KAGURABACHI received the strongest response from an anime convention crowd that I’ve ever witnessed. At this year’s Anime Expo, KAGURABACHI featured an exclusive preview screening of 20 minutes of Episode 1. This comes as part of the first stop on KAGURABACHI‘s Anime World Tour ahead of the anime’s official broadcast in April 2027. I had a high bar going into this premiere, especially for a series that has received as much hype (meme-y or otherwise) as KAGURABACHI. Needless to say given the crowd’s response, that bar was met. When it comes to Shonen series, there are a few boxes that always tend to need to be checked. This of course includes strong action, a compelling main character, some sort of goal that launches that character onto their veritable hero’s journey, and the various accoutrement of voice acting and music that enhances visuals with spectacular sound. During the Q&A that followed, Kagurabachi manga editor Takuro Imamura said that “the request from Hokazono-sensei was to make a really, really cool anime.” I can confirm they succeeded.
KAGURABACHI didn’t just check off the boxes, it filled them to the point of overflowing. Action-wise, the show was superb, with the audience excitedly cheering at every single sword slice and the Kill Bill esque 1-vs-everybody combat the first episode featured. Character wise, the anime did a lot more showing rather than telling, building a solid foundation for Chihiro’s character (and his core relationship) in the early moments of the episode. These early moments were some of the strongest, even if not the most eye-catching sakuga moments. Sound wise, I enjoyed the music, but the sound design itself was particularly noteworthy. What felt especially satisfying was the sound used for slashes and cuts on human beings. It wasn’t the typical sound you hear from swords and it had some subtle dissonance that added a bit extra to the many moments of combat.
Chihiro’s Foundation
While I won’t spoil or summarize the exact sequence of events the episode opened with, I will note that it was a bit differently organized than the manga, with more emphasis on some of the non-dialogue scenes compared to it. One such scene of Chihiro and his father working metal is only ~ 4 panels in the manga (from Chapter 1, which is what the 20 minutes covered), but was extended to several minutes in the 20 minutes of anime shown at Anime Expo. I bring up this scene as an example of how the KAGURABACHI anime took advantage of the tools it has that manga does not. Lighting, sound, cinematography, all of these things came together to build the foundation of Chihiro’s character before his present-day self even appeared on screen. It reinforced the important relationships in his life, giving important context for future actions in the same episode and later in the series more generally. This was, again, a classic case of showing rather than telling.
This is especially important for adding color to Chihiro’s personality. We don’t hear him speak much in the first episode. What we do here him say, absent the grounding of strong emotional background, would come off as the edgy grumblings of an adolescent. Instead, when he speaks of “fresh hatred,” the audience implicitly understands that there must be meaning to the hatred of someone they’ve just witnessed undergo a formative activity. It’s a subtle juxtaposition that I think was done quite well.
What’s most remarkable about Chihiro, especially in this first episode, is his clarity. He speaks directly and honestly, even when the words are at his own expense. He lacks the self-aggrandizing dialogue that a lot of Shonen protagonists have early in their journeys. Put another way, he showcases a level of clarity that only comes from trauma and strong resolve. While he’s still young, it’s made clear that he’s had to mature fast in different ways due to the trauma of his past.
Incredible Action
While I don’t want any review of the episode to over index on the action scenes, I’m not so naive to pretend it’s not a major component of KAGURABACHI‘s appeal and broader popularity. And truly, genuinely, and honestly, the combat was some of the coolest I’ve seen in a while. I mentioned Kill Bill earlier, but John Wick is probably a more apt comparison, and a point of inspiration Hokazono-sensei has pointed to in the past. While fans of the manga know this already, this is a very bloody anime. It’s not gore-y to the point of being disturbing, but you will definitely know when someone gets cut. In Episode 1, there were some good early instances of this bloody element outside of combat that sort of prepared the audience for the levels of violence seen in this world, then that violence was capped off artistically during the latter half of the episode.
Chihiro’s movements are beautifully enhanced and exemplified in the anime, and I think this is what I found most impressive. Beyond simple fluidity, the animation in KAGURABACHI conveys Chihiro’s mastery of swords relative to the goons he takes down with swift, quick movements. In order to properly convey a gap in ability, anime will sometimes make use of shows strength of power. KAGURABACHI doesn’t go the route of having Chihiro slice a mountain in half. Instead, it uses strong animation quality to set a high ceiling for what sort of skill is mechanically possible to show. Then, it places Chihiro at that ceiling while demonstrating his supreme effectiveness against those around him. It was incredibly satisfying to see the many ways he took down opponents with swords and hand-to-hand combat, especially with the strong sound design I mentioned earlier. My eyes were glued to the screen and I found myself actively making sure I didn’t blink and miss anything.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the enchanted sword. I noticed when the credits rolled that Kagurabachi hired a designer specifically for the effects of the sword(s), and it showed. The crowd erupted when Chihiro calmly said “Enten” and the effects of the blade itself were beautiful. While they complemented the swordplay we’d seen for the previous few minutes, the effects have an otherworldly quality to them that clearly communicates this is not a power for mundane use, something communicated by the fact that the fight doesn’t open with the power being spammed.
Looking Forward for Kagurabachi
During the premiere panel, producer Koichi Yasuda was asked whether there was a core principle or concept that the entire staff shared. Something they all agreed must never be compromised. In response, he said “Our concept is to bring out the charm and greatness of the original work. I think that’s what the most important thing is when creating anime. As the producer, I really focused on bringing that energy of the studio into the anime.”
This is a product that you can tell has the heart and soul of many poured into it. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to witness this premiere at Anime Expo. It’s made me think about the series in a new light and has given me incredibly high hopes for the anime. The World Tour will continue at Anime NYC, Japan Expo Paris, AnimagiC, and Otakon. If you’re planning on going to any of these conventions, I would strongly recommend making sure you don’t miss the early screening.
©Takeru Hokazono/SHUEISHA,Project Kagurabachi
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