I am amazed at how head and shoulders above most manga art the drawing in this one is. It's so good that I react as the hero fights as if I were looking at an actual human going far beyond what ordinary men can do. The feeling is one I haven't had in years, since I discovered Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" years ago.

Normally I don't much like fighting manga, but this looks like it's going to be an extraordinary example of the genre, so I'm sticking to it.

Switching mcs for extended period of time is not a good idea.
It is not some chapters that this typically can happen due to some event etc, but it dragged for 1 year or so.
If this was the initial plan, then it should have been planned beforehand and progress in parallel with the main story and not cut main story altogether and have volumes for new mc.
Duels take very long as well.
Such poor writing.

For a big fan of jidaigeki stuff especially samurai, this is really a great adventure of the most renown warrior from Japan. Great plot that focuses on the main character, never boring. Even for people who are already aware of the story about Musashi Miyamoto from other work like literature, games or movies, this is a masterpiece that even popularize the character even more to the mainstream. I personally just have given up and accept the fact it's already been on a too long hiatus and most likely not gonna continue after 37 volumes

If you're looking for manga similar to Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, etc etc, this manga is NOT for you if you don't intend to keep an open mind.

First, the artwork is gorgeous because most of the characters are based on real-life people from 300-400 years ago. Not only that, each character is very distinct, proportional, and surprisingly lovable. Even you, Osugi. This manga almost forces you to engage with each character differently in terms of who they are, what choices they make, and how they deal with their surrounding. But at the end of the day, no matter how bad the "engaging" is, you've come to appreciate their role in the story more. This manga can be a tear-jerker.

Second, the fighting in this manga is ironically kept to a minimum; some people are appreciative of this and some aren't. It deals more with the strength of willpower rather the actual fighting. So...like I said, if you're expecting something Naruto-esque, this probably isn't for you. Not only this, but there is a large shift of MCs in the middle of the manga. It is understandable when we have already become so attached to the MC and then Inoue decides to just ignore him for the next 7 volumes in lieu of a new MC. If you don't know your general history about both MCs, you may feel that you are being cheated out of a good read. BUT! If you know your MCs, then this is a very good build up.

Not only is there a large shift of MCS, but there is also a large chunk of the story where the MC temporarily stops fighting to deal with a large physical wound that could make him handicap if he didn't allow it to heal properly. This also lets him reflect upon his life thus far and he changes to help the people around him. This part can be very boring and you may feel like this manga (at this point) might be a lost cause. In fact, it challenged me too but rereading this part makes me really appreciate that the MC was even capable of such profound kindness.

... Last updated on July 26th, 2020, 6:39pm

The last couple of days reading this was bliss but I've finally reach the end (ch 327) and when I found out it has been in hiatus for 4 years, it sadden me greatly.

Word of warning...!! if u're happy with waiting till you see the birth of your great grandchildren while waiting for this series to end/progress .. be my guest and read to your hearts content....

Aside from the mind numbing wait.. this series is one of my fav but its seriously losing ratings as the months pass by purely down to the long wait & inconsistent release of chapters. AND THE STORY is slow BUT .. BUTTTTT it is a mega well told story thats its only saving grace IMO.. i wonder how people even managed to read this piece 1 release at a time...?

7/10 (10/10 when first picked up) - Side note ... this series and Berserk are my top mangas (along with FMA) exceptttt the waitt.. the waiting!!

Pretty far removed from the genres I usually read, it has immediately become the manga I would rate above all others. Everything, although for me in particular the art, character development, observations & philosophy have left me in want of other manga can live up to this standard. I'll be searching.

His journey to enlightenment has given me inspiration in my own life.

It might not be believed, but I do not use the word 'masterpiece' lightly, but you know what? Vagabond qualifies.

It is an artistic rewrite of the story of the great warrior Miyamoto Musashi. It begins after a pivotal moment in his life (Battle of Sekigahara), but the manga also takes pain to provide a relentless amount of exposition/back story/different perspectives/etc, so one always seem to have a strong grasp of the story and characters. It is also incredibly helpful in creating very human characters who are at times repulsive and sympathetic at other times.

All in all, I feel that the manga's strength lies in the artwork (unsurprisingly) and its ability to weave an immersive, moving, and emotionally involving tale. When there is a battle, I really felt a rush of adrenaline and a sense of excitement. When there is a death, I really felt touched and, admittedly, I sometimes bawled like a baby. Some subplots in the manga really hit me hard with that and the manga definitely likes throwing tearjerkers.

The manga takes an unflinching approach to the realities the characters face. Battles are bloody and full of maimed body parts, prostitutes are plentiful and celebrated, secondary characters faces incoming terror with a mix of blatantly cowardliness, resignation, and stoicism. It can get a bit intense at times, but it works.

I speak highly of the manga and rightfully so, but it does have its weaknesses. Not all of the characters are written well (including some very important characters) making for a weaker story at times, story arcs sometimes drag on and this feels worse during the less interesting arcs or moments in the story, a tendency for the characters to sometimes get into self-important nonsensical preaches about life, and etc.

Overall, the problems are relatively minor and Vagabond is still easily among the best mangas around. All possible recommendations to give this a chance!

May the opinion will differ among the readers, I will still say that this manga is one of the masterpiece that I found during my journey in life. Hahaha... well, I guess a bit exaggeration will bring no harm, especially for this manga... Okay let's start reviewing...

The story is magnificent overall (truly...), yet may some readers can not tolerate the slowing pace in some arc. As for me, this slowing pace is quite understandable and necessary. It's necessary because with the slowing pace, I could relate more with the "enlightened" process that Musashi got during some arc. And somehow, I get "enlightened" too...

The art... is magnificent (truly...), some reviewers has said it before, so no need to restated it again

The romance, comedy, saddening event, etc. is composed magnificently (truly)... no too much, not too little, all is put with the right amount.

I mus say I learn a lot by reading manga... it forms my perspective in seeing life and, I can say, it forms my personality as well. This one... is the one who taught me a lot... once again... a lot.

Thanks for the author of the manga and the novel (and of course, the scanlators)... Hope the God will repay you somehow... Good luck!

this is one of the biggest pieces of poo of a storyline i've read in awhile. has great art, great action scenes but by god you have the stupidest of protagonists for the sake of making this manga last forever. you had a grandmaster on his deathbed practically spell out what he was looking for, and then he later sits around thinking about what he should be looking for.. i literally couldn't care for anything after awhile when i started having zero interest in the main character.

i'm probably more angry about it than other (even more) badly developed stories since i put so much time into this thinking that "it's going to get better, right?" and then getting my hopes constantly squashed over and over again.

... Last updated on October 12th, 2013, 1:34pm