Vagabond looks amazing, has since it began, but not the whole way through. What caused the dips in quality and what did Takehiko Inoue have to say about it? Can the hiatus tell us the answers?
I actually find this one strange but..... My favorite parts of the entire manga don't contain even a single fight scene. They are all those quiet moments of philosophy and self-reflection.
Those are those shallow fans wants all those fighting scenes all the time. But what clings me to vagabond is not only the art and its fighting scene but its philosophy.
I also want to recommed you guys this manga (or gekiga): Satsuma Gishiden by Hiroshi Hirata. You'll love it. The art, the stories. But Dark Horse only released 3 out of 5 volumes due to bad sales.
I think Vagabond at its peak is almost uncontested as the greatest artwork in manga. People often point to Berserk panels, which are indeed gorgeous in their own right, but Berserk is dark fantasy, so Miura can do so much more in terms of scope and creativity. Vagabond is set in our world, following real people. The way Inoue draws faces is great, as well as how he utilizes brushes in his art. I think when it comes to raw detail and beauty, Vagabond is the best there is, no doubt.
Berserk is my favorite manga, and Miura is my favorite artist. This being said, I still agree with every word you've said. The way Inoue draws faces is unbelievably realistic for a manga, so lifelike with regards to proportions, textures, and shapes. He has such a wonderful understanding of depth and the geometry of a given object, how shadows fall across its surface especially.
I think this too, largely because Vagabond has genius framing, cinematography and linework. Miura might be as if not more skilled technically, but he's not quite at Inoue's level when it comes to certain artistic qualities.
Agree I’ve read both but it’s undeniable Vagabond art is stunning, and in my opinion artistically speaking better than Berserk, every.single.panel is a piece of art, it’s worth reading just to admire the art Inoue put in this
@@Duplicitousthoughtformentity i think aside from Miura someone that is also on that level is Yusuke Murata the artist of the one punch man manga, some of the artworks on that manga are amazing
Inoue said in an interview once. "When my heart is serene, I'm able to draw without resistance, I have a difficult time drawing when there's noise in my heart." he also spoke about how connected he was to the characters, and as a artist who has my own piece of work, my own manga, i can agree. The emotions drawn from characters to the utensil affect each panel, each stroke of the pen, brush, pencil- its a language that, when spoken fluently, without interruption, everyone can understand the emotional drive. Brilliant video.
Damn, I understand exactly what he's talking about, the best drawings I've made are the ones that I do when I feel serene, also when you're making a story, if you want to make good characters you need to understand them, I gotta say, a friend of mine recommended me Vagabond, but aside from the astonishing art I didn't see too much appeal into it because he only talked about the drawings, but now I'm interested to see how good the story and the characters are.
@@crystalalumina when I first did my manga, the art didn't meet my expectations, nor did it look good. The feeling in my heart was still excitement tho, i still felt happy, and writtng characters in a plot that drags them all together, i learned to fall in love with my characters and art. Accidentally making an artstyle haha. My recommendation is read vagabond without expectation, but a full heart, you can take away lots from it, its a beautiful story.
@@argosgiovanni5988 its called ZERKER on webtoons, I've been writting it for 7 years, and at the age of 19 finally put it out. Its 47 chapters in and it will only get better. The art style for the most part isn't up to par. But i had to start from somewhere to be where I am today hahaha
You probably know this but he cancelled one of the greatest manga of all time because he was *extremely tired and depressed* due to constant pressure to create manga
aaaand you ruined a good joke, almost everybody that follows vagabond content knows this, this was supposed to be the "haha myura's on another idolmaster run" or "togashi keeps playing Dragon Quest Y".
