Why you should read Vagabond [A thread on why this manga means so much to me]

As I’ve progressed through my teen years I have never found a story that impacted me in the way Vagabond has. The way it has transcended my love for it as a piece of media into something I regularly think about and enjoy discussing has really changed me as a person.

I feel as though Musashi’s journey can be applied to anything, within the incredibly written dialogue we get moments to think. Many lines within this story struck me to where I would just think about what they mean to me personally. Beyond a surface level this manga is able

to convey the beauty within words. The way the manga uses god and how they play around the belief of god is fantastic. Unrivalled under the heavens, is a line that both sounds cool as well as it being used to represent what it means to blindly follow a title or goal.

The moments of pure silence in the art are striking and beautiful, as each panel and brush stroke adds to the quiet atmosphere of scenes. The peaceful and calm moments are some of the most memorable and stunning pages in the series. The way Inoue is able to show the

development of characters through how they think in battle is unmatched, we watch as characters grow to focus on the task at hand, to flow freely through the motions, to not overthink and to not focus on the past nor future. Again this can be applied to anything in life.

The way the story presents it’s philosophy is incredible, I often find myself applying some of these ideals within my own life. It’s allowed me to remain focused and to be less controlled by my anxiety and fears. Vagabond taught me a lot.

Through it’s silent moments, it’s moments of beautiful dialogue, it’s moments of incredible action and art. Through it’s utter perfection within the craft where it conveys the philosophies that can be applied to anything, it is through this, that it became my top 1.

Please read Vagabond. Thank you for reading.