A new manga series is in town and it’s making a name for itself with only a single chapter out. Fresh from the mind of Takeru Hokazono, Kagurabachi had its first chapter published in Weekly Shonen Jump 2023 issue 42, which also published new chapters of already beloved series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia among others. In fact, Kagurabachi was the focus of the cover of this September issue, which showcases the red-eyed main character, Chihiro, holding his weapon of choice, a katana. It makes sense that Shonen Jump is making an effort to introduce the next hit series into the market, taking into consideration that some popular multi-volume manga, like My Hero Academia or Black Clover, are drawing to an end.
It appears people have taken the bait. In fact, the interest had already been captured prior to the new magazine issue’s release, but since becoming available it has only reached new heights of manga fans’ excitement.
Kagurabachi follows the katana-wielding protagonist on his bloody path to revenge. In the first chapter, we see what normal life was like for 14-year-old Chihiro as an apprentice to his blacksmith father, Rokuhira Kunishige. Then, without really knowing what took place in between, the story jumps forward in time. Chihiro has a scar on the side of his face that wasn’t there before and his disposition seems changed. It’s implicit that something might’ve happened to his father and that may be the reason why he is now seeking revenge.
Is Kagurabachi getting adapted?
There have been rumors that none other than Studio MAPPA has picked up the series for adaptation. However, an official confirmation from the Japanese studio has yet to come out. It wouldn’t be surprising for an animation studio like MAPPA to call dibs on a shonen like this one, considering their work in series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Hell’s Paradise, Kagurabachi seems to be right up their alley. Speaking of Jujutsu Kaisen, Kurabachi also includes sorcerers capable of magical abilities, which the main character pairs with his incredible sword skills.
Judging by everything we can see online, and how much discourse a single manga chapter has generated, Kagurabachi is sure to get animated and it wouldn’t be surprising if MAPPA did it. Some fans online have declared that the anime is in the works but this is unlikely. A Twitter user who spread the news called it “successful bait” the next day.
On Reddit, the discussion is also ongoing. Redditor u/SnowyJKN posted a frame of what they call an “anime leak,” however, there is no way to assure this is real, and in all likelihood, it isn’t. As another user, u/MarioCop718 ironically commented on the thread: “So nice that this is finally getting an adaptation after being 2 days old.”
On YouTube, English voice actor Aleks Lee shared a fan video made by Zactun on TikTok, in which he voices Chihiro. Not only does it look and sound incredible, it is also a potential tease of things to come in an unknown future.
There’s also an official PV trailer that is out.
While we can’t confirm that an anime is in the works, as every trail of indication leads to something that’s not truly substantial, it nevertheless wouldn’t be released anytime soon. That being said, the odds seem to be in its favor and it wouldn’t be surprising for a studio like MAPPA to pick it up at some point.