Berserk.
 

Berserk is far and away my favorite manga, and the anime isn't bad either. It's been around for quite a while, so I'm surprised no one has made a thread about it before. It's about a man named Guts who travels around his world with a band of mercenaries called The Hawks. Guts carries a massive 7' sword, which he wields with speed and accuracy. While this seems like a cliche, there's actually a reason for it. Berserk is unique in that it's very, very gritty. Guts' origin is a very good example of this, and while I suggest you read the manga and find out for yourself, I'll put it in a spoiler tag in case you don't care.

As for how to get it: Volumes 1-30 have been translated, and can be found on... the internet. I don't have any exact sites, sadly, and I don't remember where I got it, but I'm sure it'll only take a little searching. Alternatively, if you're against downloading stuff or just like spending money, Dark Horse has published several volumes.

i heard alot of good things about the anime and manga. if its that good then i should download it..

They showed this in the anime club at my school. It seemed that at least 80% of the audience cheered every single time there was an ambiguous interaction between Guts and Griffith. (Got Yaoi? XD )

I've only seen a couple of episodes, but I liked what I saw. It is a gritty kinda midieval/fantasy... and sharply contrasts a lot of mahou-shojo-monster-flashy stuff of late. It's a "MAN'S MANGA", as I was told... ironically by the supposedly heterosexual guys that cheered on the events above.

I haven't read the manga, but the anime was excellent. One of my favorite shows. On the surface it seems like just a violent gorefest, but it's so much more. It has some great political intrigue, and some amazing character development. Seeing how Gutts grows over the course of the show is great.

Highly recommended.

Me too I like it,i hope if there new season.

Am I the only one who preferred the anime for not being so outlandish as to abandon all pretense of reality? (at least until the end, that is)

The reason I loved Berserk so much was because it took itself seriously, and it never gave me a reason to think it was trying too hard just to get a reaction. Its appeal was in its relative simplicity when compared to so many other animes.

There isn't a second season for the TV >_> Nor is there going to be.

The manga is fan-fuckin'-tastic. You can download almost all the manga you want on top of Berserk GN's from:
http://www.gotlurk.net

New releases are translated shortly after coming out at:
http://forums.mindwerks.net/index.php

The manga is much, MUCH darker than the anime. Several points had to be seriously toned down in the anime. Thankfully, I saw the manga secondly. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted through the anime. There are several mini-arcs and characters entirely lopped out, and it is toned down, like I said.

Yeah, see, I don't consider Puck to be that big of a loss. He can go flail his arms and make cutesy faces elsewhere, like in failed dreamcast games.

I heard it was good but I never bothered checking it out. I plan to someday but right now it doesn't have enough of my interest to actually start it. That and i'm to lazy to download and watch ~_~

The manga is basicly the first 18 volumes toned down alot right? so if i have read through vol 20 or some, is it worth watching the anime, or should i just skip it? and some nice person should make a torrent of the first 30 volumes, but a high quallity copy(the copys i read didnt have pages translated, and the english or lack there of, make some of the scenes very difficult to follow..)
if some one made a torrent, i could UL it to Boxtorrents for you if, you dont already have an UL status there, 30vol of a manga is more than enough to constitue a torrrent :)

Puck is there mainly for comic relief. Since the manga has a very dark plot, the artist probably wanted to include Puck as a balance to dish out some humour along the way.

I kinda like Puck's antics actually, especially when

Puck has his importance, ie: healing. As of late in the manga, though, he has strictly been the comic relief.

True, plus there are new characters now to fool around with him. I think Puck is important in that he heals both the physical and mental state of Gatts. Remember in the early part of the manga Gatts was close to being pyscho from all the hunting and killing of the monsters? Then after he met Puck, his mood livened up and he began to think straight too...otherwise he will really become berserk. However as of current now, this responsibility has been taken up by another character, which is

the series is still the best, yet the most tragedic story I ever read. Oh yes, this story is a bit yaoi, esp when we're talking about griffith and guts. Luckily forbidden-scene-for-male-reader never happened and Gutts ended with Casca (though I still feel a scent of yaoi... why she looks like a man??)

I hope Kentaro Miura finish this manga, It has been lasted for more than 15 years I think.

Maybe I'm blind, but I never noticed any hint of Yaoi. Griffith and Guts always seemed like good friends, though I suppose perhaps maybe some of Griffith's actions could be seen in that light. Either way, I don't care to see it that way.

I haven't seen the Berserk Anime, but I loved the Manga. I've read every chapter released thus far, and it's amazing. I definitely hope the manga is seen through to the end, as the story just seems to be getting better and better.

Well, when Griffith said to Gutts "You are mine" I see a very mild BL-hint here xD. And looking at the progress why Gutts become "his power"... lol, cant say it anymore

I saw that more as ownership. In that Guts merely has become a tool to be used to realize Griffith's dream. He, himself, said that he only considers those who work for their own dreams true friends, which is what causes Guts to leave the Hawks in the first place.

Now, if you had brought up the situation where Griffith tells Guts he was the only one who made him forget his dream, you might've had me going for a loop. :p

Looking back now, I can see where you guys are coming from, but while reading through it, they honestly didn't occur to me at all. And I'm still not convinced enough to the point where I can't ignore it.

That's not saying I want to be convinced, so don't go out of your way. Please.