Vagabond Chapter 303 Discussion

I don't feel like I've wasted my time with this chapter. It was good, it shows Musashi's thought process and how he is coming to his own understanding of things. It's always been like this between his fights, or even during his fights, and I really like that. It has way more depth than just slashing away.

One of the best manga I've ever read, and this chapter didn't do it any harm. Slowpaced doesn't necessarily mean it is getting bad or anything.

LuffyVsNaruto said:
What was the point of this chpater? I felt like I wasted my time even waiting on it. I just want him to finally go find Otsu (whatever her name is) and stop fighting like he said he planned on doing and just ending the manga. This is starting to drag and it takes too long for the scans to come out.

I haven't read the Yoshikawa Eiji novel yet, so I can't tell much about Otsu. However, I have read many books about his life (even Musashi's book, Gorin no Shou), and I can tell you Musashi probably never had a love, it's just the fantasy of the novelist.

Musashi is 27 years old now, at the moment the manga takes place in 1611, and this the year when he begins practicing the zazen meditation. The recent chapters have a much more philosophist viewpoint than before. Musashi is thinking about the way of his life, what does it mean to be a swordman, life and death. I like these inner portrayals of his feelings (recent chapters) and for example a few chapters ago you could see his menacing aura cover the other swordsman in fear and run away.

A year later, he fights with Sasaki Koujirou. There are many other events that would be worth adaptating in his life after the duel with Koujirou, but it seems it would be the end of the manga. (Before his hiatus he said he'd finish the manga the same year)

By the way, the boy in this chapter will be Musashi's second adopted son when Musashi is around 40 years old.



P.S sorry for my poor English skills, I feel very bad today.

Seriously, go Wiki Miyamoto Musashi.  If you're expecting more massive battles, then expect to be disappointed.  Just drop the manga already, it's not for you.

Finally, Musashi does not abandon Iori!!! ;)

Seeing Takezo look after this kid is sorta refreshing. It's a nice contrast to the usual spiral of death that reverberates in this manga.

Looks like Musashi isn't abandoning Iori! He will stay for the foreseeable future, interesing.

Chapter 301 was definitely the turning point for Musashi and now the last 2 chapters have shown us the "new Musashi", it truly looks like he is done with killing for now, he just wants to recapture the love for life and Farming is a great metaphor for that since you give life to plants and take care of them.

"Old Musashi" would have said good luck kid and left for the next fight, him admitting in 301 his love for Otsu and now staying with Iroi shows that Musashi has opened up and developed a new level of empathy for himself, because before that he was a cold blooded murderer, now he only fights to defend himself from the looks of it!

I am really interested how this farming arc will shape Musashi!



At the people here hating that he abandond Jotaro and Otsu, well I am certain he will return to them in the future, but for now it seems its the right thing for him to stay here and rediscover himself as a human being.

LuffyVsNaruto said:


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                        What was the point of this chpater? I felt like I wasted my time even waiting on it. I just want him to finally go find Otsu (whatever her name is) and stop fighting like he said he planned on doing and just ending the manga. This is starting to drag and it takes too long for the scans to come out.

You write that long ago but it’s exactly how I feel right now. It’s not that I want more fight at all it’s just that I dont’ get why he isn’t going find Otsu and Jotaro. Like you want stop fighting perfect but why stop there with Iori that you just met while you gave up Otsu and Jotaro. And I guess he is gonna to do so for seven years or something like that since Matahachi said, while telling the story that he disappears seven years.

This manga really lost me when it start with Matahachi telling the story from the future and this 7 years elipse thing. Now when I read this manga it just made me frustrated and it’s a shame since I love it for so long now.

Iori hugging Musashi like he hugged the tree was heartwarming fr. Musashi finally stays for once instead of leaving off. Seems he'll look after the kid, finally escaping the spiral of death? Amazing character development for sure