New Readers (No Spoilers)

[Rhombaad]

I should probably chime in since it's been a while. I finished reading Vol. 25 on Friday and, as usual, I can't wait to read the next one.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed the fight between Musashi and Den. I thought I would be disappointed, since we already knew the outcome as of Vol. 21, but I enjoyed the new bit where Den grabs Musashi and Miyamoto is forced to use Den's own wakizashi to cut open his stomach.

The aftermath of the battle is what really got me. Between Musashi's brief reunion with Matahachi and the Yoshioka School plotting to use all 70 of its members to kill Musashi, I was fully engrossed. The spiral of death and killing is really starting to wear on Miyamoto and I like how Inoue keeps inching Musashi towards katsujinken and away from satsujinken. He almost made it over that moment and out of Kyoto, but the beast within him couldn't let him leave without fighting the rest of the Yoshioka. I love it.

I'll probably pick the next two volumes up when I get my paycheck next month. Almost there!

 

[Griffith]

I should probably chime in since it's been a while. I finished reading Vol. 25 on Friday and, as usual, I can't wait to read the next one.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed the fight between Musashi and Den. I thought I would be disappointed, since we already knew the outcome as of Vol. 21, but I enjoyed the new bit where Den grabs Musashi and Miyamoto is forced to use Den's own wakizashi to cut open his stomach.

Spoiler

Yeah, I was most impressed with the additional psychological buildup and juxtaposition explaining how they got to what we see in volume 21. The best part is always in their head, even duels.

The aftermath of the battle is what really got me. Between Musashi's brief reunion with Matahachi and the Yoshioka School plotting to use all 70 of its members to kill Musashi, I was fully engrossed. The spiral of death and killing is really starting to wear on Miyamoto and I like how Inoue keeps inching Musashi towards katsujinken and away from satsujinken. He almost made it over that moment and out of Kyoto, but the beast within him couldn't let him leave without fighting the rest of the Yoshioka. I love it.

Spoiler

Yeah, Musashi's post-duel encounter with Matahatchi inter-cut with his confrontation of the remaining ten swords of the Yoshioka is some powerful stuff, especially where the emotional growth and introspection of Musashi is concerned. Another favorite scene of mine, I think I'm drawn to depressed Musashi, I swear just cause I want to see him climb out of that hole better than ever. =)

Also, digging the vocabulary, we need to start throwing around katsujinken and satsujinken more oftensujinken.

I'll probably pick the next two volumes up when I get my paycheck next month. Almost there!

Yes, be sure to get them together!

 

[IncantatioN]

Sasaki Kojiro, you're turning out to be a favorite character of mine! I love the way the mangeka shows him in battle, his style looks elegant, free-arm, precise, quick, and just stunning. I had goosebumps when

Spoiler

he duels side-by-side with the young Takezo, and there's that scene where they have their backs against each other, and swiftly turn around, notice that they're on the same side and continue fighting - EPIC ... and now I'm at the point in the story where he's up on top of a cliff fighting the guy with the chain

and I can't wait to read what happens next.

 

[Griffith]

Sasaki Kojiro, you're turning out to be a favorite character of mine! I love the way the mangeka shows him in battle, his style looks elegant, free-arm, precise, quick, and just stunning. I had goosebumps when

Spoiler

he duels side-by-side with the young Takezo, and there's that scene where they have their backs against each other, and swiftly turn around, notice that they're on the same side and continue fighting - EPIC ... and now I'm at the point in the story where he's up on top of a cliff fighting the guy with the chain

and I can't wait to read what happens next.

Yeah, that whole arc would feel like a betrayal if it wasn't so damn good.

Spoiler

It's like Inoue was bored so he decided to start over and rebuild Vagabond with an entirely different awesome story.

You're close to another one of my favorite little moments, I'll say which after you get there.

 

[IncantatioN]

Wow, the build up to his next battle with Koun is so good. I love how

Spoiler

he starts jumping because he's happy to have found a formidable opponent and learn a new technique in the middle of his fight! He's just full of raw emotion that surprises me when I see him, and makes him so easily likable.

I got my missing volumes, thanks again Griffith! So I swept through Volume 21, and so forth.

