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Vagabond VIZBIG Omnibus Edition #1
Vagabond, Vol. 1
Striving for enlightenment by way of the sword, Miyamoto Musashi is prepared to cut down anyone who stands in his way. Vagabond is an action-packed portrayal of the life and times of the quintessential warrior-philosopher - the most celebrated samurai of all time!
Shinmen Takezo is destined to become the legendary sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi - perhaps the most renowned samurai of all time. For now, Takezo is a cold-hearted killer, who will take on anyone in mortal combat to make a name for himself. This is the journey of a wild young brute who strives to reach enlightenment by way of the sword - fighting on the edge of death.
Shinmen Takezo is destined to become the legendary sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi - perhaps the most renowned samurai of all time. For now, Takezo is a cold-hearted killer, who will take on anyone in mortal combat to make a name for himself. This is the journey of a wild young brute who strives to reach enlightenment by way of the sword - fighting on the edge of death.
728 pages, Paperback
First published July 22, 1999
290 people are currently reading
4583 people want to read
About the author
Takehiko Inoue
315 books1,573 followersTakehiko Inoue (井上雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond.
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May 25, 2020
Vagabond & the Sexy-As-Fuck Topic of Western vs. Traditional Manga Formats
[(Above) NOT the actual cover for this edition, obviously... it's just a great example of his watercolor work. Besides, this review is an emphatic recommendation of the entire over-sized series, so the artwork below is taken from various junctures in the narrative.]
I'm a fan of manga who remains very selective about the titles I read... particularly since manga titles can regularly match the epic length - if not the narrative grandeur - of 'Lone Wolf & Cub', which meant drowning myself in 9000 sublime pages of bloody vengeance, the agonizing dilemmas imposed by devoting oneself to the code of bushido, and dragging along a toddler on the path to Meifumado (the Buddhist 'Hell'-analog); or 'Berserk', with >40 volumes* of weird, pseudo-European fantasy that cranks the gore to 11 and sucks you in with Kentaro Miura's incredibly detailed, virtuosic draftsmanship, and his idiosyncratic, occasionally soapy story-telling. 'Vagabond' is another series that demands a commitment at the outset of the relationship, but it's pragmatic, not pathetic. The pacing and structure of manga is very different from American comics or Bande Dessinee, with the action unfolding in a cinematic manner that might spread a single action sequence over a dozen (or dozens of) pages, when an American comic would compress the same material to five, & Eurocomics might do it in one or two. From a dull, practical perspective, this 'decompressed' approach means that getting hooked on 'Lone Wolf & Cub' or 'Blade of the Immortal' will require a lot of shelf real estate, as it means purchasing close to 30 volumes per series... not to mention a heavy investment with intangible currencies like time and emotion. But make no mistake; these titles, and others like 'Akira' & 'Domu' [Katsuhiro Otomo], 'Uzumaki-Gyo-Shiver-Smashed-Frankenstein' [Junji Ito], and 'Tekkon Kinkreet-Gogo Monster-Cats of the Louvre' [Taiyo Matsumoto], are absolute masterpieces of the artform, and will always be worth the sticker-price. Besides, there's digital options - some of them free - for those who can't afford it. To qualify my opening sentence (using an off-putting brand of aesthetic elitism): while I'm selective in my manga consumption, I'm just as selective with Western comics, roughly 90% of which can charitably be described as sub-mediocre garbage catering to an idiotically mediocre majority. And unfortunately, this crap-to-quality ratio transcends genre, media, language, & borders.
'Vagabond' has already established itself as a modern manga classic. Writer/Artist Takehiko Inoue is finally approaching the end of his account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, the most famous samurai of all time and the author of 'The Book of Five Rings'. After over 16 years some 40 volumes, each around 200+ pages in length, the scale of Inoue's achievement is massive. A quick survey of the artwork in any volume will make clear just how talented an artist he is; the level of detail and texturing is so meticulous, it seems miraculous it didn't take him twice as long. He deserves to be included with names like Katsuhiro Otomo and Hiroaki Samura, who started his own samurai series - 'Blade of the Immortal' - around the same time Inoue started 'Vagabond', and will likely finish around the same time, with similarly epic page-counts. But while 'BOTI' has explicitly supernatural themes and reimagines early Edo-period Japan in a rather unorthodox manner, 'Vagabond' hews close to historical fact, thanks largely to the well-researched novel it's based upon.
As Miyamoto Musashi travels 17th century Japan seeking worthy opponents in his quest to become 'invincible under the sun', maturing from a frightening young thug with impressive physical gifts to the swordsman who cuts down seventy well-armed members of the Yoshioka clan, we are introduced to dozens of memorable characters and experience moments when you almost fear to turn the page. The action is at times gut-wrenching in its intensity, and the violence can be horrifying. Inoue uses his artistry to depict in merciless detail the results of a heavy dotanuki blade as it cuts men into pieces. It is not a story for those with no stomach for gore. Now to seek out flaws & pick at them, as is the way of things: ummm... at times, the story can seem as meandering as Musashi's quest to become the King of Violence, or... whatever. And in one specific duel, fairly early in the overarching story, young Musashi faces off against the protege of a famous master. In the most flagrantly overdone - from my Western POV - example of Japanese decompression, over 100 pages is devoted to the internal struggle taking place as both men assess one another's character & strength, while they stand nearly frozen, gleaning whatever legitimate/bullshit martial arts data can be gleaned from a slight shift of weight to one sandaled foot, a bead of sweat... or magically sensing murderous intent as a visible aura. The spiritual side of the martial arts is complete fucking nonsense, but some still promote this mystical, pseudo-religious bullshit: most egregiously, the mall-ninja-'black-belt'-sensei-douchebags, teaching their mullet-headed hick students all about pressure-point attacks, the 'Dim Mak' Death Touch, and invisible fucking fireballs. So for me, the few moments devoted to the 'chi' instead of the forged carbon steel of a blade were a little dull. But beyond these minor, over-stated quibbles, this is some of the finest historical fiction in the manga medium.
