With so many major franchises ending their run in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine this year, Kagurabachi could be the face of the next generation, if the magazine can maintain its current pace.
Shonen Jump is currently going through a period of major change, with several series ending this summer and another coming in the fall. For example, Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia recently ended its run, and Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen will end later this month. These are two of the mainstays that have sustained the magazine throughout its run.
The end of Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia would be a big loss for the magazine, as they are series that have been around for as long as a series like Eiichiro Oda's One Piece. These two manga have been in the magazine for a long time, so now that they're gone, it'll leave a void that Shonen Jump will need to fill with some newer works.
While there are still series that can keep the “torch burning” in the magazine, it takes something fresh to attract attention like these two works. So can Kagurabachi?
What is Kagurabachi?
Created by Takeru Hokazono and launched in September 2023, Kagurabachi recently celebrated its first anniversary in the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The series revolves around the protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira, the son of the famous blacksmith Kunishige Rokuhira.
During a war in the past, Kunishige forged a collection of magically enhanced swords called Enchanted Blades. Each sword was unique with its own source of power and abilities. One night, Kunishige was murdered and the swords were stolen.
Chihiro then spends the next few years training to wield the seventh Enchanted Sword, Enten, with the goal of finding all of his father's murderers and killing them himself. This leads him down a path of revenge and requires the help of some important allies, to fight the increasingly dangerous enemies he has encountered in the story so far. This is a very different manga than many others in the magazine today.
Why is Kagurabachi popular?
Kagurabachi is a very different case than any other recent Shonen Jump debut. The first chapter became a viral manga hit among fans before it was even officially released in the magazine.
This is basically unheard of for any new series Shueisha has attempted to launch. The promotional art alone helped push the debut to new heights that manga fans really didn't believe it would reach.
When it was first released, the manga had a very successful first chapter. The chapter was so well received that the series had one of its most successful first years, winning many awards and selling out all manga volumes in Japan.
Could Kagurabachi be the next Shonen Jump hit?
The question of whether Kagurabachi can become the next modern Shonen Jump hit has essentially been answered. In its first year, the series has proven that it can be a hit with fans. The real challenge is whether it can reach a wider audience.
That's something that probably won't be proven until Kagurabachi is at least a few years out. The same goes for My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, which both exploded in popularity in their later releases.
When Kagurabachi gets an anime, it will surely be introduced to a whole new fan base. It will be a test to see if it can lead a new generation of hits.
