I didn't like Berserk (and that's fine) 

Great take, I really admired your braveness to stand up and give your own opinion. Before watching the video i almost immediately went in and dislike this one but i went with my guts and listened to the end. Pretty insightful, and it really give me a lot of deep perspective on others not liking something. in the end you can't change how humans like and dislike things.

When I first saw the thumbnail I did have brief moment of “how can you not like berserk”. Then I stepped back and figured let’s hear this out first.

That is, in fact, fine. That being said, now, please animate the entirety of Berserk manga in this style. Thank you.

Being indifferent towards a show/manga is very relatable, sometimes they just dont catch your interest

As someone who feels that it is no exaggeration to say I'm only alive today because of berserk, I can sometimes fall into that camp of wanting so desperately for everyone to see what I saw in the series, get the same thing I got out of it. And that would be nice, but reality just isn't like that. Especially when it comes to those who were affected so deeply can become so overly defensive, and unable to just accept that the series isn't for everyone. I applaud you for making a video sharing your views and feelings on the series.

For that random person who likes to go through comments before they even finish the video: *No she isn't a hater. She is simply indifferent towards it and uses that as a foundation for a larger discussion on this topic.* Even if you disagree be nice while putting out your arguments.

I am a huge Berserk fan. Read it all in a few days during pandemic and I adored it. It still resonates very deeply with me. And I completely understand why it's not your thing. It can be really unpleasant and upsetting. There are moments that I deeply dislike for that reason. The fandom attracts some types that I think are a bit unsavory, and for all these reasons I don't get upset if someone's not interested in reading it. Further, if you do read it and decide it's not your thing, that's fine. It means alot to me, but there are plenty of things people love that I'm indifferent towards. There's nothing wrong with that. Thank you for making such a well-thought and eloquent video. I hope you don't get harassed too much for this by jabronis on the internet for the heinous crime of "having an opinion."

i don't really engange in a lot of discussion online, so i had no idea berserk had this sort of status. pretty much all conversations i had about it (either one on one online or in private) were about how incredibly Not For Everyone berserk is. it's a very easy series to pick apart in that sense, full of the highest highs and the lowest lows, imo. that being said, the editing in this is just breathtaking and took me on a memory lane hahah. great video. cannot even imagine how much work it took to produce.

I very much relate to this. I would recommend coming back to the series at a later point. I do think that the context of the point in life when a reader reads a series is one of the biggest factors affecting the level of readers' enjoyment.

I worry that this thumbnail will be clickbaity and draw in abuse from people who don't take the time to watch the video. That said... if you swapped Berserk for Land of the Lustrous then I'd accuse you of reading my mind.

Having high expectations can result in a worse experience, now that I think of it most of the stuff I love I found on my own, without others telling me to check it out.

I've had the same experience with a lot of other manga, most notably Dorohedoro. It's a manga I have no choice but to acknowledge as a one-of-a-kind story with a completely unique style and tone, and there are very few actual, concrete criticisms I can form. It's just that I didn't enjoy the series. I read the series up to the last chapter, but still didn't get the sense of enjoyment I heard so many others discussing. I have no trouble imagining why others enjoy it so much, I just didn't.

Coming from a huge Berserk fan: Great video 😊 I do hope you at least get to see some of the later chapter's art, even if you don't read it all! Miura's art got WAY better after the Golden Age.

I am very much a firm believer that any piece of media can have differing reactions within an individual dependent on what the individual is feeling or thinking or even going through at that specific moment. To me, Berserk became this wonderful piece of art that is cemented in my heart and brain because it helped me understand that we're all strugglers and that we must continue to remain hopeful in the face of utter darkness (at a moment where I myself was facing incredibly difficult challenges.) This is something that I felt is conveyed even more strongly after the golden age arc, past the conviction arc if my memory doesn't fail me. It saddens me that you couldn't finish it, and I hope that one day you can (because there is genuine greatness in the later portions of the story.) Miura himself said he had certain regrets on some of the ultra violence, sexual or otherwise, in the earlier portions of the story and this is reflected in that writing in those aforementioned later portions. Either way, I respect your opinion and am glad I stuck with the video until the end.

Great video and definitely a relatable feeling! Sometimes certain stories just won't click with you the way they do for other people, even if you can see the merit in said story, and that's completely okay. Some stories are so highly acclaimed that it sometimes feels like you've done something wrong by saying that it wasn't for you, even though it shouldn't be seen as a hot take. Glad you brought this topic up as it is definitely something that should be brought up more when discussing media criticism. Amazing job as always, your editing with manga pages and panels never ceases to be amazing

I've never read berserk so I can't share my thoughts regarding the manga, but when it comes to the video topic itself, I highly agree with what you said. I think "it's not for me" is a very valuable statement that people should not argue against. There were many cases when I watched something and didn't have any particular issues with said thing other that I didn't really like it. And that's perfectly fine. Although I do understand the feeling when you want someone to like the things you do and they just don't, it's a little heartbreaking in a sense. But that's also ok. Great video! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Aside from the great discussion in the video and it's topic, I really appreciate that you add subtitles to all of your videos! It makes it so much easier to follow the dialogue that way, thank you :)

I'm really glad that you made this. Being honest, I've felt this way with many series (Chainsaw Man being a particular) and I've always felt somewhat slighted and bullied into silence by people condescending over the fact that someone could have a different opinion, or just not be particularly attached to the story. I feel that as both the anime community and manga community homogenize themselves towards community opinions on individual series, it becomes increasingly difficult to have productive discourse related to them. I love analysis videos just as much as the next person, but I sometimes feel that people take individual narrative interpretation as a law of order, and anyone who doesn't personally connect with a themes of a story just "doesn't get it", rather than just being allowed to have their own relationship with the themes and narrative of a story. I genuinely think this is a brave video to make, which honestly, I think a few years ago I would find to be an incredibly strange thing to say about making content about just a manga series. Great video as always, and I think you've contributed to far more than just this video to be brave enough to speak your opinion out against the popular take, especially for something as critically acclaimed as Berserk.