At over 7500 pages, Viz has made collecting this series in its entirety much easier with the Vizbig Editions. Each Vizbig volume collects 3 of the regular volumes, gathering 600-700 pages in a book that is taller and wider, has better paper, and costs quite a bit less than buying all three separately. So by the time you have Vizbig Edition Volume 12, you will have read Volumes 1 - 36 of the regular editions. Another nice feature is the artwork that continues across the spines of all 12 volumes to form a panoramic 9" x 22" group portrait of the many characters from the story. This format is definitely the best way to experience this incredible manga.
*[Since this review first appeared in 2014, American publishers of Japanese Manga (most notably Dark Horse) have followed the lead set with the VizBIG Editions, collecting Gekiga & Seinen gems using a larger (>6" x 9") format. Each book typically includes 3 regular volumes, making for a 600-800-page tome, usually printed on a higher-quality paper, showing off the razor-sharp pen-lines, lush brush-strokes & dense screen-tones... and doing it far better than the pulpy old newsprint which is currently being fetishized by the same juvenile-nostalgia-addicts responsible for keeping the shitty monthly mainstream comic-book on life support, when it so clearly wants to die. 'Lone Wolf & Cub', 'Samurai Executioner', 'Blade of the Immortal', 'Vinland Saga', 'Monster', 'Blame!', 'Gantz' and a host of other iconic manga are all getting this deluxe Omnibus treatment. Kodansha has released a 35th Anniversary 'Akira' Boxset, collecting the series as handsomely designed 8" x 10" HCs; and Dark Horse has already given hardcore 'Berserk' fans - myself included - four Deluxe/7" x 10"/(faux) leather-bound/Hardcover Omnibus Volumes. They look great on a shelf, and they collect the first 12 regular volumes, with remastered art on larger pages using higher-quality paper-stock. When Vol.6 arrives in November of 2020, almost half of the current 'Berserk' story will have been collected in this great new format. As a fan of Miura's amazing artistry, seeing it at nearly twice the size makes each book's evolutionary leap in craftsmanship very exciting; it's a well-deserved deluxe presentation that sets it apart as the unique work that it is, and provides a fresh perspective on one of the great fantasy epics in the comic medium.]
[(Above) NOT the actual cover for this edition, obviously... it's just a great example of his watercolor work. Besides, this review is an emphatic recommendation of the entire over-sized series, so the artwork below is taken from various junctures in the narrative.]
I'm a fan of manga who remains very selective about the titles I read... particularly since manga titles can regularly match the epic length - if not the narrative grandeur - of 'Lone Wolf & Cub', which meant drowning myself in 9000 sublime pages of bloody vengeance, the agonizing dilemmas imposed by devoting oneself to the code of bushido, and dragging along a toddler on the path to Meifumado (the Buddhist 'Hell'-analog); or 'Berserk', with >40 volumes* of weird, pseudo-European fantasy that cranks the gore to 11 and sucks you in with Kentaro Miura's incredibly detailed, virtuosic draftsmanship, and his idiosyncratic, occasionally soapy story-telling. 'Vagabond' is another series that demands a commitment at the outset of the relationship, but it's pragmatic, not pathetic. The pacing and structure of manga is very different from American comics or Bande Dessinee, with the action unfolding in a cinematic manner that might spread a single action sequence over a dozen (or dozens of) pages, when an American comic would compress the same material to five, & Eurocomics might do it in one or two. From a dull, practical perspective, this 'decompressed' approach means that getting hooked on 'Lone Wolf & Cub' or 'Blade of the Immortal' will require a lot of shelf real estate, as it means purchasing close to 30 volumes per series... not to mention a heavy investment with intangible currencies like time and emotion. But make no mistake; these titles, and others like 'Akira' & 'Domu' [Katsuhiro Otomo], 'Uzumaki-Gyo-Shiver-Smashed-Frankenstein' [Junji Ito], and 'Tekkon Kinkreet-Gogo Monster-Cats of the Louvre' [Taiyo Matsumoto], are absolute masterpieces of the artform, and will always be worth the sticker-price. Besides, there's digital options - some of them free - for those who can't afford it. To qualify my opening sentence (using an off-putting brand of aesthetic elitism): while I'm selective in my manga consumption, I'm just as selective with Western comics, roughly 90% of which can charitably be described as sub-mediocre garbage catering to an idiotically mediocre majority. And unfortunately, this crap-to-quality ratio transcends genre, media, language, & borders.
'Vagabond' has already established itself as a modern manga classic. Writer/Artist Takehiko Inoue is finally approaching the end of his account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, the most famous samurai of all time and the author of 'The Book of Five Rings'. After over 16 years some 40 volumes, each around 200+ pages in length, the scale of Inoue's achievement is massive. A quick survey of the artwork in any volume will make clear just how talented an artist he is; the level of detail and texturing is so meticulous, it seems miraculous it didn't take him twice as long. He deserves to be included with names like Katsuhiro Otomo and Hiroaki Samura, who started his own samurai series - 'Blade of the Immortal' - around the same time Inoue started 'Vagabond', and will likely finish around the same time, with similarly epic page-counts. But while 'BOTI' has explicitly supernatural themes and reimagines early Edo-period Japan in a rather unorthodox manner, 'Vagabond' hews close to historical fact, thanks largely to the well-researched novel it's based upon.
