(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
Kentaro Miura - Wikipedia
Wikipedia

Kentaro Miura

Kentaro Miura (Japanese: 三浦みうら 建たて太郎たろう, Hepburn: Miura Kentarō, July 11, 1966 – May 6, 2021) was a Japanese manga artist. He was best known for his dark fantasy series Berserk, which began serialization in 1989 and continued until his death. By 2023, Berserk had over 60 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2002, Miura received the Award for Excellence at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Kentaro Miura
Native name
三浦みうら 建たて太郎たろう
Born(1966-07-11)July 11, 1966
Chiba, Japan
DiedMay 6, 2021(2021-05-06) (aged 54)
Japan
OccupationManga artist
GenreDark fantasy
Years active1985–2021
Notable worksBerserk
Notable awards

Early life and education

edit

Miura was born on July 11, 1966, in Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.[1] In 1976, at the age of 10, he created his first manga, entitled Miuranger, which was published for his classmates in a school publication; the series ended up spanning 40 volumes.[2] In 1977, Miura created his second manga, Ken e no Michi (剣けんへの道みち, "The Way to the Sword"), in which he used India ink for the first time. When he was in middle school in 1979, his drawing techniques improved greatly as he started using professional drawing techniques.[3]

While in high school in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets.[3] There, he befriended his later fellow manga artist Kouji Mori [ja]. They both co-authored a science fiction doujinshi which was sent to Weekly Shōnen Sunday, but was shot down in the last round of selections.[4] At age 18, Miura briefly worked as an assistant to George Morikawa, of Hajime no Ippo fame. Morikawa quickly acknowledged Miura's high artistic level and dismissed him, saying there was nothing he could teach that Miura did not already know.[5][6] By then, Miura had a dark warrior with a gigantic sword already illustrated in his portfolio.[7][8]

Career

edit

In 1985, Miura applied for entrance to the art college of Nihon University. He submitted a short project, Futatabi (再ふたたび, "Once More"), for examination and was granted admission. The project later earned him the 34th Newcomer Manga Award from Weekly Shōnen Magazine.[2] Miura's next work, NOA, was published in Fresh Magazine in the same year,[9][2] but it was not successful.[10] In 1988, while working for Buronson on a project titled King of Wolves (王おう狼おおかみ, Ōrō),[5] Miura published a prototype of Berserk in Hakusensha's Monthly ComiComi;[1][11] the 48-page prototype placed second in ComiComi's seventh Manga School competition.[12] The full serialization of Berserk, which would become Miura's most famous and successful work, began in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House in 1989.[3] In 1990, a sequel to King of Wolves, entitled Ōrō Den (王おう狼おおかみ伝でん, "Legend of the King of Wolves"), was published in the same magazine.[13] In 1992, Monthly Animal House was renamed Young Animal, where Berserk continued serialization. In the same year, Miura collaborated with Buronson on the manga Japan, which was also published in Young Animal.[14]

In 1997, Miura supervised the production of a 25-episode anime adaptation of Berserk produced by OLM, Inc., which aired in the same year on NTV. He also supervised the 1999 Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. In 2002, Miura received the Award for Excellence at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes for Berserk.[12][15] Starting in 2006, Berserk went on frequent and often extended hiatuses,[16] and alternated between monthly and irregular serialization. By 2023, Berserk was collected into 42 tankōbon volumes in Japan, and by September 2023, it had over 60 million copies in circulation worldwide, including digital versions.[17] The series also spawned a host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk were also released.

In 2013, Miura released the short standalone manga Giganto Maxia, published in English-speaking territories by Dark Horse in 2016.[18] Duranki, a short manga produced by Miura's personal manga studio Studio Gaga, was serialized in Young Animal Zero in 2019.[19]

Influences

edit

Miura stated that the work that had the biggest impact on his own was Buronson and Tetsuo Hara's manga Fist of the North Star (1983 debut).[20] Miura also cited influences from Go Nagai's Violence Jack (1973 debut), the Japanese fantasy novel series Guin Saga (1979 debut), Paul Verhoeven films, the Hellraiser series (1987 debut), shōjo manga, Disney films, and the works of Hieronymous Bosch, M. C. Escher, Gustave Doré, and Pieter Bruegel.[21]

