Musashi

by Sean Michael Wilson, William Scott Wilson (Afterword), Michiru Morikawa (Illustrator)

A stunning graphic novel biography of the famous samurai warrior who wrote the classic text on Japanese martial arts, The Book of Five Rings   Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary samurai, is known throughout the world as a master swordsman, a spiritual seeker, and the author of the classic Book of Five Rings. This graphic novel treatment of his amazing life is both a vivid account of a fascinating period in feudal Japan and a portrait of courageous, iconoclastic samurai who wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his time. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was about mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess.   Over 350 years after his death, Musashi still intrigues us—and his Book of Five Rings is essential reading for students of all martial arts and those interested in cultivating strategic mind.

Genres: Comics, Manga, History, Graphic Novels, Japan, Biography, Graphic Novels Comics

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

Sean Michael Wilson is a comic book writer from Scotland. He has had around 30 books published with a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers, including: a comic book version of A Christmas Carol ('Best of 2008’, Sunday Times), AX:alternative manga ( 'Best ten books of 2010’, Publishers Weekly), Parecomic (with an introduction by Noam Chomsky, his first contribution to a book in graphic form). He is currently writing books for big Japanese publisher Kodansha, being the only British writer to do so. In fact, he is the only pro manga writer from Britain who lives in Japan. He is also the editor of the critically acclaimed collection 'AX:alternative manga' (Publishers Weekly's 'Best ten books of 2010' and nominated for a Harvey award).

Working with various Japanese artists he has written a unique line of Japanese history/martial arts/Samurai books, including The Book of Five Rings, Secrets of the Ninja, The 47 Ronin, and Cold Mountain (winner of China Comic and Animation Competition 2015 ‘Best Overseas Comic’ award). In 2016 his book 'The Faceless Ghost' was nominated for an Eisner Award. In 2017 he became the first British person to receive an International Manga Award from the Japanese Government. In 2019 his book 'The Many Not the Few' was launched by the Labour Party leader in an event in the Houses of Parliament. In 2020 he received the Scottish Samurai Award from an association promoting connections between Japan and Scotland.

He does comic books outside the normal superhero/fantasy brands, going into areas such as history, biography, drama, and social issues, often in collaboration with universities, charities and book publishers. He often gives lectures and talks about comics in schools and colleges, and writes articles for such places as The Japan Times, The London Economic and The Herald Scotland.

Reviews

[Paul Harmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off this is a First Reads book and I appreciate receiving this by all concerned.

For me this is what you'd call being in my wheel house. It's a Graphic Novel to begin with, second it's a historical piece and third its 1600 Japan involving swords and specifically this the life of Legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.

Musashi has been the inspiration for numerous movies and comic books from Japan to the USA, not to mention board games, heavy metal songs, video games and even a US navy Helicoptor Squadron.

This graphic novel is told from the point of view of his adopted son who is telling his life story from childhood to his death on May 19th 1645. The story itself is interesting and even fascinating to geeky history lovers like me but the Graphic Novel Musahsi feels like its missing something (besides the page numbers, The book has none, it's not a major deal but a minor annoyance).

The book was written by Sean Michael Wilson with the art by Michiru Morikawa and it felt like there was a disconnect between the author and the artist. Many silent panels that did not clearly convey the action taking place quickly take you out of the story as you search for exactly what is happening in that scene. It's not that the art is horrible, it's pretty average though, it's more that the illustrator couldn't capture the story with the pictures he was drawing. A picture is worth a thousand words but I sure wish there were some words in certain silent panels to help me out.

I love that Wilson wants to tell Miyamoto Musashi's story and I can tell it's something he cares about but I think such an epic and beautiful story deserved a little more in the way of beautiful imagery and I think Musashi being a poet and artist among many other skills would have wished for the same.

If your interested in the Miyamoto's story then Musashi will give you his life story and therefore may be worth a look for you, it's not perfect, but art is in the eye of the beholder and you may find beauty where I could not.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the man that was Musashi. It is enlightening to know that a warrior can be intelligent and philosophical. More fighters need to be aware of him. Battles are not just about killing.

[Karol Gajda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short historical perspective of the man who wrote The Book of Five Rings in graphic novel form.

[bookivis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi fue un famoso samurai que lucho en varias guerras del periodo Edo, el Japón feudal. Musashi era mucho más que un guerrero, pues no solo luchaba con destreza e inteligencia si no que destacaba en distintas artes como la literatura, la pintura, la estrategia militar o el diseño de jardines.

