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Vagabond VIZBIG Omnibus Edition #6
Vagabond, Vol. 6
Battlefield
Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means—by way of the sword—makes mere survival an even greater challenge.
Sasaki Kojirō is the man destined to become Miyamoto Musashi's greatest rival and opponent in the most well-known duel in the annals of Japanese history. As a deaf-mute young man coming of age in a remote seaside village, Kojirō's innate ability with the sword compels him to become even better. This drive takes him beyond the borders of his peaceful village into the violent and chaotic world of feudal era Japan in the midst of a bloody war.
Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means—by way of the sword—makes mere survival an even greater challenge.
Sasaki Kojirō is the man destined to become Miyamoto Musashi's greatest rival and opponent in the most well-known duel in the annals of Japanese history. As a deaf-mute young man coming of age in a remote seaside village, Kojirō's innate ability with the sword compels him to become even better. This drive takes him beyond the borders of his peaceful village into the violent and chaotic world of feudal era Japan in the midst of a bloody war.
584 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2003
24 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Takehiko Inoue
316 books1,558 followersTakehiko Inoue (井上雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 22, 2018
Sasaki Kojiro and Ito Ittosai's path slowly but surely leads them to the Battle of Sekigahara, right where the series started, and Kojiro meets Musashi (then Takezo) for the very first time. We see more of the massacre that was Sekigahara in the final volume of this collection, and it's very unsettling. Ittosai is a fun character to follow, but it's a bit hard to really feel for Kojiro — we don't really know what's going on in his head since he's deaf and functionally mute, and like all the warriors he meets on his path notice, he has that innocent childish look on his face, which we know is deceiving. Overall, a strong volume, but I am starting to really miss Musashi, and his appearance in one of the later chapters only reminded me of that fact.
October 18, 2018
Moving the focus of the story of Vagabond from the trials and growth of Miyamoto Musashi to the youth and development of Sasaki Kojiro could have proven to be a bad move for Takehiko Inoue, but I think this volume has proven that it has only deepened the story and made it a much more interesting beast. The introduction of what has in essence become a new, and parallel, protagonist to Musashi has expanded the story-telling reach of Inoue and given us yet another counter-point to the story of the growth and development of a master of the sword. Having seen the wild youth of Musashi and his journey towards self-betterment and being able to compare and contrast it with the story of a similarly wild, though wildly different, youth on the same path is fascinating and both tales unexpectedly merge when thery come together upon the desolate battlefield of Sekishūsai.
Before that happens, though, we start the volume with the end of Kojiro’s initial apprenticeship under his foster-father Kanemaki Jisai. I found Jisai to be a truly interesting character in a series replete with them. He at times seems pathetic and at others merely compassionate: a man at odds with his desires, a swordsman unable to fully devote himself to the violence of his calling. We are never quite sure if he is a failure or a man who simply fails to appreciate his own wisdom, and the pathos and ultimate vindication of his life are wonderful story elements. In the end he sees Kojiro as the fulfillment of his own devotion to the sword, a justification of the choices he had once regretted, and the pupil and ‘son’ who can carry on his legacy. His unorthodox apprenticeship over and his erstwhile mentor left behind him Kojiro now sets out on his warrior pilgrimage with Jisai’s former pupil (and source of his initial fall from grace) Yagoro, better known as Itto Ittōsai the creator of the famous Itto-Ryu fighting style.
Ittōsai, a man both jovial and bloodthirsty is another favourite for me. He is, like so many others in the story a warrior devoted to the sword, but one who, unlike many of the others, does not seem to see any conflict with also enjoying the other elements of the world around him. He is something of a breath of fresh air, a laughing killer who delights in subverting the expectations of others but who has a worldly wisdom of his own.
We are also introduced to a brand new character, the cocky blowhard Gonnosuke who came across, to me at least, as an ironic tip of the hat to more traditional manga ‘super martial artist‘ characters with his headband, spiky hair, painted face, and outlandish garb. He almost seems like a character who would be better suited to Dragonball Z than this title, and yet he’s also a fair bit of fun as he comes to see that his initial arrogance is unwarranted in the face of warriors such as Kojiro and Ittōsai.
