Summary
Takehiko Inoue’s Vagabond is a groundbreaking manga series that is on hold due to the pressure for perfection. Inoue’s passion for storytelling waned, leading to his work on Vagabond going on an indefinite hiatus. REAL, another work by Inoue, is an inspiring basketball manga worth checking out.
Takehiko Inoue is possibly the best mangaka of all time and his masterpiece, homeless, did not see the light of day for many years because of the pressure to deliver. This dramatized historical tale is praised for its breathtaking art and often comes up in discussions about the greatest manga of all time. The series had one of the longest hiatuses ever seen in manga and cartoon community, spanning over 9 years, with the last published chapter being chapter #327 in May 2015. Although considered by many to be his best work, Inoue put pen to paper and focused on other manga Yours, REAL.
In an interview, Takehiko Inoue revealed that the main reason he booked Vagabond’s indefinite hiatus is due to the overwhelming pressure of making the series perfect, causing him to lose all passion., and it became more of a chore than something he enjoyed. This is a very good reason, because artistry without passion will certainly be reflected in the final product.
Vagabond has a chance to return
Despite the hiatus, the legendary historical series is not over yet
Inoue finished off the hugely successful culture-changing sports manga Slam Dunk, and Vagabond became his next effort. He was extremely interested and fascinated with the life of Japanese philosopher Miyamoto Musashi. He knew he was going to write a story about his life and he wanted to do just that. He turned to the unorthodox method of using a brush and then created a masterpiece. However, he became overwhelmed by the burden of making the series perfect. At some point, he realized that he no longer enjoyed doing the series. So begins an extremely inconsistent schedule that leads to indefinite disruption.
His health also deteriorated and he said he felt much better when filming stopped. The weekly publishing schedule is extremely tiring for a mangaka, which is especially difficult considering the level of quality put into each new release.
“I got to the point where I wasn’t even sure about it. I wasn’t sure where I was going, I couldn’t even remember where I started in the first place. That’s why I’m so busy. I have been very busy.” I was stuck dealing with external factors for so long that I forgot to look inside myself.”
-Takehiko Inoue when asked if he wishes to continue Vagabond in an interview with mangabrog.
A year after starting Vagabond, Takehiko Inoue returned to his basketball roots and began publishing REAL. This beautiful and inspiring story was born from witnessing wheelchair users playing basketball. Inoue loved basketball as well as manga, and seeing these people play the sport he loved despite their circumstances inspired him to no end and he dedicated a story to the athletes This. He was working on Vagabond and REAL at the same time, and he realized how much joy making basketball manga brought him compared to Vagabond. After he stopped working on Vagabond, he focused entirely on REAL and the series is still going strong.
For more context on Inoue’s creative process as well as further insight into Vagabond’s future, you can watch the full interview with mangabrog at the end.
REAL is just as great as Vagabond
While Vagabond is a masterpiece, REAL is an extremely unique sports manga
Vagabond is an artistic and visual masterpiece, and it’s no exaggeration to say that this manga has the highest art ever. The story is also excellent, and the character development and journey of Miyamoto Musashi is wonderful to witness. While it’s unfortunate that the series has been out for so long, there’s still hope, as Inoue said, that if he has the desire to continue, he will. Meanwhile, fans of his work will be missing out a lot if they ignore his currently serialized work, REALITY. It has everything to love homeless: brilliant art, a great story, and a charming cast of characters.
Source: Mangabrog