As Miyamoto Musashi travels 17th century Japan seeking worthy opponents in his quest to become 'invincible under the sun', maturing from a frightening young thug with impressive physical gifts to the swordsman who cuts down seventy well-armed members of the Yoshioka clan, we are introduced to dozens of memorable characters and experience moments when you almost fear to turn the page. The action is at times gut-wrenching in its intensity, and the violence can be horrifying. Inoue uses his artistry to depict in merciless detail the results of a heavy dotanuki blade as it cuts men into pieces. It is not a story for those with no stomach for gore. Now to seek out flaws & pick at them, as is the way of things: ummm... at times, the story can seem as meandering as Musashi's quest to become the King of Violence, or... whatever. And in one specific duel, fairly early in the overarching story, young Musashi faces off against the protege of a famous master. In the most flagrantly overdone - from my Western POV - example of Japanese decompression, over 100 pages is devoted to the internal struggle taking place as both men assess one another's character & strength, while they stand nearly frozen, gleaning whatever legitimate/bullshit martial arts data can be gleaned from a slight shift of weight to one sandaled foot, a bead of sweat... or magically sensing murderous intent as a visible aura. The spiritual side of the martial arts is complete fucking nonsense, but some still promote this mystical, pseudo-religious bullshit: most egregiously, the mall-ninja-'black-belt'-sensei-douchebags, teaching their mullet-headed hick students all about pressure-point attacks, the 'Dim Mak' Death Touch, and invisible fucking fireballs. So for me, the few moments devoted to the 'chi' instead of the forged carbon steel of a blade were a little dull. But beyond these minor, over-stated quibbles, this is some of the finest historical fiction in the manga medium.
At over 7500 pages, Viz has made collecting this series in its entirety much easier with the Vizbig Editions. Each Vizbig volume collects 3 of the regular volumes, gathering 600-700 pages in a book that is taller and wider, has better paper, and costs quite a bit less than buying all three separately. So by the time you have Vizbig Edition Volume 12, you will have read Volumes 1 - 36 of the regular editions. Another nice feature is the artwork that continues across the spines of all 12 volumes to form a panoramic 9" x 22" group portrait of the many characters from the story. This format is definitely the best way to experience this incredible manga.
*[Since this review first appeared in 2014, American publishers of Japanese Manga (most notably Dark Horse) have followed the lead set with the VizBIG Editions, collecting Gekiga & Seinen gems using a larger (>6" x 9") format. Each book typically includes 3 regular volumes, making for a 600-800-page tome, usually printed on a higher-quality paper, showing off the razor-sharp pen-lines, lush brush-strokes & dense screen-tones... and doing it far better than the pulpy old newsprint which is currently being fetishized by the same juvenile-nostalgia-addicts responsible for keeping the shitty monthly mainstream comic-book on life support, when it so clearly wants to die. 'Lone Wolf & Cub', 'Samurai Executioner', 'Blade of the Immortal', 'Vinland Saga', 'Monster', 'Blame!', 'Gantz' and a host of other iconic manga are all getting this deluxe Omnibus treatment. Kodansha has released a 35th Anniversary 'Akira' Boxset, collecting the series as handsomely designed 8" x 10" HCs; and Dark Horse has already given hardcore 'Berserk' fans - myself included - four Deluxe/7" x 10"/(faux) leather-bound/Hardcover Omnibus Volumes. They look great on a shelf, and they collect the first 12 regular volumes, with remastered art on larger pages using higher-quality paper-stock. When Vol.6 arrives in November of 2020, almost half of the current 'Berserk' story will have been collected in this great new format. As a fan of Miura's amazing artistry, seeing it at nearly twice the size makes each book's evolutionary leap in craftsmanship very exciting; it's a well-deserved deluxe presentation that sets it apart as the unique work that it is, and provides a fresh perspective on one of the great fantasy epics in the comic medium.]
February 28, 2017
Vagabond is Takehiko Inoue's fictionalized account (based primarily on the classic Japanese novel Musashi) of the most legendary swordsman in all of Japan's history (and perhaps the world's) that's been going on and off for the past 18 years and counting.
It is also much more than that.
It is a nearly two decades-long exploration and examination of the ultra-competitive mindset Musashi and his contemporaries had to have possessed in order to attain enough skill, prowess and notoriety to make them transcend into folklore centuries after they have all passed away. What makes a man who dedicates everything he has into becoming the best he can be at a violent endeavor tick? There is something in MMA fighters, boxers, and football players, some sort of competitive drive taken to an obsessive degree, that separates them from the rest of us. A drive so powerful that it makes them capable and willing to spend so much time and effort and shed so much blood, sweat, and tears in order to risk their health and well-being in a violent endeavor for fame, money, glory, pride, or self-esteem. A drive that allows them to temporarily shove their conscience to the side and risk someone else's health and well-being in order to achieve, in all likelihood, the same goal. These ultra-competitive individuals have always existed, and when you get a glimpse at them in an era when life was a lot more prone to end in a violent death... the differences between them and the rest of us are a lot more stark, and the gulf standing between understanding wider than it originally appeared.
It is a critique of the ambition to be the very best in some field of combat. You know, the motivation of so many characters throughout so many Japanese stories, particularly in manga, anime, and video games. It explores the consequences, often negative, of attempting to reach such a goal. The conclusions Inoue typically draws on such individuals throughout the story, on the important ones and the ones who are never more than periphery figures, aren't flattering.
It is an awe-inspiring artistic tour de force of action, swordplay, bloodshed, landscapes, and human beings so life-like they can walk off the page. It is a lavish and meticulously illustrated Akira Kurosawa Jidai Geki epic. With Sergio Leone-like suffocating close-ups Inoue displays in exquisite details how all his characters can be distinguished from one another by merely looking into their faces. I'm just one of many who thinks Takehiko Inoue is the greatest mangaka alive today. Hell, I'll also throw my hat in with the others who think he is the greatest comics artist alive today in the East and West. (For all that the opinion of someone who isn't even remotely a scholar of the medium is worth.)
But, to bring things around full circle, it is also a long, arduous coming-of-age tale of a young, violent, severely maladjusted man trying to find self-worth and self-fulfillment through the way of the sword. In spite of himself he does learn there is more to life than competition, and against all odds he does become a legend in the process.
5 stars
It is also much more than that.