I enjoyed seeing how Inoue has played with time in the past few volumes, moving forward and backward in his story’s timeline and his characters' lives to give us a richer experience. This has managed to strengthen his storylines with an intricate weave of connected people and events seen from multiple angles and points of view. One small example would be the development of the character of Tenki, Kojiro’s only real childhood friend, whose story (minor though it may be) is leading to a tragic end. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young man, setting out hopefully on his first great adventure as he goes on the road in search of Kojiro with the last testament of Jisai in the certain that he will make a name for himself. The reader knows that his great hopes will all end in pointless bloodshed and, minor as this character may be in the grand scheme of things, his small tale is one of the many threads from throughout the series that are starting to come together weaving a greater whole out of its many parts.
As I have mentioned again and again in my reviews of these volumes all of the stories centre on the devotion of the characters to the way of the sword, but despite their commonalities how varied these characters are! I think, in the end, my great enjoyment of this title has come down most of all to that very thing: the characters. All of them could have been simply a ‘type’, but they instead seem to live and breathe on the pages, displaying the myriad of differences and complexities all humans express, even those with a shared driving obsession that ties them all together.
Before that happens, though, we start the volume with the end of Kojiro’s initial apprenticeship under his foster-father Kanemaki Jisai. I found Jisai to be a truly interesting character in a series replete with them. He at times seems pathetic and at others merely compassionate: a man at odds with his desires, a swordsman unable to fully devote himself to the violence of his calling. We are never quite sure if he is a failure or a man who simply fails to appreciate his own wisdom, and the pathos and ultimate vindication of his life are wonderful story elements. In the end he sees Kojiro as the fulfillment of his own devotion to the sword, a justification of the choices he had once regretted, and the pupil and ‘son’ who can carry on his legacy. His unorthodox apprenticeship over and his erstwhile mentor left behind him Kojiro now sets out on his warrior pilgrimage with Jisai’s former pupil (and source of his initial fall from grace) Yagoro, better known as Itto Ittōsai the creator of the famous Itto-Ryu fighting style.
Ittōsai, a man both jovial and bloodthirsty is another favourite for me. He is, like so many others in the story a warrior devoted to the sword, but one who, unlike many of the others, does not seem to see any conflict with also enjoying the other elements of the world around him. He is something of a breath of fresh air, a laughing killer who delights in subverting the expectations of others but who has a worldly wisdom of his own.
We are also introduced to a brand new character, the cocky blowhard Gonnosuke who came across, to me at least, as an ironic tip of the hat to more traditional manga ‘super martial artist‘ characters with his headband, spiky hair, painted face, and outlandish garb. He almost seems like a character who would be better suited to Dragonball Z than this title, and yet he’s also a fair bit of fun as he comes to see that his initial arrogance is unwarranted in the face of warriors such as Kojiro and Ittōsai.
I enjoyed seeing how Inoue has played with time in the past few volumes, moving forward and backward in his story’s timeline and his characters' lives to give us a richer experience. This has managed to strengthen his storylines with an intricate weave of connected people and events seen from multiple angles and points of view. One small example would be the development of the character of Tenki, Kojiro’s only real childhood friend, whose story (minor though it may be) is leading to a tragic end. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the young man, setting out hopefully on his first great adventure as he goes on the road in search of Kojiro with the last testament of Jisai in the certain that he will make a name for himself. The reader knows that his great hopes will all end in pointless bloodshed and, minor as this character may be in the grand scheme of things, his small tale is one of the many threads from throughout the series that are starting to come together weaving a greater whole out of its many parts.
