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Berserk writer Kouji Mori has shared how his late friend Kentaro Miura influenced his current manga D. Diver, from the core dream-diving concept to parts of the main character's design.
Speaking to Comic Natalie for the release of Volume 4, Mori recalled Miura's advice and input while the two worked together. D. Diver follows Kagura, a university law student who gains the ability to enter people's dreams and stop crimes before they happen in the real world.
"I used to draw manga alongside my late friend Kentaro Miura, the creator of Berserk, from our teenage years," Mori said. "Miura always told me, 'You should create a hero who transforms and defeats evil. You absolutely need to draw that.' I struggled with ideas, but while browsing online, I was struck by frustration about crime cases. Why do people suffer such things? Why do criminals get released after just a few years in prison? I found myself thinking, 'I want to take these guys down.'"
Mori said the dream-diving hook came directly from Miura. "A revenge-driven hero had already been done many times. Then Miura pointed to another idea I'd had for a school manga where the protagonist crossed into dreams. He said, 'Let's use this ability to dive into dreams.' That became D. Diver."
The two even shared ideas across their own work. "Actually, Miura used the 'entering a dream' idea before me," Mori said with a laugh, pointing to the scene in Berserk where Casca is visited in a dream. Miura also contributed to Kagura's oni form, giving the design a more armoured look. "That's why this work feels like a keepsake from him."
Mori admitted that some of the pacing also came directly from Miura's advice. Kagura only transformed for the first time in Volume 3, a delay which Mori originally resisted. "Miura told me, 'Hold off until Volume 3.' Even if it was unpopular, he said fighting in dreams wouldn't make sense until readers absorbed the setup. It felt like his last will."
The title itself was also a joint decision. The "D" in D. Diver can stand for Demon, Dream, Desire, and Diver. Mori says the story will now lean into more surreal threats, with "nightmarish enemies, powerful foes, and allies" waiting ahead.
Beyond D. Diver, Mori continues to supervise Berserk after Miura's passing while also working on Sousei no Taiga. "Miura was gone, I was getting older, and I felt I needed to leave something behind," Mori said. "I'm 59 now, almost 60, whipping my ageing body to keep going."
Kentaro Miura's Berserk first launched in 1989 and quickly became one of the most acclaimed dark fantasy manga of all time. Known for its grim storytelling and highly detailed artwork, the series follows Guts, a mercenary swordsman caught in a violent struggle between men and demons. Miura worked on Berserk for over 30 years until his death in 2021 at the age of 54. The manga has over 70 million copies in circulation worldwide and inspired multiple anime adaptations, films, and games.
After Miura's death, Mori, a close friend and fellow manga creator, stepped in to continue Berserk with Miura's notes and outlines. He has overseen the story alongside the manga's editorial team at Young Animal, ensuring the series moves toward its intended conclusion. Outside of Berserk, Mori has worked on series like Sousei no Taiga and now D. Diver.
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