It is a nearly two decades-long exploration and examination of the ultra-competitive mindset Musashi and his contemporaries had to have possessed in order to attain enough skill, prowess and notoriety to make them transcend into folklore centuries after they have all passed away. What makes a man who dedicates everything he has into becoming the best he can be at a violent endeavor tick? There is something in MMA fighters, boxers, and football players, some sort of competitive drive taken to an obsessive degree, that separates them from the rest of us. A drive so powerful that it makes them capable and willing to spend so much time and effort and shed so much blood, sweat, and tears in order to risk their health and well-being in a violent endeavor for fame, money, glory, pride, or self-esteem. A drive that allows them to temporarily shove their conscience to the side and risk someone else's health and well-being in order to achieve, in all likelihood, the same goal. These ultra-competitive individuals have always existed, and when you get a glimpse at them in an era when life was a lot more prone to end in a violent death... the differences between them and the rest of us are a lot more stark, and the gulf standing between understanding wider than it originally appeared.
It is a critique of the ambition to be the very best in some field of combat. You know, the motivation of so many characters throughout so many Japanese stories, particularly in manga, anime, and video games. It explores the consequences, often negative, of attempting to reach such a goal. The conclusions Inoue typically draws on such individuals throughout the story, on the important ones and the ones who are never more than periphery figures, aren't flattering.
It is an awe-inspiring artistic tour de force of action, swordplay, bloodshed, landscapes, and human beings so life-like they can walk off the page. It is a lavish and meticulously illustrated Akira Kurosawa Jidai Geki epic. With Sergio Leone-like suffocating close-ups Inoue displays in exquisite details how all his characters can be distinguished from one another by merely looking into their faces. I'm just one of many who thinks Takehiko Inoue is the greatest mangaka alive today. Hell, I'll also throw my hat in with the others who think he is the greatest comics artist alive today in the East and West. (For all that the opinion of someone who isn't even remotely a scholar of the medium is worth.)
But, to bring things around full circle, it is also a long, arduous coming-of-age tale of a young, violent, severely maladjusted man trying to find self-worth and self-fulfillment through the way of the sword. In spite of himself he does learn there is more to life than competition, and against all odds he does become a legend in the process.
5 stars
September 3, 2018
3.5 -4 stars
While the cover says this is "loosely based on the novel _Musashi_" I'd have to say that this seems pretty much like a direct manga edition of the book by Eiji Yoshikawa, so far at least. Volume 1 begins in the same place as the novel: at the end of the historic battle of Sekigahara two survivors, childhood friends Shinmen Takezo (soon the re-christen himself Miyamoto Musashi) and Hon'iden Matahachi, are found by a young girl (Akemi) and her mother Oko who live by stealing from corpses on the battlefield. As the two young men regain their health we see that the two friends are very different: Matahachi is weak and selfish, while Takezo is driven by an all-consuming desire to which he will sacrifice all else - the dream of becoming the greatest swordsman of all.
True to their natures each takes a separate path after they have a run-in with the bandit gang that preys upon Akemi and Oko: Matahachi abandons his home and family, including his fiancee Otsu, in order to follow the alluring Oko, while Takezo becomes a vagabond, searching for the strongest warriors in Japan so that he may test his mettle against theirs. Takezo only makes one small concession to his past: he will return to his village of Miyamoto in order to tell Matahachi's family and fiancee that he still lives. This action sets in motion the main events of the story as Takezo begins to learn the first of many harsh lessons about what it truly means to become the greatest swordsman of Japan.
The first volume shows us Takezo at his most raw, little more than an animal who reacts by instinct and survives due to his great strength and nearly unbreakable will. He is considered a demon by nearly everyone around him and racks up a significant body count using only a wooden sword before a meeting with the monk Takuan Soho prompts him to face the weakness that lies within him along with his great strength. Add to this the compassion of the lovely Otsu, whose heartbreak at the betrayal of Matahachi is overcome by devotoion to Takezo, and we have the beginning of the long quest, and tangled relationships, of Takezo's lifelong pursuit of perfection.
The art in the manga is gorgeous and I'm not sure who's prettier in it, the boys or the girls. I have to admit that sometimes the action scenes are a bit difficult to parse and it's not always clear what's going on in a given set of panels, but overall the story flows very well and you can't help but get lost in the beautiful art. I'd recommend reading Musashi first to get a fuller development of the story itself, but this manga series looks to be an excellent accompaniment to it.
While the cover says this is "loosely based on the novel _Musashi_" I'd have to say that this seems pretty much like a direct manga edition of the book by Eiji Yoshikawa, so far at least. Volume 1 begins in the same place as the novel: at the end of the historic battle of Sekigahara two survivors, childhood friends Shinmen Takezo (soon the re-christen himself Miyamoto Musashi) and Hon'iden Matahachi, are found by a young girl (Akemi) and her mother Oko who live by stealing from corpses on the battlefield. As the two young men regain their health we see that the two friends are very different: Matahachi is weak and selfish, while Takezo is driven by an all-consuming desire to which he will sacrifice all else - the dream of becoming the greatest swordsman of all.
True to their natures each takes a separate path after they have a run-in with the bandit gang that preys upon Akemi and Oko: Matahachi abandons his home and family, including his fiancee Otsu, in order to follow the alluring Oko, while Takezo becomes a vagabond, searching for the strongest warriors in Japan so that he may test his mettle against theirs. Takezo only makes one small concession to his past: he will return to his village of Miyamoto in order to tell Matahachi's family and fiancee that he still lives. This action sets in motion the main events of the story as Takezo begins to learn the first of many harsh lessons about what it truly means to become the greatest swordsman of Japan.
The first volume shows us Takezo at his most raw, little more than an animal who reacts by instinct and survives due to his great strength and nearly unbreakable will. He is considered a demon by nearly everyone around him and racks up a significant body count using only a wooden sword before a meeting with the monk Takuan Soho prompts him to face the weakness that lies within him along with his great strength. Add to this the compassion of the lovely Otsu, whose heartbreak at the betrayal of Matahachi is overcome by devotoion to Takezo, and we have the beginning of the long quest, and tangled relationships, of Takezo's lifelong pursuit of perfection.