As I have mentioned again and again in my reviews of these volumes all of the stories centre on the devotion of the characters to the way of the sword, but despite their commonalities how varied these characters are! I think, in the end, my great enjoyment of this title has come down most of all to that very thing: the characters. All of them could have been simply a ‘type’, but they instead seem to live and breathe on the pages, displaying the myriad of differences and complexities all humans express, even those with a shared driving obsession that ties them all together.
October 14, 2024
This series continues to excel with all the things unsaid. It’s truly ART and its language is through the visuals. Love it so much.
April 30, 2020
After having taken a bit of a sidetrack following another character/story line, we get back, or we get at, the junction where everything get back into the same track/story line. Very interesting, lot of action and stunning art! Awesome!
February 22, 2017
Volume 16 - 3 Stars
Although I love this manga and Kojirō's story I miss Musashi ! However in saying that I'm enjoying Sasaki's story as it goes on. His bloodlust is so strange I cannot believe how intense it is quite honestly. I'm enjoying the character involvement and the art as always, it's the little things that make up the beauty of his work, there was a page where Yogarō just stops in his tracks and let's the wind breeze, I remember reading that and falling into calmness at the simplicity and atmospheric nature of the moment. I love Takehiko's Vagabond !
Volume 17 - 4 Stars
What a great volume, Sasaki finally leaving home, Jisai's analysation of this event was so interesting and saddening to read. The fighting sequences were really well done and it was cool to see Den as less of a brutal fighter then I've previously seen. I think the whole Sasaki story in terms of Matahachi stealing his identity will be surprising to read about, could it possibly have been Tenki who was killed ? I can't exactly remember the face of the ronin who was killed but I think the 'real' Kojirō may still be alive :O
Volume 18 - 5 Stars
YESS THE RETURN OF THE BEAST, FINALLY MUSASHI !! That volume was epic ! It was really great to get more insight as to what the battle of Sekigahara was like and really smart on Inoue's behalf to add Sasaki's story in with the introduction to Takezō, very smart and definitely entertaining to read, I absolutely love the training sequences where Kojirō practice's the way of the sword at night, and Sasaki and Musashi's almost battle was really quite nice to see, the sudden mutual respect,I think that was really cool I love this series and cannot wait to continue!
Although I love this manga and Kojirō's story I miss Musashi ! However in saying that I'm enjoying Sasaki's story as it goes on. His bloodlust is so strange I cannot believe how intense it is quite honestly. I'm enjoying the character involvement and the art as always, it's the little things that make up the beauty of his work, there was a page where Yogarō just stops in his tracks and let's the wind breeze, I remember reading that and falling into calmness at the simplicity and atmospheric nature of the moment. I love Takehiko's Vagabond !
Volume 17 - 4 Stars
What a great volume, Sasaki finally leaving home, Jisai's analysation of this event was so interesting and saddening to read. The fighting sequences were really well done and it was cool to see Den as less of a brutal fighter then I've previously seen. I think the whole Sasaki story in terms of Matahachi stealing his identity will be surprising to read about, could it possibly have been Tenki who was killed ? I can't exactly remember the face of the ronin who was killed but I think the 'real' Kojirō may still be alive :O
Volume 18 - 5 Stars
YESS THE RETURN OF THE BEAST, FINALLY MUSASHI !! That volume was epic ! It was really great to get more insight as to what the battle of Sekigahara was like and really smart on Inoue's behalf to add Sasaki's story in with the introduction to Takezō, very smart and definitely entertaining to read, I absolutely love the training sequences where Kojirō practice's the way of the sword at night, and Sasaki and Musashi's almost battle was really quite nice to see, the sudden mutual respect,I think that was really cool I love this series and cannot wait to continue!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2021
Takehiko Inoue revitalizes the manga with a brief absence of Musashi Miyamoto in favor of telling the story of the equally important character, (the true) Sasaki Kojiro. This arc took me to interesting takes on the way of the sword, humanizing the characters while still delivering memorable fights. The artwork as usual is so mesmerizing to look at, with one of the most beautiful manga spreads I have ever read. This volume is childish, sweet, and brutal.