Well, this happens all the time to me, I find a series that is apparently a masterpiece, everyone likes it, it's loved beyond borders and sometimes considered a "classic". Then I read it, and it's just normal, I don't feel much if anything, even though I can point out all the strong points in the story.

Every time a FromSoftware game releases, I see people (try to) teach gamers the subjectivity of art. Being able to acknowledge the greatness of something you don't like, or the flaws of something you love, is a normal thing which normal humans are capable of. It's just the vitriolic and immature weirdos of social media who often speak loudest. nice editing as always

I am so glad to have come upon this video as I've experienced the same kind of indifference many times towards certain popular and less popular works. I have tried to get into series like Attack on Titan and others as well as games and found myself not really caring about them despite being very interested in their premise and acknowledging their quality. I so often encounter works where I find the intial concept interesting, but instantly know that I myself wouldn't be able to enjoy them even though I really wish I could. It really is a hard topic to talk about as online discussion loves to divide media discussion into the binary of good and bad and hardly takes matters of taste and sensibility into account. I have so often engaged with a glowing review of a critically acclaimed show, book, manga or game, knowing that I'd probably never try them myself and feeling like a worse person for it. This sometimes lead to me actively seeking out negative reviews of that media, hoping to find validation for my decision not to engage with it when I simply had to acknowledge that this certain work just wasn't to my taste. This topic needs to be adressed much more than it currently is as I've seen so many more people fall down same kind of rabbit hole I did and eventually letting their indifference morph into an irrational hatred of the work which is never good for one's mental health. Thank you so much for talking about this topic, it resonated with me incredibly strongly and I imagine it resonates with far more people than we might think.

i think these sorts of videos are important. not to damage thereputation of the series or its creator (which probably the berserk toxic fans think) but to show that there are some people its not for, and thats ok, every highly regarded manga should have people discussing this aspect of it

Yeah I can understand. Its a bit like how I felt about Avatar the last airbender. There really is nothing bad about it in my eyes, it just never hit any exceptional highs or did much I found to be interesting or investing, and yet whenever Ive stated this the usual repsonse is to claim that im just plain wrong. As if Id stated that 2+2=5 and didnt have big brother on my side to back it up. Its a thing I find in masterworks. They recieve so much constant praise that anything that isnt praise is just considered wrong

Your feelings towards "berserk" is me with "one piece" right now almost halfway in

"it's polished to a point where is doesn't interest me" - gigguk on breaking bad This is not a criticism but a statement for the people who have problems with enjoying a highly acclaimed piece of fiction.

This was an incredibly interesting take on internet criticism and the usual "polarity" in internet criticism and likings. Not everything is black or white. Right or wrong. Indifference towards media is something we're also allowed to feel... and that's fine. Also, I must say that I had to rewind certain parts of the video because... I was dumbfounded watching the animations you did for this video... they're absolutely perfect. Every video you outdo yourself, and this one wasn't an exception! Superb job, Dani. As my example of certain media that gets praised a lot but I didn't like, and I actually dropped it half-season, was Ping-Pong the Animation. I don't know... I don't have a reason, just, like you with Berserk, didn't click with me. And I would love to like it, to enjoy it! But nope, not for me. (As a non-english speaker, "not my cup of tea" remains to this day as my favourite phrase in english.)

As I saw the thumbnail of this video I thought:"Oh, hey a constructive criticism of why someone doesn't like Berserk,that's rare"lol I'm glad there's people somewhat interested in this series that didn't end up liking it that doesn't just say it's just a sex-horror fest. All of your points are fair and understandable and I really liked the editing of the manga panels,pretty great work! Just a comment of a big Berserk fan passing by!

Such a great take. Berserk is my all time favorite series but it’s most certainly not for everyone. We need more people that can be open minded to differing opinions like this.

I love this series, and I love the fact that you took the time to engage with it, which it clear from the high production quality of your critique. As someone who has engaged with a lot of dark content and have tried to share the content with others I’ve grown in appreciation, for the fact that people take things differently, and you can’t force them to have that feeling that you had when engaging with it. As a result, I know ask people what are things they like and then try to tailor my recommendations to content I know are within the veins of things I like

Hey, just wanted to say I really appreciated this video. I've never read Berserk, though now I kind of want to. I find too often friends of mine get upset when I don't enjoy really popular media and they get upset when I don't pay attention from new releases that I just know won't interest me. I've found this tension growing as I too start to build more commitments into my life as I'm moving towards who I see myself becoming and what I can do for others. At the same time though it's completely understandable that people feel this way they've engaged with material that has evoked strong positive emotions and they just want to share it with others. The danger is like you mention that when they feel uncomfortable by your not feeling the same way they get absorbed into that negative feeling and project it on towards you.

God you've put my exact thoughts and feelings about Berserk into this video. Perhaps it's the fandom pressure you feel while reading it, but there's just something that takes you out of the experience. It was as if you heard about a 5 star Michelin restaurant that everyone you know praises to no end and when you finally go there to try the food, it isn't what you imagined it to be. Like the presentation was great, the service was brilliant, the atmosphere is elevating, but the food is just not to your taste. It's not bad, but it's certainly not the best thing you've ever eaten either. You feel bad about it, because you've had similar food and loved it but this particular dish is just not to your taste. It was still a decent dish and you're interested in the process of making it and its ingredients but you probably wouldn't order it again.

