Vagabond is the representation of a "Peak experience" As I believe no other piece of media shall offer a better experience then Vagabond... A one of a kind catharsis that offers millions.
Story 10/10
A story based on the novel "Musashi (1939)" by Eiji Yoshikawa, Vagabond is about a samurai called Takezo who goes around from place to place to fight well known samurai to become "Invisible under the sun" or "Unrivaled under the heavens"
While the plot isn't really complicated nor is it experimental, the story is still a 10, due to the sheer amount of emotion and depth that the characters feel towards the events that happen in the story, and those said events, are thought provoking enough to make you change your perspective towards certain things in life. Hell, due to the circumstances of the story, even the first 3 volumes are enough to give you an emotional attachment towards our main character. This is a fully character driven story, as the story itself is about characters who grow up and become mature and wise as the years go by.. The importance of human life, Deafness, Regret, True strength, the human condition are some of the many heavy themes that this manga has... And are one of the many reasons on why this manga feels so "real"
A rather simple plot done beautifully with its characters and themes... And of course, the art.
Art 10/10
The most notable part of Vagabond is the jaw-dropping art and art style it has.. Inoue's art is easily the best out of any manga from what I've seen, the realistic action, backgrounds, facial expressions, symbolisms, are what make Vagabond an art piece.
The realistic art style that Vagabond has is also a big reason on why it feels "real", it's like your reading a part of history. The art imitates the things in real things in real life, like forests, sword fights, sceneries, but Vagabond makes it better, every sheer detail that Inoue put in his manga, is just fascinating. The sceneries, the shadings are greatly used on certain scenes, to further express on what the characters are feeling, the symbolism and the facial expression are also amazingly used for characterization. The fights were amazing and brutal, the way Inoue painted them was very, very intricate, those fights also had great characterization. You can even see development through the way they fought.
Everything about the art of Vagabond is just... Peak.
Characters - 10/10
Vagabond's highest peak, the characters
Takezo/Musashi has one of the best, if not the best characterization I have ever seen in fiction. The masterfully written development he goes through made me cry when I looked back on Vagabond after finishing it.
As many know, Takezo or Musashi was a real person who lived back in the 1600's, from a man who only knew how to fight to a philosopher who wrote books. This manga shows on how he changed, on how he progressed from a near monster to a man full of wisdom. This philosophical intropsective journey of Musashi can make you grow, like Musashi himself, as he went with his journey, he began to question everything he believed in, be it mindset, his goal, what he actually wants. The philosophy of Vagabond... Is truly beautiful. The story of Vagabond, like I said earlier is about the progression of the characters, and how they grew up as the years went by.. Musashi isn't the only protagonist in Vagabond, in fact there are three, though the narrative is mostly directed on Musashi.
The second one is Honiden Matahachi, Musashi's childhood friend, and probably the most relatable character in Vagabond. Whom at first was a compulsive liar and a man driven by greed, he went on a path way different to his childhood friend, Musashi.
The last one is Sasaki Kojiro, Musashi's rival. Kojiro is a very unique character, as he is deaf, we don't get to see any real dialogue from him, so we can only interpret his mindset through his actions and his expressions. Due to him being deaf, his other senses are heightened making him an exceptional swordsman.
The side characters are also impeccable, due to the impact they did upon the characters and the story. Every, and I mean every character in Vagabond who's driven by the sword, had a different goal, and a different path on why they chose the sword. And that's what make this manga special amongst many others. Vagabond is a manga that is full of soul and emotion, every character felt real, heck even realer than real.
Enjoyment - 10/10
I enjoyed this manga very goddamn much, I felt a lot of emotions during my read, I cried, I laughed, I learned, and I felt amazing. My love for this manga can't be expressed by mere words, as it is my favorite manga, and my second favorite piece of fiction. This unfinished masterpiece shall remain in my heart until I die.
As said by my friend, "Vagabond is a way of life"
If you want to read a manga that can teach and personally impact you, then please, read Vagabond
Thank you if you read my review all the way.
