Library Journal
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This remarkable manga series is loosely adapted from Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi, a novel that recounts the life of famed 17th-century Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, author of the martial arts treatise The Book of Five Rings. (The novel was also filmed in the series The Samurai Trilogy.) Musashi is a powerful, untutored fighter who with the guidance of the monk Takuan overcomes his nihilistic attitude and decides to test himself against the best fighters in Japan. In this volume, Musashi accepts an orphaned young boy as his companion and meets an old man who unnerves him with insight into his character. Inoue's extraordinarily detailed artwork is a wonder, and his storytelling packs great punch. The opening pages of two chapters are reproduced in full color, a common practice in Japanese serialization not often carried over into American collections. Inoue is also the creator of the manga Slam Dunk, a Japanese best seller now being serialized in America in Raijin Comics. Explicit violence and occasional nudity make this adult material. A masterly achievement, this series is highly recommended, especially for fans of Dark Horse's Lone Wolf and Cub and Blade of the Immortal. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.