Berserk literally isn't for everyone. That's why I always praise Berserk, but always leave it up to people to decide what they think of it. I think the series is ridiculously good, but sometimes a story just won't click for people, and that's fine. There are plenty of other stories out there.

The amount of sincerity and hard work is seen clearly in each and every second of this video.Hatsoff 🎉 and keep it up as we have been wanting you to do the same all over again to the eternity ❤

Same thing happened with me when someone suggested me to watch a movie which was highly regarded to point that even a slightest criticism could break the world, so I went in with my own expections and it turned out exactly as i hoped it would but after it ended I felt nothing every praise I heard it was justified, i understood it's significance but i never connected with it nor did i hated it, it just wasn't for me and when I told the person who recommended it to me that why it wasn't for me they told me i didn't understood it or I'm just wrong for not adoring it, i tried to be reasonable but then there was no room for discussion and then they stopped talking with me altogether over just a movie that I didn't connect with, i really understand where you're coming from and it's fine. Appreciate your efforts.

This was an interesting and thoughtful video about what it's like to not enjoy a hugely popular piece of media. I've seen enough retrospectives about Berserk to know that if I start it, I won't have a good time, much like yourself. I felt much the same way about Dune, when it came out. I knew I wouldn't like it and didn't want to 'waste my time' but fans with different tastes than me still urged me to watch it. I think we need to respect people's tastes because no one knows you better than you.

Berserk is one of my favorite piece of fiction i've ever consumed, but part of that is the headspace I was in when reading it. It really helped me make sense of my life, seeing Guts' struggle against adversity made me think deeply about what and who I value in my own life. Miura also kept improving and never got complacent which I really admire. Good video and just a good point to make about any fiction

thank you for your videos, for posting this, and for just being yourself. I think the more people are open about their opinions and push against the grain the easier it'll get for people to start thinking deeper and accruing their own opinions too. it's inspiring and I hope one day it won't have to be considered a "brave" thing anymore. much love! 💕💕

Felt that towards Umineko and Usogui. Sometimes there are these stories that are really hyped up and then they just doesn't hit you. You may see the things they exceed in but overall you feel indifferent towards them. Even if a lot of the story beats may allign with what you usually like. Maybe expectations play a huge role, hindering the possibility for you to just enjoy it for what it is (?)

Lots of respect for you! I personally love beserk but i can absolutely understand that not everyone get the same feeling as i did reading it. Everyone likes different stuff and that's cool. That's exactly what makes us unique. Great video

I love Berserk, have read all the manga and own most of it, but I'd be the first to say that Berserk is definitely not for everyone. There were chapters where I just had to put it down and take a break from it. I consider it a masterpiece, but not a perfect one, not in the slightest. I appreciate that this video exists and I hope everyone can go into it with open mind and come out of it having learned something very valuable.

Hearing you say "positive indifference" to describe these feelings was one of those moments for me where somebody so eloquently and succinctly relays feelings I myself have had, but that I've only ever been able to poorly stumble through an explanation of. For years its how I felt about the Evangelion anime. I really enjoyed hearing you talk through these feelings though, since usually the most generous rebuttal to them I'd get was a sort of shoulder shrug acknowledgement of all art being inherently subjective.

I really respect your resolve to make this video, and be frank about your thoughts on this series. I love Berserk dearly, but I also love when video essayists strive for honesty in their discussions about media, even media close to my heart, and I appreciate that you stuck to it here. Looking forward to your next video already 💚

Positive apathy is such a great way to describe that feeling. There's so many things that other people love that I just feel so indifferent about. Like, eh, it was fine, but it didn't feel special to me in the way the things I love always do, even though I can tell why other people would love it. For anime that's things like madoka magica, monster and chainsaw man. And for films that includes the godfather, drive my car, sunset boulevard or literally anything directed by wes anderson. I really appreciate you putting out this video because there's kind of a guilt that follows you that says you should like certain things, or you should try harder to have a more solid opinion but just feeling how you feel is totally fine.

As someone that absolutely adores Berserk, huge props on you for making this video and taking the opportunity to talk about it. I’m glad to see people out there addressing the way so much fandom discussion forces out the constant need for extremes in treating a piece of art as either a masterpiece or dog shit with no in between and especially how that extremism kills off meaningful critique in discussing flaws or compliments in a series which maybe popular or unpopular. Overall, great video

I ADORE THIS VIDEO. i dont think i could say more than whats already been said in the comments section but i really felt comforted by this so thank you for sharing! i've experienced this with percy jackson and the sandman, to name a few, especially since these are beloved IPs my closest friends love and adore so 🥺 and it reminded me not to take it personally when my loved ones dont like the stuff im obsessed with!

Finally. I feel the exact same way about the first part of Chainsaw Man. It's not bad, it's just not great or at least not as great as I was made to believe it was. Fujimoto is a brilliant artist, but it never hit me in a way that drove me wild. The second part that's releasing new chapters now is everything I'd expected from the first part. I just didn't feel like Fujimoto's writing quite caught up with his art until I read Goodbye Eri. Now he's brought what he's learned from Look Back and Goodbye Eri to Chainsaw Man and it's just brilliant to see.

Excellent video, I really like the way you approached this and I can see myself feeling a similar way. I started reading Berserk about 12 years ago, I loved it when I started but as time goes by I feel like I don't connect with the story and characters anymore. I think the passing of Miura closed the book on this series for me, I think the way he left the story satisfies me so much more than seeing the revenge story through its conclusion.

