The Release of the Manga Kagurabachi Has Generated Significant Excitement Among Shonen Fans
With over 40 chapters published to date, this manga is rapidly gaining popularity. In July 2024, it surpassed its sales milestone. Currently, the manga’s storyline has just concluded the Rakuzaichi arc, where Chihiro is invited to join the Kamunabi. As new dangers loom over Chihiro, author Takeru Hokazono shared his creative inspirations behind his work in an interview with 47 News.
Takeru Hokazono shared his creative inspirations for Kagurabachi: “Shonen Jump has had legendary mangas like One Piece. I wanted to introduce a new manga with a main character that is stoic, wears a hood, and has a darker side. Since there aren’t many mangas in Jump that focus on this theme, I created Kagurabachi. I didn’t want to create a simplistic story just to entertain. I was influenced by Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher. Kagurabachi portrays a ‘Japanese-style martial arts’ theme akin to Hollywood films.”
“I also wanted to delve into the conflicts of the main character, particularly the concepts of life and death. In Kagurabachi, I think I can create a more complex narrative than a simple fish story, so I introduced a goldfish. When I was younger, I improved my skills by trying to depict dragons that were more majestic than my father and brother’s.”
The contrasting themes of black and white and the colorful creativity of Kagurabachi were inspired by Naruto. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when I had nothing to do, I revisited my childhood dream of becoming a manga artist. My talent was recognized by the author Takehiko Inoue, known for Slam Dunk.”
Takeru Hokazono also discussed his approach to realizing his manga creation and the pressures he faced after attending university: “I went to university to become a manga artist, but I was overwhelmed. I had to succeed because I was there. I had serious injuries on my hands because I was drawing too much and putting too much pressure on myself.”
Fans of Kagurabachi Expressed Their Excitement About the Manga’s Inspirations and Connections to Hollywood
A fan commented: “I know that the landscape of the manga world is different from that in films.”
“I am proud of Hokazono; his manga is achieving significant milestones and it has been an incredible story. Looking at all his influences when he talks about technique and storytelling, you can understand why it is so compelling. He intertwines all his inspirations seamlessly into a wonderful narrative.”, another fan remarked.
