Kagurabachi, Vol. 5

カグラバチ [Kagurabachi] #5

by Takeru Hokazono

Chihiro Rokuhira’s father, Kunishige, is the most famous swordsmith in the land. Thanks to his six enchanted blades, the war that has been gripping the nation ends, and peaceful days follow. After the war, he retrieves all six blades and hides them in the cellar of his workshop—but sorcerers raid his home and leave Kunishige dead in front of Chihiro. Many years later, Chihiro wields Kunishige’s seventh and final enchanted blade on a mission to retrieve the stolen swords!

Chihiro sacrifices the enchanted blade Cloud Gouger to seize back the Enten, the seventh blade. While attempting to rescue prisoners inside the Storehouse, he struggles against Kyora’s ability to manipulate the entire space. As the ferocious battle reaches its peak, a desperate Kyora, driven into a corner, unleashes a bit of the Shinuchi’s power…

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Action, Shonen, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2024

About the author

Takeru Hokazono (外薗健; Hokazono Takeru) is a Japanese mangaka.

Reviews

[Sana⁷]

Finally, after all these years, right here and now, the curtain falls.

Volume five is the finale of the Rakuzaichi arc and shows us the end of the intense battle against Kyora Sazanami. It's a fantastic volume, full of incredible artwork and a lot of surprises. The author's art work does not fail to amaze me. After reading BLEACH I thought that I will never be in awe of anyone else's art style, but Takeru Hokazono is on the same league as Tite Kubo. I genuinely think so.

P.S. I heard that we will see both of these authors artworks shine in Shonen Jump. I don't know if this is true or just fake news, but I can't help, but feel overjoyed and excited! This would be something truly legendary!

Anyways, I liked how, to defeat Kyora Sazanami and destroy the Rakuzaichi auction, it wasn't just Chihiro who risked his wellbeing. Kyora was threatening enough for everybody to join forces, and it was glorious. All fought to possess the Shinuchi blade, but their reasonings were different. It was a tough battle, not just because Kyora refused to give up, but also because of the intervention of an unforeseen force. We needed a victory to gain Shinuchi, but also to save all the innocent lives of the people who were supposed to be sold off in the auction. The clock was ticking mercilessly and with every second the desperation to win intensified.

"You were right, Chihiro Rokuhira. He didn't align with my ideas, so I turned away. I'm the only one who failed to fulfill my duty." [Kyora]

I liked how our opponent wasn't a stubborn bastard to the very end. He was the head of the Sazanami clan, trying his best to protect the Rakuzaichi, and it looked like he ignored his role as a father entirely, mercilessly letting his sons die for his ideas. But it seems like throughout the battle he had went through some kind of change of heart. For a couple of seconds I actually felt sorry for him, because it looked like he deeply regretted his choices. Sadly, it was already too late.

But despite all his flaws, despite everything he had done, Hakuri still has love for him, he's still a figure of authority for him, and it will remain that way. It hurts, definitely hurts, it must after all the pain and humiliation Hakuri went through, but there is a lot of love and care there nonetheless, because it was his father, and we love our parents, no matter how monstrous they might be. Poor boy, I wanted to give him the biggest and warmest hug.

The volume ended in a very surprising way, widely opening the doors for the next arc. I am so excited to meet the new characters and to see what the Hishaku are planning!

P.S. I love how Chihiro's family is expanding little by little 🥹

[m.・゜゜・・゜゜・．]

hakuri come back i miss you

[Vinicius]

A quinta edição de Kagurabachi é simplesmente insana, com um ritmo intenso e acelerado, que deixa o leitor sem fôlego, mas também curioso para saber as consequências das ações de Chihiro.

Nessa edição, vemos o Rakuzaichi ruindo após 200 anos impunidade praticando crimes hediondos. A parceria Chihiro, Hakuri e Hiyuki, funciona muito bem, conseguindo - mesmo com dificuldades - conter o poder da primorosa "empunhada" por Kyoura.