The art in the manga is gorgeous and I'm not sure who's prettier in it, the boys or the girls. I have to admit that sometimes the action scenes are a bit difficult to parse and it's not always clear what's going on in a given set of panels, but overall the story flows very well and you can't help but get lost in the beautiful art. I'd recommend reading Musashi first to get a fuller development of the story itself, but this manga series looks to be an excellent accompaniment to it.
April 3, 2017
This Vizbig edition collects volumes 1-3 of Vagabond, the account of Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest Samurai to have ever lived.
I'm not sure what kind of rock I have been living under (it was comfortable and had wifi at least) but I am just now getting around to reading this epic tale. From the get go I was completely sucked in! Takehiko Inoue draws some of the best pictures I have ever seen in a Manga and it's next to impossible to put down! Each page is breathtaking and the fight scenes are incredibly choreographed - very easy to just sit down and read the whole thing in one delicious gulp!
I'm pissed at myself for not getting around to this sooner but am so happy that I am now part of the bandwagon! This first volume is an easy 5 stars!
Keeeeeei-YA, motherfuckers!
...
Also, Granny Hon'iden can suck a big fat dick!
I'm not sure what kind of rock I have been living under (it was comfortable and had wifi at least) but I am just now getting around to reading this epic tale. From the get go I was completely sucked in! Takehiko Inoue draws some of the best pictures I have ever seen in a Manga and it's next to impossible to put down! Each page is breathtaking and the fight scenes are incredibly choreographed - very easy to just sit down and read the whole thing in one delicious gulp!
I'm pissed at myself for not getting around to this sooner but am so happy that I am now part of the bandwagon! This first volume is an easy 5 stars!
Keeeeeei-YA, motherfuckers!
...
Also, Granny Hon'iden can suck a big fat dick!
September 2, 2019
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
So I gotta say the art is super well done and the very frequent action is fucking fantastic! Very bloody and fast paced throughout. The story while not bad, is kinda meh. The characters are either annoying or meh and the story is a bit too predictable.
Overall it’s not bad but I don’t think I’m interested enough to read book 2.
3/5
So I gotta say the art is super well done and the very frequent action is fucking fantastic! Very bloody and fast paced throughout. The story while not bad, is kinda meh. The characters are either annoying or meh and the story is a bit too predictable.
Overall it’s not bad but I don’t think I’m interested enough to read book 2.
3/5
June 14, 2024
Going into Vagabond I knew only that it stood alongside Berserk as one of the best Seinen manga out there and it certainly lives up to the reputation.
Firstly, the art is amazing. What Inoue-san has done is masterful and will be remembered as one of the best artists of his time. From the attention to detail (being able to see each blade of grass in a double spread is amazing), to the way he portrays motion and fight scenes, to the emotion on characters faces...I was mesmerized by each panel of brilliance.
The story takes a few chapters to really get going, but once it does it starts throwing deep and philosophical themes at you. What does it mean to live? Is there a point to living? Are you cursed to remain what you are or can you evolve and become more? Considering the reputation of Musashi as a real historical figure and that he was not only a master swordsman but also a philosopher, I cannot wait to see how his character continues to evolve.
All of this is set to the backdrop of real historical events and having that historical background at the end to read up on really is the cherry on the cake.
Vagabond truly is something special. It's art. It's philosophy. It's fucking Samurai!!
Unfortunately for my bank account, I am hooked and will definitely have to continue the story.
Firstly, the art is amazing. What Inoue-san has done is masterful and will be remembered as one of the best artists of his time. From the attention to detail (being able to see each blade of grass in a double spread is amazing), to the way he portrays motion and fight scenes, to the emotion on characters faces...I was mesmerized by each panel of brilliance.
The story takes a few chapters to really get going, but once it does it starts throwing deep and philosophical themes at you. What does it mean to live? Is there a point to living? Are you cursed to remain what you are or can you evolve and become more? Considering the reputation of Musashi as a real historical figure and that he was not only a master swordsman but also a philosopher, I cannot wait to see how his character continues to evolve.
All of this is set to the backdrop of real historical events and having that historical background at the end to read up on really is the cherry on the cake.
Vagabond truly is something special. It's art. It's philosophy. It's fucking Samurai!!
Unfortunately for my bank account, I am hooked and will definitely have to continue the story.
May 21, 2020
There is plenty of samurai manga out there, from Lone Wolf and Cub to Blade of the Immortal, to choose from. Under the recommendation of a couple of friends, Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue became the must-read as it is a historical epic that fictionalises the life of Japanese swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, based on Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi.
Set in 1600, the two seventeen-year-olds Takezō Shinmen and Matahachi Hon'iden escape from the battlefield of Sekihagara, with the hope of their home village. What immediately stands out from the start, is the dynamic between the two young men as Matahachi seems like the innocent one who is waiting to get married when they return their home, whilst Takezō (who will later be renamed as Musashi) is the roguish one who is hated and feared by the village.
After finding housing with two women, Okō and her daughter Akemi, that’s when Takezō and Matahachi’s friendship changes, as the former is determined to get back home and the latter starts to become intimate with Okō. Things get more complicated when they are attacked by the Tsujikaze gang, and in the confusion of the fight the paths of the two men separate. Much of this initial arc is told through Matahachi’s perspective, who you may think as the main character from his initial innocence, only to be revealed as being cowardly, unfaithful and betrays the only friend he had during the journey.
As Matahachi chooses to stay with the women, Takezō decides to become a vagabond, who live in poverty and support themselves by temporary work, or welfare (where available). As he returns to his hometown, the Miyamoto village, to tell Matahachi's mother that his son is alive, she reacts hostile towards Takezō because the village detests him for his extremely violent and antisocial tendencies, and because the future of the Hon'iden gentry family is compromised now that their heir Matahachi is missing.
As the village is out to get Takezō, we get to know more of his violent but tragic youth through flashbacks as he was abandoned by his mother, shunned by his father who ferociously trained him to be a warrior, and at the age of thirteen, killed a samurai in front of the village. Having been called a demon, Takezō seems gleeful in being such and yet he does question his own existence amongst the people who hate and trying to kill him.