Spoiler

I expected A bigger, more intense fight between Musashi and Seijuro to be honest. The end was epic though, and poor Denshichiro, a clever ending move by Musashi, which reminds me of Kojiro's clever move to put a small sword wrapped up in his hand against the old guy with the chain (before his fight with Koun). That stroke of genius among fighters with raw instinct, and thirst. The fight with 70 Yoshioka was epic, reminded me of Guts' 100 Man Slayer chapter(s) haha. I notice how all of a sudden we're getting to see a samurai's intent drawn as a monster or wave above him. I mean, we've seen chi-fume like thingsies before but this is new. Maybe it can be seen because the samurai is more aware, like the stage where Musashi is post 70 man battle?

I have a few other things in my mind, but I'll get to it when I re-read the manga. I rushed to the part where

Spoiler

Musashi encounters Ito

 

[Rhombaad]

I picked up Vol. 26 at the Kinokuniya in Seattle this weekend when I went to pick up the two issues of YA that had arrived for me a few weeks ago. They didn't have Vol. 27, which really sucked (even more so when I got to the usual cliffhanger at the end of Vol. 26).

Volume 26:

Spoiler

Man, the fight between Musashi and the 70 Yoshioka samurai is really brutal so far. I was really surprised when Musashi seemingly dispatched Ueda by cutting off part of his face (and even more so when Ueda appeared at the end of the volume, alive). These have been some of the most graphic deaths in the series so far, which makes me a little worried about the aftermath and what it will do to Musashi's soul. I enjoyed his little out of body experience and am hopeful there will be more in the future. I can't wait to read the next volume(s), which I'll be able to do after the first paycheck of September lands in my checking account.

 

[Griffith]

Wow, the build up to his next battle with Koun is so good. I love how

Spoiler

he starts jumping because he's happy to have found a formidable opponent and learn a new technique in the middle of his fight! He's just full of raw emotion that surprises me when I see him, and makes him so easily likable.

As promised, my favorite little part from there was just before then,

Spoiler

when Ichizo fights Kojiro, and he's so up in his head and Kojiro so focused, as he realizes, that he's literally killed before he knows it. The subsequent flashback and the reaction shot of Shinjiro to his brother's death is one of Inoue's best. Incredible moment.

I got my missing volumes, thanks again Griffith! So I swept through Volume 21, and so forth.

Spoiler

I expected A bigger, more intense fight between Musashi and Seijuro to be honest. The end was epic though, and poor Denshichiro, a clever ending move by Musashi, which reminds me of Kojiro's clever move to put a small sword wrapped up in his hand against the old guy with the chain (before his fight with Koun). That stroke of genius among fighters with raw instinct, and thirst. The fight with 70 Yoshioka was epic, reminded me of Guts' 100 Man Slayer chapter(s) haha. I notice how all of a sudden we're getting to see a samurai's intent drawn as a monster or wave above him. I mean, we've seen chi-fume like thingsies before but this is new. Maybe it can be seen because the samurai is more aware, like the stage where Musashi is post 70 man battle?

Glad you got your volumes!

Spoiler

The fight with Seijuro is one of my favorites, I read it over weeks and months as it slowly trickled out of Japan episode by episode, so it was plenty big and intense to me, haha.

I still love everything building up to and just following it, basically volume 21 and 22.

Spoiler

Regarding the 70 man fight, I still remember the excitement when I realized Inoue might show Musashi kill all 70 individually. In that way, it's not like Guts' 100 man fight to me, because we really don't see much of it. As for the wicked looking spirit emanating from Musashi, I'm not sure it's a revelation for him so much as just a new story telling technique being employed by Inoue, similar to the Beast of Shadow in Berserk.

I have a few other things in my mind, but I'll get to it when I re-read the manga. I rushed to the part where

Spoiler

Musashi encounters Ito

I feel like I've been waiting years for volume 32 to come out here so I can see the conclusion of that get the Viz treatment. Should be on it's way.

I picked up Vol. 26 at the Kinokuniya in Seattle this weekend when I went to pick up the two issues of YA that had arrived for me a few weeks ago. They didn't have Vol. 27, which really sucked (even more so when I got to the usual cliffhanger at the end of Vol. 26).

Oh man, that sucks, I can't think of two volumes in the series that go together more. Well, on the bright side, you get to experience that suspense and anticipation that these series are built on.

Volume 26:

Spoiler

Man, the fight between Musashi and the 70 Yoshioka samurai is really brutal so far. I was really surprised when Musashi seemingly dispatched Ueda by cutting off part of his face (and even more so when Ueda appeared at the end of the volume, alive). These have been some of the most graphic deaths in the series so far, which makes me a little worried about the aftermath and what it will do to Musashi's soul. I enjoyed his little out of body experience and am hopeful there will be more in the future. I can't wait to read the next volume(s), which I'll be able to do after the first paycheck of September lands in my checking account.