The strong aversion so many fandoms - most humans honestly - have towards any type of criticism of their favourite art is rooted in insecurity, I believe. Someone can have a predilection for Jazz over Rock music, and a Rock fan might take that the wrong way and assume they hate Rock even if the Jazz fan might feel indifferent towards the genre. We see the value in the things we like and incorporate them into our sense of identity, so when someone doesn't resonate or feel the same way we do about it, we see that as an affront to our being. Some people go even further as their enjoyment of a show or song is lessened just because someone else critiqued it. Personally, I find others perspective to be interesting, so never been too bothered by others disliking or feeling indifferent towards what I like

Really brave of you to chosen the thumbnail. I really appreciate the way you tackled your thoughts. I think the way you handled your thoughts on Berserk is the way I've tried to tackle with most series that I either didn't love or fallen out of love with. Sometimes, I fail to live up to that standard, but as I age, I think I'll get better at holding myself together. Great video as always.

I get the a similar feeling whenever I watch ghbili films,I watch and enjoy them ,but their is something that just doesnt grab me like it does with others,on the one hand I appreciate its animation and storytelling ,but on the other I would not rush to rewatch or even really consider them for a rewatch.Whenever I rationalize it I think of it like this,sometimes you pic an item from an open platter full of different things to eat,you select it eat it and its superbly fine ,you got what you wanted,it was well made(no notes to the chef) and you feel somewhat satisfied ,but you realise you dont want to eat it again not because it was not good,but its established that it will be more of the same with maybe a few changes here and their,so instead of trying to recapture that blind optimism you had when you first ate it or continue eating it knowing hat you are not really feeling it ,you just move in to other food.sticking to the food analogy sometimes you eat something and feel massive"its fine energy" so why stick with fine when their are other media that could fulfill that desire you are looking for ,as said in the video as we get older time gets strapped so why stick to something that you have a shallow experience with rather then seek out entertainment that desperately wants you active attention ie try the rest of the platter till you find something you want to keep eating and re-aeting.

That is a marvelously good take. I think indifference to something we forget is an option, good? bad? na its just there. We forget and or ignore this option when get so much content constantly now and assume we need a option for all of it. For me its one of my favorite and important works. The art, the music made for it (what something hype? listen to "My Brother" "Bood & Guts" "Hundred Years War" "Ash Crow") Susumu Hirasawa & Shiro Sagisu created amazing stuff. There is also the story aspects.. revenge for betrayal, the emotional toll of such a path, found family, the loss of family, the loss of self given the trials and wounds he gains over the work all while hoping that there is a "happy" end after finishing the goal. The content warning take is a important one, something we forget as its a normalized warning in the modern age. Which is something that makes Berserk maybe show its age. I know there is a lot of people who dislike it for the sexual violence, understandable. Thing is... some of that darkness/disgust of it is sadly normal in the context of warfare. Not a good thing what so ever, but something that occurs that some are blissfully ignorant of. There is also the matter that how its shown... take the first big one with Guts himself... his trust is betrayed, and the horror of the action hampers and damages how he is intimate later on with Casca. But before that we're shown how instead of praised for defending himself from the sexual assault he is instead blamed (as he kills his aggressor). Victim blaming of individuals in this situation is something we see even today. There is also how sexual deviance is shown with Farnese & cult up towards and during the Black Swordsman -> Tower of Conviction arcs. I do wonder what your take is on Kouji Mori guardianship and leading of the series with Studio Gaga going forth. I am still very very anxious on it, but given what has been relayed of their friendship and the notes left behind I think it'll be fine. PS: love the cameo from Beyond Ghibli being the narrator at the start.

Extremely well put together - not enjoying things while still seeing their merits and recognizing why others may be so attached to them can often be difficult to express. I'm sure everyone has had this happen to them at least once but not known how to explain their feelings towards something without being seen as condescending or hurtful - after all, if someone doesn't care for something that means a lot to me, that must mean they don't care for me or others who share my passion either, right? My guess is that's where the misunderstanding happens, it becomes interpreted as an attack towards yourself and - perhaps even worse - those you share this intimate piece of yourself with as well as its creators. Speaking for myself anger is almost like a reflex, building up to an immense degree before thought and reason has had any chance to even start structuring itself. It can be very difficult just to take a breath and stay open minded, no matter how gently someone explains they don't see things your way or share your feelings on the matter. Overcoming the urge to act on the instinctual emotion takes quite a bit of maturity. So does bracing for the inevitable backlash that will always find its way to an opinion yet still daring to speak of it in a fair way with gentle manners. Thank you for helping people (me included) to grow a little more ❤️ Alright, I'll stop this wall of text soon but long story short, this was very well made. I've watched a few of your videos and you are an amazing creator! From the well edited visuals to the articulate and high quality reading, I'm kinda at a loss for how I didn't come across your content earlier. Better late than never I suppose, again, awesome video and keep up the great work! (While prioritizing your well being, remember to take care of yourself first)

