Does Vagabond Have an Anime? Answered

Based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s “Musashi,” Vagabond is a fictitious story following Musashi Miyamoto, one of Japan’s most renowned swordsmen. The manga is extremely popular and best known for its stunning art and fight scenes.

With all that in mind, some fans may wonder if the Vagabond manga has an anime. That’s the question we’re looking to answer in this article.

Is There an Anime for Vagabond?

Despite its popularity, Vagabond does not have an anime adaptation as of October 2023, nor do there seem to be any plans to get one in production any time soon. The still ongoing manga is the only way to enjoy this story at the moment, featuring 327 chapters divided into 37 volumes.

Related: Berserk Manga vs. Anime: Which One is Better?

Why doesn’t Vagabond Have an Anime?

First serialized in 1998, Vagabond is often considered Takehiko Inoue’s greatest masterpiece. Despite this, the manga has yet to get an anime adaptation, leaving many fans wondering just why that is the case.

The first somewhat obvious reason is the manga’s breathtakingly beautiful art style. Inoue’s detailed hand-drawn art is very difficult to replicate in anime format, so much so that even renowned studios like MAPPA or Ufotable may not be able to do it justice. Another reason for Vagabond not getting anime could lie in the series being on hiatus so long it’s unknown if the story will ever be completed. If a studio picks it up to animate it now, they won’t have a complete picture of the storyline or narrative. 

Then there is the fact that since the Vagabond manga is so popular already, an anime would be a very expensive project that wouldn’t increase sales for the manga, making it financially unviable. All of these combined with how difficult it would be to create an anime that lives up to manga’s masterpiece status deters studios and makes it so the Vagabond manga remains unanimated.

But not all hope is lost for Inoue’s fans. Slam Dunk has recently been getting some attention in the media, with The First Slam Dunk movie earning the title of the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time. This monumental success may open doors for Vagabond to finally hit the screen, although fans can only hope it won’t end up like Berserk’s adaptations.