Spoiler

I'm proud to say I called Ueda's return from the dead (of course, again, it's easy to jump to every conclusion reading it week to week)!

Also, great analysis on your part, especially concerning the aftermath. You're already ready for volume 28.

 

[Rhombaad]

Oh man, that sucks, I can't think of two volumes in the series that go together more. Well, on the bright side, you get to experience that suspense and anticipation that these series are built on.

Yeah, I was pretty bummed, but at least I got to read one of the volumes this month. I'm actually kind of glad I can't buy the series all at once. That was one problem with reading Berserk for the first time. There was no anticipation for each new volume until I caught up and had to wait for Vol. 25 all those years ago. I really enjoy being left with a cliffhanger; it makes the anticipation for the next volume so much better!

Spoiler

I'm proud to say I called Ueda's return from the dead (of course, again, it's easy to jump to every conclusion reading it week to week)!

Spoiler

Haha, I guess I'm so used to Inoue killing people off quickly and unexpectedly (but still very tastefully) that I wouldn't have been surprised if that was all Ueda amounted to. After all, Musashi had a relatively easy time with Seijuro and Den.

Spoiler

Also, great analysis on your part, especially concerning the aftermath. You're already ready for volume 28.

Thanks man! I can't wait to get there.

 

[IncantatioN]

I feel like I've been waiting years for volume 32 to come out here so I can see the conclusion of that get the Viz treatment. Should be on it's way.

That scares me! The thought of being current with the series, and waiting months for every 'episode' to come out is just pure torture. Kudos to everyone who've been dealing with it on Berserk and Vagabond! I ordered Volume 32, and pre-ordered Volume 33 this morning. I'll get Volume 32 by the first week of September, which gives me time to breathe with my Akira re-read, and I then plan on re-reading Vagabond so I can finish right when I receive the new volume.

In the last few volumes, I felt like Kojiro's features got a bit gruff, as in, he moved away from being the pretty boy. It's all about his eyes!

 

[Th3Branded0ne]

Now that Rhombaad and Incantation will be caught up to the volume releases. You have to be like Griff, Eluvei and I and wait for those raws that are becoming even more rare nowadays. So enjoy this last few volumes, because the cliff gets steeper from there.

 

[IncantatioN]

nyooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

I actually forgot to ask you guys on here, but I saw a magazine in the local KinoK which had Musashi's picture/ drawing on the right top corner and wondered if it was somewhat similar to Young Animal for Berserk. Could you guys confirm the name of the magazine I should subscribe to?

Also, how does the art compare to the Viz publications? I'm guessing bigger pages (more fun), and maybe additional color pages (?). I wish I knew the actual monthly publications in which the series appears, for instance the current month's YA does not have Berserk, so it's sort of just there for my viewing of hot babes only

 

[Eluvei]

Vagabond's episodes are released on Weekly Morning: http://morningmanga.com/

There are some sweet covers that Inoue draws for the magazine from time to time, but the color pages of the actual episodes always show up on the volumes. He often adds, removes or alters panels or whole pages when he releases the volumes, even moreso lately.

Oh, and like all great manga artists, Inoue takes irregular breaks, so don't expect Vagabond's prepublication to be released every week. You can check if an episode will be released through the magazine website I linked, or by clicking Griff's signature, which links to Inoue's studio website/blog. It always comes in handy.

Also, this might be of interest to you: CLICK

 

[IncantatioN]

Thanks for the info! It would be sweet if I could find out which issues of that magazine had Vagabond episodes, and expensive!

I've seen the blue cover art (it looks like it's raining) with Musashi on the cover at KinoK, it's in all Japanese and I think the same size as the Viz edition or appeared smaller, I saw an image online, there's a date of 07/22/2010 if it helps to locate what I'm referring to. Does anyone own own those sort of volumes too?

 

[Griffith]

or by clicking Griff's signature, which links to Inoue's studio website/blog. It always comes in handy.

Yep, and one doesn't even need to click to know the new eps out, the episode image in my sig is hotlinked directly from Inoue's site, so it automatically updates when they do. Eluvei, Didn't you recently see a new episode was up that way before I even noticed?