O embate do trio contra Kyoura, além de bem desenhado, com cenas de ação incríveis, é algo viciante e angustiante. Chihiro e Hakuri estão esgotados após batalhas anteriores, enquanto a ossos Flamejantes precisa lutar contra uma espada enfeitiçada, e posteriormente, proteger Hakuri.

Quando a batalha finaliza e o desfecho desse arco é desenvolvido, sinto que o rumo da história se torna algo inesperado, pois, ao invés de vir uma calmaria na vida de Chihiro, ele fez um acordo ousado envolvendo a primorosa.

Assim, no final desse volume, temos o resultado desse acordo do protagonista com a Hiyuki, levando a algo inusitado, que ira pautar o futuro do mangá, tendo em vista o gancho que o final deixou nesta edição.

[Leena]

this manga ate so baddd

[Tay]

Wow!! Ok!! Wow!!!

First of all, I was NOT expecting this series to pick up in volume 5. Let me tell you. I was FULLY prepared to stop reading these physical copies and just pop in maybe now and again. But all that changed when the fire nation attacked…

Volume 5 heated up in a way that felt as though I was eating chicken that had time to marinate after seasoning it the day before. Yesssss!!! This is what I was looking for in a katana wielding, enchanted blades duelling, sorcerer powered manga.

This is what I needed to wipe the sleep from my eyes, because honestly, I was a little sleepy reading these previous volumes. When I tell you I was on the edge of my seat for the very beginning chapter of this volume to the very end. It finally felt like I was starting to taste the meal that was before me. (Hmm, lot of food analogies. Am I hungry?)

I was on the verge of continuing this occasionally, but I am definitely getting that 6th volume to continue the ride. Fingers crossed it does not let me down.

[Momo]

I don't think I've been this obsessed with a manga series since blue exorcist (which was more than a decade ago)

[kthedestroyer]

There will be SPOILERS in this review!

Well, this is not getting better. As much as I liked the previous volume for it’s emotional value, this one is just quite a drop. This is the fifth volume and I’m still not sure what the goal of this series even is. Well, I guess Chihiro’s goal is to get all the katanas or like destroy them but I feel like the execution is not exactly the best.

This volume concludes the fight with the Sazanami clan and the conclusion is fine. It’s nothing groundbreaking and yeah, it’s satisfying to see Chihiro win but I’m starting to feel like this man has some enormous plot armor. And it’s not just him either - for some reason all his plans come out exactly as he wants them to. There’s no tension because we know who is going to win at the end and besides, I feel like this genre requires some more deaths from the main characters so I hope those come into play soon.

And then the new arc begins and to be honest, I’m not excited about it. It just feels structureless but at the same time formulaic. Sure, the execution might actually be good but I don’t exactly have high hopes.

The highlight of this volume though was Chihiro cooperating with Hiyuki. I just think they have a great dynamic and I wish Hiyuki would stay on Chihiro’s side in the future.

Kagurabachi is starting to feel a little weak in the storytelling department and with this volume it just really became obvious. I’m giving this 3 stars and I really hope it improves because I would hate to rate it lower than this.

[Neha]

“I’ll never let a life slip through my hands again!!”

the story is just so good!!

the shinuchi blade is gorgeous and terrifying. you know that meme right now with the chocolate lab closing his eyes, accepting fate like this😑 but slightly looking up? yeah i’d be accepting death and what comes after it if i saw that in war💀

i LOVE the trope of being “selfish” about wanting to save everyone. it’s why my favorite character is xie lian from heaven official’s. and how older generations are always “oh i didn’t think you could actually save them” YEAH GET FUCKED BITCH

also love a bamboozled panel. no one does it quite like kubo but hokazono comes close😮‍💨 and his double page spreads are GORGEOUS LIKE OOOOF

it was a great end to the first arc and it sets up the next one beautifully!!

i feel like i would want bones to animate it. the DREAM would be trigger tho…


…also these mangaka’s need to stop giving me white hair/blond older sensei’s and scruffy older men to simp over😔

[Kieran Antoniuk-Davies]

These are some of the best deal boys I’ve ever seen, these mfs making there tense trades both trying to get the leg up after fighting the shit out of each other fanatisc

[Mistborn]

holy shit, the moment when Shinuchi was unleashed... Definitely one of the coolest moments in shonen. It's so sick!

