Shueisha, the publisher behind Weekly Shonen Jump, has high hopes for its newest manga series, Kagurabachi. The publisher’s confidence in the series was recently highlighted on the Japanese television program Manganuma, a show featuring discussions and recommendations about manga.
Kagurabachi, a revenge story following a young boy named Chihiro, has quickly gained popularity since its release, even receiving a recommendation from Animate Bookstore.
The manga’s first volume was praised on Manganuma for its compelling narrative and immediate success, with bookstores quickly selling out of copies.
The hosts of Manganuma shared a surprising anecdote during the segment, revealing they had lunch with a Shueisha representative who stated the company’s desire for Kagurabachi to “carry the next generation of Jump.”
This bold statement comes at a time when Shonen Jump is looking to bolster its lineup, with mainstays like My Hero Academia and potentially Jujutsu Kaisen nearing their conclusions.
Additionally, the recent shift of Black Clover to another magazine has further emphasized the need for new flagship series.
Shueisha’s endorsement, coupled with Kagurabachi’s growing popularity, suggests the manga is poised to become a major player in the world of manga and potentially lead the next generation of Shonen Jump.
An anime adaptation for the series too doesn’t seem to be far away, as the editor Takuro Imamura claimed in a recent interview that the team was certainly aiming on working towards that goal. Interestingly, the manga also made it to AnimeJapan 2024’s Top 10 ‘Manga We Want To See Animated’ list.
Kagurabachi has consistently ranked among the top series in Weekly Shonen Jump reader polls, with the first two volumes having seen multiple reprints due to high demand.
The series was recommended by Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia) and even Japanese musician Vaundy.
Kagurabachi was also one of the three manga launched in a special initiative by Shueisha in September 2023, and it is the only one still running, demonstrating that its early success was no fluke.
Source: Kagurabachi fan account on X