I read and appreciated the first omnibus of Takehiko Inoue's samurai manga Vagabond late last year, but only got around to reading the second volume just now. First, I noticed a severe decline in terms of dynamic and interesting characters this time around in Volume 2.

Al menos hasta que Matahachi y Ozu se convirtieron en sus amigos, pues no parecían temerle ni odiarlo como todos los demás. Takehiko Inoue is known for his attention to detail and realistic depictions of characters and environments. I would not say that the character of Miyamoto Musashi has yet gained any true depth – he still comes across as rather flat – but the character gallery around him is starting to make up for it. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Morning since September 1998, with its chapters collected into thirty-seven tankōbon volumes as of July 2014. Conclusion: Vagabond is a masterpiece of storytelling and artwork that has captivated readers for over two decades.This volume continues the pre-Miyamoto Musashi life of Takezo Shinmen and it introduces the character who has become my favorite cast member of Vagabond, Takuan. In this volume Musashi recuperates, takes on an apprentice in Jotaro, a young boy who also wishes to become strong because he knows he has to count on no-one but himself in life. Also, while there is still a lot of violence (one fight seems to be going on for an near endless number of chapters) there is much less carnage in this volume.

Though he is quite rude and unruly in the beginning, it is his same dare devil attitude that allows him to meet and fight very skilled swordsmen who leave him with another bit of knowledge to aid him in his quest of becoming the most skilled swordsman.Shinmen Takezo is destined to become the legendary sword-saint, Miyamoto Musashi--perhaps the most renowned samurai of all time. Es así como nos enteramos que la madre de Takezo lo abandonó apenas era un niño y, por ende, tuvo que criarse con un padre que solo sabía ser un asesino. But will Musashi's growing feelings for his childhood friend Otsû prove to be a fatal distraction in his match against In'ei, the austere master of Hôzôin's deadly spear technique? Since they're primarily visual you would think that means comics would have an easier time of giving readers Great fight scenes. I am having a real challenge trying to overcome the idea that this is just a retelling/rehashing of a popular novel.

Some solid intros and amazing fight choreographies in between which again is only let down at times by the size of the book. I'm guessing it was made to make his character more relatable, but I feel as if the cliche love interest doesn't do anything for me. Considering that Musashi is the main character of this series, Inoue is also interested to give every character their own narrative, including faces who we thought we never see again, such as Matahachi’s horrid mother Osugi.

was kind of spoiled by the author admiting that he was a historical figure and the archenemy of Miyamoto. Inoue’s incredibly diverse art shines throughout, whether it is drawing intimate drama or ferocious action, all of which makes you feel something from the highs and lows of the journey. I'm still confused about how these character came to be and where this story is going but it's still very good. The major set-piece of this volume is when we arrive at the Hōzōin-ryū school of spearmanship, where Musashi fights Inshun Hōzōin, the second-generation master of the Hōzōin spear technique.