Kagurabachi Author’s Obsession with Quentin Tarantino Makes Even More Sense Because of a Peculiar Connection
Takeru Hokazono’s Kagurabachi, a serialized novel, has garnered a significant readership from both local and global readers in less than a year. In a recent interview, Hokazono discussed his well-liked Shonen Jump series with the Japanese newspaper Asahi, revealing some unexpected inspirations.
Hokazono was questioned extensively about his background by the Asahi newspaper, including how he went from creating furniture to sketching a revenge plot influenced by pre-modern Japan. According to Hokazono, his college courses were moved to an online version in 2020 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This allowed him more time at home to perfect his comic book storytelling skills and illustration. This ultimately resulted in Hokazono leaving his institution to pursue a career in the manga industry, which would only be feasible if he gave it all of his focus due to how challenging the field is.
Kagurabachi‘s Creator Was Influenced By Naruto and Western Movies
In the interview translated by X user @brkagurabachi, Takeru Hokazono was questioned about what non-manga works influenced Kagurabachi. Hokazono said:
I’ve always loved Marvel superhero movies. They’re cool and exciting. That initial impression has always been strong. The things like Marvel and Naruto that I’ve been exposed to since childhood, I’ve been so engrossed in watching them that I’ve never really thought about what’s good about them. They’re already part of me.
📰Takeru-sensei's interview for Asahi Newspaper!
The Japanese newspaper "Asahi" interviewed our beloved Takeru-sensei. Below is the complete interview with our great hero. I ended up subscribing to the newspaper to bring it to you. I apologize for any… pic.twitter.com/DiWlyrHyPO
— Kagurabachi Brasil | #Kagurabachi | #カグラバチ (@brkagurabachi) May 2, 2024
Hokazono then said:
But Kagurabachi is probably influenced by movies like John Wick that I watched after Enten. I mainly watch Western movies, and directors like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Christopher Nolan. I think the pacing of the panels is influenced by Tarantino.
In a strange coincidence, Naruto’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto, revealed that he was also heavily influenced by Quentin Tarantino movies. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said he liked how Quentin Tarantino created a scene using a series of close-ups or showed cool images of a person or people walking on some ordinary street in slow motion.
Kishimoto wanted to adopt these methods to achieve that kind of slow-effect motion in his manga, but admitted that it was rather difficult to draw since the only thing mangakas can play around with, are tones of black and white.
Kagurabachi Started Its Journey As a Meme But Has Now Surpassed 100 Million Views On Manga Plus
Considering that satirical memes rather than genuine acclaim drove Kagurabachi’s early surge in popularity among Western audiences, it has been fascinating to watch its success unfold. Not your usual Shonen Jump fare, Hokazono’s series is a violent and dark revenge tale centered around a brooding samurai named Chihiro Rokuhira.
Online fans swarmed social media with humorous fan-edits and fake enthusiasm for the new, edgy manga series Kagurabachi when it was released on September 19, 2023. But as Kagurabachi developed, the mocking enthusiasm for the series gave way to sincere interest and support.
Asahi reports that Kagurabachi‘s page views on the Manga Plus app have topped 100 million. Additionally, Kagurabachi is the quickest Shonen Jump series to receive an English publishing license from VIZ Media. The first collection in the series had only been released in February in Japan when this announcement was made in early March.
You can read Kagurabachi on VIZ Media.