Death

edit

On May 6, 2021, Miura died due to acute aortic dissection, at the age of 54. His death was publicly announced on May 20, 2021.[22][23] A private ceremony was held by his family.[13]

Various manga artists offered condolences, including Kouji Mori, Miura's high school friend,[24] and George Morikawa, who shared a story of their friendship.[8] People who worked on the Berserk anime adaptations also paid tribute to Miura, including Susumu Hirasawa, composer for the 1997 series;[8] Nobutoshi Canna and Yūko Miyamura, who voiced Guts and Casca, respectively, in the 1997 series;[25] Hiroaki Iwanaga, Guts' voice actor since the 2012–13 film trilogy;[25] and singer Yoshino Nanjō, who voiced Sonia and performed the ending theme for the 2016 series' second season with Nagi Yanagi.[8]

Legacy

edit

Established as one of the best-selling manga of all time,[26] Miura's series Berserk impacted the manga medium and beyond, with journalist Jade King stating: "[It] is difficult to overstate the tremendous impact his work has had on the world of games, manga, film, anime, and even literature." The image of Guts and his massive sword is attributed to inspiring characters like Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII and Dante from the Devil May Cry series, with the overall aesthetic of Berserk inspiring the monsters and world of the Dark Souls series.[27][28] Video game director Hideaki Itsuno and producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi are fans of Berserk, and the role-playing hack and slash game Dragon's Dogma includes armor based on Guts and Griffith's.[29][30] During a GDC talk in 2019, Itsuno stated that the tone and style of Devil May Cry 5 was inspired from Berserk.[31]

Many authors have cited Miura and Berserk as influences, including Blue Exorcist author Kazue Kato,[32] Baccano! and Durarara!! author Ryōgo Narita,[33] Black Butler author Yana Toboso,[24] Black Clover author Yūki Tabata,[34] and Attack on Titan author Hajime Isayama, who called it "tremendous, just magnificent [...] I got the impression that it was very well organized like a movie".[35] Yoko Taro stated that the protagonist of Drakengard, Caim, was inspired by Berserk's protagonist Guts.[36]

A "memorial" Young Animal issue dedicated to Miura was released on September 10, 2021. Besides the inclusion of the posthumous chapter 364 of Berserk, the issue featured a special "Messages to Kentarou Miura" booklet and a poster of "famous scenes" from the manga.[37][38] In the issue, manga artist Kouji Mori, Miura's long-time friend, published a one-shot titled "Mori-chan Ken-chan", which tells the story of Mori's friendship with Miura.[39]

On June 7, 2022, Hakusensha and Kouji Mori announced that Berserk would continue publication, using plans and thoughts that were relayed to Mori by Miura himself, as well as memorandums and character designs that Miura left behind.[40] As the only person who knows the ending Miura intended, Mori agreed to continue the series and promised: "I will only write the episodes that Miura talked to me about. I will not flesh it out. I will not write episodes that I don't remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me."[40] The credits appear as "original work by Kentaro Miura, art by Studio Gaga, supervised by Kouji Mori".[40][41][42]