I started reading Berserk this year and my experience with it was a lot more mixed than I anticipated. There is a lot I love: the Golden Age arc essentially being a modern twist on the classic Shakespearean tragedy in structure, archetypes and themes, the fixation on emotions and humanity, Guts and Griffith becoming strong contenders for some of my favourite protagonists and antagonists of all time and of course, the stunning art, (which might I add, really popped off during the Eclipse and keeps getting better). But then there's a lot I really disliked. I think that Berserk has a really bad introductory arc. The Black Swordsman arc nearly put me off completely and if it wasn't for the illustrious reputation the manga has, I would've stopped. Also, I thought that Miura's writing after Black Swordsman would've become less insensitive in its portrayal of sexual violence that serves no narrative purpose and is solely meant for shock value or for hitting readers over the head with grimdark misery. But no, these annoyances persist throughout Golden Age and into later arcs. In my opinion, it does the storytelling a MASSIVE disservice as it's SO distracting and prevents me from appreciating the character journies and finer themes by breaking immersion, (I freaking HATE almost all the apostles except for Rosine because I know they're gonna try tongue-rapeing the women). And I so wholeheartedly agree with the CWs needing to be made more explicit. I knew that Berserk was going to be explicit going in but even then, it still totally caught me off guard. I also believe it's one of the most over-recommended manga. I'm baffled why it has been recommended to everyone and their grandma. If you're not in the head space to read about gruesome stuff, then I don't think it's worth risking your mental health to do so. It was a good choice to stop at the end of Golden Age if you weren't feeling it. Cause none of the later events would've had ANY power or impact without the precedent of Golden Age. If you didn't love it now, you still won't love it later. But yeah, I still think I like Berserk because of my aforementioned reasons, but it isn't my favourite manga ever nor do I think it's the best thing since sliced bread. I have a similar opinion about Vagabond (again, apparently this is blasphemy). Objectively good but it just didn't connect with me as much as I wanted it to.

The first Black Panther Movie. I didn't feel indifferent about it as i just downright hated it, but ultimately, I like nothing about it.

I remember how how I watched FMAB last year after keeping it on my 'plan to watch list' for months. I hyped the story up and was disappointed when I finally did watch it. It's hard to put a finger on it cos I agree with everyone that ita has wonderful story, an enriching world with some of the best characcters in fiction but I still failed to enjoy it after I watched it. Not particularly disliked it but didnt like it either. I guess you feel the same way as I did but with this series

I can relate to this, being the person who's at the end of both sides, liking a specific manga/anime/character, etc versus somehow not finding the appeal of them yet not hating it at the same time. It's not that people hate it, just people appreciate and enjoy different things. It should've been fine when someone says they don't like things because it's not their cup of tea because it's a valid and justified opinion

Having worked on Roggol's video for Sonny Boy about enjoying the work as is, I found your perspective on the opposite where a great work does very little for you to be rather rewarding. There's definitely works where I give a High 9 or 10 that still don't reach close to my favorites, so I don't think you're alone in that feeling of "I have no notes, but it's not my thing." For what it's worth, your admiration for the artistry is present in the video itself. Good speech, good video.

My knee jerk reaction had to be disciplined by the more cognitive functions of my brain when deciding to watch this, and I reasoned with myself by thinking of the quality and creativity of your previous works. I'm glad I listened to my higher faculties, once again you display your reasoned, wise approach to great media x

Great video. I started reading berserk by accident and ended up buying all the volumes. Even though i love this manga i still hesitate to recommend it to my friends since due to its dark and heavy themes. Furthermore, being indifferent about something should not be that weird of an opinion, especially with the enormous amount of different types of Manga and other media that we have now a days.

You can't choose if something just doesn't vibe with you, and there's nothing wrong with that! Everyone is such a complex individual and stories are also so complex, sometimes it's like two puzzle pieces that just don't fit, even tho each is good on its own. I personally didn't like Your Name. Even though I can objectively admit its good points, it simply isn't for me. And it's frustrating to just not *get* what everyone else seems to be in love with, I feel you.

gotta be honest, this is the first video I've seen discussing berserk that doesn't go into every minute detail of how it is the greatest thing the human race has ever made, and may I be the first to say that it is refreshing. Berserk is my favourite manga, (so much so that it got me into writing my own graphic novel), however, I do see why people may think that berserk may be a bit too much or just isn't for them. I personally have my own gripes with the series, can see where people who don't like the manga are coming from and I personally think that the story has seen a decline from its literal golden age. I have my thoughts on how Berserk kinda changed from a semi-realistic medieval dark fantasy to later involve some JRPG elements in later chapters, (not that it takes away from my enjoyment of the series) knowing how foaming at the mouth berserk fans can be, I'd say you are well beyond brave for posting a video about berserk that didn't involve you bending on your knees and worshipping Kentaro Miura, and for that, you have my respect.

Haven't read or watched Berserk, but, I heavily agree with the sentiment here, and I've always been a staunch believer in the "not for me" stance, since not all art and not all media should be for everyone, and that's fine. I think the key point for me that you mentioned is the indifference coated in positivity, and you did a great job of describing what you found interesting and positive about the manga, its themes, its art, how it does things, and still find yourself indifference which I honestly wish a lot more people could do. I'm never bothered if someone says that a work is not for them, but I feel like I see so many more people say this without good faith, they start bashing the fans (I see the "how could anyone ever like this?" type of post a lot), start bashing the work itself, and just really pour out their hatred, whether they mean to or realize it or not. There's so much art out there, and it's inevitable that some things just aren't for some people, but I do wish that people would acknowledge that rather than somehow the art itself being at fault if maybe in reality it just wasn't for them, which is completely valid, because there are and will be things for them.

Incredibly great video. My relationship to this series was so helpful from middle school into my 20s. But the value of art criticism is seeing how stuff impacts people differently across their lives. Nothing is for everyone but more importantly nothing should be interesting to talk about for everyone

I have loved Berserk for many many years now, and I will admit it can be difficult for me to understand sometimes how someone might not like in the slightest, something that I adore so much. I respect so much the way you have so eloquently articulated yourself here, and the effort you have used to create such a terrific video. Amazingly well done!

This is how you cover a topic like Berserk. Not once did it feel like you were judging the content and the people who enjoy it or dismissive of the manga itself due to its nature. This is a great video, keep it up.