However, all it takes is one Buddhist monk who steals the show, and Otsū, who is Takezō’s childhood friend and Matahachi’s ex-fiancée, to help reinvigorate Takezō’s purpose in life. Considering the brutality throughout with the majority of characters being utterly horrible, Matahachi’s mother Osugi is a highlight, Inoue shows genuine emotion towards characters who are more than just hate as the friendly embrace between Takezō and Otsū, who recently learned about her fiancé’s unfaithfulness, but learns to move on.
At the age of twenty-one, Takezō (now named Musashi) arrives in Kyōto so that he can fight the swordmasters of the Yoshioka School. Somewhere else in Kyōto, a twenty-one-year-old Matahachi struggles to make money as oppose to his more financially-successful wife Okō, who works in the pleasure quarters. As the first part of the Kyōto arc, much of the storytelling is told through the action within the school as the swordsmen see Musashi as an arrogant youngster who is over his head as he wishes to challenge the man who runs the school, where there is already conflict in terms of who is the true master.
Now would be the right time to talk about Inoue’s art, because it is simply breathtaking. Done primarily in black-and-white, the art is very cinematic and being a dramatization of historical events, there are images that look dreamlike. No doubt this manga is brutal, the amount of hack-and-slash action sequences, although Musashi is all about yielding a wooden sword as he can easily break a skull with just one blow. What’s unique about this manga artistically is how the art-style would change during a number of pages, with flashbacks drawn in a sketchy style, as well as the rare moments of humour with characters that facially expressed in a cartoony fashion. As a little treat, Inoue does a sketch of any character at the end of each chapter.
This initial volume of Vagabond has been become an instant favourite as Takehiko Inoue presents a brutally honest depiction of humanity during a violent time in Japan’s history as told through the perspective of a roguish demon finding a new perspective in life and journeys to become invincible under the sun.
Set in 1600, the two seventeen-year-olds Takezō Shinmen and Matahachi Hon'iden escape from the battlefield of Sekihagara, with the hope of their home village. What immediately stands out from the start, is the dynamic between the two young men as Matahachi seems like the innocent one who is waiting to get married when they return their home, whilst Takezō (who will later be renamed as Musashi) is the roguish one who is hated and feared by the village.
After finding housing with two women, Okō and her daughter Akemi, that’s when Takezō and Matahachi’s friendship changes, as the former is determined to get back home and the latter starts to become intimate with Okō. Things get more complicated when they are attacked by the Tsujikaze gang, and in the confusion of the fight the paths of the two men separate. Much of this initial arc is told through Matahachi’s perspective, who you may think as the main character from his initial innocence, only to be revealed as being cowardly, unfaithful and betrays the only friend he had during the journey.
As Matahachi chooses to stay with the women, Takezō decides to become a vagabond, who live in poverty and support themselves by temporary work, or welfare (where available). As he returns to his hometown, the Miyamoto village, to tell Matahachi's mother that his son is alive, she reacts hostile towards Takezō because the village detests him for his extremely violent and antisocial tendencies, and because the future of the Hon'iden gentry family is compromised now that their heir Matahachi is missing.
As the village is out to get Takezō, we get to know more of his violent but tragic youth through flashbacks as he was abandoned by his mother, shunned by his father who ferociously trained him to be a warrior, and at the age of thirteen, killed a samurai in front of the village. Having been called a demon, Takezō seems gleeful in being such and yet he does question his own existence amongst the people who hate and trying to kill him.
However, all it takes is one Buddhist monk who steals the show, and Otsū, who is Takezō’s childhood friend and Matahachi’s ex-fiancée, to help reinvigorate Takezō’s purpose in life. Considering the brutality throughout with the majority of characters being utterly horrible, Matahachi’s mother Osugi is a highlight, Inoue shows genuine emotion towards characters who are more than just hate as the friendly embrace between Takezō and Otsū, who recently learned about her fiancé’s unfaithfulness, but learns to move on.
At the age of twenty-one, Takezō (now named Musashi) arrives in Kyōto so that he can fight the swordmasters of the Yoshioka School. Somewhere else in Kyōto, a twenty-one-year-old Matahachi struggles to make money as oppose to his more financially-successful wife Okō, who works in the pleasure quarters. As the first part of the Kyōto arc, much of the storytelling is told through the action within the school as the swordsmen see Musashi as an arrogant youngster who is over his head as he wishes to challenge the man who runs the school, where there is already conflict in terms of who is the true master.
Now would be the right time to talk about Inoue’s art, because it is simply breathtaking. Done primarily in black-and-white, the art is very cinematic and being a dramatization of historical events, there are images that look dreamlike. No doubt this manga is brutal, the amount of hack-and-slash action sequences, although Musashi is all about yielding a wooden sword as he can easily break a skull with just one blow. What’s unique about this manga artistically is how the art-style would change during a number of pages, with flashbacks drawn in a sketchy style, as well as the rare moments of humour with characters that facially expressed in a cartoony fashion. As a little treat, Inoue does a sketch of any character at the end of each chapter.
This initial volume of Vagabond has been become an instant favourite as Takehiko Inoue presents a brutally honest depiction of humanity during a violent time in Japan’s history as told through the perspective of a roguish demon finding a new perspective in life and journeys to become invincible under the sun.
September 16, 2018
A graphic novel on my favourite novel ever!! The original novel is more detailed and is still better but this is amazing.
December 30, 2021
"There is no light for those who do not know darkness"
In 2022, I want to try more genres. Vagabond seems a great introduction to manga / graphic novel. It is a great adaptation, but I admit that I enjoyed the most the parts that were different than the novel. This felt more like watching a movie than reading a book, but I really like it.
In 2022, I want to try more genres. Vagabond seems a great introduction to manga / graphic novel. It is a great adaptation, but I admit that I enjoyed the most the parts that were different than the novel. This felt more like watching a movie than reading a book, but I really like it.
