Q1: To the readers, Guts as a character has grown tremendously in the past few years, but how much time has elapsed in the Berserk world since the end of the Golden Age arc in Volume 14? (i.e. Lost Children - Millennium Falcon)
I’d say it’s been 3-4 years, though it’s not been clearly decided.
Q2: Regarding the kanji "Taka," do you intend that to be Falcon or Hawk? Was there ever a conscious change in its usage, such as after Griffith's reincarnation, or has it always been "falcon" to you?
“Falcon” or “Hawk”, both mean [鷹] in Japanese. In some dictionaries, “Falcon ” is translated as [隼(はやぶさ)] but there’s almost no difference. I used "Falcon" from the great name of the “Millennium Falcon" ship in Star Wars.
Q3: Just before the launch of the Millennium Falcon arc, you were quoted as saying now you felt you were truly on the starting line of the series. Is that accurate? If that is the case, how far along are we in the story at this point?
I think we are at about 60-70%. However, I myself don’t know anything for sure when it comes to the future.
Q4: It's been years since the last art book release. There may now be enough content for 2-3 additional books. Do you plan to release any more based on your sketches and paintings?
No, I don’t.
Q5: What portion of the story was the most difficult in terms of making hard decisions about where to take the direction of the series? Any regrets?
No specific part was especially difficult or regrettable to me.
Q6: You've talked of post-Berserk projects in the past. Do you still expect to do it, or will you be enjoying retirement after having spent so long working on Berserk?
I don’t remember when I talked about my future plans after Berserk, but there's no doubt I’ll work on something else once it's over.
Q7: Do you feel a sense of achievement at what you've accomplished over all those years? Was it worth the sacrifices to your life and health it has required?
Yes, I feel a sense of achievement, since my work has been appreciated more and more over time in society.
Besides, I can’t think of living any other life.
Q8: Could you describe an average day in your studio? How many hours each day do you work?
I start working at 2:00 PM and I finish at 7:00 AM. Of course, the time I spend eating is included. I work 15-16 hours everyday, without holidays.
Q9: Can we have some more details on why Episode 83 was left out of the collected volume? Do you consider the events in the episode to be canon? Can we expect to see or hear from the Idea of Evil again before the end of the series?
It’s because I wanted Berserk's world to be revealed just that far, not any more than that. The appearance of god in the manga conclusively determines its range. I thought that might limit the freedom of the story development.
I myself don’t know if the Idea of Evil will show up again in the manga or not.
Q10: Rumors of a second season, or new animation of Berserk have been persistent since the first animation's conclusion. These have all been proven false, in time. But to be perfectly sure, are there plans for a continuation of the animation?
It’s possible.
