Vagabond

author: Takehiko Inoue
publisher: Kodansha
genre: Chanbara, Seinen
review type: manga
status: ongoing
original run: 1998-ongoing
magazine: Weekly Morning






A vagabond is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterised by almost continuous travelling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for travelling, preferring to stay in one location.^[1]


Synopsis

It is the 15th century Sengoku era in Japan. It is a time marred by war, violence and political strife. Here, a young Shinmen Takezo decides to join the Toyotomi army to fight the Tokugawa clan at the battle of Sekigahara. His childhood friend, Honiden Matahachi joins him on this bloody crusade. Unfortunately, the Tokugawa army stages a dramatic win against the Toyotomi militia. This also marks the infamous 300 year shogunate rule under the Tokugawa empire.

Takezo and Matahachi survive the war. They, with deep resolution, each decide to carve a path of greatness. But that was lived shortly when, Takezo becomes a wanted criminal. He is sentenced to death. However good fate befalls him when he learns of a monk called Takuan Soho; who ironically sets him up for the capture and whose also responsible for his release. He renames Takezo to Miyamoto Mushashi. Takuan believes that by this, Shinmen will not only gain freedom to travel, but to tame that wildness inside of him and evolve as a person; to not be that wild, devil child he was once known for in his village.

Mushashi undergoes a journey that is different. Encountering characters that will inevitably change his life and both his fighting and personal philosophy.



Rempit's Vrooming Comment

Now where do I begin with this. Again another delicious manga to read. Takehiko Inoue drives so many themes into this manga, that it is so insatiable to resist! Looking at his previous work, Slam Dunk, Buzz Beater and Real, this is by far taken from a different perspective. If you'd note, the titles above are heavily sports driven. Vagabond sets itself in time and history. Miyamoto Mushashi, is a real life swordsman and the Sengoku Period was an actual time in the history of Japan. So to be able to pull something off out of history and make that big genre leap, thats the work of a genius.

Inoue takes chracter development into a deeper level. If you'd think Real had substance; than this takes it down below even more. Mushashi is a classic example of how complex it is to be able to be sane in a world where insanity demands the best of you. His contemporaries; the ones who influenced him come from a variety of backgrounds, provides the anti-violence Mushashi needs to develop into an able fighter. A counter-personality to his wild animal likeness.

You can also find themes of love vs ambition or even the dilemma we go through in playing catching up with life as others we know are scaling new heights in career and personal economics ( can you guess who I am taking about here? *hint definitely not Mushashi).

The cultural influences behind this manga are very Asian. It's very Zen, very Buddhist and has that tinge of Eastern flavor behind it. But why not? Sometimes mangas are guilty of leaving behind such a beautiful Asian heritage. And Inoue takes it back to being truly Asian. Actually, it's so cultural rooted, you can only guess that Mushashi actually undergoes a spiritual journey.Again hat's off to being culturally embedded.

The fight scenes are awesome. You don't have wimps like Naruto flocking around the battlefield singing "my little pony" and killing bigger opponents with a "something no jutsu". Every strike of a sword is fatal, every injury is painful, every victory nothing short but bittersweet. And this gives you the seinen feel to understanding that violence is real business.

So, thinking of a good seinen manga, that has an appetite of say having a hero in a grim, dark and lawless world? or perhaps a lost soul in a grim, dark and lawless world? Than this is the one for you.




Rempit Rates

Character Development: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Art: 5/5
Originality: 5/5