I thought it might be acceptable to share a review I wrote on a private forum between myself and some friends. I hope it may encourage those who are not familiar with this manga to go and give it a try.

Vagabond is a currently running manga (33 volumes at the time of writing).
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot synopsis
This is a re-imagining of the story of the "Sword Saint", Miyamoto Musashi (one of Japan's most famous Samurai), adapted from the Book of Five Rings.
Shinmen Takezo, a violent child raised like a beast in the mountains of Miyamoto, travels, fights, and grows as a swordsman and as a man.


Reason one Vagabond is exemplary:




Takehiko Inoue's highly detailed pen art, atmospheric watercolors, and expressive brush work make each volume a pleasure to read again and again.

Reason two are the memorable and constantly evolving characters. Like tops spinning and crashing into each other and shooting off in some new direction, the character's interaction shapes them. As time passes, we clearly understand how each person has ended up where they are, and get a feeling for where they're going.

Reason three is is a story that not only flows at a perfectly calculated pace, but also grows as it moves forward. The dialogue and actions are simple and easy to follow, at times reflective and thoughtful, at others snapping forward with visceral and ferocious action. The end of every volume leaves the reader starving to know what happens next. There are no false buildups or filler- when the cards are played, they're played for keeps, and things only get more interesting as the players entangle and mature.

In summary, everything is a perfect 10. Unlike many other manga I grew up with, I seem to have grown into this one rather than out of it, and its engaging story, sympathetic characters, and eye-boggling art make it worthy of being perhaps the second most popular manga in Japan today (after One Piece).

I've recently learned Inoue has put Vagabond on hiatus for the time being due to health issues, which is unfortunate, but might be a window of opportunity for anyone who wants to catch up. At the time of writing there are 33 volumes, all translated into English and published by Viz in the US.