How can I convince my friend to watch/read Berserk?

[The Herald]

This is how you should make your buddy watch Berserk if they're too stubborn to do it on their own.

[Istvan]

This is how you should make your buddy watch Berserk if they're too stubborn to do it on their own.

That...could work, but you might run into trouble when you release them afterwards.

[Dagda Mor]

I start them off at the beginning of the Lost Children Arc, with the Holy Iron Chain knight's first appearance. It works well as a self-contained story; I just tell them that the protagonist and his 'sidekick' will be the only characters who aren't appearing for the first time, and that they don't need to know any background beyond that for the story to work.

[The Herald]

yo dagda mor where the fuck have you been?

[Starnum]

I start them off at the beginning of the Lost Children Arc, with the Holy Iron Chain knight's first appearance. It works well as a self-contained story; I just tell them that the protagonist and his 'sidekick' will be the only characters who aren't appearing for the first time, and that they don't need to know any background beyond that for the story to work.

Wait...what? You only do that to get them interested, and then once they're hooked you recommend they go back and read the rest, right? Only reading from there on and not reading the first 13 volumes, that would be like a travesty. I actually prefer the Retribution arc over the Golden Age, but it's crucial to the story, and it's just as good as the rest. Personally I think Berserk is great from start to current. Some people may complain about the transition to high-fantasy, but I gladly embrace it. I think the comparisons to LotR are pretty silly though. Just because it's fantasy, that doesn't mean it's becoming LotR. Sure, Miura has lots of inspirations, but give the guy some credit, this is his masterpiece, it's an original story. Besides, LotR is barely high-fantasy, if at all. Gatts alone would massacre the Fellowship of the Ring before they would even know what hit 'em. Well, maybe not if Gandolf was with them, but otherwise! XD

[The Herald]

I didn't say that it was becoming Lord of the Rings just that I was using it as an example. And Dagda Mor that's a horrible way to get someone into Berserk, they miss out on the story. I still say that unless they like comics lure them in with the anime. Even though it's super slow and has tons of dead air.

[Starnum]

I didn't mean you were saying it was becoming LotR, but other people have been saying that.

[Dagda Mor]

A horrible way to lure someone in? Guys, think about what you're saying and don't jump to conclusions. We're talking about hooking someone, getting them interested enough to read the whole manga. How do you do that? You give them a manageable serving, a choice cut that neither significantly spoils nor significantly relies upon the sections that have come before. Do you really think someone would then go on to read the rest of the manga while having no interest in the events that came before?

Then again, maybe I should just be noting that my method has a history of actually working.

[lon3vvolf]

Guys, I'm about to watch the last DVD with my girlfriend... Will give the juicy details after...

[The Herald]

keep a hanky handy ... and many pillows with which to throw at the screen

[Aetherfukz]

A hanky? More like a bucket to puke into

[Lara Skadi]

I guess the best way is by reading/watching with them, not talking much about it earlier. I've been trying to make my sisters and fiancé to read, but though they watched the anime and like the story, they've been annoyed by me too much about it...
Some time ago I started to show the anime to a cousin of mine (who loves drama, but hates violence Romantic type). She was really enjoying it, but my uncle left before she could watch the 3rd ep. (if I'm not mistaken). As I don't talk much to her, she never watched it again
I wouldn't mind that much 'cause she's not really my friend, but I think she really resembles Casca more than any other girl I've met. T.T A post-eclipse Casca (she had an athletic body too and got in depression a couple of years ago then busy with school stuff, thus getting her thinner, what makes it even more ironic), very good for a cosplay (though the face is not really that similar)

well, I'll show some photos she herself put on Orkut.. not the best, but what I could find...
[spoiler]
[/spoiler]

[Born_Loser]

If I was friends with a girl like that... I'd never let her get depressed. *grin*

[lon3vvolf]

keep a hanky handy ... and many pillows with which to throw at the screen

Don't worry, I kept one handy for myself. Judeaus death always gets me

My girlfriend has now completed watching the Berserk anime. She now understand why I'm a bit obsessed with it.

By the time we got to the last DVD she totally forgot about the first episode and the idea of the show being a flashback. She took the whole eclipse rather well. As we watched the series she always pointed out how Griffith uses people for his dream. Like when he sent Guts to kill Julius, or when he was sent to kill the guy who tried to poison him, etc. It was funny, right when Griffith used the behelit and the sky turned 'red faced' and the demons began coming out she said "I don't like this episode." I replied "You wont." During the part when the God Hand is showing Griffith what his dream has caused she went "See! I told you he keeps on using people!" She already had an inkling of what was going to happen after that part....

She got a little freaked out when everyone started dying but she wanted to see what would happen at the end. I told her she'd find out why Guts has a metal arm in this episode. After the whole Femto/Caska thing I had to do a bit of explaining on the details what happened (Griffiths transformation). Yeah... she was really pissed when that part happened, because she loved it when Guts and her got together.

When it flashed forward to Guts walking out of Godo's house I got the typical WTF KINDA ENDING IS THAT?!!?!?!?!? HOW DID HE SURVIVE?!?!?! I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS THING ENDED?!?!? I had to strike quick while the iron was hot... I got on my computer and showed her the part in the manga where Skully is fighting with Zoddy and his rescue of Guts/Caska.

She enjoyed it. She really did. The character development, the action, the romance, it was all good.
She loved the outtakes too

I'm not going to push the manga on her until she gets some more free time, then I will slowly plant the seed in interest like I did with the anime.

That brings my count to 5-6 people who I convinced to watch/read Berserk.

[Aetherfukz]

If I was friends with a girl like that... I'd never let her get depressed. *grin*

This.

[Lara Skadi]

If I was friends with a girl like that... I'd never let her get depressed. *grin*

Indeed, she is gorgeous, even more than the photos show. And again, whenever I see her (specially when her hair is in it's natural color), I can't stop thinking how would she look like in Casca's clothes and how they looked better with athletic bodies etc.. at some point I start to mix the too, it's a bit disturbing lol

That brings my count to 5-6 people who I convinced to watch/read Berserk.

If I could convince 5-6 people, I'd be happy -.- the people I got involved with the manga were already asking for a manga to read, I just lended it, so I don't think it counts

[The Herald]

I'm having a whole shit load of people over to sew tomorrow and guess what I'm going to have on in the background as my 'white noise' . Either they'll be pissed or impressed. I hate plays that have no crew, I have to do everything myself .

[lon3vvolf]

I'm having a whole shit load of people over to sew tomorrow and guess what I'm going to have on in the background as my 'white noise' . Either they'll be pissed or impressed. I hate plays that have no crew, I have to do everything myself .

Actually Berserk fits very well with Halloween so you could just say its part of the festivities. Hopefully what they see while they sow will be so awesome they will want to see it all till they have seen the ending.

[The Herald]

Nobody ended up coming over, no they just all expect me to sew an entire show all by myself. Fuckers.

[Born_Loser]

I ended up taking my niece out trick or treating... and had a group of little 13-14 year olds flirting with me 'cause i was wearing my sunglasses at night.... I swear, I need to get some Underaged Girl Repelent.