Volume 1 of the Kagurabachi Manga Shows Why It’s Succeeding

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.

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 supporting cast members 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.