Great video as always, I feel this not with Berserk but with other series that are really beloved. The most recent examples for me are Chainsaw Man and Haikyu. I read some of it way before the anime came out and just wasn't into it. Haikyu I actually watched two seasons cause of my bud since he loves it. I had a lot of fun watching it, has great characters and ideas. But once I finished season two I didn't have the drive to watch more. I don't think they're bad by any means I just didn't connect with them.

Oh, this is a very interesting take! Its a nice breath of fresh air from the general praise of Berzerk online. I mean i love the manga, but it is interesting to hear a different opinion

I remember the feeling of frustration with myself when I watched Puella Magi: Madoka Magica and could appreciate the visuals and subversion but didn't fall in love with it the way I'd heard so many others had. And this video's description of positive indifference really resonated with me. I feel like when you hear someone say they don't share a joy for the media you like, your left feeling although your opinion is wrong and either lash out or internalise and adopt their opinion. And I don't want to inflict that upon anyone by saying I don't even like something they love. So I tend to keep my opinion to myself and agree with people in the moment only to disagree with their thoughts in private. After all, there's not much to say about not having much to say. But I think understanding why certain media just doesn't appeal to certain crowds can really help us understand our tastes. I know I didn't like Madoka because it was too short for me and I couldn't relate to the characters because my teen years were so different from theirs. This tells me I like longer stories that reflect my life experience, such as Blue Period and Netflix's DARK. Even minor analysis of our feelings towards a story can help understand ourselves and our tastes more. And videos like this make that easier.

I've always liked your take on art and media and as a berserk fan myself I really liked your take on berserk and its ok if you didn't like it cause not everyone's gonna enjoy the things other people enjoy. Say for example the popular movie "The Godfather" is highly regarded as a masterpiece but out of 10 people who watched it there's gonna atlest 1 person who didn't like it

I loved how you were able to mention how we tend to make many series or media such a god like figure that can make no mistakes and still say confidently that gods can make mistakes in the same video. Not a lot of us would accept it but everything and every series has it's own flaws and accepting them for their flaws can make it the best series. This was a grand video and I loved to hear you speak about such topics! Looking forward to more of your videos. P. S. Would like to throw Air Gear in the hat of ideas for your next video. It's sadly riddled with the same Shonen Jump staple of sexualising teenage girls but the concept of skates and the battle genre with some of it's epic storytelling and visually brilliant fights in the latter half of the manga is something to check out for sure!

Hey there, this isn't feedback for the topic, but more about your audio. I think it sounds really good over all, but a minor issue I had was that I felt the EQ for the higher frequences could be turned down a little. I found this to be particularly noticable when sibilance occured. It could be the mic, but I normally fix this type of thing in post. FYI I listened to this with headphones. Other than that, as usual the manga animations were incredible and the point a good one. I've thought about making a video about this phenomenom but perhaps focus on the FOMO behind the apathy. It's sad when you can't enjoy a piece of manga you really really wanted to. I've had this for many highly acclaimed things. Probably just as many times as I feel in loved with heavily lauded material. Keep up the good work!!

What program do you do these manga edits in, and whats the most important tool for doing so? These are always so great

Vibes,like all things people,food,books,series sometimes they are really good,but for some reason it doe not pass the personal vibes check through no fault of whatever we are interacting with,and sometimes we age out of certain content while trying to hold on to it ignoring the fact as we get older our tastes change,mostly vibes.

I think it's interesting how when I think about positive indifference, I personally first land on media and hobbies I did at one time go way deep into with enthusiasm but some months or years later don't feel especially inclined to revisit in too much depth! Not just a specific creation either, but e.g. videogames or vtubers on the whole, as new rabbit holes pop up to steal away that wanderlust and leave memories in its wake.

First I'd like to commend you on the gorgeous visuals, you really have a way to make the animated illustrations move so naturally. Secondly, "Not for me" is a good enough reasoning always, and I have always held that belief! Tbh I'm surprised how this neutral stance is taken so poorly on the internet, but maybe that just correlates to the way humans always want arguments to defend why they like or dislike something... If that makes sense. I know at least how I naturally tend to grasp for straws on what to say if I express a dislike for something my group of friends love.

Appreciate you posting your viewpoint! Though the internet doesn't like opinions. But regardless I enjoyed this. 😂

Thank you so very much for this video. It encapsulates my feelings on how it has been like to put down major works like Shingeki no Kyojin, One Piece, or My Hero Academia and to receive backlash for it for simply feeling indifferent towards their over all work. I have quibbles with both, compliments for both, but my time is finite, and I would rather spend that time with subjects I have been able to give my heart wholly to.

Berserk fan here and well put up feelings on the serie. Glad that you made the video, better to express yourself than not.

It's so weird that people literally have to give video long explanations for why they didn't like something nowadays, but such is fandom ig. As a lover of berserk, i don't think i disliked this video at all, rather it did open up the topic of positive indifference for sure. Really love your work!

How you animate manga panels? Thats insane WOW!!

Whenever someone says "It wasn't for me" I just see it like spicy food: I absolutely love it and think it's goated, but I understand not everyone can handle it and it's fine. Just like I can't handle sweets, if other people can't handle spicy food it's fine. Doesn't mean the food is bad, just that it's not for them.

