Among the photo ops, streetwear vendors, plushies, and giveaways at this year’s Anime NYC, one section of the show floor takes on decidedly more somber tone. An interactive memorial to Kentaro Miura invites fans to remember the late mangaka behind Berserk.
The memorial wall was made in cooperation with Berserk’s English publisher Dark Horse Comics and with the support of the Japan Foundation, New York. The white wall invites fans to leave messages to the author, and many took to sharing their own drawings of Miura’s characters.
The wall has been popular with con goers. As one attendee documented on Twitter, the wall was filled by the end of the cons first day. Others have shared their thoughts on the memorial in tweets.
The Japan Foundation and Anime NYC also hosted a panel together on Saturday evening, gathering fans to remember the late artist.
Kentaro Miura passed away earlier this year at age 54. The passing drew condolences and tributes from Miura’s colleagues in the manga and anime indsutry. Miura’s legacy had already shaped animation, manga, and video games, with Berserk being a noted inspiration of everything from Drakengard to Black Butler. Miura’s other works include Duranki (2019), Giganto Maxia (2013), Japan (1992), and more.
Berserk has published intermittently since 1989. Following Miura’s death, chapter 364 was posthumously published in a special issue of the seinen magazine Young Animal memorializing the artists’ achievements. At the time of his death, 50 million copies of Berserk were in print and digital circulation.