En este cómic de Sean Michael Wilson conoceremos la vida completa de Musashi, los duelos ganados, si dice que jamás fue derrotado, las batallas libradas, su entrenamiento, sus viajes y todo lo que le llevo a poder escribir su obra relacionado con lar artes marciales, “El libro de los cinco anillos”.

Un cómic que intenta ser lo más fiel a la realidad posible, huyendo de los relatos de samurais que estamos acostumbrados a ver en el cine o en otras novelas gráficas, donde los duelos se extienden de forma interminable. Aquí, se muestran tal y como eran los duelos realmente, pudiendo acabar con tan solo un golpe.

Muy recomendado para todo aquel que tenga interés en la cultura japonesa y su historia, además de para todos los fans de las novelas gráficas y las historias de Samurais. Si os interesan las tradiciones japonesas, no os podéis perder “El arte de la vida en Japón”, del que ya os hable en otra publicación y la novela “Shogun” de la que espero traeros una reseña muy pronto.

[Caribou Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible! Boring!!!!!!

Would make great toilet paper or fire starter.

The art is ok. It is definitely a graphic novel and not a manga. The story style is atrocious. The pacing is horrible. I'm a history buff, Otaku, fujoshi, nerd, geek. I don't think I've read anything so boring, disorganized and poorly executed since... Ok I'll leave the jokes alone (of actual historical executions)... Most erotica/romance available on NetGalley.

Just wow... This would make great toilet paper. I'd have hated to be that guys history teacher because this is just a long, vague, poorly told essay with ok art that has a disconnection for the dialogue. This feels like a horribly told kids book about your grandpa's war stories with vague details of things he forgot about with his Alzheimer's when he told your uncle and dad 50 years back and they also have Alzheimer's. My grandpa died of it so I'm not joking.

Habibi, foreign artist, English writer, done right. This? Is utter crap. Fine, you don't have to make it fantastical and fanciful but make the factual parts functional and fun!

I feel sorry for people that got this as a giveaway. If you paid for this I hope you have a fireplace. If you got thia for free from giveaways or an ARC site, especially if you gave an honest review, please put your stars honestly. Don't give a 3 for freebies a "thank you for the freebie" is enough. That's why it's an "honest" review.

[Cudeyo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Para un par de retos tenía que leer un comic, en concreto un comic con un autor oriental, y hoy buscando por los mundos de Amazon qué había en Kindle Unlimited que cumpliera esta premisa llegué a esta novela gráfica que por su brevedad decidí leer hoy directamente.

Este comic viene a ser una especie de biografía del samurai Miyamoto Mushashi contado por su hijo adoptivo. Este samurai fue un gran guerrero en su época, que nunca fue vencido en duelo, y que además era artista en varias ramas a cual más variopinta.

Aunque a primera vista puede parecer interesante, la lectura de este comic, aunque curiosa, me ha parecido un tanto aburrida.

[Hernan]

I personally enjoyed this book because it is like a jump through history and i thought it was cool the way that they portrayed Masashi. throughout the book, it supplies with enough suspense and action to keep you hooked until you finish it. my favorite part is the arc where it shows how Musashi trained and not just the fact he trained but how hard he trained from growing up from practically nothing to being a general in the war. people i think would like this book are people into graphic novels and aaction

[Michael L. Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay but not outstanding; but also ... not boring at least most of the time. The illustrations were well done in their own right.Trying to illustrate a man’s entire life necessarily involves shortcuts and these were handled fairly well.

I am not certain I would recommend this work.
However it might be appropriate for an impressionable adolescent reader interested in the romance of martial arts as a form of personal magic.
M

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a comic for years and I decided to read this short comic. I really liked it. I've never read a book about an (important) event in Japan and now i'm more interested in reading more about those events in the country.

I recommend reading this short graphic novel for the ones who want to start reading comics/mangas.

[Joseph Wetterling · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author succeeds at his goal of telling the board strokes of Musashi's life, as currently understood. While the art is generally well done, especially toward the end, the action sequences are very hard to follow. Overall an enjoyable quick read.

[Deep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun introduction to the master.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stuck in an unfortunate middleground. Too terse to be an effective biography, too stoic to be a satisfying drama.

[Chris Campion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh ... Some of the artwork was cool, but kind of left me wanting a lot more. Didn't really learn anything new about him either.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable biography of the world's greatest swordsman.

[Highland G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although interesting, it is mostly just narration with pictures to tell the major events quickly and has very little comic book dialogue. Still an interesting read though.

