Takeru Hokazono Explained

Birth Date:6 September 2000[1]
Birth Place:Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Known For:Kagurabachi
Years Active:2020–present
Occupation:Manga artist

is a Japanese manga artist. They are best known for Kagurabachi, which is serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump, starting in 2023 and licensed by Viz Media in North America.

Biography

Takeru Hokazono was born in the Osaka Prefecture, Japan on September 6, 2000. Hokazono started making comics during the COVID-19 pandemic while they were in college.[2] Their first manga was the one-shot Enten published in the Jump Giga Spring 2021 issue and won the 100th Tezuka Award, in addition to his other one-shot Farewell! Cherry Boy! being published in the same issue.[3]

In September 2023, Kagurabachi started serializing in the 42nd Issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.[4] The release of Kagurabachi had taken on a life of its own on social media. Chapter one was met with critical acclaim. Even an ironic meme campaign, known as “Kagurabachi glazing,” declared the manga as an inheritor to the likes of One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach as one of the new-generation “Big Three.”[5] Due to the excitement, Kagurabachi has become a hit with Volume 1 having more than 200,000 copies in circulation by March 20, 2024.[6]

Career

Kagurabachi

In September 2023, the serialized version of Kagurabachi premiered in Weekly Shōnen Jump 2023 No. 42 and quickly became a hit.[7]

Hokazono's Kagurabachi was the highest-voted work in the Manga Plus AX poll, beating out Sakamoto Days, RuriDragon, and Blue Box. As a result, this historical moment made Kagurabachi officially hit #1 in the Shonen Jump Table of Contents. Typically when a series hits #1 in the Table of Contents, it means that Jump has identified a work as worthy of promotion. That spot is typically reserved for the magazine's most prized works.[8] In fact, since Kana acquired the rights to publish Kagurabachi in France, they co-promoted the series with popular names like Naruto and Boruto. However, this was met with criticism as some posters were covering the latter series' posters, and fans saw it as disrespect to Kishimoto.[9]

Naruto and Boruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto, co-signed Hokazono by recommending the series while Kana was promoting the release of Kagurabachi Volume 3 at Japan Expo 2024 in France.[9]

Style and influences

Takeru's story elements were inspired by Naruto, Chainsaw Man, , and Attack On Titan. However, they also note that some Western media influences like Batman and John Wick.[10]

In the Kagurabachi series, Hokazono's story breaks the traditional Shonen Jump mold in a variety of ways: it's set in an alternate version of 1950s Japan, a uniquely dark storyline, and Hokazono is a fairly new mangaka who's art-style says otherwise. Shonen Jump's best-selling works are typically optimistic heroes who pursue strength and glory while cheerfully confronting any bad guys that get in their way.[8] In this specific universe of Japan, Hokazono "wanted to make Japan cooler," meaning essential elements of Japan are depicted. Thus, Hokazono would be able to reclaim the stereotypes and show them in the right light. Depicting the culture in a better outlook as compared to what Hollywood has set for them.[11]

Works

Serializations
One-shots

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 漠然とした夢より「復讐」を マンガ「カグラバチ」作者インタビュー. The Asahi Shimbun. 2024-05-02. 2024-06-21.
  2. Web site: 2024 Manga Picks Editor Interview. Shueisha. 2024-02-16. 2024-06-21.
  3. Web site: MamaYuYu Leads Off 3 New Shonen Jump Manga Debuts. Crunchyroll. 2023-09-10. 2024-06-21.
  4. Web site: Fabricant 100 Manga Ends, 3 New Manga to Launch in Shonen Jump. Anime News Network. 2023-09-03. 2024-06-21.
  5. Web site: Kagurabachi Is Big, But Not as Big as the Internet Wants You to Think. Gizmodo. 2023-09-21. 2024-06-21.
  6. Web site: Kagurabachi Manga Hits Unprecedented Sales Record. Comicbook.com. 2024-04-24. 2024-06-21.
  7. Web site: Cayanan. Joanna. Fabricant 100 Manga Ends, 3 New Manga to Launch in Shonen Jump. Anime News Network. September 3, 2023. September 22, 2023. September 4, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230904002622/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-09-03/fabricant-100-manga-ends-3-new-manga-to-launch-in-shonen-jump/.201921. live.
  8. Web site: Senzatimore. Renee. Sakamoto Days Loses Out to Shonen Jump's New Hit Series in Manga Plus Vote. CBR. July 10, 2024. July 18, 2024. live.
  9. Web site: Chettiyar. Gokul. "Shame on you"— Naruto fans lambast Kana for disrespecting Kishimoto and Ikemoto with Kagurabachi banners in France. Sportskeeda. July 15, 2024. July 18, 2024. live.
  10. Web site: Edmunson, Carlyle. Shonen Jump's New Hit Kagurabachi Is Inspired By One Of The Biggest Manga Ever. Screen Rant. 2024-05-05. 2024-06-21.
  11. Web site: Godboley, Adya. Hokazono Takeru Purposefully Made an “Exaggerated Japan” for Kagurabachi to Undo Hollywood’s Interpretations. Fandomwire. 2024-05-18. 2024-07-18.