Berserk Creator’s Ou-Roh Manga to Be Re-Released

The classic manga Ou-Roh (King of Wolves) will be republished to honor the memory of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura.

Ou-Roh was originally published in March 1989 and concluded in May of the same year, just months before Berserk's August debut. The manga was created as a collaboration between Miura, who drew the art for the series, and writer Buronson, who is best known for creating the highly influential Fist of the North Star series. Ou-Roh was released in English by Dark Horse Comics in 2005 under the title King of Wolves. Japan's Young Animal Zero magazine will republish the entire series beginning with issue 10 of the magazine, which will be published on Sept. 13. According to Twitter account Manga Mogura RE, the magazine is republishing the series as a way to introduce new readers to the work of Kentaro Miura.

Ou-Roh tells the story of a couple, the historical scholar Iba, and his girlfriend, Kyoko. Iba disappears one day while researching the ancient Silk Road trade route, so Kyoko begins to follow his trail in order to discover what happened to him. To her surprise, she is sucked into a dark portal that takes her back to the 13th century, where she discovers that Iba is now a warrior enslaved by the famous Genghis Khan. With no idea of how they can return to their original era, Iba and Kyoko must learn how to survive in this brutal time period.

Miura quickly followed up the end of Ou-Roh with the release of his most famous creation, Berserk. The series was lauded for its dark themes, tense storytelling, and Miura's intricately detailed art style. Berserk quickly became one of publisher Hakusensha's biggest hits, with over 50 million copies in circulation worldwide. The series is now regarded as one of the most influential manga series of all time, with many other famous manga creators, including Attack on Titan's Hajime Isayama, citing the manga as a direct influence on their own work.

The series' future became uncertain when Miura unexpectedly passed away in March due to an acute aortic dissection. His death sparked a renewed discussion over the way the manga industry, which has frequently been criticized for overworking its artists, treats its creators. Publisher Hakusensha has announced future plans for the series, and fans are divided on the issue of whether the series should finish its story under a new author, or if the series should simply end without Miura at the helm.

Source: Twitter