Vagabond Chapter 90 Discussion
- Thread starter Maria
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**Chapter 86**:
*Really like that titular portrait of Musashi. You know he’s in it to win it with that drawing style.
*”My sword will bring that invincible old dragon Yagyu Sekishusai down to his knees.” Statements like these show that, though Musashi learned quite a bit in his fight(s) against Inshun, he still has a ways to go.
*”I’ll take on the whole castle if I have to” as crows caw overhead. Ominous!
*I wish I had a really minimalist room like that. With just a bonsai tree, a few pillars, and a big ole scroll with a perfectly imperfect circle drawn on it. It’d make a dope living room.
*Murata seems to be a bit wary around Musashi, and the others don’t. Interesting. I suppose they trust the errant samurai, at least to some degree.
*Nice: the “Our lord, the master of the Yagyu clan was the one who cut that flower” on the same panel as the circle. I imagine it is supposed to be symbolic some of Yagyu’s “ship of stone”. It definitely has some significance, but I’m not sure Googling “Japan castle circle tapestry” will be of much help in determining what it is …
*I think the Yagyu still believe Musashi to be less than he actually is. They feel something strong about him … but really have no way of confirming it without fighting.
*Musashi still a lightweight when it comes to drinking, heh.
*Debuchi seems the most in tune with what Musashi is saying. Although all the others seem to have some inklings of their own, they just show it in different ways (Shoda laughs, Murata grumbles and continues eating, Kimuro plays it cool).
*Quick history lesson: the real Musashi Miyamoto did in fact use tactics like these when fighting. He was notorious for the mind games he often played with his opponents. Baiting them (like here), arriving extremely late to a duel (as with Inshun); all based on what we know of the actual swordsman.
*And Jotaro is restarting his fight with the dog … oh boy.
**Chapter 87**:
*I feel a bit robbed that we got a third person narrator speeding us along the discussion, but it probably wouldn’t have been too interesting. Might’ve been nice to see Musashi actually get into some fun, light conversation for once though. However, one problem I’ve heard of the novel this manga is based on is that the author focused quite a bit on things that did not seem to matter. So I suppose it’s for the best.
*Striking more chords in Murata. He’s taking a much more forward route now.
*The Yagyu were rather unimpressed by his spiel (points made or no). But his plan worked with Murata … and then didn’t.
*Jotaro’s dogfight is coming into play. And now it leaves Musashi alone with Kimuro, likely the strongest of the four senior disciples.
*And Kimuro thinks he’s a spy. Or an assassin. He’s thinking much further ahead than Shoda and Debuchi … but he’s still a bit off. Debuchi and Shoda seemed to be closer in their understanding of Musashi. But Kimuro seems to see him much more as the actual threat he is.
*Man, again I just love Inoue’s use of space and panels. Everything flows so smoothly (looking at the page where the two note that Taro must be dead).
*Musashi realizes what’s happened. Kimuro remains suspicious …
*Jotaro is caught. He sounds like a shonen character. Musashi might be immature, but Jotaro really is still a child.
*Jotaro always seems a bit bipolar. Musashi as a kid was almost always violent and bloodthirsty, but Jotaro’s violence and bloodthirst is always off and on. Now, it’s very on though.
*”Demon child!” Whatcha gonna do Musashi?
**Chapter 88**:
*Jotaro even uses Musashi-esque tactics. And by that, I mean use any and every body part available to fight.
*Musashi’s incredibly strong. Shoves a guy with one arm and sends him flying as if he were nothing.
*Musashi has given up all subtlety. It’s just a brawl now …
*They might have seen plenty of boastful ronin in their time, but certainly the Yagyu have not seen one willing to fight the entire castle … even the seniors look surprised, and they’ve been baited by Musashi for most of the night.
**Chapter 89**:
*Well, that oughta completely set Murata off.
*And so begins the brawl. Musashi taking down scrubs right n left. They seem to be injuring themselves more than Musashi is injuring them, actually.
*And the senior disciples swoop in to handle it. Nice of them, those grunts were about to get their asses handed to them.
*Really love when Inoue does those around-the-back shots of characters, with the foreground character all stylized. Seems to be one of his favorites too, he does it a lot. Also seems to indicate that while the foreground character is imposing and fired up (with the drawing style), the background character still has the focus on them, making them appear larger and smaller at the same time.
*Musashi would never commit harakiri. Nice try though Shoda.
*They dub Musashi a fool just as Murata charges with a war cry, lol.
*Nice ending page with Musashi vs Murata. Match made in heaven. The battle with the Yagyu senior disciples begins!
**Chapter 90**:
*Of course, in terms of brute strength, Musashi will just about always win.
*”It’s as if he’s on fire.” Because he is, this is his moment.
*These men participated in the Battle of Sekigahara just as Musashi did, but that was around 4-5 years ago at this point. They haven’t had serious life-or-death combat in a while, and they likely didn’t have as tough an opponent as Musashi in that battle.
*Aw, right as Murata comes to charge again we switch to Sekishusai. Oh well, he and Otsu still have a great dynamic, and it’s good to see how he’s doing after his collapse.
*I have a small issue with this bit about Otsu. Feel like it was rather shoehorned in. Seems to be a very important part of her character, but it’s only now being brought up.
*Sekishusai really does love Otsu though. Nice old man, that he is.
*”Nothing’s wrong with crying”: take heed, world. Even badasses cry. Just read some epic poems and see for yourself.
*Yagyu rockin’ that cap.
*Otsu staring up at the moon. Seems as if she might actually start playing her flute, given that look in her eye.
*Nice cut back to the action. Very smooth segue.
*Musashi dodges Murata’s strike, barely. At least, dodged a fatal blow. Speaks for the strength of the Yagyu.
*”You’re all living inside of me, as if you’re a part of me.” Poetic. Makes sense though. The experience of Inshun and In’ei will always be a part of him, and are those experiences not one with the people? *Doesn’t feel as if he’ll win, but also feels as if he can’t lose. Foreshadowing of some sort?
*”I can’t believe a man such as this exists.” You said it, Shoda. Well, thought it.