Kagurabachi Surpasses 3 Million Copies in Print! First Character Popularity Poll and Special Illustration Exchange with My Hero Academia Creator

The manga Kagurabachi by Takeru Hokazono has officially surpassed 3 million copies in circulation, including digital editions, with the release of Volume 9 on October 3. To commemorate this milestone, Shueisha announced a series of special projects, including the launch of the first character popularity poll and collaborative illustrations.

The promotional band of Volume 9 features a comment from Kohei Horikoshi, creator of My Hero Academia. In Weekly Shonen Jump issue 45 (on sale October 6), readers will find a special interview between Hokazono and Horikoshi. As part of this feature, Horikoshi drew Kagurabachi’s protagonist Chihiro, while Hokazono illustrated Deku, the protagonist of My Hero Academia. Horikoshi’s artwork of Chihiro was teased on the Volume 9 band, where he praised Hokazono’s expressive composition, stating:

“He managed to depict the connections and fateful ties through composition alone. I thought, ‘This is genius!’”

To further celebrate the release, special illustration cards (three varieties) will be distributed at select bookstores. Details of the first character popularity poll will be revealed in Weekly Shonen Jump issue 45, with two voting tickets included in the band of Volume 9.

Additional projects include the launch of the official bilingual (Japanese-English) Kagurabachi website, the release of a special promotional video, and a collaboration with Burger King, where customers who purchase select menu items will receive an exclusive acrylic keychain featuring original art by Hokazono.

Kagurabachi tells the story of Chihiro, a boy training to become a swordsmith under his father. His peaceful days end in tragedy when his father is murdered, setting him on a path of revenge in a Japanese sword battle action tale. The manga began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023 and marks Hokazono’s debut series. In August 2024, it won first place in the “Next Manga Award 2024” (Comics Category). According to Shueisha, the manga has already gained significant overseas popularity, with the first chapter ranking No. 1 worldwide in views on MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA (English edition) during its September 2023 launch week.

Source : ORICON NEWS