'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fans around the world have always wanted a Vagabond anime adaptation, but such a project is arguably destined to fail. While this manga series, written and drawn by Takehiko Inoue of Slam Dunk fame, is an absolute masterpiece of storytelling and has a strong message of conquering oneself, the reality is that an anime adaptation is not viable.
There are several reasons why a Vagabond would never work: the level of detail in the art, the way Inoue tells the story, and the sheer nature of the seinen genre, among other things.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer
Reasons why a Vagabond anime is likely never going to take place
The art
Trending
Takehiko Inoue is one of the greatest manga artists of his generation, and that is clear as day. He has already proved that he is a master of his craft with Slam Dunk, but Vagabond is on another level.
However, the fact that the manga's art is so good and detailed makes a Vagabond anime a demanding and near-impossible task. Animation studios often have to simplify some character designs because the source material is so detailed, and this series could suffer a lot because of it.
Part of the manga's appeal is how visually strong it is and how Inoue can say so much with just one panel. The art sometimes makes it feel like there's another storyteller (which is the heart of sequential art), and this isn't something that can't be translated to animation easily because even minor things like Musashi's hair would be very difficult to adapt.
The storytelling techniques applied
A common misconception is that every manga can be adapted into anime. One of the biggest reasons a Vagabond anime wouldn't work is because of the kind of story that it tells and the tools that Inoue uses to narrate Musashi's journey of self-improvement.
A Vagabond anime wouldn't be able to capture the moments that Inoue shows in one panel or a spread page or the quiet moments where a single expression by a character can tell a whole experience.
Much like another legendary seinen series, Kentaro Miura's Berserk, which has had several uneven anime adaptations, this is a story that basically needs to be adapted fully and not miss any clear beats.
Not so commercially viable
Just because a story is great doesn't mean that it has a lot of commercial potential, and that is something that applies to Vagabond. Most studios and companies consider which series can get the biggest audiences, and that is why some get the nod, while others don't.
Vagabond is a very successful manga series and has sold over 80 million copies. However, manga and anime are two different animals. Anime aims at a much larger audience that may not buy into Musashi's story of internal growth, which is the core of the series, and if people are not interested in that, then it's not going to work as a product.
It is tough to accept, but a Vagabond anime would be a very niche series, which is something that a lot of studios know. When taking into account how much investment a studio would need to adapt this series, it makes sense that they don't want to take a crack at it.
Final thoughts
A Vagabond anime would be interesting to watch, but that doesn't mean it would be successful. When all these different factors are considered, it is very logical that Inoue's magnum opus has never gotten an anime adaptation, and there is a very good chance it never will.
