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Vagabond VIZBIG Omnibus Edition #7
Vagabond, Vol. 7
The Distant Ocean
Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means—by way of the sword—makes mere survival an even greater challenge.
In the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Sekigahara, Sasaki Kojirō, the man destined to be Musashi's opponent in the most famous duel in Japanese history, finds himself alone amidst desperate refugees and vicious hunters. Despite being pushed to his limits, Kojirō is far from daunted by his peril and instead thrives with an almost supernatural serenity. Driven by his macabre thirst for battle, Kojirō is transformed into the ultimate swordsman.
Real-life figure Miyamoto Musashi was the most celebrated samurai of all time. The quintessential warrior-philosopher, Musashi authored A Book of Five Rings, a classic treatise in the canon of world philosophy and military strategy. But the path to enlightenment is an endless journey, and to get there through violent means—by way of the sword—makes mere survival an even greater challenge.
In the aftermath of the bloody Battle of Sekigahara, Sasaki Kojirō, the man destined to be Musashi's opponent in the most famous duel in Japanese history, finds himself alone amidst desperate refugees and vicious hunters. Despite being pushed to his limits, Kojirō is far from daunted by his peril and instead thrives with an almost supernatural serenity. Driven by his macabre thirst for battle, Kojirō is transformed into the ultimate swordsman.
640 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2010
About the author
Takehiko Inoue
287 books1,279 followersTakehiko Inoue (井上雄彦) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 26, 2019
The first two out of three volumes in this omni wrap up the journey of Sasaki Kojiro, at least for now. I'm not gonna lie, I started to get a bit tired of his storyline — the fact that he's deaf and doesn't talk made it hard to connect to him as a character, and his story boiled down to him cutting nameless men down in droves. And I'm not really complaining about it, either — Takehiko Inoue is an extraordinarily talented storyteller and artist, so I could easily gobble up 10-15 more volumes of just Kojiro making sashimi out of his opponents, just because it's such an incredible spectacle and I can never get enough of Inoue's hand-drawn artwork. But the story started to lack stakes, depth and variety, and I was really starting to miss Musashi, so I was really happy that the final volume of this omnibus brought his story back. And what a comeback it was! A year has almost passed since Musashi's last encounter with the Yoshioka clan, and it's almost time for his appointed duel with Denshichiro. But Seijuro seems to have his own plans for Musashi... This was an amazing volume that brought back everything I started to miss from this series — heart, suspense, plot development and even a little bit of self-awareness and humour. It even brought back Matahachi, that pathetic bastard! I missed him and his misadventures. Overall, this was a really good omnibus of Vagabond once again, and I can't wait to find out what's coming next for these characters.
January 7, 2019
The first two thirds of this volume complete our look back into the past specifically centring on Sasaki Kojiro and his actions after meeting the great swordsman Ito Ittosai and coming upon the site of the recent battle of Sekigahara. After being separated from Ittosai, his nominal new teacher, and the rough-around-the-edges fighter Gonnosuke, Kojiro finds himself hunted by a myriad of fugitive hunters, peasants who are searching for the remnants of the losing side in the hopes of killing them and gaining some measure of vengeance for the loss of their homes and livelihoods at the hands of these 'warrior elite' as a result of the battle. Wave after wave of opponents face the deadly blade of the deaf swordsman and we see that it was all part of Ittosai’s plan: the only thing that Kojiro lacked was the killer’s edge of fear that would make him a truly formidable fighter and so he has left the young man on his own in the knowledge that Kojiro will either learn the lesson he needs and emerge triumphant, or die a failure. In the former case Ittosai will gain the worthy opponent he so desires, in the latter it is no real loss to him. Gonnosuke is horrified at his putative teacher’s callousness, but he is getting a first-hand primer in the Way of the Sword and the brutal realities behind the glamour of his idolization of the sword.
