Kagurabachi, Vol. 7

カグラバチ [Kagurabachi] #7

by Takeru Hokazono

妖刀「飛宗」を座村の元へ転送した事で形勢は一気に逆転。襲撃者の撃退に成功する。積み上げられた屍を前に黒き剣士が選ぶのは──。一方、チヒロと激闘繰り広げる昼彦の前へ妖刀「酌揺」が運ばれる。血飛沫と絶望の中、各々が信念のため歩みを進める──。

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2025

About the author

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

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kyoto Bloodshed Hotel? Well, I'm sure that's gonna be a lovely place ...

[Sana⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have no way to make sense of this. Why is this happening? There's too much that I just can't accept." [Chihiro]

Same, my brother! Same!

I should have finished reading this volume sooner, but I stopped after two chapters, because I received such a big blow to my heart and soul that I had to take a little while to recover. The big plot twist of this volume should feel like a mind-blowing reveal, my jaw should drop, my mind should stop working, yadda yadda, but all I felt was an absolute devastation. I was shattered. SHATTERED.

I will not discuss it any further as much as I wish to, because I don't want to dive into the spoiler territory in case someone might stumble upon this review. But my gosh, I genuinely had to take time to recover after those two chapters (and then I sat down to read the third chapter and I was so stunned that I stared at one page for, like, half an hour).

Kagurabachi's Volume 7 deals with the aftermath of the events of the previous volume. Chihiro and the gang got attacked by the Hishaku members who's goal is to take the lives of all the enchanted blades masters. It seemed like we got an upper hand and saved two of them just to meet with a shocking and dangerous revelation that changed everything. Now we need to regroup and make a new plan, but are we strong enough to stand up against the new threat? The answer is no, and Chihiro understands this better than anyone else. He knows that he needs to change his ways of fighting and to become stronger than ever to protect the sword masters and his friends.

Except for the big plot twist in the very first chapters of this volume, the book also mentions two important things that are and will be impactful one way or another. One of them involves the previous fight against Kyora Sazanami and the other is a hidden incident that happened during the Seitei War. The first thing confirms something that I feared while reading the previous volumes and second is basically a reason why we are now facing a threat that no one even considered dangerous (not to us, at least). AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. Will Samura or Shiba finally open their mouths one day? I want to know! Please let me know!

During this volume we also met an unexpected character that we ended up protecting and my boy Chihiro learned to let other people help. He has the tendency to keep everything to himself, to do everything by himself and taking the blame, forgetting that he's not fighting alone. You have a whole team behind you, my guy! Let them do their job! It's okay!

I liked the three Masumi members (Samura's protector squad) already, but the more I see them, the more fond I am of them. Sumi and Moku are super cool and strong, and Ro, our commander, is just the greatest. If any of them will be killed off, I will riot. Do you hear me, Hokazono?! I will riot! I am not joking!

Can I also fangirl a little about how cool both sides of the conflict are? Yes, even the bad guys. All the character designs, their powers and their personalities, everything is awesome. I like how the bad guys aren't entirely bad guys, not all of them, at least. They have things that they are passionate about, things that they are protective over and codex that they are following. I like this a lot.

I wonder what kind of training will Chihiro have to get through now and who will be his master. Shiba's not a swordsman, so Ro then, maybe? I would love to see that! Let's jump into the next volume! ☺️

[Adiba (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last read of the year and book that'll complete my gr goal 😛 and i love this manga sm so it's a good end to the year in terms of reading unlike last year lool😭

Also happy new year guyss!!! hope you'll have a great year!! (we still have 6 minutes left where I live hehe)

Also it's 11:54 where I live and I've an exam tomorrow and I've literally studied nothing so guess who's pulling an all nighter?😭😭

imma go now I NEED TO STUDY ARGHHH BYEE <3333

[ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

you can choose if you want to forget ☹️☹️☹️ i remember somebody holding my hand ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

[Vinicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kagurabachi vol.7, é mais uma excelente edição desse mangá, que encerra o arco envolvendo o avanço da Hishaku contra os espadachins das espadas amaldiçoadas.

Nesse aspecto, há uma traição surpreendente no final das batalhas, após o leitor acreditar que está tudo tranquilo.

Por conta dessa traição, há um impasse entre os objetivos do traidor, do Kamunabi e Hishaku. Assim, mesmo com o traidor agindo em prol do Hishaku, nem mesmo as organizações podem confiar no personagem - e vice e versa - mostrando que o cenário construído na história, está se tornando cada vez mais complexo.

Dando prosseguimento para o segundo arco, que se inicia nessa edição, temos o Chihiro agindo sem poder empunhar sua espada enfeitiçada, logo, precisa aprender a utilizar técnicas de espadachim.

Além disso, desde os últimos acontecimentos na vida de Chihiro, ele tem pensado sobre seus objetivos e como as pessoas o vem, bem como, o fardo que ele carrega sozinho.

Dessa forma, Chihiro começa a agir com uma equipe, junto do Kamunabi, e além de reconhecer que precisa melhorar suas habilidades com a espada, percebe - e aceita - a necessidade de compartilhar o fardo de vingança que carrega.

[Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s really 3.5 stars.

This volume brought out all the tropes. The heroes hiding a massive secret that could turn the population against them. The double agent (??) that’s so conflicted they have to destroy everything to appease the guilt. Dying and surviving - this one has a special place in my hate box. It has and will always be a cop out.

We are now at volume 7 and I feel ZERO and I mean ZERO connection to any of these characters. I know nothing of their motivations, their backstories, their reason for the stances they take. If the MC dies, I would quite literally go, “oh. Ok.” and move on. Yes, he wants to get revenge for his father’s murder … and what else? Every character is so flat. They do not leave any lasting impact on me. Mind you, this is volume 7!!!!

Also, the constant introduction of new characters and then just killing them. Whyyyyyyyy? If it’s simply to show us you’re an edgy mangaka (anime coming out next year) who can kill lots of people, then okay. Just know, killing multiple people for the sake of killing, does not a great story make. The only names I know, are the MC, Shiba, the blond sorcerer and Samura. I guess I can put the 3 ninjas in there, but I don’t know them individually. There’s a kid looking 20year old, a normal looking adult man and a woman. That’s it. Ugh.

I spoke about this in my last review, so I’ll briefly touch on it here, but the constant black really doesn’t help the scenes. It really makes it hard to see the art. Also, why is everyone’s facial expression the same? Everyone’s emo, I guess. (Yes, I’m using this term colloquially as a catch all). Everyone also looks the same. Save for Uruhua, Samura with his scarred eyes and Shiba with his blond hair, everyone looks the same. It doesn’t help that they’re all emo with the expressions.

Final grievance- when they pulled girlie pop from her classroom and she turned back to go and said, “I’m going to my classmates, they’re in danger.” What would you going back there do against murderous assassins, girlie pop? I hate dumb characters like this so much. It’s not noble. It’s freaking stupidity and we hate you for being dumb. What can you do against assassins? The smart thing to do is get away and get help from someone who can actually help. Irritated me.

I have the next volume already preordered, but I think that will be it for me. I might tap out and read the rest online occasionally to see how the story unfolds. But it’s really just a generic manga that is now leaning heavily into played out tropes. That it’s not even making its own. There has been no way it’s made any of these tropes unique. Which bugs me, because I thought after volume 5, it was going to continue building upwards. All it did was fall into tropes and clichés.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate how this volume acknowledged more of Chihiro’s trauma and how it’s separated him from others, especially his peers. He’s just a boy, covered in scars.

[˚✧₊⁎ Scarlett⁎⁺˳✧༚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peak aż się znowu w shoneny wkręciłam

[Sophia Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

its kinda hard to explain why its so good. we arent even 100 chapters in and its generation. the fucking TWIST. my jaw DROPPED. reading it weekly, i had to stand up and walk around the room throughout many of these chapters. The dynamics are so rich and i just.... i love all the reasoning. we have some fucked up people but they are human. AND FUCKING IORI. MY DAUGTHER. OUR TRIO IS COMING. but also let her be a fucking CHILD. its just so rich seeing how war can fuck up all these people and what actions they all decide to take. I WILL GLAZE KAGURABACHI TILL I DIE

[m.・゜゜・・゜゜・． · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars cos no hakuri

[Zachary Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue me if this doesn’t count but this shit is gas

[⋆｡˚꒰ঌ worm ໒꒱˚｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was so frustrating...I picked the wrong character to like (╥_╥)

On another note, some of these characters are so ridiculous it's funny- the swordplay freak is particularly entertaining lol

[Fizza · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're introduced to the perfect Bachi heroine in this volume: Iori. Now this story is getting bearable to me.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5/5

[clau &#x1fae7; · Rating 5 out of 5]

... para qué hablo

[Celia]

yes, kagurabachi 🙇🏻‍♀️

[Cohen Muters · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Hinao and Char come back it’s all over for the Hishaku

[kthedestroyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of the SPOILERS in this review!

Well so much for getting new cool characters. One of them is a fucking traitor and the other one is dead. Like come on, I was just starting to love them. Although, there is one good thing about all this and it’s the fact that the series doesn’t feel as formulaic. It’s a good plot twist since it’s really hard to figure out until you find out that Samura made a pact with Yura.

But still, I love Uruha and I really hope that he’s alive even though I was told not to get my hopes up. But it’s not like I genuinely hate Samura. He is misguided, yes, but I can get where he’s coming from. He thinks that he is doing a good thing by murdering sword bearers which is horrible but you can understand him.

Another aspect of this volume that I love are the ninjas. I just love this group of people that just want to protect someone. I have to say my favorite is that short dude with sunglasses. He is just really funny, especially considering the fact that he is the leader of the group. I also love the fact that Chihiro is fighting alongside them towards the end.

I also hope that this daughter is going to be on their side and kind of a leverage for Samura so that he stops fighting for those idiots. But regarding this chase after his daughter, I have to mention this other dude that is obsessed with sword fighting. I just love how he can’t resist fighting with Chihiro and telling him how to use the sword appropriately.

This is just a great volume and an indication that this manga is heading in good direction. I just really hope that it stays that way because one more thing that I forgot to mention is that the characters are finally starting to feel distinct. I’m giving this 5 stars and now I’m actually excited for what’s to come.