[Spingitori di Libri]

Qualsiasi espertə di manga: non esiste il manga perfetto.

Shonen Jump pubblica il tankobon del 5 volume dell'opera di Takeru Hokazono.

Qualsiasi espertə di manga: esiste il manga perfetto ed è Kagurabachi.

[⋆｡˚꒰ঌ worm ໒꒱˚｡⋆]

I'll be honest, since it was a long while since I last read the previous volume I was rather confused (still am with names to be honest) but as a got more into I started to remember where it last left off.

[Buddy_Aech]

This volume was incredible.
EVERYONE FREAKING WENT OFF
Not gonna say much here cuz if I start talking about everything great in this volume I won't stop.
Amazing volume, 9.9/10

[Akaza]

81/100

[Taylor High]

*sigh*
Time to buy the rest.

[DonutKnow]

What an epic battle 🤩🤩🤩 It was so cool to see Hakuri shine ✨

[ami]

ngl if i had one of those enchanted blades i’d be stringy afffffff

[gray⁷]

HIKARUUUUU , this fight was GORGEOUS i can't wait for the next arc

[Parker Easton]

i finished this volume in one sitting. it left me on the edge of my seat because i had no clue what to expect at all. i can’t wait to continue and see what’s gonna happen next

[Sierraaa]

“We don’t need a blood test. You’re Rokuhira’s son all right. Arrogant and pigheaded.”

😆😆

[Jhamankys]

Puta madre 💀

[Bekah Stegner]

I'm obsessed

[Zbigniew Gacek]

Sceny walki nadal super narysowane, otwierają się nowe wątki i tempo akcji na dobrym poziomie. Trochę brakuje mi mocniejszych dialogów ale czekam na tomik numer 6.

[AV]

HAKURIIII MY BOYYYY

[Shivesh]

Kagurabachi continues to be one of the most visually striking new series in Jump, and Volume 5 is no exception. The art and paneling are so dynamic that I found myself lingering on pages far longer than I usually do — the choreography, the blade effects, the emotional close‑ups, all of it feels like a studio firing on every cylinder.

Story‑wise, this volume is essentially one extended boss fight, picking up right where the previous cliffhanger left off. Chihiro’s confrontation with the sorcerer wielding the enchanted blade becomes the centerpiece, and the entire volume leans into that intensity. It’s straightforward, but in the best way — a clean, focused escalation that lets the art and action carry the weight.

We also see Chihiro finally secure the next enchanted sword he’s been hunting, though not without the expected costs that any hero must pay. The series has been consistent about tying power to sacrifice, and this volume reinforces that theme without slowing the pacing. The supporting cast steps aside for most of the volume, which feels appropriate for a Shonen arc built around a singular, high‑stakes duel.

What impressed me most was the final chapter’s setup for the next narrative arc. Even with the volume’s narrow focus, the author manages to widen the world again right at the end, hinting at larger conflicts and deeper lore waiting just ahead.

The only reason this isn’t a five‑star read for me is simply because my expectations for this creator are sky‑high. The craft is excellent, but I know this team is capable of even more. Still, it’s clear this series is building toward something special — and when Kagurabachi inevitably gets an anime adaptation, these sequences are going to look incredible.

Looking forward to the next volume already.

[Brandon]

Not a lot of shōnen manga where the hero makes his new friend commit a mass bombing.

The Rakuzaichi Arc comes to a close. "The curtain falls," to quote the manga itself. This is arguably the peak of the manga so far, but that's because the next fifty+ chapters feature back-to-back arcs that kind of blend together; for the longest time, fans assumed everything after the Rakuzaichi was one long Sword Bearer Assassination Arc, until the official website went online and confirmed division into several smaller arcs. So, at the time of writing, Yura is still arguably the main boss of the manga, and everything we've seen with Sojo and Kyora has been a stepping stone for his big plan that only recently got more revealed.