Also, funny story, remember how I said I felt like I'd been waiting forever for Vagabond 32? Well, it arrived today, all three copies I ordered! Now, accidentally ordering a value of 3 on Amazon would be a reasonable mistake, but I apparently ordered them all on separate occasions! According to my receipt, I ordered it first on April 16th, then again on July 7th, and finally once more for good measure on the 5th of this month. So, I guess I was more impatient for it than I even realized, or just doing such a good job not thinking about it that I forgot I'd already ordered it a couple times. =)

 

[Rhombaad]

Also, funny story, remember how I said I felt like I'd been waiting forever for Vagabond 32? Well, it arrived today, all three copies I ordered! Now, accidentally ordering a value of 3 on Amazon would be a reasonable mistake, but I apparently ordered them all on separate occasions! According to my receipt, I ordered it first on April 16th, then again on July 7th, and finally once more for good measure on the 5th of this month. So, I guess I was more impatient for it than I even realized, or just doing such a good job not thinking about it that I forgot I'd already ordered it a couple times. =)

Haha, that's awesome. I've had to double check whether or not I've ordered items from Amazon.com before. It usually says on the item page at the very top if you've ordered it before (it even gives you the date, which is pretty handy).

 

[Griffith]

Haha, that's awesome. I've had to double check whether or not I've ordered items from Amazon.com before. It usually says on the item page at the very top if you've ordered it before (it even gives you the date, which is pretty handy).

Ah, never noticed that before, I would only check my recent order history, but that info disappears fast. That is handy, thanks.

 

[Eluvei]

I've seen the blue cover art (it looks like it's raining) with Musashi on the cover at KinoK, it's in all Japanese and I think the same size as the Viz edition or appeared smaller, I saw an image online, there's a date of 07/22/2010 if it helps to locate what I'm referring to.

Yeah, you saw issue 32 of Weekly Morning: here's the cover

Yep, and one doesn't even need to click to know the new eps out, the episode image in my sig is hotlinked directly from Inoue's site, so it automatically updates when they do. Eluvei, Didn't you recently see a new episode was up that way before I even noticed?

Hehe yeah man, I was trying to make a decent explanation but I forgot to mention the simplest of things.

Also, funny story, remember how I said I felt like I'd been waiting forever for Vagabond 32? Well, it arrived today, all three copies I ordered! Now, accidentally ordering a value of 3 on Amazon would be a reasonable mistake, but I apparently ordered them all on separate occasions! According to my receipt, I ordered it first on April 16th, then again on July 7th, and finally once more for good measure on the 5th of this month. So, I guess I was more impatient for it than I even realized, or just doing such a good job not thinking about it that I forgot I'd already ordered it a couple times. =)

You should ask Viz for a refund. They made you wait too much, this isn't your fault!

 

[IncantatioN]

Haha that's awesome Griffith. I say hold on to the extra ones, and sell em on Ebay 5 years from now for a bigger amount . I made a similar mistake last month and realized it when I received 2 Crocodile PVC figures in the mail, I reacted with an immediate-heavy face palm because it cost me close to a 100$ for the second figure, and I still have it. In fact, I didn't get all my Vagabond issues as yet, Amazon hasn't shipped me Volume 9! And I got an email today telling me they pushed back the date for Volume 33

Yep, that's the cover Eluvei ^_^

 

[Griffith]

Nah, I'm gonna return them to amazon. I also got an email about Berserk 34 being delayed until September 30th, ugh.

BTW, read 32 of course, and man, as usual, the Viz translation really brings it to life, and makes sense of lot of heady stuff that wasn't clear from fan translations.

 

[Rhombaad]

I just placed my order for Vol. 27 of Vagabond (and Vol. 20 of Rurouni Kenshin ). It's amazing how much better Viz is at translating manga than Dark Horse. The glossary of terms in the back really helps a lot and allows them to use actual Japanese in the volume itself. While I'm not too keen on their replacement of the Japanese FX with English versions, they do it very well in Vagabond (not so much in Kenshin, unfortunately). I can't wait for it to get here

Spoiler

so I can see how the 70 man fight wraps up!

 

[Griffith]

I just placed my order for Vol. 27 of Vagabond (and Vol. 20 of Rurouni Kenshin ). It's amazing how much better Viz is at translating manga than Dark Horse.

Yeah, it's especially impressive when you consider the degree of difficulty of some of the ideas being discussed in Vagabond, time and time again the Viz translation finds a way to communicate subtle and sometimes very complex concepts in a simple, intuitive manner. I'll take that and the respect they give the material in exchange for the occasional typo or awkward phrase. On the other end of the spectrum, "Groovy!"

