Takehiko Inoue is possibly the best mangaka of all time, and his magnum opus, Vagabond, has not seen the light of day for many years because of the pressure to deliver. This dramatized historical story is lauded for its breathtaking art and often comes up in the discussion of the best manga of all time. The series has one of the anime community, spanning more than 9 years, with the last chapter being published being chapter #327 back in May 2015. Despite widely being considered his best work, Inoue put down the pen and focused on his other manga, REAL.

In an interview, Takehiko Inoue revealed that the main reason he put Vagabond on an indefinite hiatus is because the overwhelming pressure of making the series perfect drained him of all his ion, and it became more of a chore rather than something he enjoyed. This is a very valid reason, as artistry without ion would definitely be reflected in the end product.

Vagabond Has a Good Chance Of Returning

Despite its hiatus, the legendary historical series is far from over

Inoue came off of the wildly successful ending of the culture-changing sports manga Slam Dunk, and Vagabond became his next endeavor. He was extremely inspired and entranced by the life of Japanese philosopher Miyamoto Musashi. He knew that he would make a story about his life, and he wanted to do right by it. He switched to the unorthodox method of using paintbrushes and then produced a masterpiece. However, he became overwhelmed by the burden of making the series perfect. At some point, he noticed that he no longer enjoyed making the series. Thus began an extremely inconsistent schedule that became an indefinite hiatus.

His health was also deteriorating, and he said he felt much better once the series stopped. A weekly publishing schedule is extremely grueling for a mangaka, which is especially troubling considering the level of quality put into each new release.

"I'd reached a point where I wasn't even sure of that. I became unsure of where I was heading, couldn't even where I'd started from in the first place. That's how busy I was. I was stuck doing the work for external factors for so long that I'd forgotten to look inside myself."

-Takehiko Inoue when asked if he has the desire to continue Vagabond in an interview with mangabrog.

A year after starting Vagabond, Takehiko Inoue went back to his basketball roots and started publishing REAL. This beautiful and inspirational story was conceptualized from seeing wheelchair s playing basketball. Inoue loves basketball as much as manga, and seeing these people playing the sport he loves despite their circumstances inspired him to no end, and he dedicated a story to these athletes.

For more context on Inoue's creative process, as well as further insight into the future of Vagabond, the full interview with mangabrog is available at the end.

Inoue was working on Vagabond and REAL at the same time, and he realized how much joy making the basketball manga brought him compared to Vagabond. After he stopped making Vagabond, he focused entirely on REAL, and the series is still going strong.

What Has Inoue Been Up to Since Putting Vagabond on Hiatus?

The Seinen Big Three Creator Has Kept Busy

In addition to Vagabond's break, Takehiko Inoue took a relatively shorter hiatus on REAL between 2014 and 2019, resuming with new chapters releasing every three months. This means that REAL chapter #98 is the latest installment as of August 8, 2024, with chapter #99 set to release in November 2024 as previous patterns dictate. It is currently the only manga on which Inoue is continuously working. However, he has not had a shortage of work, as he has handled an especially beloved property over recent years.

Inoue recently released The First Slam Dunk on December 3, 2022, based on his iconic Slam Dunk basketball manga. Inoue wrote and directed the film, which is currently listed as the sixth-highest-grossing anime film of all time. It sits alongside hits from Hayao Miyazaki and gorgeous contemporary anime film classics like Suzume, Your Name, and Demon Slayer. With Inoue's unique contribution as the series creator and carrying out his vision as directly as possible, the film has unsurprisingly gone over well with fans, with Vagabond readers recognizing his multifaceted appeal as a creator in the industry.

So, on top of continuing to write an award-winning basketball manga instead of more Vagabond content, Takehiko Inoue created an authentic adaptation of his most famous series, garnering an exceptional 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It's safe to say that the ball is in Inoue's court about whether he continues Vagabond, but he has continuously proven that creating content that's beloved by fans and critics alike is a layup for this veteran mangaka.

REAL Is Just as Amazing as Vagabond

While Vagabond is a masterspiece, REAL is a gorgeously unique sports manga

Vagabond is an artistic and visual masterpiece, and it is no exaggeration when people say that this manga has the best art ever. The story is just as excellent, and Miyamoto Musashi's character development and journey are beautiful to witness. Although it is unfortunate that the series has been gone for so long, there is still hope, as Inoue said, that if he ever gets the desire to continue, he will. In the meantime, fans of his work would be missing out greatly if they ignored his currently serializing work, REAL. It has everything to love about Vagabond: dazzling art, a beautiful story, and a cast of charming characters.

Source: Mangabrog