[Evan Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure what I think about this volume yet…a lot of things have happened that I feel like you can only know if it was a good decision by the author once you see the pay-off.

I do like that there is a character working on both sides, and seemingly the strongest one we have seen so far. Him casting that Owl in the sky is crazy, the visual is very powerful. But I don’t know where that is going and it makes me feel like uneasy. If he ends up being a character that was on good’s side the whole time, I kind of expect that and so it won’t be impactful to me. But if he ends up just doing what he says and going along with his plans, the blow of that has already been felt and so I’m worried I won’t feel much about that either.

I love the new gang with Chihiro, and their new clothes fit so well with what’s happening. I really like that we are going to see Chihiro get better with swordplay and get stronger, it’s been over 60 chapters and he hasn’t gotten a real boost and this is perfect timing.

But again, don’t really know where any of this is going to be honest, or rather I don’t know how this is going to climax into something. I’ll just have to keep reading.

[Vinsanty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every battle shonen manga needs a good old fashioned betrayal. This is Kagurabachi volume 7.

In volume 6 review, I mentioned how cool Mr. Samura was. Well, his enchanted blade got restored and he turned bad immediately. At first I thought maybe that was misdirection of some sort, but nope, he wants to kill every sword bearer. Crazy.

I really enjoyed the masumi group. Ro and Sumi are awesome. This manga really does bring in the coolest characters. And Chizuru’s has been humbled by his lack of sword fighting skills which is really unexpected. He was overly reliant on enchanted blades to get around and when he cannot use them, he is limited in what he can do.

I haven’t even mentioned Samura’s daughter, Iori. She seems to be the main focus in the immediate future and I’m very interested to see where it goes.

Another banger of a volume. 5 stars out of 5.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've decided to comment seven volumes in, but I feel there are noteworthy strengths of this manga that I would like to point out.

The art is fantastic. Space is used uniquely and it tells the story in a way that complements the dialogue beautifully.

Chihiro, I think, is a special MC compared to other shonen right now. Sure, he aura farms, who wouldn't if they had his skill? He's not loud or excited, but I also don't think he's angsty. I don't think he fits neatly in the "emo dark haired manga character" trope. He's solemn, demure, but not sarcastic, apathetic or callous, and I think this is really cool to read.

Having a serious main character often invites the creation of the comedic relief character, and at this point in the manga, none of the main characters, like Shiba or Hakuri, feel the need to be that. This is a relief for me, and gives the manga a more mature feel.

Excited to see where this goes.

[Joan Pault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 7 was absolutely insane from start to finish. The action scenes were intense, but what really surprised me was how much emotional weight this volume had. Chihiro keeps growing as a character, and the pacing never slows down for a second. The artwork is still some of the cleanest and coolest in modern shonen manga. Every fight panel felt cinematic.

Kagurabachi keeps proving why the hype is real, and honestly this volume left me wanting the next one immediately. Definitely one of my favorite recent manga reads.

[Shatiel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forse quello che mi da fastidio di questo manga è che non c'è un obiettivo vero e proprio...non c'è pathos...è solo un gran caos. Tutti questi nomi, tutti questi personaggi a cui non ci si riesce ad avvicinare e capire...lo trovo un grande spreco.
La storia potrebbe avere più senso se il pacing fosse più lento e non morissero tutti nel giro di 5 minuti...
L'arco dell'asta era stato interessante...ma ora siamo tornati al disastro e al caos completo...secondo me ci vorrebbe qualcun altro a scrivere la storia.

[Matthew Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - It’s interesting now to see Chihiro without Enten and how he’s going to navigate fighting now. Then there’s Samura who I liked until now… bruh talked about warped ideas gd. I feel like the math isn’t mathing on his plan and this is just making things like 20 times harder than it would’ve been. But that’s what makes this exciting.

[Dani Wladdimiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me costó un poco entrar en la dinámica del tomo; tuve que hacer memoria y recordar varios detalles, y se nota bastante que es una serialización semanal. Aun así, la historia es entretenida y tiene giros interesantes. Aunque algunos no se ven venir, en el fondo son algunas historias clásicas ya contadas.

[Davie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The action is sharp, the katana techniques continue to be ridiculously fun, and that whole white slash/trump-card energy gives the fights the dramatic sauce I’m here for. What I liked most, though, was how the ending brought it back to the emotional core of fathers, children, and memories you would never trade away.

[Helena Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

i am sworn to recognize decent craft and unfortunately even kagurabachi can improve. i hate being right and this story is still decidedly not for me but at least they're playing with interesting ideas

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont love the writing style in these. To me it seems so sporadic that it’s almost anxiety inducing. Like Slow The F*^k down bro. Hold on to a thought for more then 2 seconds 😂

The concept and ideas are cool but the writing is just so random and busy.

3.4🌟

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shonen battle structure is really showing in this volume.

"He needs a samurai so I'll become a samurai." Oh so you're only doing it for your bf(f), Chihiro?

Weird owl magic. Cool. Reservoir dogs/Chainsaw Man matching suits. Fun!