Vagabond (VIZBIG Edition), Vol. 1 - Viz Graphic Novel is the first volume of the manga series written and illustrated by the famous manga artist, Takehiko Inoue. Set in the early 1600s, Vagabond follows the life of Takezou Musashi, an assassin on a journey to discover the true swordsman’s path. Along his journey, he discovers a lot more than he imagined.
The first chapter starts with Takezou Musashi on a mission to save a group of peasants from a samurai army who is trying to take over their village. Musashi defeats the samurai and reveals his identity as a ronin, or formerly samurai. He then befriends the villagers and is hired to protect them. Musashi also leaves his mark on the village by carving a large art piece called the “Cherry Blossom Scroll” on a nearby mountain. Through this act, he earns the village’s respect.
In the second chapter, Musashi visits the village of Kuzuhara, where he meets a small group of travelers led by a mysterious old man. The old man tells Musashi that he is looking for an ancient sword believed to have been cursed by the gods. Musashi follows the man to his home, where the group reveals their true intentions. Shocked to find out that the old man was actually the leader of a group of assassins, Musashi fights hard and defeats them all single-handedly.
The third chapter sees Musashi land in the city of Edo, where he finds out about an upcoming duel between two swordsmen called Kojiro Sasaki and Seijuro Hiko. Seijuro, Musashi’s own teacher, asks him to help him prepare for the duel, and Musashi agrees. Musashi helps Seijuro in training, and together they create a strategy to defeat their opponent. However, Kojiro proves to be more skilled than Musashi anticipated, and the two and ends in a draw.
The fourth chapter begins with Musashi’s journey in the wilderness. He meets a group of warriors who are all set to take on the powerful Yoshioka clan who have been terrorizing the area. Musashi joins their quest and discovers that their was in a deal with the clan that would end in all their deaths. Musashi overpowers the clan and with the help of his allies, sends the Yoshioka clan out of the area for good.
In the fifth and final chapter of the volume, Musashi visits the nearby Mt. Oe, where he learns about the legend of the sword. He then comes across a mysterious swordsman who claims to have been waiting for him. Musashi and the mysterious swordsman battle, and after a grueling fight, Musashi defeats him with the help of a newfound technique. Musashi is then rewarded with an ancient sword and decides to continue his quest to find the path of enlightenment.
In this first volume of Vagabond, Takezou Musashi embarks on a journey to discover the true path of the swordsman. Along the way he takes up various challenges and fights several enemies, all while learning more about himself and his skills in swordsmanship. By the end of the volume, Musashi has already taken several steps toward his goal and is ready to take on even more obstacles and threats on the way.