Sorry lol. Btw *who the the hell is “myura”?* I apologise for ruining your absolutely hilarious joke, comedic genius man. You should win a Nobel prize or something for the *absolutely insane* amount of depth there is to your joke. This joke actually gave me a new reason to live for
Inoue diagnosed with depression and anxiety during the series and I understand that because this manga is literally about life and death. He has to draw his character to get killed or kill someone all the time. He also said in his doco that every character means so much to him like his family and if he has to end some characters life, he said it’s his duty and responsibility to end their life respectfully or honorably. He said that during the last journey of Obaba (Matahachi mum) It’s shame that the story didn’t end but I have learned so much from this manga already and I appreciate Inoues art
@@FromsoftgoatKaj however that was more of a rough sketch of the ending, something’s could’ve changed and been shown differently if we ever saw the real ending. it can still be considered the end i guess if you wish
Hey guys, Inoue actually DID complete the series in a very strange way. In 2008, there was a beautiful art exhibition at the Ueno Royal Museum called Inoue Takehiko : The LAST Manga Exhibition that featured 140 pieces of Sumi-e ink paintings that tell the story of Musashi's final days, basically serving as a epilogue to Vagabond. There was a catalog that was released that contained THE WHOLE exhibition and I managed to buy a copy of it. There was a manga in it also with the english translations in the back of the catalog. It's truly breathtaking! You can probably still find one but be aware that the hard cover black version has ALL of the exhibition pieces with translations in it. That is the one that I have. There is a white hardcover book that focused on Inoue's process and his thoughts and ideas from the conception of the exhibit to the final result.
@@adityakalawatia ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IqkeQiyJNDo.html here there are some, but you won't find a video with all of them, at least I didn't
I'm sure it'll come back. A man's gotta have faith in something, so it might as well be this. New volume of REAL is coming out, Inoue is still drawing.
@@yajubarah Agreed. Farming and Kojiro are my top two favorite arcs in fiction. No matter how I think about it, both arcs have achieved utter perfection in my eyes. I read the farming arc once a month, and it hits me hard every time. Top 1 fr
I believe that each manga art style are amazing on their own way. However, this style is so sublime that by simple calling "beautiful" or "realistic" wouldn't be enough to describe it. I bet that even if you take the dialogue, the image alone makes an story.
Actually Inoue didn't start using brushes until the end of the Kojiro arc. Before that, he still used Gpen. You can see the transition halfway through the 6th omnibus volume. The change is very noticeable
I really hope he comes back sooner than later as Vagabond is my favourite manga. But as Inoue said, I also only want him to come back if he feels inspired to do so. On a side note, you should read The Last Manga Exhibition, the special chapter he did that focuses on the death of Miyamoto Musashi decades after where Inoue said he would finish the manga. It's like the true final chapter of Vagabond.
Man I remember the first time I saw a panel from Vagabond... I was speechless with how beautiful it was..... Hopefully Inoue will return to work on this again
after catching up to the hiatus point of Vagabond and reading the small epilogue exhibit that came afterwards, i personally feel very content with what Inoue gave us. i dont think that he really needs to come back to the series, despite how much people loved it. in my opinion, readers get to choose in their own mind how they feel the manga should "end" and i think thats a solid fit for such a beautifully human story
If anything, Game of Thrones and The Office (US) has taught me that endings are essential to the overall synopsis and narrative established. Regardless of the fact as to how the story is being written, be it building up to something, or any other way, endings are important. A sense of closure which feels fitting is one of the basic factors for storytelling, in sync with the established tone, as well as the sense of satisfaction which comes forth from deep within the human consciousness, be it logical or emotional in character. As much as I adore and love Vagabond, I hope a conclusion is reached, regardless of the sum of time the writer demands, because even if certain instances stand out, they would become more endearing and fulfilling with an ending to it. Feel the same with Berserk, One Piece, Vinland Saga. Even JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Yeah, a good writer is the one that knows how the story will end, and a series can't be called a full experience if it's not done, that why, for example, people shouldn't skip part 6 of JoJo, it's literally the end of the original series, also it annoys me when people say that a series like One Piece doesn't know what direction take, that easily tells that they haven't watched it, now if we talk about Berserk, it's really hard to think where everything is pointing to, but that's mostly because Miura had already twisted the story like 3 times (Eclipse, Millennium Falcon, Fantasia) and you can't just expect Guts killing Griffith while the whole world collapses like many people have theorized, that wouldn't make sense and I think it's kinda predictable, so an ending like that would be a really bad closure for all these years of expectation, that's why closure is so important, it's like they say "at the end, it'll all make sense".
great video. been looking for some time for a good video about Vagabond to help me collect my thoughts and feelings about it, and this has scratched my itch pretty well. Throughout Vagabond, I often felt like I was not only reading about Musashi's life and journey, but also Inoue himself, however I felt like Musashi's journey I had managed to understand much better, while Inoue's was like a fleeting glimpse to me, sometimes managing to recognize certain emotions or ideas he had while writing the story, but also feeling like maybe I was just imagining it. it's weird to both know that you don't know a person at all and at the same time have tiny glimpses into the deepest parts of them every so often. Inoue's work is masterful, for me it is art at it's finest, and it has changed me for the better in many ways. I still strive to comprehend all that is to be learned from this incredible piece of media. truly superb.
