*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
After the Battle of Sekigara, Tezezo Shinmen and Matahachi Hon’iden manage to survive. They get rescued but take vastly different paths. Matahachi wants to head back to his home village but Tezuko decides to become a vagabond as part of a goal to become a more skilled swordsman.
Be aware, this is very violent, has some nudity, and an odd number of fart jokes. The fight choreography is really good and the story is interesting but I’m not quite getting the appeal just yet. This is a legendary series for sure but “I wanna be the best at X” isn’t the most intriguing hook for me anymore. I’ll have to see where it goes from here because if it’s just hopping from sword school to sword school as Tezuko has the experience beaten into him, I don’t know if I’ll continue it. I think it’s because I don’t feel very invested in Tezuko as of right now because he’s a bit flat to me. I’m sure I’ll learn more about him. 3.7 out of 5.
