Chapter 2 of Kagurabachi wound up being highly anticipated thanks to the series meme status, and the series now finally has some serious momentum.
Kagurabachi has quickly become one of the
most talked about manga series
thanks to its broad appeal and incidental meme status. After its debut, the first full-length manga from Takeru Hokazono became an online hit thanks to widespread parody. While the jokes put Kagurabachi on the map, the second chapter of the manga has finally solidified the characters, motivations, and overarching plot of the story. Here’s what we learned about protagonist Chihiro and what Kagurabachi is all about.
The
meme status
of chapter 1 spawned for various reasons, but the biggest one is the rampant cliches of the story. Modern-day magical swordsmen wielding cursed blades are nothing new, and neither is an orphaned protagonist led by a cool uncle. The vague concepts of necromancers (who control trees, we guess) and yakuza with a liberation army as an opposing force didn’t help. The streaky art style combined with the uncharismatic Chihiro painted the series as a perfect 5/10 filler manga. However, with Chapter 2 now out and translated, fans finally have an idea of how the series will work mechanically.
Kagurabachi Chapter 2 introduces cursed swords, villains, and powers
While Chapter 1 ended with an incredibly bloody hero moment for Chihiro, chapter 2 introduced both the overarching plot mechanics and villains of the series.
After clearing out the yakuza den and failing to interrogate their leader, Chihiro and Shiba flashback to the scene of Kunishige Rokuhira’s death at the family forge. It’s established that he was killed by the combined work of three necromancers. Only partial silhouettes are revealed, but the scene shows all the markings of setting up a team of villains for Chihiro to eventually defeat. While not explicitly shown, readers can make out a ninja-esque woman, a dapper gentleman, and a leg clad in samurai armor. The bowler hat enthusiast even appears in the first chapter as an escaped interrogator.
Shortly after, it’s revealed what the necromancers killed Chihiro’s father for. The forge’s basement contained six cursed swords, each with a unique power. They were stolen in the aftermath, with their current whereabouts unknown. At the very end of chapter 2, Shiba sets up the overarching plot of Kagurabachi by telling Chihiro that one of the cursed swords has been spotted. It’s also shown that the protagonist’s own weapon is a seventh cursed sword, though its goldfish-related powers are yet to be clarified.
After a relatively isolated first chapter, these two elements have finally given Kagurabachi direction as a series. Chihiro will work with Shiba to track down the cursed swords and retrieve them from the yakuza, which will involve defeating the necromancers that killed his father. Other story elements like the mysterious liberation army, Tokyo’s criminal takeover, and the magical forging process still need elaboration, but thanks to the new exposition, Kagurabachi fans now have something tangible to look forward to.
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