Kagurabachi Creator Breaks Silence on New Anime With Big Naruto Shout Out

Kagurabachi has officially announced it’s finally getting its own anime next year, and the creator behind it all gave Naruto a surprise shout out to help celebrate. Kagurabachi first made its debut with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine back in 2023, and fans have been asking for it to get its own anime even before the first chapter hit. It’s no surprise as to why as creator Takeru Hokazono had noted how he was inspired by franchises like Naruto and John Wick, and now the creator has gone full circle with the new anime.

Kagurabachi creator Takeru Hokazono broke his silence with the official announcement of the new anime as part of Shueisha’s recent Jump Press event, and gave Naruto a cool shout out because the director behind the new anime is actually the same animator who gave fans that awesome Rock Lee vs. Gaara fight all those years ago. Hokazono also shared a special new sketch to help celebrate the new Kagurabachi anime announcement, and you can check it out below.

Kagurabachi Creator Breaks Silence on New Anime

“You know the Rock Lee vs. Gaara fight in Naruto?” Hokazono began in his statement together with Kagurabachi‘s official anime announcement. “The manga version is great of course, but isn’t the anime’s version just incredibly cool? Well, the very person who brought that scene to life is our director! Woo! The staff is full of amazing people who really know the manga inside and out. I can’t wait to see how the animation turns out. Definitely a must-watch!” This really is a full circle moment for the creator who has openly cited Naruto as a major influence.

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Kagurabachi Is Finally Doing What Fans Have Wanted All Along With Part 2

Hokazono has noted on multiple occasions that Naruto is one of their favorite series, and even its creator Masashi Kishimoto returned the favor by endorsing Kagurabachi’s earliest volumes. But with director Tetsuya Takeuchi signed on for the new anime for Cypic, this additional bit of Naruto flavor will be coming to Kagurabachi in the near future as well. It must be a great feeling for the creator to see such an influence come to the anime, and will likely make fans all the more excited for what’s next.

Kagurabachi Anime Confirmed for April 2027 Release

Kagurabachi is currently scheduled for a release in Japan sometime in April 2027 as part of the Spring 2027 anime schedule, but international release plans have yet to be announced as of this time. Tetsuya Takeuchi will be directing the new anime for Cypic with Keigo Sasaki providing the character designs. Taihi Kimura has also been cast in the series as the voice of the series’ main character, Chihiro Rokuhira, and we’ll likely get more information about future cast and staff details later in the year.

Takeuchi shared his own statement as well, “Who would’ve thought that I’d be directing a popular Shonen Jump anime after working as a key animator on Naruto back when I was just a newbie…you really never know what life has in store,” the director began. “When you think of Kagurabachi, you think of swords! And more swords! Plus cool characters and intense drama! I’ll work hard to capture all those elements and aim to make a show that both long-time fans of the manga and first-time viewers alike can enjoy! There’s a lot of pressure!”

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