Rarely has any series had as much momentum as Kagurabachi even before its debut. The manga went viral before it was released in September 2023 and has been on a generational run ever since. It’s impressive how the series has not only kept the initial readers intrigued but also built a large fan base in less than two years since its debut. It’s the first serialized manga by Takeru Hokazono, and it’s safe to say the manga’s future looks bright. It’s only a matter of time before the anime adaptation is released, which will only serve to increase the series’ popularity.
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The story centers around Chihiro Rokuhira, a young man who embarks on a journey to avenge the tragic murder of his father. Chihiro’s father, Kunishige, was a reputable swordsmith who made significant contributions in the war thanks to his Enchanted Blades. However, a group of sorcerers named the Hishaku stole the swords after killing Kunisige. Considering the unimaginable powers granted by the Enchanted Blades, it’s up to Chihiro to stop the villains using the final gift, a seventh Enchanted Blade, Enten, left behind by his father. The series is currently on its fourth arc and has released 82 chapters. As such, the underwhelming female cast has become glaringly obvious, and it’s not different from a majority of Shonen Jump series.
Kagurabachi Has a Male-Dominated Narrative Just Like Most Shonen Jump Manga
A lot of the Shonen Jump series, both old-gen series, such as One Piece, Naruto, and new-gen series, such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Sakamoto Days, have a significantly underwhelming female cast. Shonen series are generally marketed towards a younger male audience, so the issue of not having a great female cast has always existed. It doesn’t make a series boring in any way, but with the global rise of the anime and manga industry, especially in the shonen demographic, the audience isn’t limited to young boys. With new headliners emerging, including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, and The Apothecary Diaries (seinen, but the point stands), each led by female protagonists (and none being Shonen Jump series), the future is showing more variety for shonen manga and anime. The change in female representation has been slow over the years, especially with fewer series objectifying them among the new-gen, including Kagurabachi.
However, Kagurabachi still doesn’t give female characters prominent roles like you would see in Ichi the Witch, Spy x Family, or Dandadan. Chihiro is surrounded by a cast of other men, including his allies, villains, mentors, swordsmiths, and rival sorcerers. While a few female characters have appeared across chapters, they remain relegated to background roles or momentary plot devices. The male characters are just more fleshed out and play more prominent roles, with an alarmingly limited female cast.
Kagurabachi’s Female Characters Don’t Have a Core Role in the Story
It’s not like the series hasn’t introduced great female characters, but their roles are way too passive compared to others. Hinao and Char were introduced rather early in the story, but they are rarely ever present anymore. It’s especially disappointing when you consider Char, who had such a significant and emotional role in the first arc, only to disappear later in the series. However, perhaps the most underwhelming part about the series is how they handled the flamboyant Hiyuki. She has had one of the most powerful debuts in the story, and she is an interesting character in every way imaginable.
Not to mention that she is an elite sorcerer of the Kamunabi, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has no character depth to speak of. She had some extremely limited limelight in the Rakuzaichi Arc as Chihihro’s ally, and it doesn’t take long for her to fade into the background. Hiyuki has a lot of potential but ends up being the classic case of the “cool female fighter” trope, a woman who can handle herself in a fight but isn’t given any narrative depth or long-term relevance. It’s regrettable considering how she has the kind of presence that could genuinely enrich the story, if Hokazono would allow her to step out of the support role and take center stage for even one chapter.
The current arc introduces Iori, Samura’s daughter, and she has been winning hearts since her introduction. Unfortunately, with the way Kagurabachi has been so far, it may not be long before she ends up like Char and Hiyuki, before the series introduces another character and repeats the cycle. The series introduces many incredible characters, but they don’t create as much impact as you’d think because of how easily they are removed by either dying or being excluded for months whenever a new arc begins.
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(Photo by Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
