Chihiro’s Iconic Goldfish Almost Didn’t Make it Into Kagurabachi Because “The drawings would look cooler”
Kagurabachi has unexpectedly taken the shonen genre by storm with its astounding success within a few weeks of making its debut. Kagurabachi owes its success partially to other Shonen Jump magazine series, namely Naruto and Chainsaw Man, and of course, the numerous memes that it inspired. Naruto‘s impact on Kagurabachi is evident from its character designs and storytelling.
However, there is one aspect of this latest shonen anime that fans like to talk about and that is the powers of Chihiro’s enchanted sword. In Chapter 4 of Kagurabachi, the now-iconic red and black goldfish makes an appearance that has special abilities. However, Kagurabachi‘s creator, Takeru Hokazono, recently revealed that the goldfish almost didn’t make it into the anime series.
Why The Goldfish Almost Didn’t Make It Into Kagurabachi
In an exclusive interview between creator Takeru Hokazono and Asahi Shimbun to commemorate the Volume 2 release of Kagurabachi and the manga’s success, Hokazono revealed some interesting tidbits about his manga. When the interviewer commented on the fact that a goldfish appears when the protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira, draws his enchanted blade Enten from its sheath, Hokazono had a fascinating response.
English translation of Hokazono Takeru’s exclusive interview for Kagurabachi [2/2]https://t.co/F7XdrT74MV pic.twitter.com/It4lGE1aSA
— Jさん💥( ֊’ ‘֊) ✄—✄—✄—✄ (@soukatsu_) May 2, 2024
According to Hokazono, he initially wanted to draw nishiki carps (koi) instead of goldfish. This was because he thought the carps would translate beautifully into black and white manga. Although he isn’t wrong, the goldfish is now iconic and has a special place in the readers’ hearts. Hokazono further explained:
“Their red, black, and white colors would match well in a revenge story with lots of blood splatter and a protagonist whose clothes are all black, and the drawings would look cooler.“
Apparently, Hokazono was dead-set on the nishiki carps until the final hour, but when the time came to start the drafts, he changed it to goldfish because he thought they would be easier to symbolize Chihiro’s life with his father. Although the carps would have looked great, the goldfish has become iconic and synonymous with Chihiro’s character.
What Is The Significance Of The Black And Red Goldfish?
In Chapter 4 of Kagurabachi, as Chihiro prepares to duke it out with the sorcerer, a mysterious black goldfish appears behind him. While Char is stunned at the sight, Shiba explains that the enchanted blade strengthens a person’s spirit energy and allows it to take a shape that is unique to the person.
However, Chihiro’s goldfish is massively overpowered in comparison to other sorcerer’s magic. As the villainous sorcerer hurls some explosives at Chihiro, the protagonist reveals another power, Aka, meaning Red. A beautiful red goldfish appears and it shocks the sorcerer who had assumed that Chihiro had exhausted his powers.
In the end, Chihiro attacks the sorcerer called Black. Despite all the tricks the sorcerer had prepared for Chihiro, it all goes to waste as the latter evades and dodges all the attacks. Chihiro also has another power in his sleeves called the Red: Invisible, which allows him to absorb the other person’s powers.
You can read Kagurabachi officially on VIZ Media and MANGA Plus by Shueisha.
