10 Years Later, A Dragon Ball Icon’s Brutal Berserk Critique Is Aging Like Milk

As anime and manga continue their rapid surge in global popularity, some of the classic titles, many of which won fans over decades ago when it wasn’t quite as fashionable to be a fan, are slowly being forgotten. At the same time, some classics have not only survived the influx of new fans in recent years, but have thrived among budding anime and manga fans around the world. Berserk is one of those classic titles.

Since its debut in 1989, few manga franchises have matched Berserk‘s success, with Guts now being a highly recognizable protagonist despite the series’ mature and often highly disturbing content. The late series creator, Kentaro Miura, became a legend in the industry long before his passing in 2021, known for his breathtaking artwork and masterful storytelling.

Berserk has enjoyed levels of success few other titles have ever reached, putting it in a tier with other all-time greats like Dragon Ball. Few fans of either franchise are aware that the two have clashed before, when Kentaro Miura sat down for a rare interview with Dragon Ball‘s editor, Kazuhiko Torishima. Surprisingly, however, the editor had some harsh criticism for Berserk and its creator.

Dragon Ball’s Original Editor Shared Harsh Criticism of Berserk with Its Creator

Dragon Ball’s Kazuhiko Torishima Wasn’t Afraid to Be Honest with His Criticism of Berserk

By 2016, both Berserk and its creator were already legendary. The series had already amassed over 30 volumes, and sold tens of millions of copies, making it one of the best-selling manga titles in history. The ’97 anime adaptation was a success, and the trio of Golden Age films performed well in theaters only a couple of years earlier. All of which made the conversation between Miura and Torishima so eyebrow-raising.

Kazuhiko Torishima has always been known for speaking his mind, and the late great Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama never had any issue sharing horror stories from his time at Weekly Shōnen Jump. Kentaro Miura, having been a fan of Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball before Berserk made its debut, expressed admiration for Torishima, and though the editor acknowledged the artist’s immense success, he made his criticisms of Berserk known. When Miura asked for his feelings about his work, Torishima said:

“To be honest, it’s a painful piece. As I said before, it’s been implemented wrong. You’re good at establishing a theme before you write, but unfortunately, you’ve written it with a certain detachment. And you’ve done a lot of research in order to dig into the theme, which you try too hard to convey through dialogue. I think, if I were your editor, I would cut your dialogue to a fifth, and your shots to a quarter. Why? Because you have even more skill in your use of dialogue than you do your art… There’s love in your dialogue. You must be a very kind-hearted person.”

In response, Miura laughingly responded that such comments were embarrassing, to which Torishima clarified, “I’m not flattering you, and I think you rush your characters’ developments too quickly.”

Torishima also expressed criticism of Miura’s handling of the Eclipse, sharing that he wouldn’t have allowed it to go down the way it did had he been the series’ editor. Later on, he shared that he felt Miura had outgrown Berserk. Torishima has built himself a reputation as a harsh critic, but his comments during the interview border on bizarre statements made directly to another already absurdly successful artist.

Berserk Remains Wildly Successful a Decade On from Torishima’s Harsh Remarks

A decade later, and Berserk is still ongoing, now being overseen by Kentaro Miura’s former assistants and his friend and fellow manga artist, Koji Mori. Outside of Japan, it can be argued that Berserk is more popular now than it’s ever been before, with fans around the world continuing to tune in to new developments when chapters are released.

Having been the editor of Dragon Ball and the chief editor of Weekly Shōnen Jump, few members of the manga industry would know success better than Kazuhiko Torishima. However, considering the lasting success and legendary status of Berserk, his criticism isn’t aging all that well.

Created by

Kentaro Miura, Kouji Mori

First Film

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1: The Egg of the King

Latest Film

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 3: The Advent

First TV Show

Berserk

Latest TV Show

Berserk

First Episode Air Date

October 7, 1997

Berserk is a dark fantasy manga series by Kentaro Miura, first published in 1989. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, it follows Guts, a lone mercenary, and his struggle against demonic forces after his betrayal by Griffith, leader of the Band of the Hawk. The franchise has expanded into multiple anime series, films, video games, and merchandise.