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There are times when a new manga series can be intimidating. If there’s too much hype behind it, sometimes I get apprehensive about starting it. What if it doesn’t hold up? Is it really going have staying power? It’s one of the reasons it took some time before I gave Kagurabachi a chance, because the manga seemed to immediately have people considering it to have the same sort of potential as series like Naruto, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and some of the most famous Shonen Jump series. With physical volumes properly releasing, I finally took a chance, and I’m glad I did. 

Editor’s Note: There will be some spoilers for the first volume of the Kagurabachi manga below. 39192x

Kagurabachi begins by informing people about the Tanren forging process that uses Tamahagane steel to create Japanese katana, before showing people being cut down by said sword. From there, we get to see our hero Chihiro Rokuhira going to work with his swordsmith father Kunishige. One of Kunishige’s final lessons is teaching Chihiro about the weight the craftsmen like them carry, and they need to pick the correct people to forge them for. 

Things then flash forward to three years in the future. Chihiro is now scarred, carries a katana himself, and is meeting with his father’s associate Shiba. Chihiro is on a quest for vengeance, fighting anyone who may have answers or a lead to find the Hishako sorcerers responsible for killing his father and stealing six of the seven Enchanted Blades he forged. Here, at this moment, Chihiro has a chance to get closer to people who may have information or access to one of them, but it means going through the Korogumi Yakuza plaguing the city. 

In that first chapter, we get a perfect sense of tone. Chihiro has an incredibly serious mission. Given the number of katana he has to recover and the nature of the Hishako, there’s already an inkling that this won’t be a short journey. We get hints about both his power and the potential of the sword he has, Enten. However, there are also hints that maybe it won’t always be deadly serious, given the levity Shiba’s presence adds to early scenes in the first two chapters. In addition, we get an idea of what these sorcerers he’s hunting are capable of, due to the sampling of the power used by the one sorcerer when the Korogumi are threatening a resistance movement and a spell is triggered when Chihiro corners the Korogumi leader who might spill information. There’s absolutely potential.

Especially since other ing cast are also great at assisting with the narrative’s progression. Shiba is a lot of fun. Also, by the second chapter we’re back in Tokyo, and there’s some toying with Hinao breaking the fourth wall to educate us about the city’s lore, Chihiro, and Shiba. We learn about the sorcerers, yakuza, and other individuals in the city, and how Chihiro gets involved in the potential cases around him in the name of more information. The diversity of personalities means there are a lot of fun foils to Chihiro, and the initial cases and situations are gripping.

With the first volume of Kagurabachi, it’s pretty easy to see how this manga became such a darling with both general audiences and clerics. It hits the ground running. The initial cast is strong, as are the situations and set-ups. Revenge tales typically are good for long-running tales, as well as setting up mysteries, major fights, and maybe even a few secrets. It also helps that the pacing is handled so well that it really pulls you through Chihiro’s missions and keeps them engaging.

Volume 1 of the Kagurabachi manga is available now via Viz Media, and volume 2 will debut on February 4, 2025. New chapters are available to read on MangaPlus and Viz Media each week after they appear in Shonen Jump.

The post Volume 1 of the Kagurabachi Manga Shows Why It’s Succeeding appeared first on Siliconera.

The results of the 2024 Next Manga Awards have been announced, with Kagurabachi securing first place in the Comics Division. This recognition highlights the growing popularity of Ken Sotozono's series, which is serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. The manga explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and growth, resonating with readers and earning it a top position in the competition. [Thanks, ddnavi!]

You can view the official results below: 

Kagurabachi, which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023, is both written and illustrated by Takeru Hokazono. The action-fantasy manga follows Chihiro, a young protagonist on a quest to avenge his father’s death at the hands of a group of sorcerers. Armed with an enchanted sword forged by his father, a renowned blacksmith, Chihiro’s journey involves retrieving other stolen enchanted swords from the sorcerers.

In related news, the Weekly Shonen Jump YouTube channel released a voiced manga version of Kagurabachi in English, making it the first series to be adapted into a "manga animation" with English text. While the voices are in Japanese, the English text allows the series to reach a broader audience.

