although there are moments of joy here and there, overall, it is terrifying, and nobody would ever like to exist in that world.
Not a single place is safe for the residents and characters in the series, as it is filled with strange-looking monsters and gods who are way out of human reach and can do as they please with nobody to resist them.
Fights and Battles
The fights and battles are one of the strong points of the series; the fights are well-drawn and are a joy to read. Even though it is not a shounen manga, bloodbaths are an everyday moment in Berserk.
Fights are always well drawn and never feel rushed, as it was evident that the author wanted to put in the work. Fights are drawn extremely cautiously and are tidy.
There are many strong characters in the series who are incapable of being defeated by a mere human, but Guts is destined to prove them wrong and surpass everyone.
Artwork
The artwork in the series is said and believed by a good chunk of the audience to be the best in the entire world.
While reading the manga, you will come across several pages that will look so splendid that you will be owed them. Kentaro Miura ensured that the series was his best work and gave it his all, as seen from the breathtaking art throughout the series.
About Author
Kentaro Miura was one of the finest and most talented artists ever. Ever since he was a kid, he could draw and had the potential to become one of the best. He understood his potential and worked harder than anyone to achieve success.
Through sheer hard work and talent, he made Berserk one of the most popular series in the world, even without the anime adaptation. It did get an anime adaptation, but it was not successful due to way too many censors and parts getting skipped.
His most renowned and well-known work, Berserk, has been among the best-selling manga ever. Unfortunately, he passed away on May 6, 2021. His family announced his passing a few days later. To this date, he remains one of the most respected and beloved manga artists of all time.
II. Vagabond Manga
Plot
Vagabon is a story based on Takezō Shinmen, a 17-year-old boy who was filled with rage and overconfidence, and the only thing he knew was to kill people. Living in his small bubble, he never opened his eyes to see how strong the world was.
However, after the incident where he got caught by the villagers and was about to be killed, he was rescued by one of his friends and was given a new life. He took the name Miyamoto Musashi and began his journey to view the world.
He often proclaimed himself the best under the sun, the strongest on earth. However, throughout his journey, he learns several things that make him not only a better swordsman but a better human being as well.
In his journey, he encounters several enemies and opponents above him in his skill set and meets numerous people who teach him a lesson that will lead to saving his life in the future.
Main Characters
The main character of the series is none other than Masashi Miyamoto, one of the greatest and most legendary swordsmen of all time.
He is often regarded as the best samurai due to his beliefs and the amount of work he has done. Throughout the story, he has grown tremendously and understands life better than he ever did before.
He is supported by Matahachi Hon’iden and Otsu, also his childhood friends. Otsu was supposed to get married to Matahachi, but he got intimate with another girl and left her. Otsu is an attractive-looking woman who is also very skilled.
Dark & Gritty World: how dark this manga is
The author has tried to make the world as realistic as possible, as it is just after the Sengoku era. The characters involved are based on real-life personalities, but some were created for storytelling purposes.
However, as it is based during the war era, there is a lot of bloodshed and a heavy number of deaths involved. The series can sometimes get gory, but not too much, and it only happens occasionally.
Fights and Battles
The fights involved in the series are indeed works of art. It is well drawn, and each motion can be understood clearly by the reader. The fights are not only fought physically in the series but mentally as well.
The power levels are understandable, and nobody gets a random power-up during battle. The fights involved are done very carefully to depict how samurai used to fight in that era.
Artwork
It is one of the few manga in the world whose artwork is so good that no major studio can reproduce it. Every single panel is a masterpiece and shows the greatness of the author. There is little to no lousy artwork throughout the story, and as it progresses, the art style keeps improving.
About Author
Takehiko Inoue was born on January 12, 1967, and is currently 56 years old. Did you know that he is also the author of the popular sports series Slam Dunk, one of the most popular mangas in the sports genre? Vagabond is his best work to date. However, due to continuous health issues, the series is on hiatus.
Berserk vs. Vagabond: Which One Is Better?
Berserk and Vagabond are two refined pieces of manga and two of the best stories you can stumble upon. In terms of overall compatibility and which is better, there can be various answers.
It is not possible to acclaim one series better than the other, as both are masterpieces, and they are meant to be enjoyed, not compared. Even the plot and basic physiology are vastly different in both series.
Making a decision on which is better might not even be possible, as different readers have different tastes, and not everyone is entitled to like what you like. The message conveyed is the same, but the path used differs a lot.
Here, we will take a look at what sets them apart from each other in order to give the readers a better understanding of what sets them apart from each other.
Differences: (in points)
Berserk
- It is based on the irresistible decisions of fate and how a man can overcome them.
- Based on fights and many deaths
- In Berserk, the only way to survive is to kill
- How to overcome struggles that were once impossible for you
- How to go up against fate and defy all the odds
- How to become the strongest version of yourself and rise up from the chains that bound you up
Vagabond
- Prioritizes the spiritual journey as a human being
- Depicts how to love others
- Teaches several morals and how to uphold them
- How to become the best version of yourself
- How to rise through adversities
- Finding peace within yourself
- How to truly become strong, not just physically but mentally as well
Conclusion
Berserk and Vagabond are the two most remarkable pieces of fiction you can come across, and it would be terrible to compare these two masterpieces. Both of them are based on different aspects and are entirely parallel to each other.
However, both of them will make you a better person, as the epitome of what these two series intend to set is to love and protect what you care for.
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I am a first-year student pursuing Data Science and Artificial intelligence and have always been mesmerised by AI and wish to build one for my own in future. In my free time, I like to watch Romance Anime or read Seinen Manga.