Alex if you ever went in depth on the philosophy, themes and characters of this series i would be so happy. Vagabond does not get a ton of that and i think it should.
Inoue is the insane mangaka artist. his skill on drawing such crazy scene with black and white color is always the best to me. I'm obsessed and I want to learn more from him. I want to able draw something like that too. It make me want to focus on that style
Vagabond has the most amazing art I've ever seen in manga, period. Yes, greater than Berserk. But not gonna lie, I was slightly disappointed when I decided to check out Slam Dunk and saw that not even Inoue could escape the "same face syndrome". But hey seeing Musashi play basketball is still cool I guess
I've only read around 12 volumes of Vagabond, but knowing how the author is behind the scenes helps massively in understanding his motives and goals. Him not being around at the moment strangely adds to the series. Perhaps I'd be able to elaborate more if I'd read it all up to this point, but the point still stands. I feel as though he'll come back when the ending naturally materializes in his head, much like Musashi. Drinking in other aspects of life to create a more well-rounded work is poetic in itself. The series isn't going anywhere, after all. I'd rather a masterwork be crafted slowly but surely for future generations, rather than be rushed in the present. I feel the same way for Berserk. As a giant fan of that series, I can appreciate the time it takes to form more of it. It's not going anywhere, and barring something like Miura suddenly dying or having a horrific injury, it'll finish someday. When it's ready. It's already a masterpiece, so everything now is icing on the cake.
@@TheMegaTronKwam Yeah. For sure. Longtime readers like myself have assumed that something was going on with his health for a long time. I mean, how else can you explain the gaps in that release schedule? He spent years giving his assistants practice so that he could take the load off of himself a bit so he could consistently release Berserk more efficiently. All that work, and then this. It really is tragic. I'm still processing it. The man changed my life with Berserk. I'll always respect the man. Rest in peace, Miura.
I love your videos on anime and manga. You are most probably my favorite channel on youtube. Please keep up your work :) I'll find Vagabond and read it soon
Everything from your background music to your tone and choice of words is unique. I've been watching this channel for a long time. Quantity of subscribers mean nothing. It's about quality.
Another great video on another fantastic manga artist ,I'd love to see a video on Sui Ishidas artistic evolution,his artwork started out great but pretty shaky ,but by re was absolutely stunning and incredible
Like idk anything about Vagabond but Takehiko did an ASTONISHING job with the art of Lost Odyssey. Like my respects to that guy. His art work is amazing.
I dont care how long he takes. If he completed it I'll feel more whole. His transition into his mastery of swordsmanship was enlightening and beautiful. Also really stunned by the artwork, especially the beautiful water colored pages.
Idk if it was just me but, whenever I see Takehiko's art- I kinda see Tetushiro Hirakawa's style in it. Like if Takehiko had a baby mangaka, it would be Tetushiro. Clover, Crows Zero II, and Himawari has an awesome art!
Miura is a genius and so is inoue,both of them managed to put life into their work with an amazing level of detail, an either pure and peaceful or flowing and dark composition, a mastered to the bone way to give characters emotions and a beautiful story. I'm grateful to have lived in this time where both of them wrote and drew astonishing masterpiece, thank Kentaro Miura and Takehiko Inoue.
If i was able to come even half close to draw thing like Inoue "worst" drawings i would consider myself at the prime of my art. This man is in another level of skill which is probably one of the big reason he stopped Vagabond, how stressful and tedious to have to stay to this standard of art style for decades
I mean you could tell by his art style but you wouldn’t have thought this was written by the same man who created Slam Dunk which has a fun and much lighter tone to it. I love the duality from both masterpieces. His art style is out of this world.
He did 327 chapters and I can't help but think that he could've finished it by 350. It would've been somewhat rushed, but I'd have been more than happy with that. Conclude the Sasaki fight, delve a little into his aging and philosophical pondering that culminates in writing the Book of the Five Scrolls, and then detailing his final hours. Of course I can only respect his decision and how ridiculously hard he worked on Vagabond - it's a masterpiece finished or unfinished, but there'll always be that "if only"...
