f13.net

I don't know if you guys have read this but it's the best stuff I've read so far. It's a manga about a lone swordsman in an medival fantasy world, might sound cliche at first but it's some pretty original stuff. It's pretty gory and takes some pretty unexpected turns. The main character isn't your regular good guy, which is very refreshing. If you're feeling like giving manga a shot this is definetly the best in my opinion.

First Volume on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1593070209/qid=1123705517/sr=8-5/ref=pd_bbs_5/104-0030297-6287117?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Dark Horse Comics, which are the US publishers http://www.darkhorse.com/profile/profile.php?sku=12-705

The Hawks which does a downloadable translation, they don't have volume 1-3 anymore though but their out there to be found http://www.thehawks.org/. Don't know if that stuff is legal though so I might have to remove that link, up to the admins to decide I guess.

There's also an anime series to be found, which leaves out some elements from the manga. The anime isn't finnished yet and seems to currently be on hold, even though rumor has it that there's another season in the works.

Saw some of the anime.  Pretty good despite first impressions, like you said.  Wife probably has some of the manga laying around.  I stay away from her manga.

I saw the first season of the Berserk anime and it's really good (I bought all of the discs). It's really really dark and the end makes you go insane, in that 'Dark Beast of Insanity and Depravity' kinda way.

Hopefully they make more - it basically brings you to the beginning of the story and leaves you hanging for what happens next (you get flashes of what goes on afterwards at the beginning of the series).

The only other anime series that seems as dark (in my opinion) is the original Spawn series - which is a few shades lighter than Berserk.

Tip: watch it with subtitles and original language, the voice overs SUCK ASS++++.

/obligatory

Edit: I like Berserk - both the anime and the manga.

I'm not really into Manga (and God knows the fat kids that sit in the aisle at the book store reading whole books don't make me too inclined to check into it much.  Use the damn chairs that are provided for reading in at least you little fuckers!).  Still, if they have it in stock I'll check into it next time I'm there.

I'll dig through my manga (which is now packed up) when I get out to Arizona and make some recommendations. Generally there's only a few books out of each series that are worth reading (Much like to enjoy Highlander the TV series you should really only see seasons 4 and 5. And Maybe the first half of 1 for background). Berserk isn't bad, but about half of it felt like an exercise in cliche. That might have just been me though. The anime was better - though as I said before I like both.

Berserk is one of my few five-star anime. It's one of the series I whip out to show people that anime doesn't suck.

I don't watch the dub, but the outtakes are fall-on-your-ass funny.

As far as anime goes, I just fall back on Cowboy Bebop, Colorful, and Love Hina. Generally there's something in each of them that can appeal to everyone. Despite the fan service in Love Hina (The fan service in Colorful is pure parody), girls seem to love it - because it is indeed incredibly cute. Other good ones include Excel Saga and for turning gamers onto anime - Abenobashi Mahou Shotengai (Abenobashi Magical Shopping District).

I forgot about the Berserk outtakes.  Funny stuff.

Yah I thought a lot of them were funny too.