Remove ads

Let’s Read Kagurabachi: Katanas, Gays, and Generational Trauma

Reader mode
Wonder if it'll be more loved by people than Demon Slayer

Cause ya know... there is actual magic
 
WayWard_Animal said:
I'm ready to see my new traumatized blorbos on screen!
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I fear that I will not be able to see the Chihiro and Hiyuki first meeting on screen without melting and going to heaven from sheer excitement. And that's not even TALKING about the Sojo vs Chihiro arc and what comes after that…
 
Remove ads
Chapter 9: The Most Violent “Are You 🏳️‍🌈?” Quiz Ever
  • Threadmarks
    • Everybody, we're now officially in…

    KAGURABACHI, VOLUME TWO​

    Now. So that means we've got a new cover!

    18 year old vs 30-something btw

    Nothing else I can see except peak. Also, Sojo needs to wash his hair. How greasy is bro?

    Getting back on track, we're starting with:

    CHAPTER NINE: ENTEN VS CLOUD GOUGER​

    Chapter title speaks for itself. Let's get into it.

    The chapter starts with a flashback, focusing on our two adults. (I'm not counting Chihiro as an adult tbh, he should be in high school.)



    Shiba and Azami are discussing Sojo. More specifically, at the rate that Chihiro's going, they're gonna see a clash between him and Sojo soon. However, that isn't the big problem. What is the big problem is that the public have never witnessed the real destruction that the Enchanted Blades can yield, especially considering that up until now, all EB wielders were on the side of Japan during the Seitei war. A clash between Enchanted Blades could spell disaster.

    And not just civilian casualty-wise. What would it mean for the average Japanese citizen's view of Kunishige? They all see him as a hero, not a weapon maker after all.



    Now, we flash back to the present. Where for the first time ever, two enchanted blades are about to clash.



    Both Chihiro and Sojo are considering their own sides of the battle.

    On Chihiro's end, he's considering Sojo's motives, especially with how it seems that he isn't chasing Char. He's also pissed about Sojo using his dad's katana for evil, but that's obvious.

    On Sojo's end, he's curious. How did Chihiro survive his first attack, with the lightning bolt ("Mei")? A normal sorcerer would have died instantly… but an enchanted blade wielder is a cut above that.

    With all that out of the way, they both charge into battle.




    Already, they're showing their differences in fighting style. Sojo's pretty much button mashing with a strategy— his attacks are covering the block, and he's already picturing Chihiro's move as we speak.

    Meanwhile, Chihiro's only got his eyes on one target.



    Yup. Chihiro just pulled a "teleports behind you" with pure speed. That's why he's my GOAT. Unfortunately, Sojo's no slouch either. He just blocked a katana using a reverse grip. That takes some real skill.



    Thankfully however, Chihiro's fulfilled his first goal. He's given Char and Hinao time to vacate the area. Now he can fully focus on this fight.

    Chihiro considers the situation once again. Sojo isn't even short of breath, nor has he used the speed-enchanting effect of Cloud Gouger. As such, Chihiro estimates that the only thing that'll let him keep going through this fight is Nishiki— his third ability, the goldfish we haven't seen yet.

    But then out of nowhere, Sojo says something that snaps Chihiro out of his ruminations.

    This panel isn’t edited, btw. This is a genuine plot point.

    I haven't skipped anything, btw— Sojo just randomly stopped to say this, out of pocket.

    He's not "only" a murderer. He's gay. For Chihiro's father.

    Ok, not really. He's a parasocial fan, though! (Wait, that isn't much better—)

    Genichi Sojo said:
    The weapons he created were exalted, I read everything I could find about him.

    And just recently, Cloud Gouger fell into my hands. It was a dream come true!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    He then asks Chihiro why he wields Enten, an enchanted blade that he didn't ever know about. Chihiro responds easily; for his father's principles, to protect the world.

    This answer bores Sojo. Because it's the same thing everybody— all the books, all the civilians— say.



    Remember how Chihiro thinks that the blades should be used as tools of justice? Sojo… mildly disagrees (understatement.) He thinks that the Enchanted Blades should be weapons. He then proceeds to demonstrate his point further by ascending to heaven.

    It’s just so damn peak I’m ascending to heaven

    This is probably the closest he's gonna get to there, considering there's no way that Sojo's going to heaven after he's done. He's literally going to kill hundreds of civilians, just to fulfill his murder boner, and prove that Chihiro is wrong about his father's creations. He's essentially the Yang to Chihiro's Yin, believing that the Enchanted Blades are weapons first and foremost, unlike Chihiro's belief in justice via the blades.

    As Azami says it, if an EB were to be used in public for slaughter, Kunishige's reputation would crumble. And that's exactly what Sojo wants.

    At the very least, Sojo would definitely make a good lawyer! Look, he even presents the evidence for his argument for everyone to see!