The Kojiro arc is building up to be my most favorite Vagabond arc yet.
The Kojiro arc is building up to be my most favorite Vagabond arc yet.
September 19, 2023
4.5/5 stars
This manga is so good I'm out here crying over a sword.
This manga is so good I'm out here crying over a sword.
July 26, 2021
In the last volume, almost all of the story was dedicated to Kojiro Sasaki, a small deaf boy growing up in a beachside village, raised by a former master Samurai.
This volume continues, and concludes Kojiro's story for now. It's unusual for an ongoing series to suddenly stop everything and go off to follow some other character, but it's artistically done here that I can't help but want to see more from the character.
I'm sure I will, but eventually he'll be facing off against Musashi Miyamoto and I'll be dreading it because thanks to this two volumes I'm not sure which character I like more.
I feel bad for Kojiro. I'm often left wondering what he makes of everything. Being deaf and only able to communicate through writing or via the sword, he must be really confused a lot of the time. I think at heart he's a good person, but without a proper parent or guide, I see a dark ending to this path he's on.
The artwork is outstanding as usual, but I find myself so engrossed by the story I have to force myself to stop and look at it before rushing to the next page.
This volume continues, and concludes Kojiro's story for now. It's unusual for an ongoing series to suddenly stop everything and go off to follow some other character, but it's artistically done here that I can't help but want to see more from the character.
I'm sure I will, but eventually he'll be facing off against Musashi Miyamoto and I'll be dreading it because thanks to this two volumes I'm not sure which character I like more.
I feel bad for Kojiro. I'm often left wondering what he makes of everything. Being deaf and only able to communicate through writing or via the sword, he must be really confused a lot of the time. I think at heart he's a good person, but without a proper parent or guide, I see a dark ending to this path he's on.
The artwork is outstanding as usual, but I find myself so engrossed by the story I have to force myself to stop and look at it before rushing to the next page.
March 30, 2023
DUDE THIS WAS AWESOME!!!
Vagabond has quickly risen the ranks of my favorite series'. Now we get to see the legacy that Saski Kojiro has been unintentionally building for himself. Not to mention the reveal of Tenki being the man Matahachi found dead and took on the Kojiro name.
Musashi cameo was amazing! Finally being able to see the events of The Battle of Shakighara.
This book is beautiful!
10/10
Vagabond has quickly risen the ranks of my favorite series'. Now we get to see the legacy that Saski Kojiro has been unintentionally building for himself. Not to mention the reveal of Tenki being the man Matahachi found dead and took on the Kojiro name.
Musashi cameo was amazing! Finally being able to see the events of The Battle of Shakighara.
This book is beautiful!
10/10
March 29, 2024
A great look into the character of kojiro a deaf swordsman linking nicely into the introduction of the very first volume. A very interesting exploration of its continued themes and as always beautiful illustrations that seem to flow as you look at them.
Looking forward to continuing the story in the next volume and hoping to see more of musashi again next volume.
Looking forward to continuing the story in the next volume and hoping to see more of musashi again next volume.
June 8, 2023
So much can be said without spoken word
March 31, 2022
The spoiler warning is mainly because I'm going to be comparing this with Eiji Yoshikowa's series that this is based on, so if I may be mentioning things from that series that have yet to happen in this one that could be spoilers, so fair warning.
I'm a fan of Yoshikowa's series while at the same time I think it's overly melodramatic and it seems to have a similar issue as this series has: namely it seems to lose interest in the main character of Musashi for large chunks of time, if in different ways.
It's interesting to note the changes in the versions, I don't know if Yoshikawa felt that Musashi needed more of a villain as an opponent, but Kojiro was definitely not portrayed in a very favorable light in that series. He was also quite the motor mouth and agitator, so him now being deaf and more or less mute is going to bring about some changes.
One thing that I'm not sure I'm a fan of Inoue doing is having everyone run into one another so much. Now Kojiro was at the battle of Sekigahara, accompanied by Gonnosuke (who in the books was a companion of Musashi's) where they bump into Musashi, and before that he battles Denischiro. You'd think Japan consisted of three villages or something.
