Takeru Hokazono’s Kagurabachi has become an internet sensation despite its recent debut in the Shonen Jump. With many iconic animes coming close to their conclusion, fans are wondering which new manga series would be perfect for their new venture. Interestingly, Kagurabachi has become a rising star in the manga world captivating several readers to its dark-themed narrative.
Despite only over 40 manga chapters, Kagurabachi is acclaimed to be a potential successor to Jujutsu Kaisen. Among all the Shonen Jump series, One Piece is arguably the most popular and successful manga series of all time. Indeed, many new manga artists take inspiration from Oda-sensei’s breath-taking narrative. Interestingly, Hokazono recently opened up about his opinion of the global sensation, One Piece, and its surprising influence behind Kagurabachi‘s creation.
Kagurabachi‘s Creator Sets Out to Craft the Opposite of Fan-Favorite One Piece
After 25 years, Eiichiro Oda‘s One Piece became one of the most popular anime in the community. Oda-sensei captivated fans for over 1100 episodes and manga chapters, never letting the fear of boredom affect his creativity. Although One Piece has set a notable example for many new-gen shonen series, Takeru Hokazono aimed to depict the polar opposite of fan-favorite One Piece with his recent creation, Kagurabachi.
Kagurabachi features the story of Chihiro Rokuhira who seeks to join the Kamunabi. The famous manga series follows a similar concept to Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen‘s curse energy.
In an interview, Hokazono opened up about his inspiration behind Kagurabachi and becoming a manga artist. The mangaka also reveals why he didn’t want his work to portray One Piece and follow in Oda-sensei’s footsteps. He adds:
Shonen Jump already has legendary manga like OnePiece. I wanted to offer a new manga with my quiet, low-key, dark protagonist, and since JUMP doesn’t have many revenge-themed manga, I created Kagurabachi. But I don’t want to make a simple story that sells the pleasure of revenge. I was influenced by Tarantino and David Fincher.
Hokazono also reveals Masashi Kishimoto‘s Naruto to be the inspiration behind Kagurabachi‘s black and white components. He said:
The contrast between black and white and the innovative composition of Kagurabachi were inspired by Naruto. When Covid-19 spread in my college days, I had nothing to do, I remembered my childhood dream of becoming a manga artist. My talent was recognized by Slam Dunk’s author Takehiko Inoue. I dropped out of college to become a manga artist, but my parents didn’t object to anything. I had to succeed for them.
Despite only over 45 manga chapters, Kagurabachi has created a huge buzz online and became the crowd favorite instantly. One Piece has kept fans hooked for years thanks to Eiichiro Oda’s interesting tale of adventure and friendship, Kagurabachi deliberately breaks away from that mold.
In contrast to One Piece‘s light-hearted journey of Luffy’s crew, Hokazono offers a fresh take by crafting a darker and more introspective story. Takeru Hokazono also discloses his intentions behind Kagurabachi‘s dark-themed narrative during the interview.
Takeru Hokazono Unveils Intentions Behind Kagurabachi‘s Dark Narrative
With the end of Rakuzaichi Auction Arc, Kagurabachi has become the center of attention in the community. Chihiro has taken possession of the third Enchanted Blade, Shinuchi, which was claimed to be the deadliest of all seven blades.
Hokazono’s series has a dark theme with revenge at its heart featuring Chihiro’s traumatic past, making it stand out from the rest. In the interview, the mangaka revealed his intentions behind Kagurabachi‘s dark-themed narrative. He said:
I also want to emphasize the protagonist’s conflicts, such as what it means to live and what it means to die. In Kagurabachi, I thought I could create a flowing picture with longer fins than that of a carp, so I introduced a goldfish. As a child, I improved my drawing as I tried to draw dinosaurs better than my father and brother.
Unlike most shonen protagonists, Chihiro’s agonizing past made several readers sympathize with his character. Takeru Hokazono’s Kagurabachi is being hailed as a potential successor to Jujutsu Kaisen, leaving fans anticipating its animation debut.
Kagurabachi manga is available on Viz Media