Found your channel thanks to Inakyu. This is a great video and I appreciate the thoughts you have presented here. The part that stood out the most for me is the feeling of indifference in reading/watching/listening to something out of interest due to the acclaimed following and praise it has garnered, only to make it so far into the work and not feel like you're being hit with the same spark of enjoyment. You then think to yourself, well I have all these other works I am much more invested in, but should I just drop this current work part way through? What if it takes hold later down the line? Ultimately that decision is up to the individual. And whether or not they decide to stick with it is neither right nor wrong. It is subjective to each person. Currently I am trying to read through One Piece. Super Eyepatch Wolf and Mother's Basement made videos about the manga and what makes it so darling. Their videos were beyond compelling and got me to start reading. Though I am still early on into the series, I am already feeling the daunting task that will be getting through this massive story that is packed with hundreds of named characters. Super Eyepatch Wolf even had in another video a part where he explains how many other acclaimed/popular manga series you could read through/catch up to in the same time it would take you to catch up to One Piece which just further illustrated the incredible size of the task. In the end I have decided if I never return to reading One Piece as I read through the other works I have focused on, I have made peace with it. Like you said, our free time is precious and we should invest it honestly into that which we feel is more rewarding and pulls us in to the art we love. Thank you again for this.

Cowboy bebop and like half of studio ghibli land in the zone of indifference for me. There just wasnt something that made me want to stay with them. I love you bringing up indifference, its definitely a feeling that is difficult to communicate with others about if they have not identified things they are indifferent too. Everyone makes top ten and bottom ten lists but getting a list of things you are indifferent isnt really done. Or it isnt identified as indifference

I actually realized with this video that I feel the same about Beserk. Although I do and have always been a junkie for gory action and horror since I was a kid, and it would in some ways make sense that I would also like Beserk, especially Beserk, since it's become a staple for this type of media, I actually also feel kind of meh about it. There are parts that I like, and I think the development of some characters are very interesting, or when the story stops to give more context to a side character that you wouldn't think matters which I find interesting in contrast to the cruel world that Beserk offers. But ultimately, it doesn't feel all that different from other media I've seen and I don't really connect to it outside of a "cool, I see what the author did there" perspective. I can see how there is a lot of layers put into creating it and a lot of references, but I do also look at it from an aspect of what message it's exploring and sometimes it doesn't feel all that organized. While the world is technically created off of the religious idea that all humans are born from evil and tries to separate situational evil from choice evil, it is very debatable what is choice and situational. It also makes allegories to Christianity and Catholicism and why they are evil, but it also gives solutions through Guts on finding meaning in life based on Christian beliefs. So it feels like the story just condemns itself in the end. Personally I am also not religious, so to me it doesn't seem like a relatable existential crisis as I don't think people are inherently evil without religion or that religion is synonimus with morals. It also feels like while the story is presenting everyone, including the main character as evil, there are some characters that are made to be redeemed and some that are not, but the ones that are redeemed, don't always seem to have a fair point to be redeemed, and it doesn't feel clear from the story if it is aware that all characters in the story are evil by choice and not because of their situations or not. Then if I look at it from the perspective of just seeing the characters grow and seeing interesting fights, the pacing doesn't feel very climactic and while there are parts of the character's stories that fascinate me, it doesn't always feel like the same level of quality in their development throughout. Like people remember all of the more interesting arcs and probably forget that not all parts are just as interesting. And while there are many scenes that are meant to be shocking, I can't really tell what they are supposed to be saying that is new in the story, it doesn't feel like some scenes have an actual purpose, as when reading it, you are already aware that the story is gory and shocking, and you already have previous scenes that establish it. There are some that are related to the development of characters, but some that are simply there and kind of not serving any purpose, while still being ambitious in what they want to bring out of the viewer. But I guess that is why I would argue that I've seen worse imagery. Since I am a horror junkie, it is hard for me to be affected by just any type of horrific story, and Beserk oddly doesn't disturb me at all. It's just more of the "I see what the author did there". It could be that since I am not part of the generation that experienced this story first hand before it's impact on media, it didn't affect me the same way as it affected people who may have experienced it before they really got into reading other manga. It could be like the Star Trek of manga where it subsides with new generations. So yeah, I see it as a staple and symbol, but I do feel like a lot of media improved since then and that there are plenty of interesting stories that subvert my expectations and I connect to without any issues. So you are not alone in this, you don't have to like something just because it is popular. And while it is a great story, there are plenty great stories even of it's time that didn't get popular because popularity comes with chance and marketing as well. There's nothing wrong with having different taste or feeling like something isn't really making a clear point all the time and has places where it can fumble.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one, I felt the same while reading berserk. I started reading the manga because of the comments saying how it has similar "shojos themes" and I was took by surprise with the strong themes and contents (like you say the manga doesn't have any TW) . After finishing reading I can understand those people comments but I still didn't like it or love it, like you say it's just not my cup of tea

I feel similarly about Berserk. I read up to the "Lost Children" arc, but I didn't continue because it's not a series I fall in love with. As an illustrator, Miura's art impresses me a lot, but it's not the factor that will keep me going. maybe I'll read it again, mostly as a reference for my work.

Always a big fan of your art. Since you only read until the Golden Age arc though, I do recommend you read a bit more (at least until Guts finds his new adoptive family). There are a lot of fun, fleshed out characters and amazingly drawn panels. To me it's kind of like eating an appetizer and skipping the main course :) Cheers!

megalo box and the fate series (well what i've seen of the series) as big berserk fan you did a wonderful animating for manga panels and yeah don't worry not being into the series. You never know what might getting into with the median. I wasn't expecting medalist to be one of my fav sport manga after you mention it a while back

I love Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse. Personal film of the year 2019. Friend watched it and their reaction was pretty much "It wasn't bad, I just didn't like it." And that's okay. It should always be okay. Weirdly, there's a line or a slogan on Scroobius Pip's Speech Development Records merch that I think about when topics like this come about. "We may not be for you and that's fine."

The most popular manga I'm indifferent about is One Piece. I tried to start it multiple times but always stop at one point. I understand its qualities but I just don't have the motivation to read it. I have a lot of friends who love it and I like to hear them talk about theories and be hyped about the storie, but it's just not for me I guess. About Berserk, I'm also quite indifferent, I think I would like to read it just to admire the art of each pages ~ Great work as always!