I like the art a lot, the battles can sometimes be a bit tedious at times, how many panels there must be of two swordsmen just huffing and puffing at one another is an interesting thing to ponder, you could probably have an entire vizbig book of it! I like that they have given Otsu a bit more agency, her sole purpose in life doesn't seem to be to chase after Musashi. Not sure what random samurai having sex with hot naked ladies brings to the story exactly, but it's usually pretty brief and just a little funny the way it's inserted into the story.
I'm interested to see where it goes from here, I'm a little Kojiro'd out, ready to see what's going on with Musashi and Mathachi and I suppose his mother also. I know we're halfway through the series as far as it's likely to go, some big events should be coming up pretty soon, Inoue doesn't seem to have a lot of difficulty veering away from the source material so we'll see how he ends up having it all occur.
I'm a fan of Yoshikowa's series while at the same time I think it's overly melodramatic and it seems to have a similar issue as this series has: namely it seems to lose interest in the main character of Musashi for large chunks of time, if in different ways.
It's interesting to note the changes in the versions, I don't know if Yoshikawa felt that Musashi needed more of a villain as an opponent, but Kojiro was definitely not portrayed in a very favorable light in that series. He was also quite the motor mouth and agitator, so him now being deaf and more or less mute is going to bring about some changes.
One thing that I'm not sure I'm a fan of Inoue doing is having everyone run into one another so much. Now Kojiro was at the battle of Sekigahara, accompanied by Gonnosuke (who in the books was a companion of Musashi's) where they bump into Musashi, and before that he battles Denischiro. You'd think Japan consisted of three villages or something.
I like the art a lot, the battles can sometimes be a bit tedious at times, how many panels there must be of two swordsmen just huffing and puffing at one another is an interesting thing to ponder, you could probably have an entire vizbig book of it! I like that they have given Otsu a bit more agency, her sole purpose in life doesn't seem to be to chase after Musashi. Not sure what random samurai having sex with hot naked ladies brings to the story exactly, but it's usually pretty brief and just a little funny the way it's inserted into the story.
I'm interested to see where it goes from here, I'm a little Kojiro'd out, ready to see what's going on with Musashi and Mathachi and I suppose his mother also. I know we're halfway through the series as far as it's likely to go, some big events should be coming up pretty soon, Inoue doesn't seem to have a lot of difficulty veering away from the source material so we'll see how he ends up having it all occur.
April 26, 2019
8.5/10
Still very much enjoying this arc but I’m ready to get back to the main plot.
Still very much enjoying this arc but I’m ready to get back to the main plot.
September 11, 2022
Inoue draws the most beautiful men I have ever seen
November 4, 2021
In Volume 5, Takehiko Inoue makes a sudden departure from the main narrative to take a deep dive into the backstory of Miyamoto Musashi's nemesis, Sasaki Kojiro. This is the best volume of the series since the masterful Volume 2, not only for its unparalleled artwork but in the use of narrative devices to elevate the material. I finished this volume in literally one sitting, never getting up from my beanbag chair from beginning to end.
This is a story that ultimately boils down to different mercenaries cutting each other down with swords, and would ultimately become reductive in the hands of a lesser author. Inoue elevates the material as the story progresses through the greatest artwork I have ever seen in any comic or graphic novel (and this is coming from someone who is reading this concurrently with Berserk, one library visit at a time). The Sasaki Kojiro arc is particularly impressive for its depiction of water elements: in combat along the seashore near Kojiro's childhood home, and during his exhibitions with stragglers at the Battle of Sekigahara, where the author's linework effortlessly incorporates the mortal combat with, horses, pouring rain and puddles of mud.