[Adam Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the life of Miyamoto Musashi. There is a bit of history and some things the author assumes you know, but he does a good job of explaining things clearly for newcomers to Japanese history and storytelling.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi all, I am the writer of this book, thanks for your nice reviews.
Some points to explain how we approached this book: we deliberately avoided making it about a lot of sword fighting because that would have been rather cliched. Actually most of Musashi’s fights were over very quickly, in seconds. So, we thought it better to focus on his thinking and lifestyle. We tried to keep our book close to what history tells us is Musashi's real life. Of course some people will find that disappointing, as they are used to more action and fantasy. But we prefer the realistic approach as being more genuine and sophisticated.

Some reviews for the book:

"The writing is very good and overall has a good pace. Biographical stories have a tendency to have a weak ending due to following the person’s life so closely, but Sean Michael Wilson manages to make this ending rewarding and the right closing for the story...Michiru Morikawa brings the story to life with his illustrations. His [actually HER] take on Mushashi is distinct and unlike anything else you’ve seen before. Morikawa gives the action a wonderful presence as it’s dynamic and yet easy to follow...If you’re into Samurai’s, swordplay or history; then you’ll definitely want to check out Musashi."
- Dustin Cabeal, comicbastards.com

"The nine chapters relate the various stages in the life of Musashi, including his most famous battles. Even though I had read much about Musashi in other books and articles I still learned a lot of other information on Musashi reading this graphic novel version. Musashi was not only an undefeated swordsman, fighting sixty duels, but was also an accomplished and respected poet, garden designer, and Zen master... If you are into the martial arts this is a book that should be in your personal library, along with his “The Book of Five Rings.” A beautifully fully illustrated book. Rating: 5 Stars."
- Joseph J. Truncale (Author of The Samurai Soul: An old warrior’s poetic tribute).

Please check out some of our other adaptions of Japanese classics and history - we have done 13 now! Such as our ‘The Book of Five Rings’, also connected to Musashi, of course. or the book about to come out in March 2018, ’The Satsuma Rebellion’

You can see more pages from the book on my web site:

https://seanmichaelwilson.weebly.com/...

Thanks, Sean

[Tom Donaghey · Rating 3 out of 5]

MUSASHI is the name of a legendary samurai and author of the essential martial arts book, the BOOK OF FIVE RINGS. In this graphic novel version of the samurai’s life story there is so much missing, but I can understand the author’s dilemma. Musashi lived in the 17th century where so much of the history of a single person would be solely based on word of mouth.
That he was a master of the blade there is no doubt, and that he lived a solitary life seems to be the story of the man. Time alone allowed him to think and meditate, to explore within himself the reflection of the outside world so as to better understand it. But things such as where he was born and where he studied both the sword and writing and philosophy, these are all mysteries that it is beyond the ken of this book to illuminate.
If you wish to visualize the time and events of his life, the visually pleasant foray is fine, but if you are seeking a definitive study of this man’s life and ways, forget it, you will never discover what you are seeking, either here or elsewhere.
This was a nice read about one person dedicated to one thing and, having mastered that (never lost a sword fight) moved on to more traditional Japanese pursuits.
I won this book through Goodreads.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received as a Goodreads Giveaway*

This is a great concept for a graphic novel that doesn't quite come together in execution for me. Granted, this may be largely because I'm pretty ignorant as to the life and history of Musashi himself, but as someone who loves graphic novels and loves history I thought this attempt to unite the two would be entertaining at worst and illuminating at best.
It has to be said the artistry in this book is quite lovely, with each panel very deftly and lovingly executed. However it's also very panel dense, if that makes any sense- there are a lot of seemingly extraneous reaction panels that could have been collapsed, and the book cries out for a couple of bigger double-page spreads. I did find the dialogue to be rather stilted, and so the book began to drag for me once the novelty of the concept itself wore off.
I think this is probably a great book for someone who is already more knowledgeable than I am about Musashi. And maybe I didn't approach it in a suitably contemplative manner- for a delivery of historical depth and knowledge, this isn't the right volume. I may well try it again when I'm in a different mindset and adjust this review accordingly!

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I got this book from a Goodreads giveaway.*

The illustrations in this graphic novel are first-rate and do a wonderful job of conveying action and relating the beauty of the scenery. However, it seems to me that choosing to write this biography in graphic novel form let the author rely a little too heavily on visuals to tell his story. The narration is stiff at times, reading more as a history book than as the telling of a beloved father's tale (in the book, the story of Musashi's life is told by his son to one of Musashi's admirers). The dialogue is sparse, which I suppose helps to depict Musashi as a silent, lone warrior, but much of the dialogue that does occur is awkward and forced, so I'm not quite sure of the intent. There is also a heavy emphasis on Musashi as a warrior, while Musashi the son, Musashi the father, etc., are all glossed over to fit in more fight scenes. This may be the result of a real paucity of detail regarding Musashi's personal life; historical records in general are notoriously picky and biased.

