Kagurabachi began in Weekly Shōnen Jump issue 2023 #42, on 19 September 2023. Takeru Hokazono, Osaka-born, 6 September 2000, had already placed with the one-shot Enten at the 100th Tezuka Awards, printed in Jump Giga Spring 2021, then a run of Giga and Jump shorts: Farewell! Cherry Boy!, Chain, Madogiwa de Amu, Roku no Meiyaku. The serial is the first long work. Promo art was a black coat, white type, and a fish that English Twitter decided was the next Big Three before page one existed. Chapter 1 was the most-viewed new title on MANGA Plus in its first week. By April 2024 the app had logged over 99 million page views.
VIZ and MANGA Plus run the English simulpub the same week as the Japanese magazine. That is the legal Sunday. Chapter 1 is usually free forever on Plus, which is how the 2023 meme became readers instead of a week of jokes. Jump Comics volumes started 2 February 2024 in Japan (ISBN 978-4-08-883819-9 for Volume 1, Mission). VIZ’s first English tankōbon arrived 5 November 2024 (ISBN 978-1-9747-4724-5). Next Manga Award, print category, 2024. Nominations later for Shogakukan, Kodansha, and an Eisner international slot. Circulation: 1 million by October 2024, 2.2 million by May 2025, 3 million by October 2025, 4 million by April 2026.
As of May 2026 there are 11 Japanese volumes. Volume 12 is listed for 4 September 2026 (ISBN 978-4-08-885177-8) and is expected to close Part 1 and open the war book. Eight English volumes are released or solicited through late 2026; Volume 9 is listed for 3 November 2026. Part 1 of the story closes around chapter 115 (“Swordsmith”). Part 2 opens on chapter 116 (“Princess”) and the Seitei War. The chapter index on this site runs through 131, “Tipping Point” (6 September 2026). An anime from Cypic, directed by Tetsuya Takeuchi, is scheduled for April 2027, with Crunchyroll outside Japan. Taihi Kimura is Chihiro; Tomokazu Seki is Kunishige; Katsuyuki Konishi is Shiba.
How to read officially
Week-to-week: VIZ Shonen Jump or MANGA Plus. Same chapter, same week. Japanese magazine pages live at Weekly Shōnen Jump. We do not host chapters, raws, or early Twitter dumps. The Sunday ritual is the fandom door; this page is the publication door.
On paper: Japanese Jump Comics for the jackets, extras, and the red-to-black spine bar. VIZ trades for the English edition, a parallel object, not a color-matched set. Volume extras include Genichi Sojo’s Bathhouse Quest (two parts) and Soya Sazanami’s Memories, Begone! Buy the book for those. The cards below split the rest: chapter maps and ISBNs, every titled chapter, the eleven Japanese jackets, and the color openings videos pause.
Volume guide · Volume synopses · Chapter index · Chapter 1 · Chapter 18 · Swordsmith · Chapter 130 · Chapter 131 · Volume 1 · Volume 12 · Cover studies · Color pages · Volume extras · Author comments · Part 1 long cut · Part 2 guide · How to read · Hokazono · Meme to flagship
