Summary
- Dur-An-Ki, created by Berserk’s Kentaro Miura and Studio Gaga, will have its first English release by Dark Horse Comics.
- The one-shot series was inspired by Greek and Mesopotamian myth and features an androgynous protagonist named Usumgal.
- After Miura’s death in 2021, the series was completed with unpublished works and will be available in English on September 16, 2025.
A one-shot created by Berserk creator Kentaro Miura and Studio Gaga created in 2019 will finally be getting its first-ever English release, courtesy of Dark Horse Comics, the publisher that licensed distribution of the manga legend’s magnum opus to the English-speaking world.
Dur-An-Ki, a one-shot of two chapters totaling 64 pages was released Hakusensha’s seinen magazine, Young Animal Zero, from September 2019 to May 2020, with the publisher deciding to finish the series after Miura’s death in 2021. The series was collected into a single volume that was released in December 2021. The English release of the sole volume of Dur-An-Ki is set for September 16, 2025.
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Dur-An-Ki Plot and Background Information
Inspired By Greek and Mesopotamian Myth
Dur-An-Ki follows an androgynous protagonist named Usumgal (meaning “Dragon”) living in a world inspired by the aesthetics of Greek and Mesopotamian mythology. It was announced in 2019, and published in the first-ever issue of Hakusensha’s Young Animal Zero magazine. It drew a lot of negative attention from Berserk fans because it was believed that Dur-An-Ki would only distract from the highly sought after Berserk, which has been running since 1989. Miura gave an interview in which he described his involvement in the production of the manga as minimal, with his personal manga studio, Studio Gaga; the team entrusted with completing Miura’s vision for Berserk, mostly responsible for the series while he served as “director” and storyboard artist.
Inspired by the success of strong female lead characters in recent years, such as those seen in Disney’s Frozen and Mad Max: Fury Road, Miura decided to try creating an androgynous lead for Dur-An-Ki. After Miura’s passing in May 2021, the decision was made to end the series. The collected volume also includes unpublished work, the original story outline, concept art and other interesting material. The title “Dur-An-Ki” is a Sumerian term that directly translates to “mountain house”, and refers to the assembly of gods in the Garden of the Gods in Mesopotamian mythology, known as the point where heaven and Earth meet. Duranki’s Greek equivalent is the famous Mount Olympus. The English version is translated by Duane Johnson, with lettering by Studio Cutie. Dur-An-Ki hits bookstores in the US on September 16.
Source: Dark Horse Comics on Instagram