The author is a genius at writing the story with one hand tied behind his back. The design principle of the story-world elevates the material so that the reader is confronted with unusual situations, and can deftly grasp the broader themes of the story. In this volume, the author's limitation is that the main character is deaf, and as a result of this cannot understand or respond to what people say to him. 90% of communication is nonverbal, and Sasaki Kojiro certainly speaks with his sword, or his silence acts as a mirror for the motivations of the samurai he interacts with. - 10/28/21
This is a story that ultimately boils down to different mercenaries cutting each other down with swords, and would ultimately become reductive in the hands of a lesser author. Inoue elevates the material as the story progresses through the greatest artwork I have ever seen in any comic or graphic novel (and this is coming from someone who is reading this concurrently with Berserk, one library visit at a time). The Sasaki Kojiro arc is particularly impressive for its depiction of water elements: in combat along the seashore near Kojiro's childhood home, and during his exhibitions with stragglers at the Battle of Sekigahara, where the author's linework effortlessly incorporates the mortal combat with, horses, pouring rain and puddles of mud.
The author is a genius at writing the story with one hand tied behind his back. The design principle of the story-world elevates the material so that the reader is confronted with unusual situations, and can deftly grasp the broader themes of the story. In this volume, the author's limitation is that the main character is deaf, and as a result of this cannot understand or respond to what people say to him. 90% of communication is nonverbal, and Sasaki Kojiro certainly speaks with his sword, or his silence acts as a mirror for the motivations of the samurai he interacts with. - 10/28/21
June 30, 2020
I'm glad I blindly picked up this series. Each book gets better and better and the only issue is that there are only 12 volumes and this marks half way to the end. Up until book 4 the readers hail Takezo as the invincible one, can he ever be beat? But now I think we have an answer. Vol 6 takes us further into the life of Kojiro and also makes us reconsider certain other characters as well. The final chapters were pure fan service as the two main protagonists of this amazing series meet for the very first time, briefly. And I really loved the way Inoue used the eyes for both Takezo and Kojiro as a way of contrast, one being dovey eyed and the other a feral animal but both equally blood thirsty . Definitely looking forward to how all this unravels. But I'm being drawn to that famous movie dialog, what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Who really is invincible under the sun!?
August 10, 2023
The story of Jisai, Ito and Kojiro continues in this one with some amazing fight sequences and we finally head back to the Musashi storyline in this one. It was amazing how we finally start reading about whatever happened at the Battle of Sekigahara which is kind of the starting point of the whole Musashi story. It has some bad ass action sequences and seeing two of your favorite characters in the series so far together is pure bliss. This is the half way point of the series and i have to say pages do really fly in this series once u start reading. There is a flurry of emotions and you really start missing some characters at times and think what they are doing which means the world building is done so so right. This one brings in some more characters into the mix and this one actually being 4 years before the where the actual storyline is right now.. means the flashback is still in effect :D
September 16, 2025
Bit of a short review. Kojiro arc continues thru the whole book. When I was first reading I was just thinking, (so like where da helly is this Musashi guy or something??? 🤨🤨🤨😢) dw he’s hiding in there somewhere in this book. Not much else to say aside from how awesome the art is and I wish this got turned into an anime which I know it most likely never will but sometimes I can’t help but hear how most of the characters sound. Speaking of one character, he sexually harassed kojiro momentarily cancel him, he must commit die now. Anyway kojiro is still sayin Ah! Takehiko gotta give this guy some better lines bro, can’t wait for Kojiro to get over this whole chronically deaf thing and start dropping some bars. ♨️♨️💯
June 11, 2025
It was tough trying to get into Kojiro's story when I wasn't ready to leave Musashi's. In fact, I kinda had to push through this volume until close to the end when I finally felt invested in Kojiro's story. It was pretty cool to see that he and Musashi had a meeting at the Battle of Sekigahara, right before we meet Musashi at the beginning of the series. I really enjoyed Jisai's story arc as well.
The artwork continues to be astounding and makes it hard to rate any of these less than 4 stars, even if I didn't enjoy the story as much.