    (BOOM!!!)​

    For a second, a thunderclap shakes all of Tokyo. But no lightning to go with it. When the dust clears… the only person hurt is Chihiro.



    Ooh, so close Sojo yet so far. What Chihiro actually did here was her his actual defensive ability; Aka, the same one he used to absorb Daruma's attack. While Sojo is only focusing on slaughter, Chihiro's simply focusing on surviving and protecting the civilians. A nice contrast!

    However, it seem Aka has some limits. Unlike when it absorbed Invincible, Chihiro shows some clear signs of damage. It seems the damage absorption has its limits.

    Now that the civilians are beginning to evacuate, Chihiro gets ready to really give it his all. He'll need to cut Sojo down fast, and he knows that this is the best time to do so.



    Because while Sojo may have the strength advantage, Chihiro knows Cloud Gouger better than he does. It's his family property, after all.

    With that recharge period in mind, this is essentially his one chance to kill Sojo, here and now.

    Chihiro remembers what his father said for a moment, about katanas being used for good. The exact opposite of what Sojo believes the enchanted blades are. Who's right here?

    Well, Chihiro doesn't seem too interested in thinking about that right now. He's just locked in.



    CHAPTER NINE - END​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Time to lock in. Ill give it to Sojo interesting that he immediatly went on the offensive anf Tracked down Chihiro, and also Is Savvy enough to know what comming a masaccre would do, lets see where we go from here.
     
    Oh, and one more fun fact before I go: for an extended period of time, the Kagurabachi subreddit had this as their icon.



    This lasted for about two and a half months, way past Pride Month. Also, Hokazono has genuinely gone on record saying it's easier for him to draw guys than girls. We're not beating the allegations, guys.

    (And honestly, I don't think we even want to.)

     
    Kermie said:
    Oh, and one more fun fact before I go: for an extended period of time, the Kagurabachi subreddit had this as their icon.



    This lasted for about two and a half months, way past Pride Month. Also, Hokazono has genuinely gone on record saying it's easier for him to draw guys than girls. We're not beating the allegations, guys.

    (And honestly, I don't think we even want to.)

    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Aaahhh fandoms. They do the quirkiest things
     
    oh wow

    Imagine this man met Chihiro and tried to flirt
    Either he would be heart broken that the man he 'loved' was exactly how people thought of him or keep being delusional

    I sounds really funny-
     
    Remove ads
    Various Weird Things Hokazono Said (Author’s Notes)
  • Apocrypha
    • At the end of each chapter, Hokazono usually leaves some time for an author's note.

    This man is roughly 22-24. He sounds like the unholy fusion of college student on crack and a 48-year old mangaka on weed. Here, lemme show you.







    (This one was roughly around the time of Akira Toriyama's death)


    (From an interview)
     
  • Apocrypha
    • Oh damn, I'm glad I caught this thread early. I've been following Kagurabachi week to week since the end of the first arc and it's consistently impressed me in a way that shonen manga rarely does anymore.
     
    An Argument For Character Writing - no.
  • Apocrypha
    • I think the reason Chihiro works so well as a character is that Hokazono never tips his hand or winks at the camera. Chihiro's facade of the unflappable stone-cold killer is presented to the reader the same way it is to everyone else, and the reader is expected to examine him critically in order to see through it. As the story continues, Chihiro's armor gains more and more cracks, and it becomes increasingly obvious that he is a lot more compassionate and emotionally vulnerable than he looks. If the reader didn't pick it up right away, they will figure it out down the line as it gets easier to spot.

    But crucially, the story never stops and has a character say "You can't fool me Chihiro, I can tell you're actually a sweet, traumatized kid." In coaxing the reader to make this discovery themselves, the story conditions them to examine everything else the same way. Shiba sure is quick to torture people the moment he thinks it might help, isn't he? What exactly was he doing in the Seitei War? Sojo seems so convinced that Kunishige was a deeply violent person who wanted to cause mass death. What has he seen that would make him think that? Could it be related to that traumatic memory we saw a glimpse of?

    It's extremely solid and surprisingly subtle character work.

    Edit:

    One detail of Chihiro's design that I love his the way his coat fits him. It's at least one size too large, and makes him look bigger than he really is, especially when he's moving quickly. And would you look at that, the first chapter has a big panel emphasizing Kunushige's broad shoulders. Really activates your almonds…
     
    Last edited:
  • Apocrypha
    • Chapter 10: Locking In To Unprecedented Degrees
  • Threadmarks
    • CHAPTER TEN - SWIFT​

    The chapter starts out with Chihiro revealing his final ability, Nishiki. He uses it to try and wean off the pain of the lightning bolt (Mei) he just took.

    He was kinda posed up there, ngl.

    Essentially, Nishiki allows Chihiro to gain an all around stat buff, and also throw hands if he needs to. Very cool.

    As Chihiro's powering up, Sojo ruminates on how there was some energy leaking from his sword while he was charging up that Mei earlier. He's still inexperienced— especially since he's only been fighting with Cloud Gouger for about a week now.

