MANGA REVIEW | "Kagurabachi" - Volume Five
There are times when Shonen Jump manga just needs to keep the mouths from blabbing and allow the fists to start flying. Yes, there are situations where a little exposition is needed, but when you come to read an action manga, you expect, well, action! For a bit, Kagurabachi was having a lot of trouble remembering what it was: a badass swordsman manga series. Fortunately, someone or something slapped some sense into creator Takeru Hokazono, as the fifth volume of Kagurabachi brings things back to what made the first couple of volumes so damn enjoyable!
With the auction beginning, Chihiro aims to get back both the Cloud Gouger and Enten, now in possession of Kyora. On top of that, there are nearly three dozen prisoners trapped within the magical warehouse space. Ergo, the mission is simple: get the swords, save the people, and stop Kyora. Alas, it’s one of those “easier said than done” situations, as Kyora demonstrates what kind of fighter he can be.
As Kyora can manipulate the space to his desires, Chihiro finds himself often struggling to get a good attack on him. Swords, grenades, and other weapons are thrown at Chihiro, to the point where it gets a little overwhelming. Thankfully, Chihiro knows a few tricks of his own, which result in some of these dangerous weapons entering reality and causing chaos during the auction. And right then and there, the people there looking to score some illegal goods bear witness to the power Kunishige Rokuhira’s swords contain.
It’s here where we see just how good of a manga artist Hokazono can be. The fight between Chihiro and Kyora is intense, with both men giving just about everything they go in order to overpower the other. On top of that, the brutality of the weapons powers aren’t ever held back, with many men overpowered by vines growing out of their bodies. You almost feel bad for them, until you remember that they’re there for an illegal auction, so they’re more and less trash!
But when Chihiro deals a fatal blow to Kyora, Kagurabachi doesn’t merely make the bad guy plop down dead. Nay, he keeps on fighting, still using every trick in the book to keep the swords and all of the other goodies in his possession. But then, we see exactly the kind of man Kyora is, or — rather — the man he once was before losing his way. And deep down inside, Kyora may have wanted to return to being that kind of person.
Power is a fickle thing. It can turn a good man into a villain with the snap of its fingers. There was a time where Kyora was a family man, one who loved his wife and sons, while — at the same time — continuing the tradition of the Sazanami name. Alas, his desire for more clouded his brain, losing track of the importance of his kids and the love of his wife. If only he had realized that before Chihiro sliced a big hole in his stomach.
When the time’s running out to save the prisoners, Chihiro goes into full hero mode. Only seconds remain to save 36 people, and he makes every millisecond count! It may be a ridiculous situation, but when one sees a little brother and big sister reunited after so, so long, one remembers that Chihiro is practically a superhero. We don’t bat an eye when Superman or Thor aid many people after a split-second decision, so why shouldn’t we do the same with our Shonen Jump heroes?
So where does Kagurabachi go from here? Well…Chihiro makes a valiant decision: to join the Kamunabi. After seeing just how powerful his dad’s swords are, he realized that not even he can control what they’re capable of. For now, our hero joins the ranks of another organization rather than lone wolfing it, but who knows if he’ll ever walk a solo path again later on?
Kagurabachi gets back to what it’s good at in its fifth volume. There’s some solid action, character development, and surprising epiphanies coming from some pretty stubborn people. With another sword found, the journey to collect Kunishige Rokuhira’s creations continues. One hopes that Kagurabachi has learned from its past mistakes, and allows the visuals to do the talking, rather than have the characters bore us with the details.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
