Messages to Kentarou Miura: Ena Moriyama

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I discovered Berserk when I was in middle school.
It was a shock. (I couldn’t believe) that such an interesting manga existed in this world.
I remember I was absorbed in reading it at that time.

As an adult, after I won Young Animal’s Rookie Award, the editor Mr. S, who had been Berserk’s editor for a long time, was in charge of me and fostered me.
As my serialization stabilized, Mr. S suddenly said “maybe I should let you meet Ken-chan sooner or later…”!! Before I was aware of it, it seemed that I had been qualified to meet Miura-sensei. This was how Mr. S kindly arranged a meeting where the three of us, Miura-sensei, unbelievably, Mr. S. and me, ate together.

Most of our talk while eating was about manga. However, it was the most elevated thing when Miura-sensei and his editor Mr. S talked about how hard they had drilled each other: “I was harsh like that, no no, I didn’t deserve this kind of treatment…” I remember they talked like this, laughing in front of me.

It was kind of Miura-sensei to read my work meticulously, without missing any minute detail. For each scene, I received his feedback. He talked unpretentiously with me while I was a mere rookie; he had such a bright personality.
I was impressed that such a (nice) person was the one who drew Berserk.
And, again later, Miura-sensei prepared an opportunity to have a meal with me. I’m deeply grateful to him for having spent his precious time for me, a rookie.

I got shocked reading Berserk when I was a middle school student.
I’m a mangaka now, but I’m still stricken with the same shock I felt at that time whenever I read it.
Surely, it will forever be the case in the future.

Miura-sensei, thank you very much for having created this splendid work.

MORIYAMA Ena

Note: The editor she’s talking about is Akira SHIMADA.