While their sheer numbers and unorthodox methods count for much it is not the fugitive hunters that prove the true trial for Kojiro even though they drive him to the edge of exhaustion. The true test comes for him in the form of Sadakore, Koun and their group of fugitives from the battle. Ostensibly they are on the same side as Kojiro, runaways from the hunters hoping to get back to their lord (if he still lives), but Kojiro makes no distinction: all are opponents against whom he must test his skills. Again I found myself surprised at how quickly I came to learn and care about the lives of the new characters we meet in this small group and who quickly came to life with the details that Inoue deftly paints in quick and economical strokes. As the battle between Kojiro and this group of fugitives progresses we get something of a reprise of Ittosai's philosophy and come to see that the true fighter is the one that embraces the possibility of death and defeat, seeing in his greatest adversary the closest thing he will ever have to a true friend. Only those that can test one up to the point of death can allow a swordsman to reach his full potentail, and thus they are the relationship most to be desired. Kojiro comes to see this, as do several of his opponents, much to the shock of the more convential members of the group who cling more closely to life and see the way of the sword as a means to an end, not an end in itself.
The final third of the volume bring us back to Miyamoto Musashi as he prepares for his promised duel with Yoshioka Denshichiro. Before he can face the younger brother he comes face to face with his elder brother Seijuro, a man able to reconcile the seemingly contrary worlds of the way of the sword and that of dissipation. The elder Yoshioka sees a formidable change in Musashi at the same time as he sees even less to be impressed with in his brother. Meanwhile Musashi struggles to synthesize all that he has learned so far about the sword as he comes towards his final confrontation with the flag-bearers of the Yoshioka school of swordsmanship. Finally we are granted brief glimspes into the lives of Matahachi and Otsu, the former steadfastly refusing to learn from his previous experiences (no surprise there really) and the latter driven to an uncharacteristic murderous rage by the trials imposed upon her by the hatefulness of Mother Hon’iden. The story (and art) is as good as ever and comes highly recommended.
While their sheer numbers and unorthodox methods count for much it is not the fugitive hunters that prove the true trial for Kojiro even though they drive him to the edge of exhaustion. The true test comes for him in the form of Sadakore, Koun and their group of fugitives from the battle. Ostensibly they are on the same side as Kojiro, runaways from the hunters hoping to get back to their lord (if he still lives), but Kojiro makes no distinction: all are opponents against whom he must test his skills. Again I found myself surprised at how quickly I came to learn and care about the lives of the new characters we meet in this small group and who quickly came to life with the details that Inoue deftly paints in quick and economical strokes. As the battle between Kojiro and this group of fugitives progresses we get something of a reprise of Ittosai's philosophy and come to see that the true fighter is the one that embraces the possibility of death and defeat, seeing in his greatest adversary the closest thing he will ever have to a true friend. Only those that can test one up to the point of death can allow a swordsman to reach his full potentail, and thus they are the relationship most to be desired. Kojiro comes to see this, as do several of his opponents, much to the shock of the more convential members of the group who cling more closely to life and see the way of the sword as a means to an end, not an end in itself.
The final third of the volume bring us back to Miyamoto Musashi as he prepares for his promised duel with Yoshioka Denshichiro. Before he can face the younger brother he comes face to face with his elder brother Seijuro, a man able to reconcile the seemingly contrary worlds of the way of the sword and that of dissipation. The elder Yoshioka sees a formidable change in Musashi at the same time as he sees even less to be impressed with in his brother. Meanwhile Musashi struggles to synthesize all that he has learned so far about the sword as he comes towards his final confrontation with the flag-bearers of the Yoshioka school of swordsmanship. Finally we are granted brief glimspes into the lives of Matahachi and Otsu, the former steadfastly refusing to learn from his previous experiences (no surprise there really) and the latter driven to an uncharacteristic murderous rage by the trials imposed upon her by the hatefulness of Mother Hon’iden. The story (and art) is as good as ever and comes highly recommended.
June 4, 2023
Very compelling read with converging storylines and great characters. There's also a lot of thematic complexity with how samurai are handled and their relation to honor when it comes to the endless cycle of violence and killing.
Even new characters are fleshed out immediately and folded into the narrative. Definitely hooked and want to know what happens next
Even new characters are fleshed out immediately and folded into the narrative. Definitely hooked and want to know what happens next
May 1, 2024
This book misses its mark by focusing on characters that haven’t been properly introduced and then expects us to be fully engaged and committed to them despite me not fully understanding who they are.
