On May 6, Kentaro Miura died from acute aortic dissection. The editorial department of Young Animal Comics announced the news today through the official Berserk Twitter account.
One of the best-selling manga of all time, Berserk debuted in 1989, with an eighth volume slated to be released this summer (Eds note: this is the Dark Horse deluxe edition). The dark fantasy manga spawned TV and feature film anime, video games, and countless merchandise.
Miura, a native of Chiba, first started drawing manga as a boy, with his debut work printed in a school publication. Miura would later cite Disney, Paul Verhoeven, the first Hellraiser, and artists ranging from Bosch to M.C. Escher as influences. He was an award-winning manga creator, and while Berserk was his most famous and successful work, he worked on various manga projects over the years.
“The news of Miura’s sudden passing has blanketed the Young Animal editorial department in deep sadness,” the publication wrote in its official statement. The statement recalled how Miura would meet with those in the editorial department and speak happily about anime and movies he loved with a smile on his face. “We never once saw him angry,” the statement continued, adding that he was always having fun like a little boy.
Kentaro Miura was 54. May he rest in peace.