Chapter 1: Wake Up In The Morning With Fresh Hatred
New
Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
You've probably heard of Kagurabachi. Or at the very least, you've seen it. You know the one.
(P.S: Check the alt text. I'll be putting in some interesting things every once in a while. This thread probably isn't for you if you have low vision, though.)
About one year ago (give or take a month or two), it came out to astounding… memery. There's no good way of saying it. Shonen Jump was glazing it to hell and back, but it didn't look too different from say, Bleach. And Bleach was already completed and getting an adaptation of Thousand Year Blood War, so why would you read this upstart, Kagurabachi?
But things have changed. Kagurabachi is growing in popularity. Everyone from Gigguk to Mother's Basement have given it a shot, and found it matching or even exceeding the shonen giants of old. Heck, I'd even say that I currently enjoy Kagurabachi more than Jujutsu Kaisen.
(Of course, considering that both KB and Dandadan actually still have consistently interesting character dynamics and interactions, that just proves that Gege's a hack writer.)
But talk is cheap. Let's start reading, and I'll show you exactly how cool this manga is, and how it lives up to the hype. While I don't have the first volume physically, let's start with the cover.
Our beloved author and artist (henceforth referable to as a mangaka) is Hokazono. Fun fact: despite currently being a world-renowned mangaka with multiple color/double-spread pages in the legendary Shonen Jump, he started drawing manga pretty recently. Like, "during the pandemic" recently. Kagurabachi is his first long form work.
And you can certainly see the difference. In just four years, he went from one shots that looked like this:
To this:
But that's getting ahead of myself. Let's open up the metaphorical book and see how it starts. Remember, this is manga. Read right to left.
(A few years before the fight you're seeing right now…)
…oh, and I almost forgot. Meet our protagonist. No, not the DILF swordsmith. His son! Chihiro Rokuhira.
Chihiro's the anti-Naruto. He's actually more serious than his own father most of the time, being the one to remind him about eating breakfast. He kinda reminds me of my younger self, haircut and all.
Also, pay attention to those three goldfish. They will come up later.
Yup, case in point. Chihiro's not a loud guy, his father's goofy except for the times he's forging, you get the idea by now. But uh, how'd he get the three goldfish?
…well, he got them from the pet store, as a side gift. On the way back from his chores. Yes, really. Can you believe this guy's probably a war criminal?
The goldfish do have symbolism, though. Er, two of them do.
Truly, a masterclass in metaphors. Sometimes the thing that looks cool just looks really fucking cool.
Now, let's skip ahead to the next player in this play.
TOGO SHIBA - FIRST-CLASS SORCERER
Here, we see the first sign of how the outer world outside of Chihiro and Kunishige's secluded house works. They see the mystical blades that Kunishige made as war-enders. Weapons that brought about peace.
Heck. "Weapons that brought about peace." Isn't that an oxymoron?
Kunishige acknowledges that. He has a different way of seeing how the world works. How war works.
A gun shoots. A spear stabs. A katana slashes. Kunishige knows that— and knows that those acts of violence are inherently morally neutral.
It's only up to the person wielding that weapon to choose what side of the coin of morality the katana will fall on. As he finishes up his impromptu training, Rokuhira challenges his dear son to take up principles and accountability. And when he becomes a swordsmith, to only let katana be wielded by those with pure hearts.
Chihiro agrees. Why wouldn't he? It's what he's been training his whole life for.
This is one of the last times Chihiro ever sees his father.
And about 3 years later, things have already started going batshit.
Hey, guys! Remember what Kunishige said about katana and pure hearts? Me neither!
The guys in the suits are called the Korogumi. They're yakuza. They've been doing extortion, threats… and also the occasional quiet killing, like what you're seeing. See the guy with the mustache, next to blondie with the katana? He's their boss.
He's also not gonna be very important in the long term. The backers of the Korogumi are. Or more specifically, the backer.
Say hello to the first member of the Hishaku, the Guys Behind The Current Bad Guys. For now, we'll call him Hat Guy. He's also a sorcerer— yup, there's magic in this story. Very cool, except for the kid currently stuck in the brambles.
Hat Guy starts yapping, saying that he can't handle upstarts like the kid, who was a leader of a local youth group protesting against the Korogumi. He then teleports away— don't worry, the tree will disappear with time.
For now, though, we're gonna have a POV shift, away from the leader of this doomed rebel group. How's our main protagonist doing?
Check out the left side of Chihiro's face. It's all scarred up now. His personality hasn't changed much, though.
Oh, and Shiba's back! Did he age? It's debatable.
They exchange pleasantries. Chihiro wonders why bro is eating grilled fish while walking around. (For reference, in Japan you don't really eat while walking around unless you're giga cooked. And even then.) Chihiro also wonders why Shiba is on the same train as him, when Shiba should have met him at the town train station. (There's a reason for this.)
But eventually, the conversation takes a turn.
So yeah. Now you know the context behind that line. Ain't it sad? But it's still pretty funny. It's the first sign that Chihiro's fucking dead inside.