The final volume in this colllection brings us back to our beloved Musashi which is a lovely comeback and things are building towards very exciting things. But the first two volumes were somewhat dull and confusing.
The final volume in this colllection brings us back to our beloved Musashi which is a lovely comeback and things are building towards very exciting things. But the first two volumes were somewhat dull and confusing.
May 6, 2020
Some very great illustrations in this series, and I think even better as we move on into it. The story is also great, most of the characters seem in place, might be some new one eventually, but we really have the main cast set in I think and now some very epic battle are coming!! Can't wait!!
October 14, 2021
Fight with the soul and win. Fight with techniques and lose to a man with a stronger spirit. ⚔️
January 15, 2024
“This was only the beginning of Musashi’s epic battle against the entirety of the Yoshioka Clan”
May 29, 2024
Honestly loving this series of books so far, it's crazy how much of the characters thoughts and emotions can be seen without any text accompanying them. Certain moments had me in awe and just staring at the same page over and over again looking at each small detail. Looking forward to volume 8
March 5, 2017
4.5 Stars
Volume 19 & 20 - 4 Stars
Really impressive swordsmanship displayed throughout both these volumes, Sadakore's demise was beautifully done, the raven used as symbolism of death, the eye representing the vision, it was done so so well ! I really enjoyed the sequence where Koun understands the sound of his body, and realises Kojirō has been attuned to this melody his whole existence. So humbling to see and experience, it really helps you understand the complexity of human consciousness and how much depth contributed to ideal swordsmanship. There definitely is a profound quality to Sasaki, however I can't imagine how much of Kojirō's skill Musashi already has, or maybe even vice versa, they're both beasts.
I loved these volumes, and although I'm really missing Musashi I'm greatly enjoying this endeavour :)
Volume 21 - 4 Stars
That ending was epic, I feel as if this series will need to be reread and reread for it to completely resonate with me, I want it too be something I know like my own mind, something that helps me along my own enlightening journey. It was so so good to be back in Musashi's present, and I guess I was right Kojirō is alive and thriving, I'm very intrigued to see where both of these mens lives will lead them and I can't wait to see Matahachi fall and burn in his misery - I despise the hell out of him, It was cool too see Takuan and Otsū again and to experience a Japanese new year, it made the experience a whole lot more lively. I love this series, this journey is becoming more and more profound with each volume, the character development is astonishingly real, I love Takehiko his charisma is completely evident in all his works of Vagabond, a manga series of which has become my favourite !
Volume 19 & 20 - 4 Stars
Really impressive swordsmanship displayed throughout both these volumes, Sadakore's demise was beautifully done, the raven used as symbolism of death, the eye representing the vision, it was done so so well ! I really enjoyed the sequence where Koun understands the sound of his body, and realises Kojirō has been attuned to this melody his whole existence. So humbling to see and experience, it really helps you understand the complexity of human consciousness and how much depth contributed to ideal swordsmanship. There definitely is a profound quality to Sasaki, however I can't imagine how much of Kojirō's skill Musashi already has, or maybe even vice versa, they're both beasts.
I loved these volumes, and although I'm really missing Musashi I'm greatly enjoying this endeavour :)
Volume 21 - 4 Stars
That ending was epic, I feel as if this series will need to be reread and reread for it to completely resonate with me, I want it too be something I know like my own mind, something that helps me along my own enlightening journey. It was so so good to be back in Musashi's present, and I guess I was right Kojirō is alive and thriving, I'm very intrigued to see where both of these mens lives will lead them and I can't wait to see Matahachi fall and burn in his misery - I despise the hell out of him, It was cool too see Takuan and Otsū again and to experience a Japanese new year, it made the experience a whole lot more lively. I love this series, this journey is becoming more and more profound with each volume, the character development is astonishingly real, I love Takehiko his charisma is completely evident in all his works of Vagabond, a manga series of which has become my favourite !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2021
Kojiro is such an interesting character. Being deaf and mute, we never hear his inner thoughts, we never really hear him express much of anything outside of his love for the sword.