Next manga award winner, Kagurabachi continues its run in Weekly Shonen Jump, with English chapters available through Viz.

The post Kagurabachi Takes First Place in 2024 Next Manga Award appeared first on Siliconera.

The Weekly Shonen Jump YouTube channel now has voiced manga of Kagurabachi. This is the first time that a series has ever been adapted for a “manga animation” in English. [Thanks, Shonen Jump News!]

You can watch the first three chapters of Kagurabachi as voiced comics here. First, here is chapter 1:

Next, here is chapter 2:

Finally, here is chapter 3:

The first chapter is around sixteen minutes long, while the second and third are about eight minutes each. While the voices are still in Japanese, the text uses English text. So people who might not understand Japanese can still follow along. Though this is the Japanese channel for Weekly Shonen Jump, as of the time of writing, virtually all of the comments for the Kagurabachi manga animation are in English.

The reason why Kagurabachi’s manga animation appeared in English on the YouTube channel is likely due to Shueisha taking notice of Kagurabachi’s overseas popularity. The series started serialization in September 2023 but quickly rose through the manga rankings. At first, s were semi-ironically praising Kagurabachi and calling it the best manga of all time. Some even jokingly listed it as one of The Big Three, meaning it was on the level of Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece.

However, those who post about Kagurabachi nowadays are likely genuine fans of the series. In Japan, people who like it are legitimate as well, since it was never a meme there. Many popular manga artists, such as My Hero Academia's Horikoshi, have recommended it as well.

Kagurabachi is running in Weekly Shonen Jump, with Viz releasing the chapters in English.

The post Kagurabachi Voiced Manga Appears on YouTube in English appeared first on Siliconera.

Volume 1 of Kagurabachi will come out in Japan on February 2, 2024. Protagonist Chihiro appears on the cover. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Shueisha is the publisher, and the volume will cost 550 JPY, which equates to around $3.70. It’ll be available as a physical copy in most bookstores, and you can order it online. For those who don’t want a physical book, you can also get a digital copy. Viz Media has licensed the series for English. However, they have not made a statement yet regarding when overseas readers can expect Volume 1 of Kagurabachi.

Kagurabachi is a Weekly Shonen Jump series that started serialization in September 2023. Takeru Hokazono is both the writer and the illustrator. It’s an action-fantasy battle manga revolving around Chihiro pursuing a group of sorcerers after they killed his father. In the story, the protagonist wields an enchanted sword that his father, a renowned blacksmith, made. One of Chihiro's goals is to retrieve the other enchanted swords, which the sorcerers had taken away.

Kagurabachi is available to read in Weekly Shonen Jump. Volume 1 of Kagurabachi will come out in Japan on February 2, 2024, and there is no information on a release date for the English version.

The post Kagurabachi Volume 1 Will Come Out in Japan Soon appeared first on Siliconera.

The next new Shonen Jump manga series is Kagurabachi, and it just made its debut. People can now read it on both MangaPlus and Viz Media. It is written by Takeru Hokazono, who won a Tezuka Manga Award for the one-shot manga Enten. This is the mangaka’s first series.

Chihiro is the son of Kunishige Rokuhira, a swordsmith renowned for the kinds of katana he forges. So much so that some consider him part of the reason the Seitei War ended, as his swords were so strong they helped bring peace to the land again. Kunishige is a lighthearted person when he’s not working, while Chihiro is always quite serious. From there, it flashes forward to the present. Chihiro is older, wielding the last katana his father made, and is looking for revenge while traveling alongside his father’s friend Shiba.

There’s one more new Shonen Jump manga series on the way. Two on Ice is set to show up on September 25, 2023 in Japan. As with the other two series, we should see it on MangaPlus and Viz Media after it debuts in Japan. 

Kagurabachi chapter 1 is available now, and chapter two is set to appear on September 24, 2023. 

The post New Shonen Jump Series Kagurabachi Begins Its Run appeared first on Siliconera.