Kagurabachi’s Popularity Has Caught the Eye of Shonen Jump Execs

It may have started as a joke, but fans are getting serious about Kagurabachi. The new Shonen Jump series made its debut last month, and it grabbed the fandom with just a single chapter. Memes flooded in about Kagurabachi’s unmatched intrigue, but as new chapters went live, readers began to buy into the series for real. And now, it seems the new story has caught the keen eye of Shonen Jump’s executives.

We learned as much today courtesy of Yuta Momiyama who manages Jump+ and Manga Plus for Shueisha. The service just launched a new subscription tier that gives readers better access to their favorite series. In a new letter regarding the update, Momiyama mentioned the success of Kagurabachi and confirmed it has caught many eyes.

“Kagurabachi, which was recently published in Weekly Shonen Jump, has become a hot topic among overseas readers since the first chapter of the new series [was released], and has become very popular,” Momiyama shared.

Continuing, the editor said Kagurabachi’s wild success is just a taste of what’s to come in manga. For decades, top series were labeled hits after becoming popular in Japan and moving overseas. Now, it seems the status quo is shifting thanks to online manga libraries.

“It’s not that if something becomes popular in Japan, it will spread overseas, or that if it’s made into an anime, the original world will be recognized and become popular. Now, when an interesting new series starts, readers all over the world can read it in their own language,” Momiyama explains. “We are on the verge of realizing an era where a series can grow into a popular work all over the world.”

Obviously, Kagurabachi is well on its way to making Momiyama’s hunch a reality. The series has three chapters to its name, but it has more interest in Manga Plus than massive series such as Chainsaw Man and even Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. So if you have not given the new shonen series a shot, you better check out Kagurabachi ASAP. 

What do you think about the rise of Kagurabachi so far? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!