I've bought and read a good chunk of Berserk and often wrestle with indifference toward the books. This is especially frustrating because of the monetary value I've invested. In a way there is two versions of Berserks I'm dealing with. The one written on the page and the one that lives in the zeitgeist. I struggle at times to take ownership of Berserks experience on me when that's not aligning with others, often more profound experience. Certainly not a phenomenon unique to this series. It's interesting that you had left the franchise after the Golden Arc. I'd a similar feeling after that point in the manga. The Golden Arc ,again, looms large over the cultural discussion of manga and I felt I'd missed something when it didn't fully resonate with me. However I continued on and the series really got it's claws into me. It became free of the behemoth of the Golden Arcs reputation and I began to discover that sense of ownership in the story. A place for me to fall in love with the tale.

I haven't finish berserk but what I reaay found interesting of this video is the apathy, this has remind me of my experience with other really popular Manga for example Yona of the Dawn. I have been trying to read Yona ever since my beginnings on the anime/manga space and no matter how much I tried I just can't get into it, which make feel really bad not only for the amount of people who tell me that I have "no taste" but because I really want to enjoy it. At the end I think it's not necessary for you to like a piece of media to recognize their strengths and I that not caring about a show doesn't mean you didn't understand it or appreciate.

The ability to acknowledge a work's achievements, criticize its failings, and estimate "artistic merit" irrespective of personal preference, is a level of analytical maturity not often found in anitube. Great video!

I definitely agree i see why it's great but i just am not in love with it, it does so many things phenomenally and I'm glad it exists i enjoyed reading it but I'm not personally attached to it I'm not in love with it as much as i wished to be i love some things it does but it's just not my cup of tea not my style

I often compare stories to food Sometimes people just have different tastes and preferences, for instance I’m not a fan of soup, there’s nothing wrong with the taste and everything could be perfect for the meal it is, it’s just not something I seek or highly praise, I wouldn’t turn it up if you served it to me but I wouldn’t ask you to cook me any given the situation, and that’s fine, i honestly love it most when critiques speak there honest feelings and aren’t condemned to fuel hate watching or praise something they just never got invested in it’s one of the reason your calm and laid back approach to reviewing is why your one of my favorite review channels when it comes to manga

Berserk is a series that I hold dearly and have a lot of respect for, and your videos are always very nuanced and thoughtful so I've been excited to see this one ever since you shared the thumbnail. It's absolutely wild to me how many people act like it should only be spoken about with the utmost praise, given the subject matter and how it has some pretty polarizing depictions of sensitive subjects. That alone can be a huge turn off for many readers, and that should be respected, but more than that, not every piece of media is going to appeal to every person, and that's perfectly fine too! I'm absolutely delighted that this video went the direction it did, I feel like a lot of fan spheres, or at least some very vocal parts of them, have adopted this reductive "thing good vs thing bad" mentality that leaves very little room for constructive dialog, and I feel like it's something more people should be mindful of. There's no reason to belittle someone just because they don't hold the same taste in media as you, and a person not enjoying a show or manga or anything like that shouldn't feel like indictment of the people who do. Thank you for the video, as always your script and editing are top notch! 💖

I liked the video, I do wish you could articulate more what you didn't enjoy, but sometimes we just don't like stuff and it's hard to explain. I do think the world of Berserk has moments of insane edginess, that lacks any justification like "here's this incredibly horrific triggering thing, it's just the backdrop of the setting". My views specifically to the sexual violence in Berserk is that outside of how it was handled for major characters it honestly felt really vile. I've been through things like that as a child (not nearly as bad as what happened to Guts don't worry), when I was first reading Berserk I could get through it since it was all quite repressed. And honestly Guts gave me so much inspiration as a character due to those similarities in our childhoods, it really felt amazing to see someone move on from that and not let their trauma define them. However if I had to reread it, I really would struggle, especially with the insane gratuitous sexual violence we see in background characters, I think it gets to a point that's just way too much. But I also understand that that's kind of part of medieval stories, I just honestly don't like when these really traumatic things get thrown around like a football for the sake of setting. (Which is a shame because I really wanted to watch or read GOT but I can't for this reason). So yeah in hindsight, I like Berserk, I appreciate it a lot, but I'm definitely a lot closer to apathetic than I was all those years back.

While not exactly the same, I try to get a similar idea across to younger fans and readers, no one "has" to like anything, you like different media for different reasons, there are not set elements that will garentee if something is good or if you will like it. Like you really drove home, there is nothing wrong with not falling in love with a work. Regretfully for me it's rarely the work itself I have a problem with, it's fan interaction that leads to ill feelings on the topic, hard to imagine thought what that means with such a large audience and when discussing a behemoth like Berserk. Thank you for your sharing your thoughts and opinions, your videos are always so well made, the writing is great, and the direction is incredible. A great watch, thank you!

It is okay not to love or connect to a series or game or book etc that was touched by so many people and we need to respect their opinion on it and not attack them and listen to their reasons as to why they didn’t this piece of media or thing that is considered to be a “masterpiece” or “peak fiction” maybe your perspective will change or the very least understand them a bit better. Great video btw completely agree with what you said and top tier editing as usual

I definitely agree with your position in general and in specific. I gave the Berserk movies a chance after hearing several RU-vidrs praise the story, and even went in mentally prepared for the violence and especially sexual violence. However, even with all that preparation, I was triggered in a way I had never been before and haven't revisited the story in years. My husband has recently gotten into the manga and is sharing his journey with me as he buys the books, but I feel comfortable saying, "It's a great story, just not for me."