The glossary of terms in the back really helps a lot and allows them to use actual Japanese in the volume itself. While I'm not too keen on their replacement of the Japanese FX with English versions, they do it very well in Vagabond (not so much in Kenshin, unfortunately).

Yeah, it's so good it's actually made me wonder before if Inoue prepares most of the artwork without sound effects so it can be easily localized in whatever language it's published in.

I can't wait for it to get here

Spoiler

so I can see how the 70 man fight wraps up!

Let us know what you think when it does.

 

[Rhombaad]

I've now read volumes 27, 28 and 29. Hot damn it's getting good. I'm sort of dreading catching up, but that's the way these things go.

Spoiler

The 70 man fight didn't end the way I expected it to. I wasn't counting on Ueda giving Musashi such a life-altering wound, though if I know Mushi, he'll be back on his feet in one way or another in no time.

I hate to admit that I knew that Akemi was going to kill herself. Back when I first started reading Vagabond, I read a few wikipedia articles about the series and accidentally read a spoiler that gave away Akemi's fate (along with the two Yoshioka brothers...ugh...). Suffice to say, I have stopped reading anything about Vagabond besides the manga itself, for fear of spoiling things any further. Now, back to the show.

I really enjoyed getting to see Takuan and Musashi having a good dialogue again. Mushi has come so far, yet it seems every step he takes forward takes him three steps back at the same time. Their talk about being one with the heavens was really uplifting, but my favorite set of lines came when one of the monks asked Takuan to throw Musashi out because he was a villain who killed 70 people. When Takuan turned to him and said in so many words that the reason for Monks to exist is to aid those who truly need saving, not just the good people of the world. That really got to me and is something I wish more people lived their lives by these days.

Anyway, I can't wait to read the remaining volumes and hope to be discussing the current events with all of you as soon as possible.

 

[Th3Branded0ne]

Pretty good Rhombaad! Getting to the point of regular releases by the weeks. I would say afte these volumes there's plenty of scenes you will like even if they are not action ones. I won't spoil anything, so when you get to vol. 30 and plus you'll experience them and tells us your thoughts about them.

 

[Griffith]

I've now read volumes 27, 28 and 29. Hot damn it's getting good. I'm sort of dreading catching up, but that's the way these things go.

Spoiler

The 70 man fight didn't end the way I expected it to. I wasn't counting on Ueda giving Musashi such a life-altering wound, though if I know Mushi, he'll be back on his feet in one way or another in no time.

That was definitely an unexpected turn, but that's what I like about Vagabond, it manages to tell a larger than life story but can suddenly turn on something like this, suddenly focusing on how "life gets in the way," even for legends.

Spoiler

I hate to admit that I knew that Akemi was going to kill herself. Back when I first started reading Vagabond, I read a few wikipedia articles about the series and accidentally read a spoiler that gave away Akemi's fate (along with the two Yoshioka brothers...ugh...). Suffice to say, I have stopped reading anything about Vagabond besides the manga itself, for fear of spoiling things any further. Now, back to the show.

That's too bad, kind of takes the shock of that when you're expecting it. It reminds me how reading the novel plays on one's expectations for the series, and the strange sense of similarity and deviation that creates.

Spoiler

I really enjoyed getting to see Takuan and Musashi having a good dialogue again. Mushi has come so far, yet it seems every step he takes forward takes him three steps back at the same time. Their talk about being one with the heavens was really uplifting, but my favorite set of lines came when one of the monks asked Takuan to throw Musashi out because he was a villain who killed 70 people. When Takuan turned to him and said in so many words that the reason for Monks to exist is to aid those who truly need saving, not just the good people of the world. That really got to me and is something I wish more people lived their lives by these days.

Yeah, I like how Inoue sprinkles in those bassic "truths" about daily life among the more profound, enigmatic, and ultimately elusive ideas such as being one with the heavens, infinite, and completely free due to fate...

Wait, huh?

Anyway, I can't wait to read the remaining volumes and hope to be discussing the current events with all of you as soon as possible.

Well, you're not missing anything at the moment, we're still waiting to discuss the next events as well, whenever that may be. I'm looking forward to it myself.

 

[Jesterhead]

While in Chapters filling in some gaps in my Dark Horse Berserk volumes, I decided to finally pick up some Vagabond! VizBigs 3 in 1 volumes really make this easy and affordable to buy! Can't wait to get home to start reading it!