February 6, 2011
This manga is an epic tale of Miyamoto Musashi who is considered to be the greatest samurai to have ever lived.
I am pretty sure this manga is more about artistic interpretation than actual historical facts. The biggest difference from fact to fiction is evident in Musashi's greatest rival Kojiro--who in the manga is deaf and mute though he wasn't in real life. His own story growing up and becoming a prolific, if not slightly less famous, swordsman is given the respect and time true rival should. It is also an interesting choice to have a character in a comic that cannot speak or hear. And yet he is able to accurately convey his thoughts and feelings in a way that amazes and teaches his samurai peers. Unlike Miyamoto who's path to greatness is difficult, Kojiro has a child like wonder when it comes to swordsmanship and his skill appears to be effortless and graceful.
Miyamoto Musashi's own story is one of great violence. (Readers should be warned that the art work doesn't shy away from this theme. There is a lot of death and a lot of blood.) Miyamoto pursues his goal of being "unrivaled under the sun" with fervor in the beginning killing without remorse or regret. As his fame grows his pursuit of this goal slowly starts to change and we begin to see a more philosophical side to the warrior as he (literally, sometimes) deals with his demons.
There is also a rather sad side story of Miyamoto's childhood friend. Who, unable to keep up with his famous friend, falls into a cowardly life of struggle and eventually ends up a beggar.
This is often a quiet story of meditation and small life lessons. Some of the more complex philosophical discussions are over my head, but I can still appreciate them and I am glad they're included.
While the art is unnervingly detailed at times, it's is also amazingly beautiful. New chapters often begin with a page or two done in colored watercolors that gives the panels a softer, fluid feel.
I am pretty sure this manga is more about artistic interpretation than actual historical facts. The biggest difference from fact to fiction is evident in Musashi's greatest rival Kojiro--who in the manga is deaf and mute though he wasn't in real life. His own story growing up and becoming a prolific, if not slightly less famous, swordsman is given the respect and time true rival should. It is also an interesting choice to have a character in a comic that cannot speak or hear. And yet he is able to accurately convey his thoughts and feelings in a way that amazes and teaches his samurai peers. Unlike Miyamoto who's path to greatness is difficult, Kojiro has a child like wonder when it comes to swordsmanship and his skill appears to be effortless and graceful.
Miyamoto Musashi's own story is one of great violence. (Readers should be warned that the art work doesn't shy away from this theme. There is a lot of death and a lot of blood.) Miyamoto pursues his goal of being "unrivaled under the sun" with fervor in the beginning killing without remorse or regret. As his fame grows his pursuit of this goal slowly starts to change and we begin to see a more philosophical side to the warrior as he (literally, sometimes) deals with his demons.
There is also a rather sad side story of Miyamoto's childhood friend. Who, unable to keep up with his famous friend, falls into a cowardly life of struggle and eventually ends up a beggar.
This is often a quiet story of meditation and small life lessons. Some of the more complex philosophical discussions are over my head, but I can still appreciate them and I am glad they're included.
While the art is unnervingly detailed at times, it's is also amazingly beautiful. New chapters often begin with a page or two done in colored watercolors that gives the panels a softer, fluid feel.
April 29, 2021
So this is what I've been missing all these years.
"Vagabond" tells the story of Shinmen Takezō, a wandering young man searching to become invincibile under the sun. He does this by seeking out the greatest swordsmen in the land with the goal of defeating them or dying by their hand.
Based on the real life experiences of Miyamoto Musashi, who many consider to be the greatest samurai of all time, the character we see here is angry and impatient, seemingly on a path of self destruction. It'll be a fun journey seeing him grow into the great samurai he's destined to be.
Alongside Takezō we see his childhood friend Hon'iden Matahachi going on his own journey of self discovery. He's more laid back, more inclined to drink and have fun... less intense. They're like two sides of the same coin, one angry and reckless, the other care free and cowardly.
Written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the artwork is amazing. The first few pages of each chapter is drawn in full colour and it's breathtaking. It's so different from the western style art I'm used to, every few pages I just have to stop and admire the it. It's just so beautiful.
"Vagabond" tells the story of Shinmen Takezō, a wandering young man searching to become invincibile under the sun. He does this by seeking out the greatest swordsmen in the land with the goal of defeating them or dying by their hand.
Based on the real life experiences of Miyamoto Musashi, who many consider to be the greatest samurai of all time, the character we see here is angry and impatient, seemingly on a path of self destruction. It'll be a fun journey seeing him grow into the great samurai he's destined to be.
Alongside Takezō we see his childhood friend Hon'iden Matahachi going on his own journey of self discovery. He's more laid back, more inclined to drink and have fun... less intense. They're like two sides of the same coin, one angry and reckless, the other care free and cowardly.
Written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, the artwork is amazing. The first few pages of each chapter is drawn in full colour and it's breathtaking. It's so different from the western style art I'm used to, every few pages I just have to stop and admire the it. It's just so beautiful.
November 22, 2015
Disappointing.
The artwork is captivating in this manga series, but at the same time, confusing. The artwork is supposed to allow the story to flow, but it seems to me that the artwork sometimes misses out emotion in the characters faces, or misses fight strokes and makes it a bit messy. It's hard enough reading from right to left without having to piece together the fight scenes. Also, it's splits into too many chapters and at the beginning of each chapter is starts in glorious colour and then goes to black and white! Big mistake.
The characters are good and like most samurai stories, it's a bit of a cliché story. Become the best sword fighter in the land.
I know this is a long series so I'm sure it gets a lot better but I'm not so sure I'm invested enough in this. This was three volumes in one, if I have to read more than that to being invested then I'm not interested.
This series doesn't come near to Lone wolf and cub.
The artwork is captivating in this manga series, but at the same time, confusing. The artwork is supposed to allow the story to flow, but it seems to me that the artwork sometimes misses out emotion in the characters faces, or misses fight strokes and makes it a bit messy. It's hard enough reading from right to left without having to piece together the fight scenes. Also, it's splits into too many chapters and at the beginning of each chapter is starts in glorious colour and then goes to black and white! Big mistake.
