Kodansha has shared a fresh look for the new edition of Musashi, the iconic Japanese novel by author Eiji Yoshikawa from 1935. The new edition offers Vagabond fans a nice treat as the cover contains a new illustration by Takehiko Inoue, the creator of Vagabond and Slam Dunk. Musashi is a Japanese epic based on the life of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The novel is one of the most popular and commercially successful books originating from Japan, leading to several adaptations. Vagabond by Inoue is a manga adaptation of the iconic book, which is why the mangaka was chosen to draw an artwork for the new edition of Mushashi.
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Vagabond was Inoue’s direct follow-up to his immensely popular Slam Dunk basketball manga. Kodansha began serializing Vagabond in 1998, and the manga has currently released 327 chapters, collected in 37 volumes. The manga has gone on multiple hiatuses since 2010, and the series went on indefinite hiatus in 2015, with no information confirming when or if the series will return. Inoue’s health was clarified as the main reason for the hiatuses, but the author appears well enough to direct The First Slam Dunk film in 2022 and dew the new edition cover of Mushashi. It’s unknown if Inoue will ever return to Vagabond and finish the story.
Who is Miyamoto Musashi, the Man Who Inspired Musashi and Vagabond
Miyamoto Mushashi was a legendary swordsman who lived in the late 1500s and early 1600s in Japan. He is believed to be undefeated in sword combat, earning the reputation of being one of the greatest swordsmen to exist. Because he lived many centuries ago and so much of his early life is a mystery, Yoshikawa decided to dramatize Mushashi’s life with his self-titled novel. The Mushashi‘s synopsis details the iconic swordsman after participating in the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
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The swordsman’s initial goal for joining the Battle of Sekigahara was to become a samurai, but he became a fugitive after committing a “rash act.” After serving a sentence of solitary confinement, Mushashi decides to abandon his goal of becoming a samurai and perfect a new sword technique. His continued adventures lead him to become a reluctant hero multiple times, putting his technique to the ultimate test. The Vagabond manga emphasizes Mushashi as a “vagabond,” a person who wanders the lands without a home.
HT – Kodansha.