The artwork continues to be astounding and makes it hard to rate any of these less than 4 stars, even if I didn't enjoy the story as much.
November 16, 2025
This volume is amazing- I’m honestly enjoying the beginning of Kojiro’s story even more than I did Takezo’s. The return of the madman that is Ito Itossai brings this story in a whole new direction. I didn’t expect to see Yoshioka in this narrative and it just widens the web that Inoue is weaving. His battle against Kojiro is excellent and makes me very excited to see them meet again. Kojiro leaving the Village to travel with Itossai is such a game changer and I love the vibes. The color pages Inoue drew are unbelievable as well
August 12, 2021
Először kicsit csalódtam, hogy elhagyjuk Musashit és teljesen máshol folytatjuk, ráadásul időben is visszalépünk. De miután kiderült, hogy ez az eddigi legjobb story arc azóta alig vártam, hogy Sasaki Kojiro sztorija folytatódjon. Kojiro és Jisai története külön-külön is gyönyörűen felépített a kettőjük kapcsolata meg frankón könnyeket csalt a szememből. Elképesztő, hogy egyre jobb lesz ez a könyv ennyi idő után is.
November 10, 2025
I didn’t know if I would like books 6. Due to the end of book five musashi took a back seat and we learned about the well written character Kojiro.
That being said seeing konjiro grow up and leave with yogoro hit me. Kojiro was growing up. Even though he is mute his abilities are amazing.
Seeing him fight den on the beach was a great watch.
Then to team up with Takezo, amazing.
Onto book 7.
That being said seeing konjiro grow up and leave with yogoro hit me. Kojiro was growing up. Even though he is mute his abilities are amazing.
Seeing him fight den on the beach was a great watch.
Then to team up with Takezo, amazing.
Onto book 7.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2023
I’m really liking the focus on Kojirō, there’s so much depth developed in all of the “side characters” in the story. The contrast between Kojirō’s calm and detached fighting style and Musashi’s wild and erratic style will make the battle between them very interesting. Looking forward to the last 6 Volumes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2025
One of the best in the series so far. I really enjoyed the storyline’s here and the action was quite good. This is one of those rare series where the action is the most boring parts of the manga, as I find the philosophy and characters within this story far more fascinating than the individual battles.
April 2, 2022
Wow, just wow. I didn't think the series could get any better, but damn I was wrong! This volume upped the story, the characters, THE ART! I was blown away chapter after chapter.
I think that Kojiro is my absolute favorite character so far.
I think that Kojiro is my absolute favorite character so far.
February 25, 2023
4.4 Stars
After abandoning his life again, Matahachi decides he wants to become great by following the way of the sword. He steals the name “Sasaki Kojiro” and kills a samurai who robbed him in Osaka.
After Miyamoto runs from his defeat from Inshun, he starts training in the forest for Inshun.
After abandoning his life again, Matahachi decides he wants to become great by following the way of the sword. He steals the name “Sasaki Kojiro” and kills a samurai who robbed him in Osaka.
After Miyamoto runs from his defeat from Inshun, he starts training in the forest for Inshun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2023
While I find Kojirō to be less interesting than Takezo in general; I think this volume really made me care about Kojirō. If you're having trouble getting into Kojirō's story in Vol5 I would suggest sticking with it as this volume starts to tie a lot of things together.
January 14, 2024
A beautiful story that gets our cast of characters from volume 5 to the beginning of Musashi's story. There is a lot of spectacular action in this volume and the art continues to be exceptional. The facial expressions convey so much emotion and go a long way in delivering a powerful narrative.
April 24, 2024
Every time I open one of these volumes I am humbled and awed by the art. As this volume follows sasaki Kojiro who is deaf and mute this becomes even more apparent. So little is said but so much is said by the panels as the story of Kojiro unfolds up until the moment he meets Musashi.
February 7, 2025
I really like how his deaf child developed. Also I really like how cold this guys is. This duo is something diffrent then other duos which are created in manga. Other insides but the same outside apperience
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