MANGA REVIEW | "Kagurabachi" - Volume One
To forge a katana means dealing with the consequences. Is the sword you’re making landing in the palms of a man sworn to protect, or will destruction be on their minds? One can never know who the katana is for, nor will you ever see who may fall victim to its sharpness. Either way, when you make a sword, it must be both strong and beautiful, no matter who is its benefactor.
Kagurabachi, the debut series from Takeru Hokazono, plays with the philosophies of swords, its merits, and the strength that comes from those who wield them. It also has a lot of sorcerers, with enough magic to make any fantasy lover grin ear-to-ear. But the hero of Kagurabachi is neither a warrior nor a sorcerer; he’s a wielder, one with plenty of reasons to take a blade for himself. And when he grips that katana, the body counts rise!
Chihiro, the hero of this tale, learned a lot from his father. A master swordsmith, the dad made it his mission to keep the art of the sword going, on top of having his own back story of heroism and bloodshed. He’s even a little dense, as he talks to fish and realizes the most simple of facts in a mind-boggling fashion. But Chihiro no longer has his father by his side; only the image of his brutal death, and the final sword he made. With those two combined, Chihiro becomes a killing machine.
Thankfully, Chihiro doesn’t have to walk this gory path alone. The sorcerer Shiba is an old friend of his father, on top of being a talented magic user. Hinao is their information expert, the one who gets the low-down on everything involved with the underground. There’s also Char, a kid with a knack for healing powers that make her a target for big baddies. Lastly, there’s Azami, who works for the government to take down the syndicate. All in all, a solid group of heroes for Kagurabachi to give to its readers.
The main plotline of the manga is simple: six magic swords have been stolen from Chihiro and his father. These swords give the wielder an unfathomable amount of magical powers, making them tough hombres to take down if they get their hands on one. Chihiro’s sword has its own fair share of powers, which will aid him on his quest to regain possession of the six katanas. And when the time comes to use that blade of his, the fountains of blood begin to rain upon the heads of heroes and enemies alike.
It’s in the action where Kagurabachi finds its lease on life. These battles call back to classic samurai and yakuza films, with more of a modern mentality than one from the Edo or Showa period. The first battle against the Korogumi sets up the reader for what to expect when the time to fight comes. A lot of swordplay, a hint of magic, and the occasional snappy one-liner all make up a recipe for a bountiful of death and destruction. And when you flip the pages to see this chaos yourself, you’ll easily understand why this manga has been one of the most talked-about in the last year.
Since the plot isn’t complex, it doesn’t take much to make Chihiro’s narrative an interesting one. From the new allies that enter his circle to the enemies that start painting a target on his back, everyone has a reason to fight on the side they believe in. It also knows when to go for a gut-punch, especially for the enemies that wish to mend the error of their ways after their run-ins with Chihiro and Shiba. These moments go to great lengths to show that nobody — not even a waiter at a mom & pop diner — is safe from the pathway of death.
I get why Kagurabachi is the most talked-about new Shonen Jump series. The story is simple, yet it has enough meat on its bones to make it a worthy read. On top of that, the amount of detail in the action scenes helps to transform it an adrenaline-pumping page-turner. Although it has some hints of influence from other Jump manga, there’s enough originality and coolness in the pages of Kagurabachi that’ll aid it in being one of the new golden staples of the famed manga magazine.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