Overall, this was an interesting and informative read. I would recommend this mainly to those interested in Japanese history and martial arts.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A biography of the ultimate bushido warrior, Musashi, is the story of Musashi Miyamoto, a cunning swordsman who lived in Japan in the late 1500 through early 1600s and won every battle he fought, many times, especially in his early years, to the death.

The battles really make up the story without much of a thick biography in between, relying more on the introduction to share who Musashi was, to the uninformed reader. His mastery of martial arts, adoption of a "son" and his imparted wisdom in Book of Five Rings, are the pillars of the story. Overall, I thought the presentation in these chronological snapshots are well-formed and paint a picture of a man who liked mind games to get in the heads of his opponents, which to many, made him flippant and not truly stoic, but his sheer genius and force was enough to send the strongest opponents running for the hills.

I think avid graphic novel fans will enjoy this graphic biography and anyone interested in Japanese culture and history would find it fascinating even though it's in graphic format.

[Angela Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

We won this in a First Reads giveaway. My 13 year old son and I enjoyed this bio, and he didn't mind that the graphic novel was in black and white rather than color. Narrated by his successor, the story lays out one samurai's life: how the famous Musashi was trained from birth, then in his heyday as a samurai warrior, killed every warrior who challenged him. However, as he reached his 60s and after his first loss, he aimed to find a successor --so he decided instead to train those who challenged him in order to find one warrior who could begin to match him in skill. This could be of interest to any young adult or adult curious about the life of a samurai warrior 500 years ago. I will need to ask my graphic novel fanatic son his opinion of the artwork!

[D.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I enjoyed this graphic novel very much. It's an interesting story of a historical samurai and his single-minded dedication to a life of the sword. The art was excellent as well. I wish it could have been in color, but that's just me being selfish. If I had a small critique it would be that some of the actions sequences were drawn so tight to the characters it was hard to determine what happened - but that's just a nitpick.

I would recommend this for fans of the genre - and especially if you're new to the graphic novel world, looking for some good books to start with.

[Jack Zhao · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through first reads.
Overall I enjoyed this book because it refreshed my memory on Musashi's life.
The artwork is comparatively the stronger part of this book, although faces of several persons kind of look the same and there's not much differentiation on the appearances of characters below the neck.
The story part, I'm sorry to say, is flat and shallow. Given Musashi's eventful life, I would rather see a focus on a few in-depth depictions of pivotal developments instead of an equal quota of 1-3 pages for each match/meeting and so on. It feels more like an illustrated version of Wikipedia page than a graphics novel.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The story often feels rushed, and definitely could have used more room to breathe. Worse, though, the art is often muddled and confusing (not to mention kind of ugly at times), and regularly makes it difficult to follow the action. Overall, it's a nice introduction to the life of Miyamoto Musashi, but you're probably better off reading/watching something else if you want to get a better picture of this fascinating figure (I would suggest Inagaki Hiroshi's excellent Samurai Trilogy, starring Toshiro Mifune).

[Glennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really a bare bones biography of Musashi. The setting is his adopted son explaining his Father’s entire life to someone standing at a memorial marker for Musashi. The entire thing reads as super brief summary of some facts. The book left me feeling that they glossed over the entire life of this person and kept repeating dry facts and dates without really touching what made this man who he is and how important The Book of Five Rings is to this day.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher though NetGalley

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, a graphic novel that is definitely geared towards readers that have prior experience with the subject. Sadly, I didn't fall into that category, so the story fell flat. Background knowledge would have been incredibly helpful in forming connections to this story, as very little was given in the text. I had heard of Musashi, and I know a bit about the Tokugawa shogunate, and while that limited knowledge was enough to get me to pick up and read Musashi, it wasn't enough to really get me invested in the story.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Musashi is a biographical graphic novel on the life of the author of The Book of Five Rings. The narrator of the tale is Miyamoto Iori, Musashi's adopted son, speaking with a companion while waiting for others to show up for the dedication of a monument erected in Musashi's honor. There is plenty of stylized action that gives a feel for the time and custom of 1600's Japan. Interesting read on a not well known topic.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free through the First Reads Program.

This is a graphic novel detailing the life of Miyamoto Musashi. The illustrations are beautiful and the story line is easy to follow. For anyone who loves Japanese history, swordsmanship, and graphic novels, this book is a good choice.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I enjoyed the author's adaptation of Musashi's Book of Five Rings. It's an adaptation of what we know about Musashi's real life into a graphic novel, using the conceit of having the narrator be Musashi's adopted son.

I think that the result is reasonably good at portraying the character of Musashi