Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue
February 24, 2022
This manga has a very interesting story that on the surface level is about a man who wants to be the strongest under the sun, but when you dig a little bit deeper you can see that it is a man who is trying to learn not only how to accept himself but also to change some of his flaws. Of course, in the story, we also have side characters who stay set in their ways.
The best part about the story is that you can relate a lot of what the main character goes through to your real-life experience, and if you can’t do it with him you can easily do it with one of the side characters. For the sake of ease, we will focus on the main character.
Everything about this man from the beginning of the story to where it is right now is just absolutely perfect. We get to follow him from the war where he is introduced to his final dual where he has transformed. In the beginning, we see him as an aggressive man with a single goal in mind. He stops at nothing to become stronger with little regard for people he puts in harm’s way. This motivation comes from his father who raised him to be just like him. The father was also cold and unfeeling, focused on only being the strongest. But soon after he deserts the war, he meets a monk who helps him see that the way he is going about life will simply lead to his death.
Going forward with a new and better outlook on life he becomes far stronger and kinder. He gets a better grasp on not only his feelings, but he becomes so much closer to being invincible under the sun.
Rated for Mature readers with intense content.