    Char and Hinao are running away now, and while Chihiro declares his intent to protect them, Sojo's having none of that.



    Man, Sojo really just hates anything related to being good. You kinda have to applaud the commitment to the bit, it's admirable. Anyways, then he continues yapping.



    Thankfully however, Chihiro attacks him with an Enten (the flying slash) again. Dude really likes that move, it's like his second basic attack by this point.

    Also, that's one of the only times we've seen Chihiro lose his composure and yell. The only other times he got close was when he fought trauma guy and when Sojo just busted into Hinao's cafe.

    Sojo however, isn't fazed.

    "Ketsu."

    Ice manifests on the street with a swing of Cloud Gouger, manifesting as snowflake-like crystals.



    Unfortunately, Chihiro doesn't give a damn about that. Bro looks like Guts right now— hell yeah. And yes, that eye panel is Chihiro dashing forward. Nishiki basically gives him super-speed.

    Also, look at those shadows weaving through the ice. We're lead to believe that's an Enten, but that's actually Chihiro.

    Sojo blocks again, with the same reverse-grip block he used on Chihiro the first time. Chihiro gets sent flying back, but he lands on his feet. However…



    Char's been captured— he recognizes her by that shoe. And by the way, this is the second time in the entire manga we've seen Chihiro give a silent "oh, shit". The first time was when he got touched by Trauma Dude.

    Just as Chihiro is paralyzed with indecision (and I guess that Sojo's just silently laughing at him) something happens that shifts the precarious balance of this battle.



    The magic police that Azami belongs to have arrived. And with the Kamunabi comes, they appear as well.



    Shiba and Azami have arrived. And with their appearance, Sojo knows that he's been outnumbered, outmatched, and outdone. Sojo decides to focus on Chihiro before running away from the cops, but—

    Hey, where's Chihiro?

    HERE’S CHIHIRO

    Chihiro is locked in. This is probably the first time we've ever seen him so single minded. Nishiki only has a few seconds left of time, but that's enough.

    He needs to save Char here, like how a fish needs water to breathe. He can't let her suffer. Right now, saving Char's the most important thing in his world. He jumps, flying through the window, grabbing Char—



    —'s leg. Uh oh.

    As he barrels through the front car window, the poor driver gets questioned. His answers are lacking.



    We cut to Char, sitting in a car. Her leg that was chopped off is regrowing (what is it with the baddies and Char's legs?) and Sojo's getting in the front seat. Hinao is nowhere to be found.



    One of Sojo's goons mentions being able to proceed with the thing they've had planned now that they have "the material", whatever that is. Sojo agrees that it's time to put their plans into motion. Besides…



    CHAPTER TEN - END​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Oh hot damn... hes competent. Those are the worst type of foes to fight.
    Also...
    HES ONLY USED THAT SWORD FOR A WEEK!?
    AND HES CAPABLE OF DOING ALL THAT!?
    Holy "Nuke swords indeed" I think Chihiro would have been turned into sashimi if Sojo had more experience... like a month or so.. Jesus...
     
    Kermie said:
    Kunishige essentially gave a battlefield of pistols and knives a weapon which at base is an RPG. Think about that for a sec.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    ...Fsntasy Blacksmiths that know what they are doing effing insane...
    Now I kind of want an anime with a Blacksmith Protagonist. Make it slife of life with him getting s new customer every episode and they end up getting badass weapons that make them legends in their worlds.

    Or I guess you could Go the Monster Hunter Route and have the Blacksmith go to wonderous vistas to get the material for theit comissions. .
     
    I forgot that Nishiki was so unwieldy and all-or-nothing early on. At this point in the story it's less a powered-up mode and more "I need to hit this guy as hard and fast as possible right now."

    That whole sequence with Chihiro diving into and out of the car was, for me, the point where Kagurabachi really came together. Not every comic has a moment that clicks so perfectly, and creating one less than ten chapters in was a big indicator of Hokazono's potential.

    Edit: another fun thing in this chapter is Sojo mentioning he needs to train more with Cloud Gouger. In a lot of battle shonen, the only people who train to get stronger during the story proper are the protagonist and some of his allies. But here, we are immediately presented with the threat that Sojo will get more powerful if left unmolested - not through a macguffin but through simple practice. It's a small touch, but I appreciate it.
     
    Last edited:
    Kermie said:
    that.

    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    And I say to you mister murder man you just killing to kill is boring

    Kermie said:
    Chihiro?

    HERE’S CHIHIRO <img src="
    View: https://i.imgur.com/Wp87EVt.jpeg" data-url="https://i.imgur.com/Wp87EVt.jpeg" class="bbImage lazyload" alt="HERE'S CHIHIRO" title="HERE'S CHIHIRO" style="" width="" height="" />

    Chihiro is locked in
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    This looks really good but also out of context it kinda looks like
    "Oh no I left the baby in the car"
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top