Well. Mostly dead inside.
They get to their destination, and it's smooth sailing for a bit. Chihiro reveals that they're there because of a lead that they have. Apparently, the Korogumi are being helped out by "them"— the Hishaku. Chihiro wants to make a deal with the Korogumi, assuming that they're reasonable if slightly shady businessmen.
Shiba realizes the truth before Chihiro does.
It hits Chihiro a few moments later.
Look at those eyes. Look at them. They aren't the eyes of a mentally healthy person. Chihiro still believes in justice.
That belief's beginning to slip a bit. Chihiro immediately asks Shiba to take him to the Korogumi base. The silent "to kill them all" request is heard.
(Somewhere across town…)
Like a dark knight, he appears.
On the other side of the warehouse, negotiations are finished. The leader of the youth group, the one strung up in the tree earlier; in a desperate plea, he agrees to give up the locations of all his comrades in exchange for his sister's life. All he can do is pray, as the boss considers the offer, two lives in the devil's hands.
His prayers are answered.
Just look at that paneling. Similar to Fujimoto of Chainsaw Man fame, Hokazono was inspired by action movies, like John Wick. You could probably tell.
The yakuza men gather around. They fight for selfishness, money. They're diametrically opposed to Chihiro, both position wise and morally. They can't understand him. Or the principles that Kunishige taught him.
But in the end, there's only one language they'll understand.
"To ward off evil."
Chihiro makes a tiny swing— and space itself rends. In a horizontal arc that would make Sukuna himself proud, Korogumi men are slashed in the stomach, dying on the spot. Chihiro isn't done yet however. In a single bound, he leaps into the air, trench coat flailing behind him.
And he slashes downward, like the judgement of a vengeful god.
When we next come to, all the Korogumi are dead. Except for one. The boss of them stands alone, cowering in a corner. He asks who Chihiro is. No answer. Chihiro asks him how the Korogumi is working with the Hishaku. No answer. Finally, the boss of the Korogumi asks him one particular question. "Why the hell are you fighting?"
Chihiro remembers how he's gotten here. The principles his father made him swear to uphold. And he answers.
See? I told you it was peak.
One last thing before we go to Ch 2. Kagurabachi directly translates to something like "Divine Fish Bowl". The gifts his father gave him still linger around Chihiro, in more ways than one.
(P.S: Check the alt text. I'll be putting in some interesting things every once in a while. This thread probably isn't for you if you have low vision, though.)
About one year ago (give or take a month or two), it came out to astounding… memery. There's no good way of saying it. Shonen Jump was glazing it to hell and back, but it didn't look too different from say, Bleach. And Bleach was already completed and getting an adaptation of Thousand Year Blood War, so why would you read this upstart, Kagurabachi?
But things have changed. Kagurabachi is growing in popularity. Everyone from Gigguk to Mother's Basement have given it a shot, and found it matching or even exceeding the shonen giants of old. Heck, I'd even say that I currently enjoy Kagurabachi more than Jujutsu Kaisen.
(Of course, considering that both KB and Dandadan actually still have consistently interesting character dynamics and interactions, that just proves that Gege's a hack writer.)
But talk is cheap. Let's start reading, and I'll show you exactly how cool this manga is, and how it lives up to the hype. While I don't have the first volume physically, let's start with the cover.
Our beloved author and artist (henceforth referable to as a mangaka) is Hokazono. Fun fact: despite currently being a world-renowned mangaka with multiple color/double-spread pages in the legendary Shonen Jump, he started drawing manga pretty recently. Like, "during the pandemic" recently. Kagurabachi is his first long form work.
And you can certainly see the difference. In just four years, he went from one shots that looked like this:
To this:
But that's getting ahead of myself. Let's open up the metaphorical book and see how it starts. Remember, this is manga. Read right to left.
CHAPTER ONE - MISSION
(*CLANG* *CLANG*)
(*CLANG* *CLANG*)
(A few years before the fight you're seeing right now…)
KUNISHIGE ROKUHIRA - FORGER OF THE SEVEN ENCHANTED BLADES
…oh, and I almost forgot. Meet our protagonist. No, not the DILF swordsmith. His son! Chihiro Rokuhira.
Chihiro's the anti-Naruto. He's actually more serious than his own father most of the time, being the one to remind him about eating breakfast. He kinda reminds me of my younger self, haircut and all.
Also, pay attention to those three goldfish. They will come up later.
Yup, case in point. Chihiro's not a loud guy, his father's goofy except for the times he's forging, you get the idea by now. But uh, how'd he get the three goldfish?
…well, he got them from the pet store, as a side gift. On the way back from his chores. Yes, really. Can you believe this guy's probably a war criminal?
The goldfish do have symbolism, though. Er, two of them do.
Truly, a masterclass in metaphors. Sometimes the thing that looks cool just looks really fucking cool.
Now, let's skip ahead to the next player in this play.
