“Already better than every JJK cover”: Kagurabachi Might Soon Dethrone Jujutsu Kaisen with its Soaring Popularity in Less than 2 Volumes
Kagurabachi seemingly came out of nowhere and garnered a lot of attention lately due to Shonen Jump’s NEXTWAVE initiative. Written and illustrated by Hokazono Takeru, the sword-fighting shonen manga is one of the three series to be nominated for the Shueisha’s Tekuza Award.
The sudden popularity of the manga can be attributed to the memes surrounding the series as fans took to Twitter and other social media to meme the manga. It is rare for a manga’s debut to shoot to popularity as exponentially as Kagurabachi has. Its popularity soared to claim the #5 spot on Manga Plus, beating all other mangas.
Kagurabachi‘s First Glimpse Of The Volume 2 Cover Sparks A Debate
With the official release of Kagurabachi‘s Volume 2 cover, fans are ecstatic over the stunning artwork and attention to detail. Unexpectedly, the manga has taken the spotlight and the expectations are very high. Fans showered the manga cover art with praise, even going as far as to compare it to Jujutsu Kaisen, which sparked a huge debate on X, formerly Twitter.
Kagurabachi Volume 2 Cover. pic.twitter.com/YBtm3inVtN
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) April 21, 2024
A tweet claims that the Volume 2 cover art of Kagurabachi is better than every Jujutsu Kaisen covers in the past year. With the manga’s rocketing popularity, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Jujutsu Kaisen fans felt threatened by the relatively new manga. Now it only remains to be seen if Kagurabachi can successfully dethrone Jujutsu Kaisen.
Cover already better than every JJK cover in the past year 🔥
— Lie (@xLie242) April 21, 2024
Funnily enough, Kagurabachi first gained attention as a meme in the anime community when it debuted in Shonen Jump on September 19, 2023. However, thwarting the initial reaction from fans, the manga surpassed expectations and now looms as a threat to the other popular mangas wrestling for the top spot.
Kagurabachi‘s Basic Plot
Kagurabachi has already dethroned popular mangas like Oshi no Ko and My Hero Academia, climbing the ranks to earn the fifth spot on Manga Plus. At its heart, the manga is a sword-fighting battle shonen with an overarching revenge plot. There is an inclination towards violence and bloodlust during the initial course of the plot, and if the recent leaks are any suggestion, the plot will follow the same trajectory down the line.
The manga has also received a lot of praise, primarily due to the main protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira, who showcases a gravitating personality. The undertones of trauma and violence in the plot make the manga all the more intriguing. Meanwhile, Chihiro’s sword-wielding character has been compared with the likes of Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer and Roronoa Zoro from One Piece.
What had started as a meme, is now a competition that no one can ignore. Whether Kagurabachi is the next top dog of the Weekly Shonen Jump industry remains to be seen, but the allure of this new entry certainly holds the heart of the captivated fans.