He's basically an abuse victim. The man who raised him was a reclusive samurai that did teach him to read and write, but little else. It doesn't seem like he expressed any affection for him, and the one thing Kojiro was interested in, swordplay, he did his best to keep him away from. And since his mentor never bothered to explain why, it just drove Kojiro right into it.
So when a wandering samurai showed some interest, Kojiro happily left with him. And he later abandoned Kojiro to what seemed like a continuous three day fight, because if he survives he'll be able to come back and challenge him.
Jesus Christ, this series is filled with selfish, psychopaths.
Speaking of, Musashi finally returns after being last featured in volume five. It's funny, I missed him but I immediately missed Kojiro, now that his story is done for now. So, good work Takehiko Inoue in getting me to like these two characters despite their constant bloodlust.
Thankfully Otsu, Musashi's love interest also returns, although only for a few pages, long enough for her and Jotaro to learn that Musashi is once again up to his old tricks fighting in duels.
The artwork is still beautiful, but I worry I've reach a point where I'm losing interest in the overall narrative. I don't mind the slow build, but Musashi evolves as a glacial pace to the point where yet another duel becomes less and less interesting to read.
He's basically an abuse victim. The man who raised him was a reclusive samurai that did teach him to read and write, but little else. It doesn't seem like he expressed any affection for him, and the one thing Kojiro was interested in, swordplay, he did his best to keep him away from. And since his mentor never bothered to explain why, it just drove Kojiro right into it.
So when a wandering samurai showed some interest, Kojiro happily left with him. And he later abandoned Kojiro to what seemed like a continuous three day fight, because if he survives he'll be able to come back and challenge him.
Jesus Christ, this series is filled with selfish, psychopaths.
Speaking of, Musashi finally returns after being last featured in volume five. It's funny, I missed him but I immediately missed Kojiro, now that his story is done for now. So, good work Takehiko Inoue in getting me to like these two characters despite their constant bloodlust.
Thankfully Otsu, Musashi's love interest also returns, although only for a few pages, long enough for her and Jotaro to learn that Musashi is once again up to his old tricks fighting in duels.
The artwork is still beautiful, but I worry I've reach a point where I'm losing interest in the overall narrative. I don't mind the slow build, but Musashi evolves as a glacial pace to the point where yet another duel becomes less and less interesting to read.
June 23, 2014
Des Schwertkämpfers Facebook
Nun nutzt sich halt irgendwann alles ab. Und in diesem Band sieht man eigentlich dieselben Bilder immer wieder - besonders Großaufnahmen von Kojiro Sasakis Gesicht (und später von Musashi und Yoshioka Junior) finden sich auf praktisch jeder zweiten Seite. Den Rest nehmen Großaufnahmen von anderen Gesichtern ein. Ein Fotoalbum.
Inzwischen habe ich auch den idealen Lesestil für diesen Manga gefunden: Man blättert wie ein Verrückter über die Seiten, damit man das Zeitlupen-Erzähltempo ausgleichen kann. Da der Detailgrad der Zeichnungen inzwischen auch leicht abnimmt, und man in den müden Dialogen eh nichts verpassen kann, verliert man auch nicht viel dabei.
Leider kann ich mich nicht mehr so sehr für diese Reihe begeistern wie zu Beginn, dem Autor fällt nichts neues ein, man sieht immer wieder die gleichen Bilder, die gleichen Geschichten, die gleichen (etwas platten) philosophischen Gedanken. Und das, obwohl er sich zwischen Ausgabe 20 und 21 eine kreative Pause genommen hatte.
Nun nutzt sich halt irgendwann alles ab. Und in diesem Band sieht man eigentlich dieselben Bilder immer wieder - besonders Großaufnahmen von Kojiro Sasakis Gesicht (und später von Musashi und Yoshioka Junior) finden sich auf praktisch jeder zweiten Seite. Den Rest nehmen Großaufnahmen von anderen Gesichtern ein. Ein Fotoalbum.
Inzwischen habe ich auch den idealen Lesestil für diesen Manga gefunden: Man blättert wie ein Verrückter über die Seiten, damit man das Zeitlupen-Erzähltempo ausgleichen kann. Da der Detailgrad der Zeichnungen inzwischen auch leicht abnimmt, und man in den müden Dialogen eh nichts verpassen kann, verliert man auch nicht viel dabei.