Works

edit
  • Futatabi (再ふたたび, "Once More") (1985) — One-shot. Published in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine.[43]
  • NOA (1985) — One-shot. Published in Kodansha's Fresh Magazine.[9]
  • Berserk: The Prototype (ベルセルク, Beruseruku) (1988) — One-shot. Published in Hakusensha's Monthly ComiComi.[13]
  • King of Wolves (王おう狼おおかみ, Ōrō) (1989) — Written by Buronson, illustrated by Miura. Serialized in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House.[44]
  • Berserk (ベルセルク, Beruseruku) (1989–2021) — Serialized in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House (1989–1992) and Young Animal (1992–2021).[13]
  • Ōrō Den (王おう狼おおかみ伝でん) (1990) — Written by Buronson, illustrated by Miura. Serialized in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House.[44]
  • Japan (ジャパン) (1992) — Written by Buronson, illustrated by Miura. Serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal.[44]
  • Giganto Maxia (ギガントマキア, Gigantomakia) (2013–2014) — Serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal.[13]
  • Duranki (ドゥルアンキ) (2019–2020) — Serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal Zero.[13]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b 三浦みうら建たて太郎たろう [Kentaro Miura]. Natalie (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c 三浦みうら建太けんた郎ろう先生せんせい年譜ねんぷ＆作品さくひんリスト [Kentaro Miura's Chronology & Work List] (in Japanese). Hakusensha. Archived from the original on November 5, 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Miura, Kentarō (2019). Berserk. DeAngelis, Jason,, Johnson, Duane, 1976-, Nakrosis, Dan,, Studio Cutie (Deluxe edition. First ed.). Milwaukie OR. ISBN 978-1-5067-1198-0. OCLC 1050142713.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Luster, Joseph (August 12, 2016). "FEATURE: "Berserk" Discussion Explores Kentarō Miura's Roots". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Pinon, Matthieu (April 16, 2019). "Personnalité de la semaine : Kentarô Miura" [Personality of the week: Kentaro Miura]. Animeland (in French). Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  6. ^ 【11限げん目め】 特別とくべつインタビュー「僕ぼくが“森川もりかわジョージ”になるためにやってきたこと」（4/4）. moae.jp (in Japanese). Kodansha. October 11, 2016. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Paquot, Valentin (March 19, 2020). "George Morikawa : "En trente ans de manga je n'ai jamais eu le syndrome de la page blanche !"" [George Morikawa: "In thirty years of manga I have never had the blank page syndrome!"]. Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d Pineda, Rafael Antonio; Morrissy, Kim (May 20, 2021). "Creators Offer Condolences for Berserk Creator Kentarou Miura's Passing". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Miura, Kentaro (January 1, 2002). Berserk Illustration Book (in German). Panini Comics. p. 121. ISBN 978-3-89921-224-2.
  10. ^ C, Ben (September 21, 2012). "REEL ANIME: Kentaro Miura and how a manga epic went Berserk". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  11. ^ 「ベルセルク」三浦みうら建たて太郎たろう氏し、24年ねんぶりの完全かんぜんオリジナル新作しんさく―その間あいだベルセルクは連載れんさいお休やすみ [Kentaro Miura, known for Berserk, releases first new original work in 24 years, while Berserk is on break]. Livedoor (in Japanese). November 8, 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  12. ^ a b 第だい6回かい マンガ優秀ゆうしゅう賞しょう 三浦みうら建太けんた郎ろう 『ベルセルク』 [Sixth award for excellence in manga, Kentaro Miura's "Berserk"] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Loo, Egan (May 19, 2021). "Berserk Manga Creator Kentarou Miura Passes Away at 54". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "JAPAN TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  15. ^ "2002 (6th) Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prizes". The Hahn Library. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007.
  16. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (September 19, 2017). "Berserk Creator Reveals He Based Band of the Hawk on High School Friendship". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  17. ^ 作者さくしゃ急逝きゅうせいの「ベルセルク」、完結かんけつへ向むけ新刊しんかん 親友しんゆうの漫画まんが家かが監修かんしゅう (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. September 25, 2023. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 16, 2015). "Dark Horse Adds Giganto Maxia, RG Veda, Danganronpa, I Am a Hero Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  19. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (August 22, 2019). "Berserk's Kentarou Miura Produces New Duranki Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  20. ^ ""Berserk" Discussion Explores Kentarō Miura's Roots". Crunchyroll. August 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  21. ^ Bullington, Jesse (2019). "Kentaro Miura, Grandmaster of Grimdark". In Boskovich, Desirina (ed.). Lost Transmissions: The Secret History of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Abrams Books. p. 628. ISBN 978-1-68335-498-7. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  22. ^ 訃報ふほう 三浦みうら建太けんた郎ろう先生せんせいが逝去せいきょされました [Obituary: Kentaro Miura has passed away] (in Japanese). Hakusensha. May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  23. ^ 漫画まんが家か・三浦みうら建たて太郎たろうさんが死去しきょ 54歳さい 『ベルセルク』『ドゥルアンキ』など [Manga artist Kentaro Miura, known for "Berserk", "Duranki", Etc. passes away at age 54]. Oricon News (in Japanese). May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  24. ^ a b 『ベルセルク』などで知しられる漫画まんが家か・三浦みうら建太けんた郎ろう先生せんせいの訃報ふほうに際さいし、SNS上じょうで反応はんのうを見みせた同どう業者ぎょうしゃの声こえ. animate Times (in Japanese). May 21, 2021. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  25. ^ a b 『ベルセルク』主人公しゅじんこうガッツ役やく・岩永いわなが洋昭ひろあき、作者さくしゃの一言ひとことに感謝かんしゃ「一生いっしょう忘わすれません」. Oricon News (in Japanese). May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  26. ^ 漫画まんが「ベルセルク」を長期ちょうき連載れんさい中ちゅう 三浦みうら建たて太郎たろうさん死去しきょ [Author of long-running series "Berserk", Kentaro Miura, passes]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  27. ^ Park, Gene (May 20, 2021). "Remembering Kentaro Miura, legendary creator of 'Berserk', which inspired countless fantasy stories". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  28. ^ King, Jade (May 20, 2021). "Remembering The Life, Work, And Influence Of Kentaro Miura". The Gamer. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Loo, Egan (September 15, 2011). "Berserk Film to Collaborate with Capcom's Dragon's Dogma". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  30. ^ Ming, Nate (February 16, 2012). ""Dragon's Dogma" gets "Berserk" Armor and Weapons, and Limited Edition Goods!". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  31. ^ Behan, Daire (May 22, 2021). "Berserk's Influence on Video Games". Game Rant. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  32. ^ 映画えいが「ベルセルク 黄金おうごん時代じだい篇へんII ドルドレイ攻略こうりゃく」-ストーリーガイド、加藤かとう和恵かずえインタビュー [Movie "Berserk: Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey" Story Guide, Kazue Kato interview]. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 18, 2012. Archived from the original on January 19, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  33. ^ Narita, Ryōgo [@ryohgo_narita] (May 20, 2021). ベルセルク本編ほんぺんはもちろんの事こと、ベルセルクに影響えいきょうを受うけた作品さくひんにも数多かずおおく触ふれてきて今いまも触ふれ続つづけているのだなとしみじみと感かんじる。 (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Chéry, Lloyd (July 7, 2018). "Black Clover, le meilleur manga de fantasy expliqué par son auteur" [Black Clover, the best fantasy manga explained by its author]. Le Point (in French). Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  35. ^ 映画えいが「ベルセルク 黄金おうごん時代じだい篇へんIII 降臨こうりん」-諫山いさやま創そうインタビュー、窪くぼ岡おか俊之としゆき監督かんとくインタビュー [Movie "Berserk: Golden Age Arc III - The Advent" - Hajime Isayama interview, Toshiyuki Kubooka interview]. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 28, 2013. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  36. ^ Yoko, Taro (May 4, 2013). 【仕事しごと】ドラゴン３座談ざだん会かいとかイロイロ。. Taro Yoko Blog. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  37. ^ 「ベルセルク」最新さいしん364話わが次号じごうヤングアニマルに掲載けいさい、メモリアル企画きかくも. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  38. ^ Hazra, Adriana (August 11, 2021). "Kentarou Miura's Berserk Manga Gets New Chapter". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  39. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 11, 2021). "Kouji Mori Draws 1-Shot Manga About Lifelong Friendship With Kentarou Miura". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  40. ^ a b c 『ベルセルク』再開さいかいのお知しらせ (in Japanese). Hakusensha. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  41. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 7, 2022). "Berserk Manga Continues Under Kentarou Miura's Assistants, Kouji Mori's Supervision". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  42. ^ 「ベルセルク」連載れんさい再開さいかい、「自分じぶんたちの中なかに根付ねついた『三浦みうら建太けんた郎ろう』を真摯しんしに紡つむぎたい」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  43. ^ 週刊しゅうかん少年しょうねんマガジン1985年ねん36 [Weekly Shōnen Magazine 1985, 36]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  44. ^ a b c 『原作げんさく者しゃ・武たけ論ろん尊みこと、もしくは史ふみ村むら翔しょう』 [Original creator, Buronson, also Fumimura Sho]. manga-gai.net (in Japanese). Ginnansha Co., Ltd. March 13, 2004. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kentaro_Miura&oldid=1231598312"