Amazing video i think the change of artstyle was in a way perfect to showcase the masterpiece that is the farming arc and let's hope he comes back but at leats he is finishings another Amazing manga 🔥👍
Wonderful video, i felt like sharing my thoughts here: i feel Musashi understood life is not just abt becoming the strongest, and not just abt fighting. He realized, how one has to be grateful if you have not felt utter huner, how grateful one has to be for a bowl of rice and how difficult it is to grow just a bowl of rice. how he tames a land that can't be tamed in the process tames his own ego and loses his identity of "musashi" but recognizes there is something beyond himself that revolves around all of us. His starting point towards "realization" or "enlightenment", the path to know who he truly was. I was a bit upset not getting to see the final epic battle, but after pondering on the farming arc (and the points I mentioned above), I realized that destination is something that's not absolutely necessary, rather it's journey all along (which Musashi is on after he bids farewell to the farming village)
I really enjoy essay vids like these that detail the craftsmanship of a series rather than just gushing over the series itself. It's like saying, "This is what made people crazy about this thing"
Beautiful video on a beautiful manga by a really beautiful voice; seriously your voice suits these videos perfectly. Thanks for bringing Vagabond to light, it's my favorite manga
I REALLY need to read Vagabond. But I want to wait until I am truly prepared to fully appreciate it. I need a long break from reality to focus only on this beautiful story.
Vagabond is definitely one of the most UNDERRATED mangas out there. The story,artstyle,characters,fight scenes and the philosophical messages throughout the series. All of them are so damn good It's a bummer that it's now on hiatus but I'll be waiting for Inoue to finish the manga Even if it takes years
I know its an amazing story and the best fight scene in a long time Hell I even listen bury the light Vergil dmc v song . Its amazing how is he putting out two best selling manga
The watercolours are breathtaking every time I see them used in panels. That's probably why before Vagabond, Tokyo Ghoul was my favourite manga artwise when it came to fully coloured panels.
Although I do feel most buy into the whole artistic style is intrinsic to the authors motivation thing… like seriously? The art style from arc to arc was not noticeable. The story was so lit that you do not notice it. To comment on it is purely hindsight thinking, buying into this cultural idea of ‘omg🥸author of Vegabond is so deep and artistic and omg it takes so long to do the art omg his motivation such a deep thing”. I also see where this video is coming from, and appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Great video.
Eh, I think I deserve to be hated on by my fellow Vegabond fans here. Idk man, just shared my view. We are kinda elitist with the whole art style thing. It’s just a story that got put on hiatus. I’m just glad this shit is respected to faithfully. A legendary manga
Have you ever heard of Pandora Hearts? I think it might be something you may be interested in and I don't see too many people talk about it. The evolution of the art of Mochizuki Jun is absolutely phenomenal in my opinion. Her manga touches on a lot of topics like trauma and learning to value yourself, which has helped me in many ways. I just want to see people talk about it
I personally don't think that the farm arc is a bad or a boring one compared to others, in fact that arc just spoke to me differently, it had a mushishi Vibe and I very much Enjoyed every chapter of it.
I feel like in vagabond, the artist/storywriter grow with the main character and is somehow connected to the character...in the sense that when he loses inspiration, you can tell in his art This was one of the greatest manga I've ever read and I feel like he had so much potential in this manga but due to circumstances he had to end it as he did😢 Much love to the author ❤
This will be without a doubt will probably one of the best animes if it'll get animated, I hope the animations is the same as the manga if it does get an animation.
I remember reading the farming arc of Vagabond and thinking, "Oh, this is what this series is." I feel like so many series start with a more typical message or setup, like any shounen manga/anime and then, over time, a larger and more nuanced message slowly grows from that. Vagabond, to an extent, did the same, but I also love that it didn't let the original setup of needing to fight and attain the 'peak' limit its choices in where the story went to display its message. I'm a sucker for stories that let their characters be themselves, showing how they grown and change, and Vagabond was a powerful piece of art for me as a writer, giving me confidence in taking it a little slower and allowing my characters time to tell my story for me.
Thank you for this video. Have been putting off this manga for a long time, probably because I heard it's very violent and the realistic style just makes it worse. But now thanks to your video, I'll give it a go (while waiting for Berserk and D.Gray-man hah)
Vagabond left off at it's peak Musashi was getting alot more philisophical studying the environment and kojiro's view of the world to gain a better understanding of strength, not to mention him and Kojiro were about to meet up to possibly duel/ train together/ fight together
