Shonen Jump is the pillar of manga for many readers. Manga fans both in Japan and worldwide tune in every week to read their favorite manga’s newest installments. Many fans read some particular series like One Piece, Sakamoto Days, Chainsaw Man, or Kagurabachi. What, you’ve never heard of that last one? I don’t blame you. Kagurabachi is a relatively new manga.
It was added to Shonen Jump’s library last fall, and it has had very interesting feedback and reception since. The manga is written and drawn by Takeru Hokazono. It’s a shonen-action manga that follows Chihiro Rokuhira. The main story is about him fighting powerful enemies who have taken the blades of his family. This manga is in a great arc right now, but how did it start out as a joke?
Kagurabachi’s Aesthetic
I remember when Kagurabachi was first revealed to be a newcomer in the magazine. When Shonen Jump has a new series in its weekly lineup, it will usually unveil some key art for the series in advance. When the first ever art for this series was unveiled, everyone was making fun of it. Why? Well, many manga fans thought the series looked really uninspired.
And I honestly don’t blame them. The main character of Kagurabachi, Chihiro, has a cool design but doesn’t have anything we haven’t seen in other characters like Guts, Ichigo, or even Tanjiro. No hate on those characters, they’re some of my favorites, but Chihiro’s design of a sword, with dark hair and an even darker outfit and scar, wasn’t really coming off as unique.
The Initial Fan Response
So Kagurabachi became a meme in the Shonen Jump community. There were content creators and fans calling it the greatest manga ever created. Before the first chapter even came out. Why? Because everyone didn’t like it. Everyone thought the initial images and look were super generic and outdated. The most insane part was an interview with the author.
In an interview with the manga author, many intriguing questions were asked. The interviewer even asked the mangaka (manga author) about the overseas reception to the series, and how many overseas fans are already obsessed with the series. This was all a joke, of course, both the reception and the interview. A fan on Reddit faked this interview and made many people believe the author knew about Kagurabachi’s meme status.
The Manga is Going Strong
The most insane part about this entire story is the current state of Kagurabachi. The manga is actually doing quite well. It is currently in its 41st chapter. I have seen Shonen Jump manga start and end in less time. Some manga that I really enjoyed got canceled super soon, even sooner than 40 chapters. I feel like if this series was going to get canned, it would have gotten axed already.
Why is this? Because while the series is reliant on a lot of tropes, it is pretty compelling. The characters are either charismatic or super stern and stoic. The art is really energetic, and the fight scenes are so fast-paced and violent. I’m really enjoying it. And as someone who was there at the start, it’s super satisfying to see the road Kagurabachi has been on. Here’s to the series’ future.
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