The characters are good and like most samurai stories, it's a bit of a cliché story. Become the best sword fighter in the land.
I know this is a long series so I'm sure it gets a lot better but I'm not so sure I'm invested enough in this. This was three volumes in one, if I have to read more than that to being invested then I'm not interested.
This series doesn't come near to Lone wolf and cub.
November 5, 2021
Read Vagabond. That is really all you need to know.
Regardless if it is deliberate or not, the first few chapters of Vagabond are fast, chaotic, brash and arrogant, perfectly reflecting the protagonist Takezo's extreme yet raw potential to become the best swordsman in all of Japan. The panels, though undoubtedly beautiful, are careless and carefree, almost gratuituously violent in the delivery of story.
That continues until everything calms down, and the true pacing of Vagabond takes form. Thereafter, the plot starts to reveal itself in a hero's journey that I am fully on board with.
I wonder how Takehiko Inoue manages to write two diversely different manga (Slam Dunk and Vagabond), yet both are awesome reads.
Now I can see why this is regarded as one of the best mangas ever written.
Regardless if it is deliberate or not, the first few chapters of Vagabond are fast, chaotic, brash and arrogant, perfectly reflecting the protagonist Takezo's extreme yet raw potential to become the best swordsman in all of Japan. The panels, though undoubtedly beautiful, are careless and carefree, almost gratuituously violent in the delivery of story.
That continues until everything calms down, and the true pacing of Vagabond takes form. Thereafter, the plot starts to reveal itself in a hero's journey that I am fully on board with.
I wonder how Takehiko Inoue manages to write two diversely different manga (Slam Dunk and Vagabond), yet both are awesome reads.
Now I can see why this is regarded as one of the best mangas ever written.
June 27, 2023
Giga chad
July 8, 2018
Eerste deel van een mangareeks over het leven van de krijger-filosoof Miyamoto Musashi, auteur van het geweldige 'Het boek van de vijf ringen'. Veelbelovende start, de volgende delen gaan er ook aan geloven.
February 20, 2025
“There is no light for those who do not know darkness.”
February 10, 2020
Manga from a friend
April 22, 2025
Laat op het feestje maar wat is dit peak. Holy moly!
February 20, 2023
Excellent
November 16, 2015
What I actually know about this author is he is also the author of slam dunk series. Incomparable!
Beautifully drawn, some humor and I love how Takezo aka Musashi is well described as a protecting-loving friend and a brother to Matahachi.
"We're gonna make names for ourselves", the best line that keeps repeating in my head through out this reading. #brotherhood
Beautifully drawn, some humor and I love how Takezo aka Musashi is well described as a protecting-loving friend and a brother to Matahachi.
"We're gonna make names for ourselves", the best line that keeps repeating in my head through out this reading. #brotherhood
August 28, 2020
Absolutely phenomenal manga. Art is really, really good, the story is so far excellent. It is very much a "Hollywood" take on Musashi's life but an amazing interpretation of it. Already onto the 2nd volume.
November 20, 2018
Brilliant gaphic novel, roaming Japan, what a good life to live, will read more of this authors graphic novels, Really enjoy these sorts of stories, great Samurai book
May 31, 2021
I’m really enjoying this manga so far and looking forward to following the rest of the story - the art is just amazing, I found myself going back to some pages to spend extra time appreciating it!
December 24, 2021
This magnificent manga is a visual feast! The character designs are as distinct and beautiful as the characters themselves. Every panel of art was gorgeous in its own right. Most were in black and white but still fully alive with intricate detail and skill. As an added bonus, the beginning few pages of each section treat the reader to a full color glimpse at the stunning world Inoue has created.
Based on an actual samurai called Miyamoto Musashi, this epic tale of friendship, destiny and the search for purpose is simplistic like a fable or folktale is but still engaging and effective. The dynamic cast of characters make the adventure and fighting even more fun because you actually care what happens to them.
I have recently been going through Akira Kurosawa's films starring Toshiro Mifune and was thrilled to see so many similarities in the stories! Were they pastiche, inspiration or merely residual influence from those classic samurai films? Either way, they made me love this sprawling action adventure tale all the more.
Based on an actual samurai called Miyamoto Musashi, this epic tale of friendship, destiny and the search for purpose is simplistic like a fable or folktale is but still engaging and effective. The dynamic cast of characters make the adventure and fighting even more fun because you actually care what happens to them.
I have recently been going through Akira Kurosawa's films starring Toshiro Mifune and was thrilled to see so many similarities in the stories! Were they pastiche, inspiration or merely residual influence from those classic samurai films? Either way, they made me love this sprawling action adventure tale all the more.
July 25, 2023
Ah yes, I love going on a journey with a broken main character who will find themselves over time. I have been waiting to read this for so long and it's off to an excellent start. The artwork is immaculate and has this stunning realism to it.
"There is no light for those who do not know darkness ... live on and endure the shadows!! And brightness shall come your way."
"There is no light for those who do not know darkness ... live on and endure the shadows!! And brightness shall come your way."
May 26, 2025
The first volume of Inoue’s Vagabond lays the foundation of a world and story that will lay bare the simple desires and fundamental questions all humans grapple with — who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? We watch our main character wrestle with these questions (mostly subconsciously throughout the first half) through baseless violence in this exposition, eventually landing on what I predict will be his first and most superficial life’s purpose of becoming the strongest swordsman. For a seventeen year old who only knows brutality, making the leap from a constant state of fight or flight to a goal of skill refinement is impressive. It also previews Miyamoto’s ability to evolve, giving the reader reassurance that his character is dynamic and will challenge not only himself but us as readers in future volumes.
January 23, 2025
Takehiko Inoue art is scrumptious. A great start to the saga of sticky boy.
April 2, 2021
Fucking amazing
March 30, 2024
Takehiko Inoe’s massive, muscular style is this year’s revelation for me - his sense of scale, detail, realism - but the story needs a bit more complexity to fully bring me in.
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