One of the no-excuses best manga I’ve ever read, Vagabond is deeply absorbing, richly illustrated, and practically drips with blood excitement. I love this book, and any fan of the era, samurai in general, or Musashi in particular will be thrilled with this edition. Three books bound into one handy volume not only cuts down on any pesky putting-down of a volume, but actually makes it easier to keep this thrilling narrative going until you run out of pages.
The story opens with a 17-year-old young warrior from Miyamoto village, Takezo Shinmen, and his young friend Matahachi, as they realize that the war they left home to join isn’t quite what they expected. Each is surprised to have survived their first battle, at Sekigahara, and they make plans to continue fighting and make names for themselves
When enemy soldiers discover these survivors is our first glimpse of the wild-eyed killer lurking inside Takezo, and we get a feel of the terror that must have stricken his enemies at meeting his gaze.
We follow the two friends as they meet some attractive looters, and as the skilled and merciless Takezo absolutely shreds the enemies they meet while his more…reserved (read: cowardly) friend Matahachi discovers an alternate path to survival. After returning home alone to his mountain village, Takezo encounters his childhood friend, Oko (who has always had a a soft spot for the untamed Takezo) and a concerned monk, who attempt to convince the reckless warrior to stop foolishly throwing his skill (and possibly his life) away fighting for nothing and turn his goals toward being the greatest swordsman in all of Japan.
Flawless art and rich, seamless storytelling make this volume a must-own for ANY fan of: Feudal-era Japan, Japanese historical figures, Miyamoto Musashi himself, samurai in general, action manga (or movies for that matter), swords, attractive young men with questionable morals and the skill to successfully murder 6 fully-trained warriors who’ve (unwisely) surrounded him, epic sagas, anti-establishment success stories, life, liberty, the smell of the blood-soaked ground after a battle…just about anyone really. If you’ve read this and somehow actively dislike it, you may need to have your head examined.