Leider kann ich mich nicht mehr so sehr für diese Reihe begeistern wie zu Beginn, dem Autor fällt nichts neues ein, man sieht immer wieder die gleichen Bilder, die gleichen Geschichten, die gleichen (etwas platten) philosophischen Gedanken. Und das, obwohl er sich zwischen Ausgabe 20 und 21 eine kreative Pause genommen hatte.
December 9, 2021
Vagabond (VizBig edition) volume 7 is the best ever book yet I have ever read in this series. I absolutely loved everything in the final chapters of the Kojiro arc except that it ended so abruptly, the duels are beautiful choreographed and executed. Inoue's clean yet extremely detailed art style explodes with beauty.
One thing that I also noticed is that there is m0re, but just the right amount of humor injected in the story, which are actually good additions that reflects Inoue's impeccable timing in humor with what he did in Slam Dunk. I love it when Takehiko plays around and opens up a bit with a wider spectrum of emotions, and he plays it so well with Miyamoto and Kojiro, building up their characters and fleshing out their motivations on why they take the way of the sword.
One thing that I also noticed is that there is m0re, but just the right amount of humor injected in the story, which are actually good additions that reflects Inoue's impeccable timing in humor with what he did in Slam Dunk. I love it when Takehiko plays around and opens up a bit with a wider spectrum of emotions, and he plays it so well with Miyamoto and Kojiro, building up their characters and fleshing out their motivations on why they take the way of the sword.
December 5, 2015
I need more of this series in my life. It's beautiful and awesome in a way that needs to be experienced to be known. While this part is the side story of the "nemesis" (if it can really be classified that way), it is still one of the best manga I've encountered.
October 10, 2023
Sasaki Kojiro continues to impress with such amazing instances and encounters, I am just to overwhelmed how Takehiko Inoue plants some characters in out minds whom have such conviction and believability about why they do what they do and how!..
Im sensing the musashi and kojiro encounter would soon come in.. although left in a cliff hanger, i guess kojiro is going to be all right ;)
Im sensing the musashi and kojiro encounter would soon come in.. although left in a cliff hanger, i guess kojiro is going to be all right ;)
August 30, 2017
As always the art is amazing.
I liked Kojiro story, but its cut in a cliffhanger, guess we have to wait until another volumen to see how he defeated Kuon.
Then is back to Musashi and he receives the formal duel notice of the big Yoshioka brothers and each prepare for it in its own way.
I liked Kojiro story, but its cut in a cliffhanger, guess we have to wait until another volumen to see how he defeated Kuon.
Then is back to Musashi and he receives the formal duel notice of the big Yoshioka brothers and each prepare for it in its own way.
July 21, 2019
Would give this 6 stars if I could. Cried twice and yelled “OH MY GOD” 3 times. Some amazing character development and little vignettes in here to just round everyone out. Kuon & co are heroes and I love how their story fleshes our Kojiro as a foil for Musashi. Shits so wild xoxo
May 13, 2024
Wonderful! The vividness with which Inoue can tell us a story of a deaf mute guy is amazing. Full of beautiful panels and feelings. This series really wrought a tale of swordmanship, learning and friendship and I can't wait to continue on this journey.
May 19, 2018
My face is in genuine pain from smiling the entire time. I feel an indescribable glee at looking at Kojiro's innocent smile. It is truly captivating. The fights are pretty cool too, I guess.
December 17, 2020
It was good. More to come later.
August 17, 2021
Wow, micsoda felvezetés! Alig várom a Denshichirō v. Musashi párbajt!
January 31, 2022
can you see the entire movement of the sword arm?
June 29, 2022
This series is phenomenal
March 30, 2023
Loving the way everything is starting to piece together. Musashi’s reflecting is also a nice change of pace from his usual barbarism during a fight. I can tell that each volume will just get better
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2023
4.5/5 stars
November 10, 2023
Is it bad i'm rooting for Kojiro? Musashi's would-be greatest enemy??? Also Musashi is only 21(?) but he looks at least 45. 🙃
January 20, 2024
What an ending 😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews