Vagabond Vol 1-3 Ft Philip Chase
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- čas přidán 13. 02. 2023
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I had to wait until I got out of work to watch this. Thank you so much for the wonderful chat, Merphy, and I hope your copy of the second bind up held together!
Thanks as always for joining me Philip! I'm excited to continue these discussions!
The one thing that makes Vagabond so good in my opinion is how, throughout the course of the story, Takezo comes to grips with what it means to be alive and how to be human. It's an incredibly romantic take on the way of the sword, on what it means to grow, and on finding one's purpose in existence. It's genuinely beautiful.
Yesssss! This exactly! It's why it's my favourite seinen, or tied with Monster.
Merphy appears to truly have a vagabond's Volume One.
I think Otsu just assumed that she had to marry Matahachi considering his mother raised her
Takuan was amazing and hilarious, when Takezo said he didnt need his help, he immediately ratted him out
Greetings from Japan. There is an assumption that most Japanese readers are familiar with the general content of this story. Musashi's final battle in particular is so well known that even those who have never read the original novel know it. It may be similar to the feeling you get when you watch Spielberg's West Side Story. It is difficult to redraw a story in which it is obvious when, where, how, and which side will win.
I think this is one of the reasons for the hiatus.
If you are aware of the real life history of Miyamoto Musashi this story will have a lot more to offer. The manga by itself is incredible, but the historical background behind the people in this story is game changing. Inoue has a real talent when portraying small, introspective moments are concerned, which is kind of interesting when you realize that his first published manga, Slam Dunk, completely revolutionized how sport manga are made and helped to introduce basketball to Japan's mainstream. The man's work is incredibly significant.
Some stuff that may prove helpful:
Shinmen Takezo:
Reborn as Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto is the name of his home village
Musashi is a rearrangement of Takezo using the same letters in Japanese
Yoshioka school:
Older brother's name is Seijuro (say-joo-ro)
Younger brother's name is Denshichiro (den-shi-chi-ro)
Ueda (oo-ayda) is the name of the counsellor that Philip referred to as a bodyguard
Miyamoto Musashi is considered one of, if not the most legendary figure in Japanese history. He was a swordsman, a ronin (a samurai with no master), a strategist, philosopher and writer who left behind various works including The Book of Five Rings and Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone).
Otsu is entirely fictional but many of the characters in the series are taken from history and of course, the book that Vagabond is adapting (Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, one of the best selling novels in history). Despite this being an adaptation though, a lot of Vagabond is very much original. Inoue sticks closely to the novel for the first few volumes until branching out and sorta doing his own thing, there are massive differences between Musashi and Vagabond which prove to be very important down the line.
I'm so excited for these and can't wait to see the next videos.
On Merphy's comment regarding volume 3 being slow and reaction shot heavy, I wanted to provide maybe a different perspective on it.
To be ready for this series, I read vagabond (vol 1) for the third time in my life and I think Vagabond as a whole, in its entirety, is a story about people. I think those reaction shots and mental dialogue regarding the battle are meant to show what kind of culture existed at the time historically, and what was imparted at the Yoshioka school of thought. The Yoshioka, at this time were proudly clinging to the strength of their deceased founder, and deriving a sort of honor from it, whether or not they had individually earned it. The reaction shots are the moral and philosophical consequences of the way their collective identity was formed. And moreover, the 4 Yoshioka that were identified (Seijuro, Denshichiro, Ueda, and Toji) were important because they represent the zenith of that school in terms of ability and experiencing the way their individual stories, through their own eyes, interweave with Musashi's. There's a lot of focus at this point in the story about what it means to be truly "strong" and we get to see what "strength" means for each and every one of these characters.
Loved the video again and I'm very excited to continue to hear what y'all think!!!
"Vagabond" is one of my favorite mangas, it is indeed based on actual events, a reconstruction of the life of Shimmen Takezo as Miyamoto Mushashi who followed the path of the sword but later in life became a wiseman, he wrote "The Book of the Five Rings" in which he reflects on the things he has learned and the wisdom he acquired throughout his life as a ronin. By the way Merphy, this manga isn't a Shounen, it is a Seinen. While Shounen manga is targeted at young males, Seinen manga is targeted at adult males. The themes are usually more mature, darker or more complex than that of Shounen manga. But the reality is that everyone can read almost everything. Also although "Vagabond" has been incomplete for ages (and the final arc or arcs never got to be drawn), Inoue-sensei declared recently that he would return to it after "Real" (a manga about wheelchair basketball), which is his current work.
@@odenkozuki2591 I don't know if she'd be up to read a spokon, but if she is, that one is a masterpiece (along with Haikyuu and Ashita no Joe)
Philip picking up Otsu's and Musashi's affection for one another so early is peak literary analysis.
And yes, Takuan definitely was a part of the Novel and history as well. His personality in the manga very much follows the personality he's given in the novel, so I suspect the self-insertion in the manga is largely visual rather than in terms of the philosohy or conversations.
This story shows solid signs in the beginning, but it really takes a while until it fleshes itself out. Musashi's journey is long but deeply beautiful.
great discussion cant wait for the next one vagabond is goated
omgggg my fav manga of all time
So hyped for this! gonna listen to it while going for a walk
HELL YEAH!!! Please do not forget the name Sasaki Kojiro...
Yes absolutely agree with Mr Chase. The story also explore about masculinity, from the obsession of dominance to finding the true purpose of his life on this journey
What a coincidence, I just finished your Vinland Saga discussions and then started reading Vagabond this week. No idea you were going to cover it. Always on the pulse of great manga. Too bad Berserk was too graphic for you, because it's the most moving series I have ever read.
Thank you I love hearing both of your experience with Vagabond I could listen to your discourse on this series all day.
my favourite manga of all time so excited for this one
This is my favorite manga - I'm glad to have a reason to reread it again along side these reviews since it's been a while
After Vagabond I read Takehiko Inoue's other works - Slam Dunk is the most interesting because it was his first series and you can see his art improving overtime. Slam Dunk ran from 1990-96 and by the time he started Vagabond in 98 his art had leveled up considerably
@ 22:12 I didn't know you were into rock climbing! With that knowledge, I think you absolutely should read The Climber by Shin-ichi Sakamoto and Yoshirō Nabeda.
I have read a translation of the novel this manga is based on , “Musashi” by Eiji Yoshikawa, back in the 90’s. I should give it a reread one of these days.
I finally finished the first 3 volumes; I've been eager to hear this discussion!
ooo love the discussions, can't wait to see if they consider berserk and its complex characters
I think Merphy tried starting it, before One Piece even, but was too dark for her at the time. Maybe after Vinland Saga and Vagabond? Guess we'll see
I've been looking forward to these. But I haven't received my volume 3 yet, so I will wait until I am caught up :)
AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I just started reading the series too. Good timing.
I LOVED this discussion- Vagabond is certainly a slow burn but really worth it, especially as Miyamoto Musashi grows and evolves, it really feels like a biography of a real person, some lessons are learned again or reframed, priorities and views change or are reinforced, etc.
Not sure if it'd be of interest but I'd also highly recommend Lone Wolf and Cub for these discussions with Philip - it's considered one of the most historically accurate manga ever and is one of the most influential manga ever ( its old). It's an admitted slow start but picks up really aggressively, is really interesting from a plot and beat by beat perspective plus does delve into some philosophical territory AND has a ton of interesting fights. I'd love to hear Philips take or perspective on the history - it's less about events or specific people but tools, jobs, scenarios, architecture, etc. that the mangaka uses to craft puzzles and narratives. Ie, there's an entire assassination mission that revolves around a real job where people would hoist the rich on their shoulders and carry them across a very wide and just deep enough river - wild concept, stranger than fiction but it has a very real texture and interesting angle to it that is still hard to find today.
These crossovers are so fun
YYAAAAYYYY...It's here...finally! Something to look forward to on Tuesdays...
Lol what happened with Merphy's pages is literally what happened with mine too
So I’m starting to watch it and I just want to tell that vagabond gets deeper the more u read, and I hope and wish y’all to keep reading, only for the crazy “evolution” the art archive is a classic, the intent and carefully writing make it imo one of the best mangas of all time, inoue takehiko is one of the greatest mangakas of all time too, slam dunk, real and vagabond are each by his own reasons super specials and have thei places in each genre as peaks ( maybe not the best of the genre but definitely in the top) of their narratives imo.
Oh yeiiii… been waiting for this one 😊
Great video, guys! I'm glad you two are finally taking on Vagabond and I can't wait for all the discussions that will ensue.
@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy it's true that the story is at times very tropey but the fact that the original novel was published in 1935 might explain part of it? Plus, you're still looking at a manga with a typical editing hindrances (especially as a new manga starts).
Like Murphy said, I don't believe Takezo was outright looking for a way out from this miserable life, but Philip is close as well for I think he did have a strong disregard for life, his opponents' as well as his own (but at that time not as in Alex Honnold's way). And that, I believe, is what Takuan was trying to teach him. The way of the sword will certainly lead him to kill multiple swordsmen or lose his own in the process, and he should walk that path trying to harness this truth and find his place in life rather than being a mere beast killing for sports.
Invincible under the sun sound so cliche but so good at the same time 😂 the reflection on this idea gets really interesting as u get further, a lot of Buddhism perhaps but is still really fresh.
And at the end with both speaking what they expect of the character I kind of get emotional remembering the arcs of some of the characters, there is a lot of beauty that make me want to cry.
Looking forward to more of these discussions on one of the (unofficial) big 3 seinen. Really enjoyed your discussions about Vinland Saga.
OMGGGGGG
I DIDN'T KNOW U DID THIS 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Thank God
I JUST WANTED TO START READING THIS! I guess a lot of catching up to do now! 😁
Excellent videos as always
Loving this content keep it up
the art style is top-notch.
If you enjoy Vagabond, I'd very much recommend reading the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, which is basically what Vagabond follows for the most part.
That, and the actual Book of Five Rings, which Musashi authored at the end of his life. Both are incredible reads, and Musashi's philosophy pegs him very much as a maveric and a skeptic, which is extremely rare given the time-period and culture.
This was EXCELLENT! Can’t wait to watch the future videos. I also hope you guys cover my favorite manga of all time Berserk, serious GoT vibes with that one.
Loved the Vinland discussions so I'm excited for these, though I haven't finished Vagabond yet! Also since you both love massive books, I highly recommend the classic novel the manga is based on - Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa, one my all time favorites. There are some major differences between them, so it's interesting to read both. And since the manga went on hiatus before it reached the end of the novel, I think it'd be a great read after you finish this!
Merphy, you need to read "The Summit of the Gods" by Jiro Taniguchi!!
It's a mountain climbing manga, based on a novel by Baku Yumemakura. The manga is complete with 5 volumes published in English by Fanfare / Ponent Mon.
I've read roughly 300-400 manga, and I don't know any other story that comes as close to perfection as this one. You would absolutely love it!
Will you do arc reviews on the main channel as well or only discussions with Phillip?
Extremely hyped for this Vagabond is one of the best thing I've ever read, plus the art is absolutely gorgeous. Just wait until he switches to brushes only later in the series it's mind blowing :D
Really excited for these Vagabond reviews/deep dives, hope we can get you to make this a constant thing with more mangas down the line.
And by the way, you guys finished already the first arc which is the Takezo arc aka the prologue arc and it ends with Takezo renaming himself. Most of the arc names are named by fans but it is easier to differentiate the story with these. The third volume started the Kyoto arc.( I'm not talking about the viz big volumes)
Many people put Vinland Saga, Berserk and Vagabond next to each other and I would say generally speaking is Vagabond the least popular of them. Interested to see your take on Vagabond
Free solo is something Musashi also tries at one point. The mountain was just there, okay?
I’m up to book 7 and this is so dope helped me to refresh on the book and the convo is really interesting to watch keep up the good work
Damn I was hoping to reread vagabond much later in my life but now I am tempted to reread it just to follow along
Vagabond is my favorite manga of all time, but I will warn you that it has been on an indefinite hiatus for the better part of a decade and shows very little signs of coming back. I’d say that after going through the 12 Vizbigs you also should read the last released volume 37. There are a few chapters after that but 37 is the conclusion of an arc and that is the better place to stop.
Then there’s this sort of pseudo-ending chapter Inoue made for an an exhibition. It’s not actually the last chapter but it’s an epilogue of sorts, and although there is no official translation and can only be found online, I’d recommend you at least take a look at it when you’re done, because it’s absolutely beautiful. Enjoy Vagabond...
At this point I've given up hope- It's been a while since I've read through the end but from what I can remember It was a good place to 'pause indefinitely' though it's by no means an ending. I just sort of just think of it as an open-ended ending.
If you want an ending just go ahead and read the novel it was based on (Mushashi by Eiji Yoshikawa) - that's what I did lol
Inoue recently said he wanted to return to Vagabond
Yes. I am here!
Hey Merphy I won't be watching this video but will return to it when I finally pick up Vagabond to read for the first time alongside you and Philip. I have Vizbig vols 1, 2, 4 and 5 with 3 due to shoe up this week. Just need to finish up some stuff I've been lacking on first. I am excited because I have never read any of Inoue's works. I recently just collected almost all of his other manga Slam Dunk and will also be starting that sooner than later. The biggest draw for me to Inoue right now is his artwork for sure. The only other comparable manga art I have seen has been from Berserk. Vagabond goes beyond "comic book art" and really is just straight up art. Fun fact also, I know Inoue actually uses an ink brush to do some of the linework for Vagabond and I think that's just insane
This manga is life changing mahn
Can't wait for the upcoming chapters
So Seinen is more of a marketing demographic like YA than a genre itself. There’s multiple genres with Seinen, Shounen, Shoujo, Josei, etc. just like YA, Middle Grade, New Adult, etc. just also divided by gender
Merph. Dont know how the algorithm sent me here but im glad it did. :D
Seinen isn't really a genre, despite its western colloquial use. It simply refers to the demographics it aiming at, aka general male adults, which is why not all seinen manga are gritty, grounded, dramatic, etc; "K-On!" is also seinen despite it being the antithesis of manga like Vagabond.
Shounen is aimed towards young male, shoujo young females and josei adult females.
Vagabond was my second Inoue Takehiko manga, very different from Slam Dunk but so good. The art will also just get better and better.
After you catch up to vagabond you two need to read berserk - then you would have finished What i consider the seinen Big three. Vinland Saga, Vagabond and Berserk.
🔥
How the fuck I didn't know about this, well at least I will watch the whole review in one blow
Berserk next? :D
Love the discussion!
My copy of vagabond vol 1 also fell apart.
i have to say if you are doing a historical manga trend I hope you can maybe read kingdom it portrays war the best in manga and is in the conversation when it comes to best best manga's ever
I don’t think they can, since Kingdom doesn’t have an official english translation unfortunately. They’d have to read illegal scans which is probably not a good look
Also fun fact the stories of Musashi being a beast with just a wooden sword are “historical” per se, and not just a anime/manga cool thing decision.
And miyamoto is perhaps a easier name to remember.
Where can I get this - it’s so hard to find anything available for purchase online anywhere… anyone have any suggestions?
"if you print a book this small you deserve to have your spine broken"
I didn't know merphy was gangsta like that lol
Should I report abuse in this video for merphys treatment of her book?
Philip apologized for the pronunciation but it is clear he took the time to look at least the basics of Japanese pronunciation. It is very obvious when an Anglophone have no idea of how Japanese words work because the vowels are so different, but Philip clearly look them up. Either that or he is just using Latin pronuntiation, which works for Japanese vowels (that is where the romanization is based on, after all).
Berserk is inevitable
Somebody get Merphy to read Bleach & Naruto. Needs to complete the big 3
Naruto is such a tough one to recommend. It's got such an excellent start, with some great moments throughout, but that ending is rough..
When are you gonna read JoJo?
Please start Berserk Merph... really wanted to hear your opinions on it
Vizbig Editions are so terrible. I hope they release the Deluxe Edition for Vagabond just like the ones for Berserk
22:15 Alex Hummel? Is that the knock off version of Alex Honnold?
you should read "slam dunk" or "real" is about basketball.both are by the same author.
Broooo! she believes in Matahachi 🤭🤭🫡