In less than a year since its debut in Shonen Jump, Kagurabachi has already become a household name in the manga. From gaining viral fame before its first chapter hit shelves to becoming a certified hit series, Kagurabachi has quickly become an integral part of the magazine’s lineup.
Surprisingly, if it weren’t for the pandemic, this success story might never have unfolded.
The creator of Kagurabachi, Takeru Hokazono, revealed that the pandemic played a pivotal role in his decision to pursue manga as a career. As a college student during the lockdown, Hokazono found himself with more time on his hands and decided to channel his passion for drawing into creating manga.
“I majored in product design and was creating furniture and chairs. I liked drawing, but I wasn’t doing much of it in university. However, I’ve always loved Naruto, and I’ve always vaguely thought manga is great, I want to become a manga artist,” Hokazono shared with Asahi.
“In the spring of 2020, when the pandemic hit, my university switched to online classes. With more time at home, I thought let’s give it a try. I tried drawing a few pages by watching and learning, and it was incredibly difficult… But I felt like I want to keep doing this.
So, around June of my sophomore year, I dropped out of university and started focusing on manga. Since it was difficult, I thought I couldn’t just treat it as a hobby.”
Following his gut instinct, Hokazono’s decision has paid off handsomely. With two volumes under its belt and over 200,000 copies sold globally, Kagurabachi has become a top contender in Shonen Jump.
The series has even earned praise from influential figures like the creator of My Hero Academia. If you haven’t already, it might be worth giving Kagurabachi a read to see what all the buzz is about.
