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Reviewed by Michael Aronson “Fear, failure, disgrace . . . even the most renowned swordsman of all time had his low moments. For the first time ever, Miyamoto Musashi suffers a humiliating loss when he takes on the deadly spear technique of Inshun, the second-generation master of the Hozoin Temple. Dealing with defeat can be even more daunting of a task than facing the fiercest warriors. Will Musashi be up for his latest challenge?” Now that’s what I’m talking about. Characterization. Musashi’s finally grooving on the insight express. Being defeated in the worst way possible means nothing to him if he’s still alive to talk about it, but all the beatings he takes in this volume are the emotional ones he gives himself. He finally admits how reckless and senseless he’s become, so he takes on a new approach in order to achieve his immediate goal: paying Inshun back by beating him to a bloodless pulp. Hey, I never said he discovered tact. But this long-awaited development for Musashi takes second billing to the intriguing new adventures of his old childhood pal Matahachi. Matahachi has similar goals to Musashi – to train in the sword in order to become a great warrior – but goes about achieving them by wimping out on daily manual labor. However, a chance encounter sets him on what could either be a crucial or utterly foolish quest to give his life new meaning. What makes Matahachi much more interesting than Musashi is that rather than bloodlust, he’s fueled by his constant feelings of inferiority, guaranteeing that even grand success will only be achieved the wrong way. And Inshun also gets a brief but interesting development. Though I fear this volume is just bridging one battle to another, I hope this kind of development continues so the payoff can be even more rewarding. I hate to say that I’m much more interested in Matahachi’s quest now, but Musashi’s tale is also gaining steam. Comment on this review of Vagabond v6 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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