Kagurabachi‘s trajectory from manga to anime adaptation is one that’s likely to be written in the history books. When it was first released, it quickly became a meme, and not many took it seriously as the next big thing. But then Takeru Hokazono turned into a household name among Shonen Jump’s faithful manga readers as one of the manga artists to watch, utilizing every aspect of the medium to deliver a generational kick-ass battle manga. And now its anime adaptation, helmed by Cypic (The Summer Hikaru Died), all but has the mandate from heaven to do the same for anime fans.
Kagurabachi is a series best described as “What if John Wick did the fusion dance with Sakamoto Days?” Its story follows Chihiro, the son of a legendary swordsmith who forged six enchanted blades. After his dad’s untimely death (read: murder), Chihiro embarks on a revenge tour to procure the blades and uncover their secrets, wielding his cadaver-ific father’s secret seventh blade.
We’ve already stressed this point, but it bears repeating: the action on display in this manga is downright insane. We’re talking new ways to portray speed, cutting the manga panels containing action sequences, and inventive choreography that’s downright Akira Toriyama-esque. Likewise, its anime adaptation, helmed by Tetsuya Takeuchi, the highly acclaimed animator responsible for Naruto‘s famous Rock Lee vs. Gaara fight at the Chunin Exams, is bringing the anime’s hype to even greater heights.
Given the above, it’s only natural that io9 would sit down and have a quick chat with Chihiro’s Japanese voice actor, Taihi Kimura, and producer Kōichi Yasuda to learn how their measure-twice-and-cut-once approach brought Kagurabachi to life in the anime’s production.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Isaiah Colbert, io9: Choosing the right director is crucial for any adaptation. Which is why fans, including Takeru Hokazono, were over the moon when Tetsuya Takeuchi was announced as the show’s director. What qualities of Takeuchi made him the ideal person to guide Kagurabachi’s anime?
Kōichi Yasuda: The reasoning why we went with Takeuchi as the director is amongst the conversations we had with Cyber Agent and one of the producers, [Jōji] Seita, who recommended that he would be a great fit as a director. And the reason behind that is he’s a very pronounced director, and he’s great at expressing action scenes—especially with wide-angle shots. He’s very talented in expressing that through the animation medium.
io9: Fans have already been geeking out over the anime’s striking, cinematic visuals from the teaser trailer. What animation techniques or stylistic approaches is the team at Cypic using to ensure the adaptation maintains that high level of quality and captures the intensity of Kagurabachi’s world?
Yasuda: So, first and foremost, I think the action scenes are very important. We’re very particular about the time we put into choosing the right team of animators and creators for the project. Also, we put a lot of thought into the details of landscapes and colors, as well as sound effects—especially from swords.
io9: Chihiro is a character defined by quiet resolve, emotional baggage, and explosive bursts of action. When preparing to voice him, what sources of inspiration help you tap into him as a character?
Taihi Kimura: Chihiro is very collected, and he doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve at all. So at first glance, you might think that maybe you know he doesn’t have a lot of emotions. In fact, inside, I think there are a lot of complex feelings pent up, which are more restrained, like he’s holding those emotions and not trying to put them too far forward. That’s what I channeled when playing the character.
Kagurabachi premieres on Crunchyroll in April 2027.
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