[Review/Rant] Vagabond
Vagabond. A manga that makes my adoration to my beloved mangaka, Takehiko Inoue, trebled.
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—one of the most celebrated samurai of all time!
Vagabond portrays a fictionalized account of Miyamoto Musashi’s life, on a loose adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel “Musashi”.
adapted from : Mangaupdates
That’s the short summary about this amazing manga.
At first, when I started reading this manga …around four days ago? I was kinda questioning myself whether I’ll be able to follow it. The gore contents was kinda overwhelming me and I feel that I can’t take it anymore. However, since it’s from Inoue sensei, and I was curious about this manga for a long time now, since I read the article from my local manga magazine that implied Vagabond is a work of genius from sensei. So despite it all, I continued reading it… and, without myself noticed it, I found I’m already at chapter 20 and from then on, I can’t seems to stop myself from wanting to read more!
It’s very different from Sensei’s previous work, that more focused to basketball and school life kinda genre.Although, I only have read sensei’s Slam Dunk and Real, but still, reading Vagabond… it makes you just idolized him more. Frankly speaking, I’m not into Seinen cause I know that the genre will have a mature content in it, which I not really despised, but I just can’t tolerate it and to be honest, I was starting to read this manga without knowing it has ‘seinen’ genre in it…and added “mature” at that too. That’s why, at first I was kinda shocked to see a mature content in it. However, I still like this manga because of the awesomeness just killed any disturbing thought I’m having when seeing the ‘M’ content or any nudity panel. It just gives me the feeling of seeing a nature of art, totally different from any seinen manga I’ve encountered so far.
The characters that Inoue sensei created , somehow, he had bring each one of them to life. Instead of reading manga, you feel like you’ve witnesses a real life drama action. It fills you with every kind of emotions; sadness, hatred, anger, joy. You can’t help but shows that kind of emotion on your facial expression when you read this manga. Trust me. you will!
My favorite character in Vagabond, I shall say the main protagonist; Miyamoto Musashi aka Takezo. He is a very fine young man even though his desires to become strong and invincible make him look like he was some kind of a demon/beast. Seeing this character went to his journey, challenging every strong swordsmen in history, and slowly seeing how he evolves to be a great samurai, I must say, it was a very joyful moment for me.
Musashi VS Inshun is my most favorite battle of Musashi. Here, he was very naive. Believing he was already strong enough to challenge the head of Hozoin; he marches there without giving a second thought. It’s kinda sad seeing him run away from the fight when he fought with Inshun for the first time, and seeing Jotaro, his disciple leave him, i feel sorry for Musashi. Still, Musashi didn’t wanna back down from the fight. He know he had humiliated himself but he just wanna be strong and willing to learn from his mistake by asking In’ei for a training. At this point, I can’t help but thinking,he is an admirable person! The second time he fought with Inshun, he won and he had left me overjoyed by his victory. He grown again. Musashi…he had face many battle, but I wonder why during his fight with Inshun that I found very… inspiring.
Sasaki Kojiro is my second favorite character in this manga. He’s a very talented swordsman, I must say, a prodigy? He’s deaf, but that is, I think the advantage he has to become one with his sword, so Kuon said. He has more time to listen to his body. His caretaker, Jisai’s past managed to make me shed a tears. Where he found Kojiro almost drown in the sea, he took care of him as his own son and that one time where he left him in front of one of he villager home (the one he become acquaintance with) and then he come back crying and asked them to give him back Kojiro… tears keeps flowing from my eyes. It’s such a sad moment. When kojiro grown up, his interest in sword becomes much more stronger. Jisai , he is unwilling to teach Kojiro the way of sword cause of this one incident, but battling with him every single day proves that he silently teaching him. Deep down, Jisai just feels lonely. If Kojiro goes travelling to sharpen his swordsmanship, he, again will be left alone and this happens when Itou Ittousai came to visit him and take Kojira away on a journey. Jisai… is a very good man…is what I truly felt in the end… However, only one thing that I dislike about Kojiro, that is his habit of sleeping around with woman…. orz.
The character I despised here is Matahachi! I hated him so much I don’t remember his full name… OTL. He was a 17 years old boy who went to the battlefield with his childhood friend, Takezo, trying to make a name of himself. But sadly, he was drown in his lust and he left Takezo alone fighting with the bandit, while he, behind the bushes, satisfying his body lust with the woman who took care of them while they were injured after the war. It makes my blood boil!! and to think Takezo had to bear the villagers curses him as a demon, and his mom blaming Takezo for leaving him behind…it’s so nerve-wrecking I feel like I could just kill him! When he saw Takezo alive, he was determined to change himself… but he only knows how to talk. Lying his own way to live through the days, he is a disgrace to all mankind. Though, it’s surprising when I learned that at the later chapter, he was the old man that telling a story about Musashi and Kojiro… I hate him, but seeing that old face nothing like him at all, I began to cool down a bit. But still HATE MATAHACHI! I too hate his mother, but when she died I thought I feel happy about it… and I was wrong. I feel sad instead and her past managed to make my hatred towards her vanish.
In four days ..more or less, I completed all the 290 chapters. It’s getting interesting by every chapter and now, I can’t wait for chapter 291 to get scanlated. If this manga available in my local store, I definitely buy it. It’s worth it!
My rant isn’t that convincing how awesome this Vagabond is, I know that. But if you read this and curious about this manga, go on ahead, go read it! You’ll never regret it!
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