So Yura and his boys steal the Shinuchi and give it to Kyora to make the Kamunabi bid on it to shake the status quo and spark internal strife among the Kamunabi regarding what to do if/when they regain control of the Shinuchi because the Hishaku have to kill the Sword Bearers in order to free the Enchanted Blades up for new contracts because Yura wants to Make Japan Great Again with the Shinuchi but the Sword Master is actually okay with the plan. But... the seal on the Shinuchi could have been broken by the beard guy who is a traitor working with Yura anyway... right?

[Evan Frederick]

This is my favorite volume so far. That part after everything happened and the curtain fell, when Hakuri says: “I…want to keep proving…the value you saw in me.” actually brought me to tears, I felt that straight in my soul. That moment made Hakuri my favorite character.

But all the stuff that happened before that moment, Kyora using the Shinuchi blade, the display of power and the fight between them, Kyora, Chihiro and Hakuri going beyond plus ultra, that final panel of Kyora with the flowers all over him and the tragedy that signifies, the collapse of everything and the deal made between Hiyuki and Chihiro, worried Shiba, etc. all of it was great.

The one critique I have is that I wish that Kyora’s regret was signified or hinted at more before it was shown, but that didn’t take me out of the story or make it worse for me at all. And I think the decision by Chihiro to get the enchanted blade was really smart and his standing in the court-room scene was so good.

We’re finally gonna see some more enchanted blade users (and enchanted blade-esque ability users too apparently) and I’m hyped to keep reading. Goated volume and ending to this auction arc, cannot freaking wait to see this animated.

[Štěpán]

The tempo of this manga is rapid. The end of one arc does not breathe and in the second chapter we go straight into another. In the older days, there used to be "filled in" chapters, where we slowed down, got lore dumped, and after a few chapters we began another story. Kagurabachi runs swiftly towards another bigger event with new characters. It is not a bad thing; breathing and pauses are important to develop a bond between the characters and establish growth.

With this volume, Kagurabachi firmly roots itself in most of the tropes of its genre. With the bombastic finale, the stakes are high and more mysteries are revealed. The art still stands out and honestly looks spectacular.

The swords and sorcery is drawn beautifully, and in a world where Demon Slayer popularised what Bleach started, it is a great task to see something original and unique.

The story is not anything new. It is a basic arc climax with natural conclusion and no training arc. It takes tropes of sudden growth, of heroism, good and bad and pits them together. And it works. I am surprised how bloody and deadly it is and hope it will stay in this morally grey area and explore more serious themes in the future.

[Keith Gears]

4.5 🌟

Ok lowkey I would give this 5 but for me personally as of right now this shit is moving a little TOO fast cause why the hell Kyora die already like DAMN he lasted a max 20 chapters which I guess is like 20 weeks but reading it all back to back in volume form it just feels so quick like I've literally read like at least 1 volume everyday so far. I know when the anime comes out this will be paced out so much better just cause it's like 5 volumes is literally like 12 episodes we shall see but this was actually sooooo peak and probably my 2nd favorite volume so far. I can NOT wait to read volume 6 and also catch up cause part one literally just ended so I'm so excited to hopefully catch up SOON.

[Brittany]

Yeah, I don't know. I may have to sit on this series for a minute before deciding whether I want to continue.

I'm thinking a big reason why I'm on the fence is because I'm not entirely sure if I like the main character? And also they've thrown either 2-3 helpless, MC wants to save them side characters (the little girl, the bad guy's son, and the kid looking for his sister) right in a row which felt sort of repetitive.

I might also be a little hung up on the fact that the MC has already lost and gotten his arm back in a generally modern, grounded world. Like, there are sorcerers sure, but he isn't one of them. He's mostly just a guy, so the fact that he hasn't died either from exhaustion in these battles is pretty crazy.