VAGABOND VIZBIG ED GN VOL 05 (MR) (C: 1-0-0): Glimmering Waves: Volume 5 (Vagabond (VIZBIG Edition))

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If you are new to Vagabond, the story follows Miyamoto Musashi on his journey to become the greatest swordsman. Because of his brutish and violent ways, a lot of people think he’s something like a demon, but we as the reader, know he’s so much more than that and we really see him develop and grow over the course of the volumes. Kojiro, meanwhile, grows into an odd child always on the outskirts of the world around him, unable and even unwilling to interact with others. His only love seems to reside in the sword that was sent with him to Jisai by his father, an exceptionally long and seemingly unwieldy blade that would eventually become famous as ‘the drying pole.’ So the 1st volume in this 3 volume piece was a continuation of the former story arc, whereas the next two volumes start a brand new story with (to my knowledge) no overarching characters from the first.

And now he's finally wondering about the cost, and whether there is more to being the greatest samurai than simply killing your next opponent. I do think that Vagabond would have benefited from an even larger format release, maybe something like the Dark Horse Deluxe Editions. It is a series that deserves that hardcover and sewn-binding treatment, but since we don’t have that right now, the Vizbigs are a good way to go if you are looking to read Vagabond. Final Thoughts: Are the Vagabond Vizbig Editions worth it? This volume was quite great, although not too much happened. What did occur, was done brilliantly and I loved seeing more questions and confusion placed on Musashi. I really enjoyed Tsujikaze's upbringing, I mean I didn't necessarily love watching her/him growing up the way she did but it was super interesting to see how she overcame her brother and the Tsujikaze gang. She's an astounding female character I appreciate Inoue's choice of creating her to further Musashi's confusion and in turn, help in his transcendence. I'm still confused as to why Sasaki Kojirō was named, because his bloodlust ?? I'm not too sure but I am super keen to find out in the upcoming volumes... Let's get started, I love this series so so much ! He is mentored by a former samurai, the old washed up Jisai Kanemaki, who serves as a warning of sorts for Musashi's possible future. All he cared about was dedicating his life to the sword and would have ended up dying alone if it wasn't for the arrival of Kojiro. The final segment, and the longest, tells another story of the youth of an imminent ‘rising dragon’ of the sword: Sasaki Kojiro, the very swordsman whose name and reputation would be stolen by the cowardly Matahachi. It is also the story of the twilight of the life of Kanemaki Jisai, a teacher of the sword whose rise to fame was cut short and is now little more than a tramp broken by failure, living hand to mouth on the edge of nowhere. Into his broken life comes an unexpected surprise, and burden, in the form of the infant Kojiro, sent by his father, an old pupil of Jisai’s, as his family is overcome by tragedy.

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However, starting Sasaki's inception in the next stage I was thoroughly interested in. It's not that Miyamoto's story was boring, but it definitely was getting stale. I felt like Miyamoto as a protagonist was compelling at first but I definitely enjoyed the change of pace. His story-line could only do so much, where I feel like Sasaki has a lot more potential.

Kojiro is extremely likeable as a kid, friendly and playful, but also completely deaf, so he does have some trouble fitting in. Anyway, volume 13 acts as a sort of epilogue to the first big act of Vagabond, because volumes 14 and 15 begin a brand new story, and a new path for a different warrior — Sasaki Kojiro, who becomes our main character for now. Kojiro was a legendary archrival of Miyamoto Musashi, and we get to see his life from the infancy, as fate leaves him to the care of Kanemaki Jisai. Previously a master of the sword, he now lives as a hermit and an outcast, all but abandoning his old ways, and now he has to take care of someone else's baby, a child of war who lost his parents. It's an incredibly emotional and beautiful story, and I'd say the best storytelling Inoue has done in Vagabond up to this point. I know Musashi and Kojiro are destined to face off, but now I'll be filled with sadness because I like both characters so much.It's something that Takehiko Inoue really excels at, creating likeable opponents who you really empathise with. Chapters not yet in volume format [ ] These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. So far, 37 individual volumes and 12 Vizbigs have been released of the series. I do want to mention that Vagabond is currently on hiatus, but please don’t let the fact that it’s on hiatus stop you from experiencing this incredible story. The Vizbig volumes are 3-in-1’s so with the volumes that have been released so far you can read up through volume 36. How do the Vagabond Vizbig Editions differ from the individual volumes? All in all, they are the most convenient and easiest way to collect Vagabond right now and the cheapest as well. They have incredible print quality and cool design, and they are a great way to enjoy the series! Musashi doesn't appear, but the parallels to his story are obvious, both in the washed up old master and his young, trouble apprentice.