TOGO SHIBA - FIRST-CLASS SORCERER
Here, we see the first sign of how the outer world outside of Chihiro and Kunishige's secluded house works. They see the mystical blades that Kunishige made as war-enders. Weapons that brought about peace.
Heck. "Weapons that brought about peace." Isn't that an oxymoron?
Kunishige acknowledges that. He has a different way of seeing how the world works. How war works.
A gun shoots. A spear stabs. A katana slashes. Kunishige knows that— and knows that those acts of violence are inherently morally neutral.
It's only up to the person wielding that weapon to choose what side of the coin of morality the katana will fall on. As he finishes up his impromptu training, Rokuhira challenges his dear son to take up principles and accountability. And when he becomes a swordsmith, to only let katana be wielded by those with pure hearts.
Chihiro agrees. Why wouldn't he? It's what he's been training his whole life for.
This is one of the last times Chihiro ever sees his father.
And about 3 years later, things have already started going batshit.
Hey, guys! Remember what Kunishige said about katana and pure hearts? Me neither!
The guys in the suits are called the Korogumi. They're yakuza. They've been doing extortion, threats… and also the occasional quiet killing, like what you're seeing. See the guy with the mustache, next to blondie with the katana? He's their boss.
He's also not gonna be very important in the long term. The backers of the Korogumi are. Or more specifically, the backer.
??? - SORCERER?
Say hello to the first member of the Hishaku, the Guys Behind The Current Bad Guys. For now, we'll call him Hat Guy. He's also a sorcerer— yup, there's magic in this story. Very cool, except for the kid currently stuck in the brambles.
Hat Guy starts yapping, saying that he can't handle upstarts like the kid, who was a leader of a local youth group protesting against the Korogumi. He then teleports away— don't worry, the tree will disappear with time.
For now, though, we're gonna have a POV shift, away from the leader of this doomed rebel group. How's our main protagonist doing?
Check out the left side of Chihiro's face. It's all scarred up now. His personality hasn't changed much, though.
Oh, and Shiba's back! Did he age? It's debatable.
They exchange pleasantries. Chihiro wonders why bro is eating grilled fish while walking around. (For reference, in Japan you don't really eat while walking around unless you're giga cooked. And even then.) Chihiro also wonders why Shiba is on the same train as him, when Shiba should have met him at the town train station. (There's a reason for this.)
But eventually, the conversation takes a turn.
So yeah. Now you know the context behind that line. Ain't it sad? But it's still pretty funny. It's the first sign that Chihiro's fucking dead inside.
Well. Mostly dead inside.
They get to their destination, and it's smooth sailing for a bit. Chihiro reveals that they're there because of a lead that they have. Apparently, the Korogumi are being helped out by "them"— the Hishaku. Chihiro wants to make a deal with the Korogumi, assuming that they're reasonable if slightly shady businessmen.
Shiba realizes the truth before Chihiro does.
It hits Chihiro a few moments later.
Look at those eyes. Look at them. They aren't the eyes of a mentally healthy person. Chihiro still believes in justice.
That belief's beginning to slip a bit. Chihiro immediately asks Shiba to take him to the Korogumi base. The silent "to kill them all" request is heard.
(Somewhere across town…)
(*SHING*)
Like a dark knight, he appears.
On the other side of the warehouse, negotiations are finished. The leader of the youth group, the one strung up in the tree earlier; in a desperate plea, he agrees to give up the locations of all his comrades in exchange for his sister's life. All he can do is pray, as the boss considers the offer, two lives in the devil's hands.
His prayers are answered.
Just look at that paneling. Similar to Fujimoto of Chainsaw Man fame, Hokazono was inspired by action movies, like John Wick. You could probably tell.
The yakuza men gather around. They fight for selfishness, money. They're diametrically opposed to Chihiro, both position wise and morally. They can't understand him. Or the principles that Kunishige taught him.
But in the end, there's only one language they'll understand.
CHIHIRO ROKUHIRA - WIELDER OF THE SEVENTH ENCHANTED BLADE
In a moment that can only be described as timeless, Chihiro takes a breath, and draws. He remembers what his father told him, and the blessings he was given.
"To ward off evil."
Chihiro makes a tiny swing— and space itself rends. In a horizontal arc that would make Sukuna himself proud, Korogumi men are slashed in the stomach, dying on the spot. Chihiro isn't done yet however. In a single bound, he leaps into the air, trench coat flailing behind him.
And he slashes downward, like the judgement of a vengeful god.
When we next come to, all the Korogumi are dead. Except for one. The boss of them stands alone, cowering in a corner. He asks who Chihiro is. No answer. Chihiro asks him how the Korogumi is working with the Hishaku. No answer. Finally, the boss of the Korogumi asks him one particular question. "Why the hell are you fighting?"
Chihiro remembers how he's gotten here. The principles his father made him swear to uphold. And he answers.
KAGURABACHI CHAPTER ONE - END
See? I told you it was peak.
One last thing before we go to Ch 2. Kagurabachi directly translates to something like "Divine Fish Bowl". The gifts his father gave him still linger around Chihiro, in more ways than one.
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