Who is the writer of Kagurabachi? Takeru Hokazono explained

If you’re loving Kagurabachi and can’t wait for the next introductory chapters, the writer of the series has quite a few previous works to check out.

Now that the memes have simmered down, manga fans are beginning to genuinely appreciate the first few chapters of Kagurabachi. Heralded as the next big hit, the gory manga about an orphan’s path to revenge made waves on social media. However, the mangaka behind it all is still quite a mysterious figure. Here’s what we know about Takeru Hokazono, the writer and illustrator of Kagurabachi, along with his previous published works.

Who is Takeru Hokazono?

Takeru Hokazono, like many rising mangaka, is a fairly private figure. He burst onto the scene in 2020 with a teen martial arts one-shot called Enten, which won the highest honors at the 100th Tezuka Awards that year.

He followed Enten up with multiple one-shots featured in Jump GIGA and Shonen Jump. His social media doesn’t list any age, hometown, or even a photo of the rising star. Hokazono instead uses a strange doodle to represent his public image.

With such acclaim, fans may be surprised to learn that Kagurabachi is actually Hokazono’s very first full-length manga. All of his previous publications are one-shots that take place in different continuities. They’re definitely worth checking out, and they may even give hints as to what’s coming in Kagurabachi.

Previous works of Kagurabachi writer Takeru Hokazono

Before he started serializing Kagurabachi, manga writer and illustrator Takeru Hokazono published a series of one-shots about a wide variety of topics. Here’s a quick list of his published works.

• Enten
• Farewell! Cherry Boy!
• CHAIN
• Madogiwa de Amu
• Roku no Meiyaku

All five of the listed titles are one-shots, and they share a few common themes. Hokazono appears to enjoy writing stories set in the modern day but featuring a magical twist, such as the spirit beasts in Enten and the devil pact made in Roku no Meiyaku. While not universal, the stories also focus on relationships between young men, with both friendships and rivalries featuring prominently.

Based on the mangaka’s previous work as a writer, it’s safe to expect that some of these themes could appear in Kagurabachi. Chihiro has yet to find a similarly-aged companion for his journey to relocate his father’s swords, though his relationship with Shiba somewhat fills the role. The supernatural elements and modern setting are definitely present, so those tropes could come into effect sometime in the next few chapters.