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One of Takehiko Inoue’s best works to date is the Vagabond manga, a samurai epic that he has been writing since the late ’90s. Based on the critically acclaimed book Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, Vagabond follows the life of the samurai Miyamoto Musashi after the Battle of Sekigahara. It is based on a true historical story.
The feudal kingdoms that had been in conflict with one another joined together to create the new Tokugawa Shogunate at this time. This compelling manga story masterfully captures the upheaval and ferocious savagery of the time.
Vagabond is a true story based on the life of Miyamoto Musashi
The protagonist of the Vagabond series was Miyamoto Musashi, one of the finest swordsmen in Japanese history. He won his first duel against an experienced samurai when he was 13. However, the manga starts when he is in his early 20s, and his talent has developed.
Miyamoto wrote the fundamental text on Japanese swordsmanship. He participated in one of the key battles in Japanese history and was unbeatable in one-on-one fighting. The honorific title "sensei," or "sword-saint," was bestowed upon Musashi for his boundless vigor and focus.
He is one of the most intriguing historical figures in Japanese history, and the manga does an excellent job of capturing just how complex, emotionally and physically, he was. Being a nomad can be somewhat of an emotional roller coaster. There are intensely happy and dreadful moments.
Inoue is particularly good at holding the audience's attention for as long as the action develops to a pivotal point. As a result, following the lengthy buildup to them, even seemingly insignificant strokes of luck appear all the more exciting.
Musashi's journey is made all the more meaningful and personal by the fact that the adversaries are so appalling that it's impossible to feel terrible for him as he struggles through everything they put him through.
In Vagabond's combat scenes, the throbbing clash of swords when anyone's next move could be their demise is captured to the hilt. Driven by pure resolve, samurai thrust their bleeding, broken bodies forward as katanas clash against one another.
However, this series is particularly good at conveying the stressful moments between fights when rivals square up, hearts pounding, and breaths labored as they prepare for the next challenge knowing that success or death lies ahead.
Vagabond's fame is also a result of the masterfully drawn quiet moments, despite all of his astounding actions. Because of the different methods he has found for recording movement in combat situations, every conflict is thrilling.
All about Vagabond's serialization
Vagabond has been serialized in the seinen manga publication Morning by Kodansha since September 1998. The chapters have been assembled into 37 tankobon volumes as of July 2014. Under a license, Viz Media has, as of April 2015, published all 37 volumes of the series in English in North America. The series' most recent chapter, released in May 2015, is on a protracted hiatus.
It is one of the all-time best-selling manga series, with over 82 million copies in print as of December 2012. In 2000, it received the 24th Kodansha Manga Award for Best General Manga, and in 2002, it received the 6th Tezuka Osamu Culture Prize Grand Prize.
